A Clean Conscious
You know what I do not appreciate? I do not appreciate people on social media or in reality implying or insinuating that my relationship with God is invalid simply because I support equality and gay rights. I believe God loves all his children, we were made perfect in his image exactly how we were supposed to be. I cannot rebuke my brother for who he is and "Hate" who he is. Being a homosexual is not a choice, you are born that way. I've never had to question my sexuality, I always liked boys, and I'm straight, and to be honest I doubt anyone really cares. I truly cannot imagine growing up and not understanding why my culture hates who I am as a person and especially the ones that are going to Church every Sunday, they pray and still they see a Rainbow flag and they scoff.
It is great that you have found your personal belief system, but imposing that on others is wrong. You are to share, not brainwash, not smack us back and forth with the Bible. You have never walked a mile in their shoes or felt they way they are and who they are. We live in a diverse society, one of many variables. Yes, Christ said in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation," and so we should. Yet Christ's disciple Peter said, "Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." I Peter 2:17. How is condemning others showing them the gospel or respecting your fellow man? Christ said in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." By you condemning others, you are also condemning yourself. Just love, Jesus tells you to do this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22:39. That means even the LGBT community was told they must also love yourself and only then can you truly love another. We should be celebrating the fact that despite societies desperate attempts to bring them down, there are people of the LGBT community that can love another person so much so to devote their lives to one and other. Celebrate that, #LoveWINS.
I feel very deeply that for you to understand my life and faith in Christ you have to know a few things about me. In college, (undergraduate and graduate) I have been devoted to historical studies, my upbringing was in a very loving and caring home, and my faith was honed in a Southern Baptist family and church. All of these contribute to my world perspective. When I went off to college, I was introduced to people of the LGBT community amongst other communities too. Here my prior knowledge was shattered. The people I met were not trying to convert me; they were not demons or seeking out people to have orgies with; they just happened to be attracted to people of the same-sex. What truly baffled me was that they were not apologizing for who they were, in fact, most wanted to find that perfect someone to spend the rest of their lives and grow old with just like me.
From my historical perspective as a Christian, I believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible is the best surviving text we have to work with regarding the teaching of Christ and that their pages hold authority and are holy. But with that said I also believe that Hebrews 8:13 explains our modern predicament very simply. The Bible as we know it is essentially a collection of sacred texts passed down through the history of Christianity and compiled by very devoted monks. The Bible says in Hebrews 8:13 that "By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." With Jesus a new covenant between God and mankind was struck, in doing so Jesus made the Old Testament and its laws obsolete or antiquated. Just as Leviticus calls homosexual acts to be detestable and calls for those guilty to be put to death, it also says the same for eating pork, adultery, and divorce.
With all of that said, let me emphasize I am merely explaining my beliefs, and I know there will be many that disagree, most prominently my family, but that is not my purpose of writing this. My point is that you do not know where anyone's heart lays but your own. I am asking you not to judge me for the reasons stated, but do what you feel is right, but let me say this...
Jesus left simple instructions. When asked how they could follow him Jesus replied “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. My conscious is clear. I have a strong relationship with Christ, and I appreciate your concern, but I have never been in a better place with Christ at my side than I am today. I sin every day, and I ask for forgiveness for those sins. I am trying to live my life as Christ would have me. I belong to the family of Christians even if you do not see it I have been Redeemed. My faith is strong, and I know that when my time comes that I'll be in Glory with a host of angels, family, and friends praising our Almighty God. I hope to see you there too.
It is great that you have found your personal belief system, but imposing that on others is wrong. You are to share, not brainwash, not smack us back and forth with the Bible. You have never walked a mile in their shoes or felt they way they are and who they are. We live in a diverse society, one of many variables. Yes, Christ said in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation," and so we should. Yet Christ's disciple Peter said, "Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." I Peter 2:17. How is condemning others showing them the gospel or respecting your fellow man? Christ said in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." By you condemning others, you are also condemning yourself. Just love, Jesus tells you to do this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22:39. That means even the LGBT community was told they must also love yourself and only then can you truly love another. We should be celebrating the fact that despite societies desperate attempts to bring them down, there are people of the LGBT community that can love another person so much so to devote their lives to one and other. Celebrate that, #LoveWINS.
I feel very deeply that for you to understand my life and faith in Christ you have to know a few things about me. In college, (undergraduate and graduate) I have been devoted to historical studies, my upbringing was in a very loving and caring home, and my faith was honed in a Southern Baptist family and church. All of these contribute to my world perspective. When I went off to college, I was introduced to people of the LGBT community amongst other communities too. Here my prior knowledge was shattered. The people I met were not trying to convert me; they were not demons or seeking out people to have orgies with; they just happened to be attracted to people of the same-sex. What truly baffled me was that they were not apologizing for who they were, in fact, most wanted to find that perfect someone to spend the rest of their lives and grow old with just like me.
From my historical perspective as a Christian, I believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible is the best surviving text we have to work with regarding the teaching of Christ and that their pages hold authority and are holy. But with that said I also believe that Hebrews 8:13 explains our modern predicament very simply. The Bible as we know it is essentially a collection of sacred texts passed down through the history of Christianity and compiled by very devoted monks. The Bible says in Hebrews 8:13 that "By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." With Jesus a new covenant between God and mankind was struck, in doing so Jesus made the Old Testament and its laws obsolete or antiquated. Just as Leviticus calls homosexual acts to be detestable and calls for those guilty to be put to death, it also says the same for eating pork, adultery, and divorce.
With all of that said, let me emphasize I am merely explaining my beliefs, and I know there will be many that disagree, most prominently my family, but that is not my purpose of writing this. My point is that you do not know where anyone's heart lays but your own. I am asking you not to judge me for the reasons stated, but do what you feel is right, but let me say this...
Jesus left simple instructions. When asked how they could follow him Jesus replied “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. My conscious is clear. I have a strong relationship with Christ, and I appreciate your concern, but I have never been in a better place with Christ at my side than I am today. I sin every day, and I ask for forgiveness for those sins. I am trying to live my life as Christ would have me. I belong to the family of Christians even if you do not see it I have been Redeemed. My faith is strong, and I know that when my time comes that I'll be in Glory with a host of angels, family, and friends praising our Almighty God. I hope to see you there too.
1 Corinthians 4:5
"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
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