I understand both sides. What you state is true. It’s a difficult situation. My take is sharing God’s greatest gift… love. Right or wrong, I believe we should love the sinner while hating the sin. I’m not sure there’s a scripture to back that up. However, not going shows the lack of love that Christians always talk about. Showing up, doesn’t mean you condone the sin, it just means you love the individual.
This is a really difficult situation…
I appreciate the quote “love the sinner, hate the sin.” Simple yet profound.
Well, said! Jesus said to love your neighbor, LGBTQ people are our neighbors, too. You did the right thing. And also, who is the sinner? We are all sinners and God loves us anyway. My argument with others who want to reject LGBTQ people and other “outliers” is that rejecting them outright does not reflect God’s love at all. It makes us hypocrites. God bless you!
Many Christians use the cliché “Love the sinner; hate the sin.” This saying is not found in the Bible in so many words; however, Jude 1:22–23 contains a similar idea: “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” According to this, our evangelism should be characterized by mercy for the sinner and a healthy hatred of sin and its effects.
We are to have compassion on sinners for whom Christ died, and we are also to keep ourselves “from being polluted by the world”—part of what constitutes “pure and faultless” religion (James 1:27). But we also realize that we are imperfect human beings and that the difference between us and God in regard to loving and hating is vast. Even as Christians, we cannot love perfectly, nor can we hate perfectly (i.e., without malice). But God can do both of these perfectly, because He is God. God can hate without any sinful intent. Therefore, He can hate the sin and the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still lovingly forgive the sinner at the moment of repentance and faith (Malachi 1:3; Revelation 2:6; 2 Peter 3:9).
The Bible clearly teaches that God is love. First John 4:8–9 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” Mysterious but true is the fact that God can perfectly love and hate a person at the same time. This means He can love him as someone He created and can redeem, as well as hate him for his unbelief and sinful lifestyle. We, as imperfect human beings, cannot do this; thus, we must remind ourselves to “love the sinner; hate the sin.”
How exactly does that work? We hate sin by recognizing it for what it is, refusing to take part in it, and condemning it as contrary to God’s nature. Sin is to be hated, not excused or taken lightly. We love sinners by showing them respect (1 Peter 2:17), praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1), and witnessing to them of Christ. It is a true act of love to treat someone with respect and kindness even though you do not approve of his or her lifestyle or sinful choices.
It is not loving to allow a person to remain stuck in sin. It is not hateful to tell a person he or she is in sin. In fact, the exact opposites are true. Sin leads to death (James 1:15), and we love the sinner by speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We hate the sin by refusing to condone, ignore, or excuse it.
Problem here is that correction is not well accepted, right? The wrath of God is presently abiding on all sinners…
John 3:36 is one of the clearest passages:
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
The Greek is very strong here:
“wrath” - ὀργή (orgē) - settled, righteous anger/judgment of God.
“abides” - μένει (menei) from μένω (menō) - to remain, continue, dwell, stay upon.
The verb is present active indicative:
the wrath of God is presently remaining/abiding upon him.
Not merely future wrath, but a current state outside of Christ.
Likewise:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” - Romans 1:18
Greek:
“is revealed” - ἀποκαλύπτεται (apokalyptetai) - is continually being revealed/uncovered.
“ungodliness” - ἀσέβεια (asebeia)
“unrighteousness” - ἀδικία (adikia)
And Ephesians 2:3 says:
“…and were by nature children of wrath…”
Greek:
τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς (tekna physei orgēs)
literally: “children by nature of wrath.”
Meaning fallen man is not morally neutral before God, but already under divine judgment apart from Christ.
Yet Scripture also holds out mercy in Christ:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 8:1
The gospel is not merely rescue from future hell, but deliverance from the present abiding wrath of God through union with Christ.
This gives me the chills, and he is right.
J.
All I can do and only speaking for myself is like one person has said, “Love the sinner, Not the sin.” Praying for them as they lean on the Lord. God does know our hearts as He made us and knows us more than we know even ourselves. Praying for all and will leave it at that. Only God can help and our prayers to Him will make the decision. Hopefully a right one.
First, welcome @Shimayazhi. First, you are correct. In Jesus’ teaching, “neighbor” is not a status determined by proximity, shared beliefs, or matching lifestyles. Neighbor is a calling. Your neighbor is anyone whose brokenness is right in front of you, whom you have the power to help. Jesus replaces the question “Who is my neighbor?” with a much more challenging one: “To whom will you choose to be a neighbor?”
Second, we are indeed called to love and have compassion on the LGBTQ community, and to bring them the Good News, aka the Gospel. However, we also must be careful. Compassion = Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
Sounds good? How can having Compassion be bad?
God so loved the World, so on and so forth. So how can I then make the statement that Compassion is a, and can be made a, tool of the Devil? Because twisted, Compassion IS, a tool of the Devil. False Compassion. Misguided Compassion. Taught feelings of Compassion.
What do I mean? God says, “Thou Shalt Not Murder.” WE say, “But wait, what if little Suzy is minding her own business, and some old evil guy rapes her? She should not be punished with a child for the rest of her life. What if that old evil guy is her own father? It is compassionate to say that we can ‘correct’ that mistake and end her pregnancy. As a matter of fact, for whatever reason, it should be a Woman’s Right to choose what to do with her body. Right?”
God says Homosexuality is Sin. WE say, “How can a long-term, loving, kind relationship be evil. And while we are at it, why can’t these two marry? Is it not compassionate to want ‘Equality’? After all, People in Black Robes, in the Highest Court of the land, said it is a “Right.” Oh, and isn’t it compassionate to say that they should not have to hear that what they are doing is wrong? So shut up about it already.”
Jesus says, there is only one way to get to Heaven, and that is??? Through Him. WE say, “That is a narrow-minded, exclusive, hate-filled, ignorant view. Compassion tells us that all Religions are equal and that people can believe whatever they want. Your ‘Truth’ is no better than anyone else’s ‘Truth’. So keep your ‘version’ of Truth to yourself.”
It is compassion that says, we cannot call Sin, Sin? Does compassion tell us we must live and let live? Compassion tells us we must allow females to be part of all-male groups? Viceaversa? Compassion tells us that companies must hire minorities, regardless of education or experience, to make sure that we have some color in their leadership. Compassion tells us that not only do we now have to accept sin, but we must honor, celebrate, and even protect sin? Compassion tells us that if something is offensive to someone, we must change it or ban it.
Yes, Jesus would reach out to the LGBTQ community. He wants us to as well, but we must also present the whole truth. They need to repent, turn from that lifestyle, and be saved. Jesus said, “Go and sin no more,” not “It’s okay to live as you will, just believe in me.” Accept the person who may be struggling with this or any sin, but the key is that they are struggling, attempting to overcome. Jesus accepted sinners and loved all, but He also said, “Go and sin no more.” A clear warning is found in John 5:1-15.
“Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.” John 5:14-15
Of course, we know about the time when the woman was caught in the very act of adultery, and they brought her to him to have her stoned. After He forgave her, He said?
"Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:10-11
Saying to love and accept them is only half the message. We must be careful to never accept nor justify sin.
Peter
