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In a recent interview with Religion News Service’s Jonathan Merritt, pastor, theologian, and author Eugene Peterson affirmed same-sex marriage and the spirituality of Christians who identify as gay or lesbian.  “I think that kind of debate about lesbians and gays might be over. People who disapprove of it, they’ll probably just go to another church. So we’re in a transition and I think it’s a transition for the best, for the good. I would perform a homosexual marriage ."  Peterson has tried to retract these statements claiming he usually responds to question in writing. But his initial responses betray sadly his drifting heart away from Biblical doctrine. His answers were clear and precise. To say otherwise, is to seek to protect his reputation rather than the gospel, hence he now says there will be no more interviews at all. Did his literary agents order him to issue his retraction? Yes, on the basis of his new book. Is it too late? Sadly, yes. Denny Burk, ...

At one level we must answer this question with affirmative conviction. Yes, a person with same-sex attraction can change. Christians must proclaim that rebellious sinners , whether heterosexual or homosexual, can be redeemed by Christ and conformed to his image by the Holy Spirit. We can affirm this without hesitation because of God's promises in Scripture and because of the gospel's transformative power. At the same time, the process of sanctification and the radical change from sexual sinner to a life of purity and holiness is never simple. The redemption of someone with same-sex attraction does not instantaneously produce a heterosexual orientation. The New Testament displays the difficulty of escaping patterns of temptation and sin. In Romans 7, Paul demonstrates the tension Christians experience between new life in Christ and indwelling sin. There is simply no easy way to escape the lingering effects of our sin even after conversion to Christ. We must honestly stat...

Aren't Christians being selective with Old Testament  law when they appeal to it with respect to homosexuality, while ignoring Old Testament commands about clothing, food, etc.? In some sense, yes, because we are singling out the moral law , which is exactly what the New Testament trains us to do. The book of Acts  distinctly separates the ceremonial and liturgical laws from the moral law. The Lord told Peter not to distinguish between clean and unclean animals any longer (Acts 10:9-16).  At the same time, the Jerusalem Council clearly confirmed the continuation of the moral law (Acts 15).  Paul tells us the gospel is for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews, which obliterates that distinction in the holiness code. Nevertheless, Paul regularly returns to the moral law of the Old Testament to show and defend the character of righteous living in general and the commandments against same-sex acts in particular ...

Or perhaps I should have titled that “ Rob Bell Discusses Homosexuality and Andrew Wilson Discusses the Bible ,” because there was a disturbing lack of Bible in Rob Bell’s answers and arguments. Instead, Rob argued along these lines (and I’m paraphrasing): · People don’t like Christianity . Therefore, we should change the parts they don’t like. · The modern world affirms homosexuality . Therefore, we should too. · Monogamous homosexuals aren’t hurting anyone. Therefore, they’re not sinful. · Monogamy is better than promiscuity because the latter is dangerous and destructive. · Because homosexuals want to share their lives with each other, they should be able to. I wasn’t familiar with Andrew Wilson prior to watching this video, but I appreciate the way he interacted with Rob. He was direct, logical, kind, persistent, and uncompromising. Watch it for yourself. Related articles Students taught to reconcile faith with 'gay' behavior ...

The new normal is for homosexuals to announce their sexual identity , and then receive affirmation for their bravery, boldness, and honesty from their co-workers and clients. This puts Christians with secular jobs in a predicament. Most believers understand perfectly well the concept of hate the sin and love the sinner. But that concept is more and more being seen as inadequate simply because homosexuals often perceive their sexual orientation as their identity, thus rendering any attempt to love the sinner while hating the sin as contradictory. The difficulty is compounded for believers who work with, for, or around those who are openly homosexual. How should Christians respond to those in the work place who are homosexual? If you manage a company with homosexual employees, or if you have homosexual co-workers, how do you find the balance between hating the sin and loving the sinner? Here are six suggestions: 1)   Remember the gospel , which is another way of saying ...