Obsessing over Homosexuality and Other Hot Button Issues

Lately, I've been seeing many posts concerning homosexuality on Christian discussion forums. Many concerned House Bill 1592 and Senate Bill 1105 which add "GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR DISABILITY" to the list of those protected under the Hate Crime Act. Others expressed general disgust for homosexual acts. After a while, I felt compelled to protest this singling out of homosexuality as the sin on which to focus.

So, I posted the following in response to the posting of a sermon against homosexuality.

While I agree that homosexuality is a sin, I find that the American church spends way too much time obsessing with this issue. The Bible contains more verses on adultery, yet, American Christians are more ready to tolerate adulterer than gays and lesbians. What about liars and thieves?

John 8:7

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Matthew 5:28

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

1 John 3:15

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Perhaps we, as the Body of Christ, would be more effective if we preach the whole gospel; we are all sinners condemned to death and can only be saved by the grace of God through Jesus' atonement of our sin by his death on the cross.

My complaint isn't just about the church focusing on homosexuality. It's more about we focusing on hot button topics: abortion, drugs, alcohol abuse, etc.

It tends to categorize people into little niches; and when we do that, they become very defensive and less opened to listen to the gospel message.

However, if we are willing to view each person as a fallen individual who needs the gospel just as we all do, they are more likely to open their heart to the call of Jesus Christ.

Someone objected to my post and responded with the following:

So is the *church* focusing on those topics? or are they RESPONDING to whatever issues/problems are hot button in the secular community?

Here is my reply to the response:

Why should the church let the secular community set our agenda?

We receive our marching order from our Lord: that is to advance the gospel. Let's do what would advance the gospel more effectively and not waste our time focusing on fad issues.

Some one else responded with the following:

This is great, Adventurer. But this does only apply to the unsaved world... how would you approach a brother who is caught in habitual sin and unrepentant? I believe this sermon is actually directed at those within the church that have no problem with sexually immoral lifestyles- it could also apply to the weekend binge-drinker, the drug abuser, the foulmouthed rageaholic etc. all the hot button topics you pointed out.

My understanding is the way we treat unsaved people (what you said above) and the way we are to deal with brothers who live this way is totally different.

I replied with the following.

How we deal with a sinner has more to do with how the sinner effect the spiritual health of the Body than with whether the sinner is a believer or not.

It is my impression that the Bible teaches us, as a general rule, to deal with sinners with gentleness, irregardless of whether they are believers or not.

Galatians 6:1

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Luke 17:3-4

So watch yourselves.

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent, ' forgive him."

James 5:19-20

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

While Luke 17:3-4 and James 5:19-20 explicitly identified the sinner as "your brother", Galatians 6:1 can be applied to a believer or non-believer who sin. Either way, we are to deal with all of them gently with our first priority being bringing the sinner back to God.

But if the sinner's action could tear apart the Body of Christ. We need to cut him off.

Titus 3:9-11

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Leaders must be those who can set a good example.

Titus 1:6-8

An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

If they set a bad example, he must be rebuked publicly so that others do not follow them into sin.

1 Timothy 5:19-21

Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.