Tell the World Why

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The mall storefront in this photo testifies to the degradation of our society. Homosexuality is not OK. From a natural law perspective, no daughter will be conceived in a homosexual marriage, no son suckled from his father’s breast. From a Biblical perspective, homosexuality is a sin. It is a sin like the sin of adultery, like the sin of murder, like the sin of dishonoring your mother or father. Homosexuality is also a sin for which Christ died. His blood cleanses from all unrighteousness.

As Christians, we claim no moral high ground based on our own merit. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Because of Christ’s cruciform sacrifice, we look to the cross daily and admit that we are sinners, forgiven for His sake, yet the world views Christians as hypocritical racists. From their perspective, homosexuality is freedom, and anything that treads on freedom is intolerance. It is only through the preaching of God’s Law and Gospel that eyes are opened so that the truth is recognized – we all fall short of the glory of God. Homosexuality and all other sins offer only slavery. We join Dr. Luther in proclaiming that Christ “has so freed us that our conscience is free and glad because it does not fear the wrath that is to come. This is real and inestimable liberty, in comparison with the greatness and majesty of which the others (political and carnal) scarcely are on drop or speck.”*

In these gray and latter days, we have a unique opportunity to gently and respectfully share the hope that is within us. Unrepentant homosexuals aren’t pariahs to be shunned, they’re sinners in need of a Savior, just like we once were.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7

* Ewald M. Plass, compiler, What Luther Says: A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian (St. Louis: CPH, 1959) §2410, 776.

photo credit: Scott Diekmann

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