Standing Up For What You Believe In

[AnotherSinner]

This question is asked to perhaps gain some insight on what can be viewed as a very difficult situation.

How do believers answer questions when confronted with them in regards of their stand points on what would be seen as con traversal issues?

For instance:

The equal marriage issue is a rather popular and heated topic of discussion about everywhere now. Be it on or off the internet. Stating that a

person is in favor of it, while it is the popular view can earn various responses from quoted scripture to statements like: "God Hates Homosexuals."

Whereas on the other end of the spectrum, taking a stand against the more sociably acceptable position earns remarks or insults such as being

referred to as profane names.

When taking a stand for what is in God's favor...supporting what the bible teaches, how does one prepare themselves for the questions that

follow?

How does a believer share the truth of scripture without becoming or acting of the world his/herself?

How does a believer be strive to shine a light of truth unto the world in such an instance?

Insight would be greatly appreciated as at the present....I am not sure if I have taken the correct approach or not.....

Just Another Sinner Seeking The Way

Dani

[mizzdy]

I can only speak for myself. When the subject of gay marriage comes up in a secular setting or anywhere else for that matter, I always say a person can choose to do what they wish but if a person is accepting Yeshua as their Savior and King then a person needs to put that way, confess their sins and leave that lifestyle. I always explain that He cannot abide by sin that He cannot take up residency in a person who willfully sins and flaunts that at Him. Being prepared doesnt always mean we have an answer for every question I dont think any of us have all the answers and sometimes when we are being questioned the person asking may not want an answer but wishes to drag us down with them.

How does a believer share the truth of scripture without becoming or acting of the world his/herself?

First I would say you need to put on the whole armor of Yah and know how to use that sword to show His truth. I think about Paul sometimes reflecting on how he acted like those he was trying to reach, not that he acted as a pagan gentile or anything but he used whatever the peoples thinking, philosphy etc. to reach them. I wouldnt be acting, dressing or the like as a gay person but I would want to have on my heart and mind those things in which Yah shows how He is waiting and understanding everyones troubles and wishes to help them and see none perish. Its hard to talk to those so far into their own selfs that they do not wish to hear anything and with those you just tell them you are there when they want to talk or are in need.

Sitting in the judgment seat is an often used tactic and not one of us can sit in His judgment seat. I have come to dispise that phrase, 'God hate the sin but loves the sinner' if you tell someone who loves sitting in their sins such as gays or even those who continue in certain sins regardless of conviction by the Spirit we are telling these people that God still loves them even though they refuse to abide by His will. He says He hates sin, if we are flagrantly abiding in sins wouldnt he even hate us for doing that when we know better? thats how I am seeing that these days.

Shining His light is showing the fruits of the Spirit, walking in the greater lessons of mercy, grace and justice. Helping someone in need despite how we feel about their life style, speaking gently but consistantly of Him and His ways. Not letting ones 'beliefs' or doctrines decide how you will help a person, think of the good Samaritan. Not sure if that was what you were asking about nor if it helped you at all.

shalom,

Mizz

[AnotherSinner]

Thank you Believeinhim, & Mizz.

In truth, I was not trying to minister unto an unbelieving friend. Rather I had posted an article about the recent issue of equal rights marriages. When she asked my position....I was honest and told her

I am against gay marriage. The conversation was....awkward thereafter.

The conversation was as follows:

J: So are you for... or against it?

Me: Against. They should be treated as people, but the church should not be made to act against what the bible teaches. If they are to marry it should not be something forced upon the church.

J: Buuuuut now they can do justice of the peace through courts using a judge. The church doesn't have to even be involved.

Me: Then that is a choice that is made. Not going to condemn their happiness. Have friends I love very much who are into and have those relationships. Believe those relationships are a sin. Still, I am not perfect myself. So not going to pass judgement.

J: Let's just say Jesus comes back to being in our world, and tells you that being with you husband is a sin, despite all the love you have for him, so saying that your love is wrong... What would you do?

Me: Leave him... even if it hurt. Jesus comes first.

Realistically, I know that God would not want me to leave my husband. If roles were reversed though and Jesus did come back and tell us that something we are familiar with is a sin......that question....it just threw me for a loop. Mostly just the idea

that anyone would even conceive of such a notion. Then....I have a friend or two that believes Jesus sinned.....

Was I in error here? What can be learned from this instance?

Anything?

Just Another Sinner Seeking The Way

Dani

[Guest Butero]

I don't think you were in error. If someone asks me directly where I stand on gay marriage, I will tell them I oppose it. If it is a Christian, I do so from scripture. If it is a sinner, I do so from a secular standpoint. Let me give you an example.

To the sinner, I tell them I am opposed to gay marriage because marriage itself is a religious institution, and it has always been the union of a man and a woman. It effects me because of anti-descrimination laws. People who object to gay marriage because of religious views should be free to reject it, but if you have government sanctioned gay marriage, it opens the door to lawsuits. It then becomes a religious liberties issue verses a civil rights issue. We already have equal justice under the law for everyone, in that any man can marry any woman, regardless whether the person is gay or straight. To allow gay marriage is to expand the definition of marriage, not to simply make everyone equal. It would be no differen't than to expand marriage to include the union of a man and a goat, or a woman and a horse. You would immediately have a case for Mormons to engage in government sanctioned polygamy. This is not about descrimination, but an expansion of government.

To the Christian, I would point out that God instituted marriage between a man and a woman. The woman comes from the rib of the man, and when they come together and join in marriage, they become one flesh. This is far more than the sex act, as some teach. The part of man that is missing is re-united with him. The woman is really part of the man. You can't have that kind of union between two men or two women. I would point out what God says about homosexual unions from the Old Testament, as well as the Book of Romans. I would point out that we are God's ambassadors in this world, and are to spread his truth, not our personal opinions and feelings.

We are warned not to cast our pearls before swine. When we do, they will turn on us. The message to the sinner is the message of salvation. If they outright ask me a question, I will answer them, but if they go off on me, I will remind them that I wasn't pushing my views on them, but that they asked.

[Fez]

I usually say something like "Jesus is my Lord and savoir". "I will not defend my faith, I don't have to, but I will explain it to you."

[gdemoss]

This question is asked to perhaps gain some insight on what can be viewed as a very difficult situation.

How do believers answer questions when confronted with them in regards of their stand points on what would be seen as con traversal issues?

Lets begin here. We need to have a foundation to work from. The law and the prophets were built upon the foundation of love. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and body while loving your neighbor as yourself. Controversial issues are only controversial because someone is opposing themselves to the truth. The strength of that opposition always lies in a persons conviction of having possessed the truth themselves.

Love never fails.

What we as Christians need to continue to do is learn how to love people. If we have the truth and need someone else to understand it, then we need to love them enough to remove the beam from our own eye before trying to pull the mote from theirs. As Jesus said "then, we will see clearly how to remove the mote."

Loving people is hard. Especially when they are unlovable. Loving people is hard but not impossible even when they are unlovable. The goodness of man is as the flower of the grass, when the sun rises with a burning heat the flower thereof falls away. When the heat comes on from sharing the truth the goodness/love of man falls away and is replaced by indignation and wrath or some other less than glorious response. But the one who loves like God loves continues to love because the love was never contingent upon a response from the one being loved. The love remains because it is being given by one who is love.

These are hard concepts that take time to manifest in your person. We must be sanctified by the word of God and changed into the image of the Son of God. We must be made perfect in love.

For instance:

The equal marriage issue is a rather popular and heated topic of discussion about everywhere now. Be it on or off the internet. Stating that a

person is in favor of it, while it is the popular view can earn various responses from quoted scripture to statements like: "God Hates Homosexuals."

Whereas on the other end of the spectrum, taking a stand against the more sociably acceptable position earns remarks or insults such as being

referred to as profane names.

When taking a stand for what is in God's favor...supporting what the bible teaches, how does one prepare themselves for the questions that

follow?

How does a believer share the truth of scripture without becoming or acting of the world his/herself?

How does a believer be strive to shine a light of truth unto the world in such an instance?

Insight would be greatly appreciated as at the present....I am not sure if I have taken the correct approach or not.....

Just Another Sinner Seeking The Way

Dani

Dealing with the topic of gay marriage or homosexuality in general can be very difficult. Do we love them? Enough to help them understand their fate? Are we willing to take their sin upon ourselves to prove our love for them?

Addressing the fact that someone is gay first is most likely the wrong approach to bringing one to salvation so I need not begin there. Before addressing or speaking to the nature of a persons sin, I need to make sure they understand the gospel. Singling out a single sin in hopes of turning someone to Christ, especially a horrible sin like homosexuality, can backfire and become counter productive. Might as well start out with something simple like disobeying your parents as a sin worthy of death.

People who are looking for ammunition to argue and debate the morality of God will come to you with baited breath. They will work diligently to pull you into debate mode. Debating is not loving it is prideful. It is I know more than you so you should bow to my superior knowledge. Love on the other hand makes room for ignorance. It seeks not its own. It esteems others better than self.

Standing up for what you believe in is all about living it. If your having trouble learning how to love the unlovable, just go to the source of all love and ask for the ability to do so. For when we are weak, we are strong.

Your Brother In Christ with much Love,

Gary

[AnotherSinner]

This question is asked to perhaps gain some insight on what can be viewed as a very difficult situation.

How do believers answer questions when confronted with them in regards of their stand points on what would be seen as con traversal issues?

Lets begin here. We need to have a foundation to work from. The law and the prophets were built upon the foundation of love. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and body while loving your neighbor as yourself. Controversial issues are only controversial because someone is opposing themselves to the truth. The strength of that opposition always lies in a persons conviction of having possessed the truth themselves.

Love never fails.

What we as Christians need to continue to do is learn how to love people. If we have the truth and need someone else to understand it, then we need to love them enough to remove the beam from our own eye before trying to pull the mote from theirs. As Jesus said "then, we will see clearly how to remove the mote."

Loving people is hard. Especially when they are unlovable. Loving people is hard but not impossible even when they are unlovable. The goodness of man is as the flower of the grass, when the sun rises with a burning heat the flower thereof falls away. When the heat comes on from sharing the truth the goodness/love of man falls away and is replaced by indignation and wrath or some other less than glorious response. But the one who loves like God loves continues to love because the love was never contingent upon a response from the one being loved. The love remains because it is being given by one who is love.

These are hard concepts that take time to manifest in your person. We must be sanctified by the word of God and changed into the image of the Son of God. We must be made perfect in love.

For instance:

The equal marriage issue is a rather popular and heated topic of discussion about everywhere now. Be it on or off the internet. Stating that a

person is in favor of it, while it is the popular view can earn various responses from quoted scripture to statements like: "God Hates Homosexuals."

Whereas on the other end of the spectrum, taking a stand against the more sociably acceptable position earns remarks or insults such as being

referred to as profane names.

When taking a stand for what is in God's favor...supporting what the bible teaches, how does one prepare themselves for the questions that

follow?

How does a believer share the truth of scripture without becoming or acting of the world his/herself?

How does a believer be strive to shine a light of truth unto the world in such an instance?

Insight would be greatly appreciated as at the present....I am not sure if I have taken the correct approach or not.....

Just Another Sinner Seeking The Way

Dani

Dealing with the topic of gay marriage or homosexuality in general can be very difficult. Do we love them? Enough to help them understand their fate? Are we willing to take their sin upon ourselves to prove our love for them?

Addressing the fact that someone is gay first is most likely the wrong approach to bringing one to salvation so I need not begin there. Before addressing or speaking to the nature of a persons sin, I need to make sure they understand the gospel. Singling out a single sin in hopes of turning someone to Christ, especially a horrible sin like homosexuality, can backfire and become counter productive. Might as well start out with something simple like disobeying your parents as a sin worthy of death.

People who are looking for ammunition to argue and debate the morality of God will come to you with baited breath. They will work diligently to pull you into debate mode. Debating is not loving it is prideful. It is I know more than you so you should bow to my superior knowledge. Love on the other hand makes room for ignorance. It seeks not its own. It esteems others better than self.

Standing up for what you believe in is all about living it. If your having trouble learning how to love the unlovable, just go to the source of all love and ask for the ability to do so. For when we are weak, we are strong.

Your Brother In Christ with much Love,

Gary

Gary,

Your response is most appreciated. Self righteousness, pride, anger...are all things that are not things that is desired for any of those held dear to me to see or experience.

When this conversation came up..... in truth, it was nothing short of heart stopping. When the article had been shared, nothing had been expected outside of a few friends

reading of it. Questioning the stance taken on it, while likely it should have been expected...was not. So when the question came....while the answer was clear...the method

or words to express it....were not.

Love is an important message to send. More often than not....it is one though that is struggled with as it can be laced with guilt, ridicule, or perhaps even condemnation of

an individual's actions. Which by no means is a genuine reflection of love. Rather....it is the work of the enemy.

Pointing out the sins in others lives, would be no means to share the word of God. Rather a means to put a grand divide between those who might come to humbly seek Him.

If there is sin, whether known or not, in another's life....it is something of which God should speak to them about.....right?

So much of this...feels very new in terms of understanding. When younger, sharing God was all that was cared about aside from trying to save souls. Yet....such considerations

as living the word...being a reflection of God's love...never really struck me....not until very recently.

I was...and in ways, still am very naive.

Cannot begin to tell you, or the others who have so willingly stepped up and shared with me...just how important the messages sent are. Each one holds bits of wisdom for

time to be given to in prayer, as well as deep thought.

Thank you Gary, Fez, Butero, Mizz, & Believeinhim.

Just Another Sinner Seeking The Way

Dani

[gdemoss]

If there is sin, whether known or not, in another's life....it is something of which God should speak to them about.....right?

Right. And who is God's mouthpiece?

Paul as the mouthpiece of God

Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

Stephen as the mouthpiece of God

Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.

And what shall I say of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah?

But you might say "We are not prophets!"

To which I reply:

Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The prophets which were before you? Before you came prophesying the word of God to the lost and dying world? Yes.

But I'm a woman could be a reply. Do I still prophesy?

The Answer:

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Walking with Christ is a tough road. Speaking the truth in love full of grace and your words being seasoned with salt so that they are easily entreated as you have compassion on some making the difference but using fear to pull others out of the fire hating even the good works they have done merely as men and not as the sons of God because the motive is selfish.

May you continue to grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, putting on the new (wo)man which is created after him in godliness.

Your Brother Gary

[nChrist]

Most of the world hates God's Word because it bluntly tells them they are sinner - doing wrong in the eyes of God. What they don't understand is the other side of the coin - the happiness and peace that yielding to God can bring. I don't think that we do the lost any favors by being politically correct or sugar-coating God's Word. After all, their eternity is at stake. Christians in many parts of the world risk beatings, imprisonment, and even death to share the Good News of the Gospel of God's Grace. As a contrast, most of us can safely share God's Word. We talk about political correctness while many Christians are concerned with staying alive.

Ephesians 6:11-20 NASB Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

[AnotherSinner]

Most of the world hates God's Word because it bluntly tells them they are sinner - doing wrong in the eyes of God. What they don't understand is the other side of the coin - the happiness and peace that yielding to God can bring. I don't think that we do the lost any favors by being politically correct or sugar-coating God's Word. After all, their eternity is at stake. Christians in many parts of the world risk beatings, imprisonment, and even death to share the Good News of the Gospel of God's Grace. As a contrast, most of us can safely share God's Word. We talk about political correctness while many Christians are concerned with staying alive.

Ephesians 6:11-20 NASB Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

I cannot argue with you when it comes to the importance of truth. The fire and brimstone message though seems to draw people away from God.

No doubt about it the price of sin is death. Still....sometimes feel that many a believer is so fixated on that and the wrongness in other's lives...that

sometimes one forgets one's own short comings.