Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
ZNPaaneah, in preaching the gospel how can we tell someone to repent of something they do not know is wrong? We must tell them what is right and what is wrong, so they know what they are repenting of.
|
Not sure that you really have to do that. No matter what the issue (at least in terms of major points of immorality and unrighteousness) people know. They may have figured out how to talk themselves into believing that it is not, but somewhere inside, they know.
After that, the preachcing of the gospel — whether in just being a good representative of the righteousness of God living in the world and being seen by the unsaved, or just saying that you were once not like that and have changed because of Christ, or doing a serious telling of God and salvation — is all we have to do. Whether anything comes of it is not ours to do.
It is not in hammering people with their sin that they seek forgiveness. That usually results in the opposite effect. Hardening of the heart.
And outlawing things according to Christian morality just helps those who would obey laws to think they are really OK without God because they can keep those more Christian-like rules. Those who don't or wont generally are not interested in being good anyway.
"Turn or burn" is only effective on those who are on the verge or believing anyway.
Why not preach the gospel to a homosexual without forcing the issue of homosexuality? If they actually turn to Jesus, even if they have not yet seen the error of their sexual preferences, they are still at least started down the road. Brow-beating them with the error of their ways is proof that you don't really want people to believe in Jesus, but to act like it. And wanting the laws to support your position only makes you even more reprehensible in the sinner's eyes.
Love your neighbor. All that crap about "tough love" is not relevant to the kind of love that Jesus was talking about.