A conversation between me and a friend of mine last night has led me to think a lot about the way that we are so selective with what we choose to condemn and what we choose to justify. St. Augustine said, “Pride is the mother of all sin. Pride gives birth to all other sin.” The second that we look past the log in our own eye to tell our neighbor about the speck in his, we have become prideful and arrogant. In the Bible, homosexuality is never divorced from any other forms of sexual immorality. This leads to John 8:7 where Jesus said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her”. We are not to throw stones or cast judgment because we ourselves have sin in our lives. I am almost willing to bet that anyone who would condemn homosexuals has their own sexual sin that they have not addressed. I am also willing to bet that anyone who is tolerant of homosexuality, is so because they know that they have their own sexual sin in their life that they have not overcome, and therefor know that they cannot cast a stone. Ephesians 5:3 says: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” So if we are all sinners and no one has the right to address sin, what’s a christian to do? If both sides are sinful, what’s the answer?

Repentance. Martin Luther said: “All of a christian’s life is to be one of repentance.” It is also on this topic that Mark Driscoll said: “Fish swim, birds fly, christians repent. It’s what we do.” So when the “hot button” topic of homosexuality comes up, so must all sexual immorality. When all sexual immorality is brought up, we must look at the log in our own eye, being humble and realistic about the fact that we too are sinners, and have sexual sin, and we must repent. No matter how small or how large we feel our sexual sin is, It is ALL sin to God and unacceptable, even if it is acceptable to our culture. We must humbly come before God and confess and repent of our own sexual sin, and until we do, we have no right to go any further and condemn anyone else. When we do humbly repent though, the Lord is faithful to transform our heart’s desires as we renew our minds with His Word, and we begin to hate the sin that we have lived with and held so tight to, and love righteousness. Then and only then, can we go to our brothers, humbly and lovingly, with genuine love, knowing the slavery that sin holds us in, as well as the freedom that Christ brings, and confront the sin that they live with, be it pornography, lust, sex before marriage, sex outside of marriage, or homosexuality. We are then not only qualified, but obligated to call our brothers and sisters in Christ to repent of their sin, that that may be restored to Christ as well.

Tragically, most people confronted with this idea and their sexual sin, will see this as a mountain to high to climb. They (you) will, as Romans 1 says, “suppress the truth because of their unrighteousness”. As the rich man did when Jesus told him to sell all his possession, you will drop your head and turn and walk away because the cost of discipleship is too great. You will ignore the truth rather than repent and obey. I know because I was that man.

p.s. For help with sexual sin, I highly recommend 2 books and prescribe 2 exercises. The two books are the Bible (I prefer the ESV translation) and Porn-Again Christian. For exercises, try repenting, and obeying. I promise they will make you healthy.

Sep 12th by josh