Is it a sin to befriend a gay person?

[Tone]

I will.
But some unbelievers will not obey his commands, and therefore they aren't his friends; thus not my friends.

You are too much...shalom brother.

 

[ViaCrucis]

His commands are to accept the sacrifice.

His commands are to love the Lord our God with all our strength, with all our soul, and with all our mind; to love our neighbor as our self; to turn the other cheek, to love our enemy, to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who oppress us, to give and expect nothing in return; to be merciful even as God is merciful, as He is kind to the thankless and the wicked; to love one another as He has loved us; to be peacemakers; to pick up our cross and follow Him; to seek first the kingdom of God; to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the foreigner, visit the sick and those in prison; to receive Him, to love Him, to trust in Him, etc.

The error of Decisionism here is not only in how apparently it's placing the onus of oursalvation upon ourselves, rather than on the universal and all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ, thereby denying the Gospel; but also apparently denying all of Christ's commandments in order to engage in some kind of minimalism in order to reject the Divine Commandments. Thereby seeing how Legalism and Lawlessness are, indeed, bedfellows.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MasterYourLife]

His commands are to love the Lord our God with all our strength, with all our soul, and with all our mind; to love our neighbor as our self; to turn the other cheek, to love our enemy, to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who oppress us, to give and expect nothing in return; to be merciful even as God is merciful, as He is kind to the thankless and the wicked; to love one another as He has loved us; to be peacemakers; to pick up our cross and follow Him; to seek first the kingdom of God; to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the foreigner, visit the sick and those in prison; to receive Him, to love Him, to trust in Him, etc.

The error of Decisionism here is not only in how apparently it's placing the onus of oursalvation upon ourselves, rather than on the universal and all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ, thereby denying the Gospel; but also apparently denying all of Christ's commandments in order to engage in some kind of minimalism in order to reject the Divine Commandments. Thereby seeing how Legalism and Lawlessness are, indeed, bedfellows.

-CryptoLutheran

If I want to be friends with Jesus, what must I do?

 

[ViaCrucis]

I will.

No you won't. And neither will I. Nobody will. That's kind of the problem.

"The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." - Romans 7:10-23

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Tone]

If I want to be friends with Jesus, what must I do?

John 10
"17The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again."

Matthew 13:8
"8 Still other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop— a hundredfold, sixtyfold,or thirtyfold. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:23
"23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop— a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

 

[ViaCrucis]

If I want to be friends with Jesus, what must I do?

Obey His commandments.

Christ is your friend, not by your obedience, but by His universal and unconditional mercy toward all. That is, by the Gospel.
You get to show your friendship to Christ by living out your faith, in love, in the new obedience you have received from Him.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MasterYourLife]

No you won't. And neither will I. Nobody will. That's kind of the problem.

"The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." - Romans 7:10-23

-CryptoLutheran

"“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”"
John 8:11

 

[MasterYourLife]

John 10
"17The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again."

Matthew 13:8
"8 Still other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop— a hundredfold, sixtyfold,or thirtyfold. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:23
"23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop— a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

"You are my friends if you do what I command" John 15:14

 

[ViaCrucis]

"“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”"
John 8:11

Yes, "Neither do I condemn you" is Gospel. "Now go and sin no more" is Law.

You are not, and never will be, righteous under the Law.

Now go back and read what St. Paul says in Romans ch. 7

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MasterYourLife]

Yes, "Neither do I condemn you" is Gospel. "Now go and sin no more" is Law.

You are not, and never will be, righteous under the Law.

Now go back and read what St. Paul says in Romans ch. 7

-CryptoLutheran

So go and sin no more.

 

[Tone]

"You are my friends if you do what I command" John 15:14

Well then, may Abba show you your friends...that you may lay down your life for them...and receive your reward. Amen.

 

[ViaCrucis]

So go and sin no more.

This is what in the Lutheran Confessions we call the Third Use of the Law, this use of the Law is to provide the sort of life we ought to lead as baptized, regenerate people of faith.

The error comes by thinking that the Third Use ignores the Second Use, which is what St. Paul explains in Romans 7, that the Law which is good brings death because of sin. The Second Use of the Law is the use of the Law which condemns sin, and is like a mirror showing ourselves to be sinners, in need of grace, to bring us to our knees in repentance.

The Third Use is for the active righteousness of the Coram Mundo, us before the world, the new obedience we have in Christ, that we live in the good works of Christ for which we were made, for the good of our neighbor. This is wholly distinct, and never to be confused with the passive righteousness of the Coram Deo, us before God. For before God the only righteousness is the alien righteousness of Jesus Christ, freely imputed to us by grace alone, through faith.

"Neither do I condemn you" is the saving word of Jesus Christ to all sinners by the Gospel.
"Go and sin no more" is the Law which we ought to abide by as reconciled sinners, which we will fail to uphold, but nevertheless are commanded to keep and live.

For the Law says, "Do this" and it is never done. That is why the Law cannot reconcile us to God, the Law cannot make us righteous before God, the Law cannot justify or save us. The active righteousness of the Law is impotent to redeem, heal, justify, and reconcile sinners to God. Only the passive righteousness, the righteousness which is apart from the Law, the righteousness of faith--which is Christ's own righteousness given to us--which makes us right with God.

Both Law and Gospel are to be preached, but preached properly, with right and proper distinction. This Dichotomy of Law and Gospel is an absolutely necessary dialectic by which to read and understand the Scriptures, and to properly communicate the truth of the Christian religion. For to confuse one for the other, or to deny the one or the other, is to preach false doctrine and ultimately to preach that which shipwrecks the faith.

So know the difference, and preach accordingly.

If you say "Go and sin no more" as though this were Gospel, or as though by this command there is peace or life with God, then you preach condemnation, indeed it is to preach damnation. Rather, preach the Gospel, "Neither do I condemn you" and the Law, "go and sin no more", and when we falter, fail, and fall on our face having inevitably fallen short of the perfect Law of God as sinners, we repent knowing that we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord, and that His Gospel is life and salvation. Therefore repent, pray hard, and trust in Him alone. We have the sure and certain promise, "If we confess our sins, He will forgive us our sins." Therefore, freely confess that you are a sinner, that though you ought to "go and sin no more" you do not do as you are told; even still, as Christ our God has commanded concerning the Samaritan, "Go and do likewise."

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MasterYourLife]

This is what in the Lutheran Confessions we call the Third Use of the Law, this use of the Law is to provide the sort of life we ought to lead as baptized, regenerate people of faith.

The error comes by thinking that the Third Use ignores the Second Use, which is what St. Paul explains in Romans 7, that the Law which is good brings death because of sin. The Second Use of the Law is the use of the Law which condemns sin, and is like a mirror showing ourselves to be sinners, in need of grace, to bring us to our knees in repentance.

The Third Use is for the active righteousness of the Coram Mundo, us before the world, the new obedience we have in Christ, that we live in the good works of Christ for which we were made, for the good of our neighbor. This is wholly distinct, and never to be confused with the passive righteousness of the Coram Deo, us before God. For before God the only righteousness is the alien righteousness of Jesus Christ, freely imputed to us by grace alone, through faith.

"Neither do I condemn you" is the saving word of Jesus Christ to all sinners by the Gospel.
"Go and sin no more" is the Law which we ought to abide by as reconciled sinners, which we will fail to uphold, but nevertheless are commanded to keep and live.

For the Law says, "Do this" and it is never done. That is why the Law cannot reconcile us to God, the Law cannot make us righteous before God, the Law cannot justify or save us. The active righteousness of the Law is impotent to redeem, heal, justify, and reconcile sinners to God. Only the passive righteousness, the righteousness which is apart from the Law, the righteousness of faith--which is Christ's own righteousness given to us--which makes us right with God.

Both Law and Gospel are to be preached, but preached properly, with right and proper distinction. This Dichotomy of Law and Gospel is an absolutely necessary dialectic by which to read and understand the Scriptures, and to properly communicate the truth of the Christian religion. For to confuse one for the other, or to deny the one or the other, is to preach false doctrine and ultimately to preach that which shipwrecks the faith.

So know the difference, and preach accordingly.

If you say "Go and sin no more" as though this were Gospel, or as though by this command there is peace or life with God, then you preach condemnation, indeed it is to preach damnation. Rather, preach the Gospel, "Neither do I condemn you" and the Law, "go and sin no more", and when we falter, fail, and fall on our face having inevitably fallen short of the perfect Law of God as sinners, we repent knowing that we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord, and that His Gospel is life and salvation. Therefore repent, pray hard, and trust in Him alone. We have the sure and certain promise, "If we confess our sins, He will forgive us our sins." Therefore, freely confess that you are a sinner, that though you ought to "go and sin no more" you do not do as you are told; even still, as Christ our God has commanded concerning the Samaritan, "Go and do likewise."

-CryptoLutheran

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31

 

[ViaCrucis]

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31

And the Law is not void. The Law is there, to declare what is right and curb evil, to reveal the sinfulness of man, and to provide the sort of conduct we ought to live as baptized, regenerate people of faith. And yet, the Law does not, and cannot, save or justify us.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MasterYourLife]

And the Law is not void. The Law is there, to declare what is right and curb evil, to reveal the sinfulness of man, and to provide the sort of conduct we ought to live as baptized, regenerate people of faith. And yet, the Law does not, and cannot, save or justify us.

-CryptoLutheran

No one was debating salvation.
Jesus says if we obey His commands, then we are his friends.
Simple as that.
If that's hard to understand, then the limitation of my help is here

 

[ViaCrucis]

No one was debating salvation.

And yet you have made these things about salvation. So which is it?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[sunlover1]

"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'"
1 Corinthians 15:33

True it does, but if we carry God in us, and we take US away from those who don't know Him, who's going to model/represent/carry God for/to them?
Hmm, interesting conversation.

 

[ViaCrucis]

True it does, but if we carry God in us, and we take US away from those who don't know Him, who's going to model/represent/carry God for/to them?
Hmm, interesting conversation.

Indeed.

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" - Romans 10:14-15

-CryptoLutheran

 

[joymercy]

@MasterYourLife, someone verbally shared with me that Jesus had 3 close friends:

Peter, James and John.

 

[SayaOtonashi]

How shall we deal with people who want lgbt to be killed. This is why I'm a advocate for LGBT to not be illegal. So many are too scared to look for help. I can't allow the world to kill or harm others. outcast need Jesus and shouldn't be beaten to death