“….from WITHIN, out of a person’s heart, come evil
thoughts, sexual immorality …”
(Mark 7:20-23 NLT).
“……All
these evil things come from within, and defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23
KJV).
“...But God shows his anger from
heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They
know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 2For
ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through
everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal
power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing
God... So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful
things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things
with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and
served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of
eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful
desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and
instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual
relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with
other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the
penalty they deserved...Their lives became full of every kind of
wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious
behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent,
proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their
parents. They refuse to understand, break their
promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things
deserve
to die,
yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage
others to do them, too...” (Roman’s 1: 24-32 NLT).
“...I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God...” (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB).
*
Randy Jimmerson left Dr. Patterson’s
office upset. He only came to see her at a friend’s suggestion and now he
wished he hadn’t come. He didn’t really care for Christians, because they could
be wicked and slanderous against people like him.
However, she
pointed out that he was just as judgmental, bigoted, hypocritical, and
negative in his perceptions toward Christians as he was accusing them of being
toward him.
She said he was hostile toward ALL Christians
when some of them only opposed the gay lifestyle, but didn’t have any personal contempt
for homosexual individuals.
Dr. Patterson said the perception of gay
individuals, toward ALL Christians, was prejudice too. Most gay individuals have
stereotyped the whole Christian faith by perceiving it as unquestionably identical
with negative homosexual politics and behavior. It is assumed, by the gay
community, that ALL Christians harbor anti-homosexual prejudices and they
don’t.
She explained that everyone, in the public
eye or the media, was not a true representative of the Christian faith. Most
people TACK the label onto, their agenda or title, to gain the Christian vote
and Christian support.
The whole
Christian Faith doesn’t deserve to be labeled as judgmental against
homosexuals, because it is individual people who are prejudice, not the faith.
Unfortunately, prejudice individuals have
USED the Christian Faith to unlovingly judge homosexuals and so Randy’s
negative attitude is understood.
Most people, who are Christians and followers of Christ
are not anti-homosexual. Dr. Patterson said, “...I am not anti-homosexual...”
Christians may oppose the behavior because they believe the Word of God, but
that doesn’t mean they don’t want to love the person and direct them to the
love of God.
She told him the gay community is vocally
critical about the Christian Faith and have labelled them ALL anti-homosexual without
considering it’s NOT the Christian Faith they are coming up against, but it’s
individual people ONLY claiming and professing the Christian Faith.
Dr. Patterson said the perception of the
Christian Faith as homophobic is unfortunate. It is a hot topic and usually one
that causes conflict, heated debates, and division among decent people who
could potentially have fellowship with one another. The first question Randy
asked her was, “...What do you think
about the homosexual lifestyle?...”
She refused to answer in a way that would
get into a debate about his lifestyle, because he’d come here for her help. She
said, no matter what she said or what he said they were not in session to
change each other’s perception on the homosexual lifestyle. She was not going
to try and change him or to reshape his attitude or mind.
This impressed Andy. She took a very
loving, biblical approach that was understanding, compassionate, and gracious.
Randy didn’t understand her approach and he questioned her some more. She said,
“...It is
not my job to change you. I don’t have the power to transform people’s
heart or minds. My job is to reconcile you to God and his love. I am his vessel
and I don’t care who you are, I intend to lead you to Him. Your covenant
relationship between God, the Holy Spirit is between the two of you. People who
truly love God, will follow his commandments by choice and not by force. God’s true
followers are faithful to him and his commandments, even when it hurts. They
will give up everything to follow him because they chose to abide with him
forever! God’s truth, not mine, sets everybody free. Like the old timers used
to say you can take people to the water, but you can’t make them drink the
water. I’m just trying to take people
to the water...”
Her approach was effective and her message
was heard loud and clear. He was struggling to be a Christian and felt it was
impossible because he was a homosexual. He came to see Dr. Patterson because he
was dealing with loneliness, suicidal thoughts, depression, and he hated what
he was. He couldn’t understand what was wrong with him and why he couldn’t get
it right. He also thought God couldn’t love him because of his lifestyle.
His lifestyle made no difference to her as
much as saving his soul and drawing him closer to the love of God. He told her
his sexual immorality was boundless, but she gave no opinion she simply kept
directing him to the grace, love, and forgiveness that God had for him.
He still asked her, “...Is homosexuality a sin?..”
She smiled and said, “...Sin is transgression against God’s holy commandments or it is
rebellion again his holy standards. The question doesn’t need to be answered by
me. I have no heaven or hell to place you in, so my opinion does not matter. I
love the Lord and stand with his Word. So I will say this to you, you need to
pray, search the scriptures, and seek God in order to answer that question for
yourself...”
“...Why
won’t you give me a direct answer, Dr. Patterson...”
“...Because
I could ask you if fornication committed by heterosexuals a sin or adultery
committed by married individual a sin and the answer would be the same.
Sin is the transgression of God’s holy
law or rebellion against his holy standards. Like I tell all my clients your
sexuality tells about your sexual
orientation and HOW you personally engage in sex WHEN you engage in sex.
However, when you become a NEW CREATION in Christ, according to God’s holy
standards, his people’s sexuality is identified through marriage or celibacy...”
“...That’s
not fair, heterosexuals don’t struggle, with their sexual orientation, like
homosexuals do...”
“...The
struggle to live holy is equally challenging for every Christian. We are ALL
sinners learning to live righteous before God. He died for ALL kinds of sinners
and when you accept him as your Savior, he gives you his indwelling Holy
Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit comes to EMPOWER his people and ENABLE them
to walk and live in his righteousness. That’s why most Christians say, ‘I can
do all things through Christ’...”
“...Most
Christians treat us like we have the worst sin of all...”
“...I
am truly sorry about that. Any sexual sin is hard to overcome. For instance,
singles struggle to stay celibate and married people struggle to stay faithful.
No one should be singled out for their particular sexual sex. No real Christian
or follower of Christ would treat you like that, because they know, too, they were saved by faith through grace...”
“...Can
you, at least, answer me this Doc. Are you for or against homosexuality?..”
“...I
stand with the bible and its holy standard about homosexuality, but I also
stand with the bible and its holy standard about loving others as God has loved
me...”
“...You’re
good Doc, but you are also evasive about your feelings about it...”
“...That’s
where the problem lies, when we react to “our” feelings about something and
totally forget about God’s love for people. I am trying to give God glory and
not my feelings or opinions. No offense, Randy, I would rather spend this time
telling you about God’s feelings for you and not my feelings about what you do
or don’t do...” Randy couldn’t break Dr. Patterson. Usually he
could easily get a Christian into a heated debate and reveal their true hidden
prejudices and bigotries, but not her.
If he understood her right, whatever he
WAS, before Christ, he wasn’t anymore. How he identified himself should be
based on the truth that he was a NEW CREATION. All NEW CREATIONS used to be something, such as; idol worshippers, whoremongers, liars, trouble makers, hateful, and all kinds
of other stuff.
She suggested he didn’t add anything to
his new identity. He was not a Christian homosexuality. He was just a
Christian, which meant the only thing he was following after was Jesus Christ.
She did say she didn’t agree with the
government trying to legislate a person’s sex life, because it is impossible to
legislate the heart. That is God’s job.
People had the right to choose the life they
wanted. God gave everyone human will and no matter how many regulations were
implemented, biblical or legal, they will never compete with the human will,
especially when it wanted something!
Just because you WANT someone to be
different and YOU can’t accept their differences - because of the way, you
think, it may or may not affect your life – you STILL won’t be able to put
limitations on their human will. People will find a WAY to exercise their human will and do what they want to do.
Dr. Patterson said many Christians are
afraid of the 21st century's sexual revolution and its opposition against their faith. Some feel
it’s their Christian duty to support regulations that limit homosexuality and
its offense against God’s holy standards.
However, she also felt she wouldn’t want
any regulations or limitations put upon
her Christian faith and her freedom to practice that faith. She said the Golden
Rule is to treat others as you want them to treat you.
She hoped one day to restore the true
Christian faith to the homosexual community by presenting it as a faith of LOVE
and GRACE that offers God’s PLAN of SALVATION to everyone. The Christian Faith
opposes MANY lifestyle practices that go against God’s holy standards, but that same Faith also
reconciles any and every individual who is directed and drawn to the LOVE of
God.
Every NEW CREATION in Christ exchanges one
identity for another. It is NOT easy or comfortable for anyone to go from being
a chronic sinner to becoming a holy believer.
According to Dr. Patterson, the dilemma
between the Christian Faith and the gay community is the fault of both groups
of people.
Some individuals CLAIMING and PROFESSING
to be of the Christian Faith are acting out their OWN negative attitudes toward
homosexual individuals.
Other individuals who are “real” Christians
may oppose the lifestyle, but still desire to love homosexual individuals and
direct them to the LOVE of GOD.
A consistent biblical reaction or respond
to homosexual individuals is not to simply focus on their behavior, but to
direct them to the LOVE of God.
It is God’s love that is transforming.
Real Christians know God’s holy commandment is to be conformed to the IMAGE of
Christ and transformatopm happens through the renewing of one’s mind.
The WORD of GOD has the POWER to transform
the hearts and minds of ALL mankind, not opinions, violence, prejudices, or
negative judgements.
Dr. Patterson explained that she lived a
sinful lifestyle for years. She had biblical knowledge, knew the Christian
Faith’s opinion of her behavior, knew the church prejudices of her actions, and
knew the negative judgements about the sinful lifestyle she was engaging in,
but none of that changed her.
She said, someone directed her to the love
of God, first and foremost, and it radically changed her life.
She apologized to Randy again. She said
individuals claiming and professing to be Christians are wrong in their
rejection of homosexual individuals and their negative treatment of them.
A “real” Christian and follower of Christ
may oppose the homosexual lifestyle because they believe the Holy Bible, but it
will not stop them from loving you and desiring to direct you to the love of
God.
A gay individual is for the homosexual lifestyle, but a “real” Christian opposes the homosexual lifestyle. This
is the problem!
Dr. Patterson said it is HARD for most
people to accept the fact that someone DOESN’T agree with them and they take it
personal instead.
If “real” Christians and the gay community
don’t agree with each other on the homosexual lifestyle it shouldn’t mean they violently wish
the other didn’t “think” or “act” that way. It simply means that one group of people
see the “lifestyle” differently than the other group does; THAT’S IT.
The negative judgements, prejudices,
bigotries, and hatefulness is revealed in both group, the so-called Christian
individuals and the gay community. Now we live in a world where these two
groups find it hard to co-exist together.
Her last words, are the ones, that ticked him off, “...Randy, you are angry with Christians for
being anti-homosexual. You came into my office with an attitude before you got
to know me. How is your prejudice any
different from the one you claim Christians have against you?...”
Randy had to admit Dr. Patterson had
treated him with respect. She refused to focus on his lifestyle. He wanted to
argue with her about how Christians are always trying to violate the personal
rights of homosexuals or their rights for constitutional equality, but she
wouldn’t go there.
She showed him, that when it comes to
God’s love and grace through his plan of salvation, every man or woman, stands
on equal ground; all have sinned.
Though she didn’t say it, Dr. Patterson
opposed the homosexual lifestyle, but she showed love for him nonetheless and
she showed him God’s love too!
Most of his experiences with so-called
Christians were negative. Christians spewed hateful words and rejected him more
than any other group of people. Randy wanted to overcome his sins too, but the
Christian community was unkind, some had little or no compassion, was uncaring,
and offered no help for someone like him.
He saw the many imperfections of his fellow
Christians, and they helped each other, but not him. One Christian divorced her
Christian husband who was struggled with pornography, but the church helped
them.
He felt dehumanized by those who said they
were God’s people.
Randy was prejudice against Christians for
their judgmental attitudes, their blatant hypocrisies, and their homophobic
treaments. He was grateful to Dr. Patterson for introducing him to a compassion
God who was with him in the process of transformation.
Without knowing it she had helped him see
God’s standard for sexual purity, that God’s word transforms, that God loves
him unconditionally, how to treat each
other with respect, and to see his own prejudices.
Randy felt better about God’s love for
him, but it was hard to change his mind about so-called Christians. After his
session with Dr. Patterson, he knew the BIGGEST and MOST PUBLIC group or
“proclaimed” Christians rallied against the homosexual lifestyle, without
demonstrating the love of God and were, most likely, not true Christians of the
Faith.
He now saw them as WICKED and SLANDEROUS
people who had commandeered the Christian Faith in order to push their EVIL and
HATEFUL agendas. And most Christians FELL for it, without considering if the MINISTRY of Jesus Christ was upon the CENTER STAGE of their activities.
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