Does Jesus radically welcome all sexualities into the Church?

6/28/2021

(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church d in America used to believe that homosexual behavior is contrary to the will of God. That all changed in 2009 when the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals – at a convention that was literally hit by a tornado.

Today many ELCA congregations celebrate homosexuality and this month ELCA head bishop Elizabeth Eaton appeared in a gay pride video to celebrate gay pride month.

Westwood Lutheran is an ELCA congregation in the Twin Cities area. It is the devil's job to take something ugly and make it look pretty, and the below video is very slick. Listen to Westwood's "amazing welcome that comes from God": "We are called to be ourselves...including sexuality...God gives unconditional welcome to all people...This includes people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and relationship status".

Is this true? I personally have struggled with same sex attraction most of my life and I am grateful that Jesus welcomes people who struggle with all kinds of sin. But what does He welcome us to? To repentance from sin and new life in Christ. But you will hear no mention of repentance from sin in the below video because sin is no longer sin. Now sexual sin is something to be celebrated. And what does it mean that Westwood welcomes people regardless of "relationship status"? It is not spelled out but I am guessing that Westwood has no problem welcoming heterosexual couples who are living in fornication.

Does Jesus radically welcome everyone into His Church? No. He welcomes sinners who come to Him in repentance and faith. On the Last Day Jesus Himself will say "Depart from me" to the unrepentant (Matthew 7:22-23). Jesus taught that we should expel the impenitent person from the Church (Matthew 18:15-17) and the Apostle Paul taught the same (I Corinthians 5:13). And it is not loving to welcome people to continue to live a life of sin since this will eternally separate them from God (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

I hope you attend a good, Biblical church which welcomes all kinds of sinners, but which also welcomes them to repentance from sin and to faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

In Jesus our Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock

Westwood's Reconciling in Christ Statement - read by the staff from Westwood Lutheran Church on Vimeo.

1 Comment

Didaskalos link

6/28/2021 05:46:59 pm

What Would Jesus Say About Gay Pride?
https://stream.org/what-would-jesus-say-about-gay-pride/

. . ."Jesus made a clear statement setting the objective boundaries for gender and the family. He told the sin-excusing religious rulers of His day: “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning created them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5).

"Jesus is quoting Genesis. But He is also talking about His own actions. As the incarnate God-man, Jesus was present in the Garden of Eden. He was involved in the very creation of the genders He is commenting on.

"So it seems Jesus was opposed to the LGBTQ framework.

"His words would have gotten Him fired today if he had uttered them as the employee of many corporations. He would not be welcome on the Olympic Team unless he kept His mouth shut. He would be instantly disqualified to run for the Democrat presidential nomination. His words would make many GOP consultants nervous and seeking “someone more marketable.” He would be artfully kept away from many church pulpits, sadly including a good number labeled “evangelical.”

"But that’s not all Jesus had to say on the topic.

"Jesus gave a blanket pre-approval of the coming written “new covenant” message of his apostles, including Paul. You can read Matthew 28:18-20, John 14:21-26, 21:24-25, Acts 1:3, 9:15-16 for Jesus’ statements of authorization.

"That message, written in the New Testament letters to the early churches, clearly defines homosexuality as a serious, destructive sin. This is due to its reversal of, and damage to, the sexual order. They reiterate the Old Testament’s insistence that the monogamous, heterosexual family is essential to human well-being. They repeat the Old Testament’s point that violating this boundary is to behave like children playing with loaded guns.

. . ."to refuse to acknowledge sin is to dismissively wave away the need for a remedy to sin. Grace and mercy don’t mean we redefine sin or refuse to recognize it. God’s grace means we confess sin as sin, and humbly accept His forgiveness.

"Then, walking in grace means we draw on His Holy Spirit’s power. We engage in the practical effort to daily put our sins to death as we progressively spiritually mature and transform. But refusing to name sin as sin short-circuits grace.

"This is why the affirmation of the Sexual Revolution, including LGBTQ ideology, and the affirmation of biblical Christianity are 100 percent incompatible. They are hostile systems to each other.

"It is why the high priests and money-changers of the temple of the Sexual Revolution must deny the true Jesus as revealed in scripture.

"It is why they hate true Christianity and are attempting to silence us.

"And it is why, in grace and love, we must know, speak , and live the truth in a time of testing."

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Does Jesus radically welcome all sexualities into the Church?

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Dan Skogen

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