Same Sex Marriage

[Marathoner]

3 minutes ago, Leonardo Von said:

Say the truth isn't accuse. Jesus was clear:

• "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (Joh 12:48).

Jesus ALWAYS said the truth in love. It was people that felt offended, judged and condemned themselves, accused by their own conscience (Rom 2:15).

I heartily recommend that you search the scriptures, my friend. The Lord is never an accuser; He convicts men of their ungodly deeds for He knows the secrets of their hearts. 

The accuser is not the Lord. God does not accuse and neither should we.  

You should also read my response to you once more. I quoted from the fourth chapter of John where the Lord met the Samaritan woman at the well. Read the entire chapter so you might understand the nature of the Lord's conviction. 

Even the archangel Michael abstained from accusation (see Jude 1:9). The Lord convicts the sinner, we don't. We don't "save" anyone, He does.  

[Marathoner]

2 minutes ago, Chicken coop2 said:

I prefer @Marathonerapproach.  It does that and so much more.  His approach shows love as well as the word of God.  And we are told in the Bible God is love.  Just quoting scripture, depending on how it is done could simply be recieved as a hateful attack.  Is that really the impression we want to risk giving? 

Well said, but @Josheb and @Who me have been writing much the same. Just different angles of the same approach.

There is a time and season for everything. If we don't demonstrate the love, grace, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, then our witness is ineffectual. What do we have to offer our unbelieving neighbor... verses of scripture they've likely heard many times before?

I remember the words of the Lord to those who didn't believe in Him. They possessed the scriptures but refused to come to Him for life. 

No, our neighbor needs to see a light shining in the darkness. They need salt. When we keep His word and walk in the Spirit, we are salt and that light in the darkness. They see the love and mercy of Christ standing before them.  

[Riverwalker]

9 minutes ago, Chicken coop2 said:

I prefer @Marathonerapproach.  It does that and so much more.  His approach shows love as well as the word of God.  And we are told in the Bible God is love.  Just quoting scripture, depending on how it is done could simply be recieved as a hateful attack.  Is that really the impression we want to risk giving? 

As useless as truth without love is, so is love without truth.

[Waggles]

On 4/26/2021 at 5:41 AM, JohnR7 said:

What is the same sex marriage perspective so that we do not "offend" or insult them. Also what is our perspective as Christians so they can have the same opportunity as us to respect us and our beliefs.

In the marxist Australian state of Victoria it is now illegal to convert homosexuals by any means. And that includes witnessing to them or telling them their sexuality is sinful.

Problem solved.

[David1701]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

Well said, my friend. Platitudes are meaningless. 

Such was the case with a close friend who was burned by Christians many times during her life. Her family and relatives were believers and they treated her cruelly and callously. This wasn't a distortion of the truth on her part because I witnessed their mistreatment of her firsthand. I was grieved for her sake. 

She was exceedingly hostile toward Christians as a result... that is, until the Lord planted me in her life. I had no idea what I was getting into but He did. The Lord moved upon me mightily to remain silent: be a friend asking for nothing in return. Stand for her sake just as the Lord stands for me, forgiving her as surely as my Father in heaven forgives me.  Love her like the Lord loves me. 

Keep His word and walk in His Spirit. 

The Lord made the way straight, giving me words to speak when the fullness of time had come. My friend exploded with rage when she discovered that I'm a Christian but the Lord spoke of this beforehand. What did I do? I bore it in silence and didn't go anywhere. I took the worst of it and loved her anyway.

This is how the Lord honored me with the right to demonstrate His love for my friend. Her heart softened and she remembered the Lord whom she believed in during her youth. We need to get out of the way and listen to Christ... He tells us what we ought to do and say.   

Yes, there are situations like this; and we do need to be led by the Lord in witnessing.  That goes for how to treat brothers and sisters on this forum as well, not assuming that our experiences define how others will be led by the Lord.

[David1701]

21 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Well said, but @Josheb and @Who me have been writing much the same. Just different angles of the same approach.

There is a time and season for everything. If we don't demonstrate the love, grace, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, then our witness is ineffectual. What do we have to offer our unbelieving neighbor... verses of scripture they've likely heard many times before?

I remember the words of the Lord to those who didn't believe in Him. They possessed the scriptures but refused to come to Him for life. 

No, our neighbor needs to see a light shining in the darkness. They need salt. When we keep His word and walk in the Spirit, we are salt and that light in the darkness. They see the love and mercy of Christ standing before them.  

There is a famous story of an unbeliever, mocking and parodying John Wesley's (or Whitefield's, I can't remember exactly) preaching, before an appreciative audience of unbelievers.  He was convicted and converted, by his own, ungodly, unloving, ungracious preaching, because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes, and God gave that man repentance and faith.

This is the other side of the coin and brings the needed balance.

Yes, we should be salt and light, loving, gracious and led by the Holy Spirit; but, God cannot be thwarted and he will save his chosen ones.

Edited June 25, 2021 by David1701

[Leonardo Von]

5 hours ago, Josheb said:

I assume that is well-intended but that statement is incorrect. Jesus did not always speak the truth in love. Jesus often spoke the truth in anger, or spoke the truth with judgment. Jesus is not monolithic (the same Jesus who came as a lamb to the slaughter will return with a sword in his mouth) 

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Heb 13:8). 
Jesus does not cease to be love (1John 4:8,16) because He gets angry and comes to judge

[Leonardo Von]

6 hours ago, Josheb said:

Do you realize accompanying the statement with "Say the truth isn't accuse" with John 12;48 is self-contradictorily? 

There is a judge and a judgment for not receiving the truth. 

When someone is, in Christ, saying the truth, they are trying to impart to the person an opportunity to repent and convert.
It is their conscience which accuse them.
The judgment and condemnation ensue their refuse to accept Jesus' exhortation.

[Marathoner]

9 hours ago, David1701 said:

There is a famous story of an unbeliever, mocking and parodying John Wesley's (or Whitefield's, I can't remember exactly) preaching, before an appreciative audience of unbelievers.  He was convicted and converted, by his own, ungodly, unloving, ungracious preaching, because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes, and God gave that man repentance and faith.

This is the other side of the coin and brings the needed balance.

Yes, we should be salt and light, loving, gracious and led by the Holy Spirit; but, God cannot be thwarted and he will save his chosen ones.

Well said and agreed. I never fail to be astonished by testimonies such as that one.

[JohnR7]

10 hours ago, Marathoner said:

No, our neighbor needs to see

When people look at us they see themselves. God does not give us the ability to judge others, we can only judge ourselves and project that out onto others.