Dear Affirming_Christian,
First, welcome to Talk Jesus, an online community of Jesus Christ believers! I hope you will find fellowship, and growth in God's Word while here.
Second, you are correct in your initial assessment. Your view is different from Bible believing brethren, but more in line with the world. You also ask me to keep an open mind...so I will tell you that my belief system is filtered through the Word of God, and not through any particular church doctrine.
I prefer the Word of God, and what God wants us to know verses what others tell me that the Word of God wants me to know. If necessary, which is most of the time, I try to be like the Bereans who tested what they heard from Paul and Silas; against my own memory or teachings from this church or center of learning. (Acts 17:11) It's easy to get deceived in one's desires against the truth found in His Word. Reading the Word of God, shows this to be true through the very lives of the people found therein. As our Lord said, the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)
You acknowledge being "gay", or NT "homosexual", or OT "sodomite", or to make it simple, you lay with men as if they were women. How you identify it or the reasoning why the act happens, is less important than the act itself. The same can be said for any other action that Scripture identifies as being sinful. We as in humanity are always of the belief that somehow, we know better, than God, even when He tells us "not to", we find an excuse to "do so". I identify this type of action like the saying that Forrest Gump popularized "stupid is as stupid does". Oh, and I readily include myself in that, because I have found myself to be quite stupid indeed in my life, and sadly continue to be so.
Yet, when it all is said and done, no matter what we profess to believe scripturally, inside of each of us, is the knowledge that we are sinners, and hopefully also the knowledge that we cannot save ourselves no matter how much we attempt to adhere to the Word of God, or fail to do so. For if we could save ourselves, there would have been no need of Jesus, God incarnate, to have come to this World to live a sinless life that we could not, and die for the very sins that condemn us, on the Cross as a Sacrifice.
Still, stupid is as stupid does, and like the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus that Jesus spoke of. He said to him, '
If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" (Luke 16:31 ESV) humanity still rejects Him and fails to acknowledge the sin that Jesus willingly died for us and for which we still seek to do whether we believe in Him or not.
The issue now at hand is "Sin". What is sin, and who gets to say what sin is or is not? Again, truth be told, I would not be looking to you, and I hope you won't be looking to me either in stating what the answer to that might be! The problem is that we continue to fall into the stupid is as stupid does trap, when we ignore the Spirit of God inside of us, who has already told us when we do something wrong! That "conviction" that rises within us, that when it deals with a "desire" that we want “to do”, only those who live for Jesus are able in the Spirit to cast it away from us, instead even those in Jesus can justify why it is okay to do and still fall.
The reasons this happens are many, and Scripture warned us of one of them
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV
With the availability of knowledge at the touch of our fingers, we are able to access any point of view we care to have, and have it justified. Scripture becomes second fiddle to whatever we find posted by whoever has a Doctorate, or some learning that makes what they say shiny and bright, and satisfying to receive.
As I've said we justify our actions for the desires that are pleasurable by whatever means we have available to us, and rarely if ever is it the Word of God!
Yes you believe, but is that what God believes and has told us concerning it? How many times has science been wrong throughout its history in saying that this is true, and given time, it reverses itself and comes up with something else that they now proclaim is truth? Many are fixated with the belief that if Science says this is true than it must be how I'm reading/understanding the Word of God that must be wrong, because Science can't be wrong! Even you must smile at this type of reasoning!
So, in truth I don't seek Science to confirm what the Word of God has told me. It would be nice to have for sure that in my discussions with non-believers I can point out this or that. However, if Science is true, then it will never contradict what the Word of God says is true, only confirm it. It’s never the opposite of that!
We live in the fallacy that if God made it so, then it must be good and okay to do. We don’t look to the grey between the lines, that says that man has corrupted what God has made good, and God is the one who determines what is acceptable for us to do or not do. An example is the “tree of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9, 17), that Adam/Eve were told not to partake from. The first example of “not to” and us saying “do so”. You can find this throughout Scripture and continues to this day. The cost is high for those who choose to ignore a Mighty God’s warnings.
Now you bring up boxes that speak that the Word of God shouldn't have "homosexuality" as a word in it, at least as it pertains to the RSV. I’m curious did the box of documents, or the interviews also address how God says that men should not lay with men? Like I said before, even if you take the word "homosexuality" out of the Bible, it doesn't change the Scriptural understanding that God does not approve of men laying with one another, or women for that matter, or animals. The understanding is clear that what we may “desire” the things we want the most to be true, but when seen through the lens that is the Word of God, it's usually not very beneficial for us to do.
I say not beneficial, because our God is merciful! In Christ Jesus we have an advocate who will intercede for us. The issue becomes, are we willing to ask for it? If we acknowledge the sin in our lives, and attempt to change our ways, no matter how many times we may fail, again, and again. He is faithful to forgive us. Too often, that’s not the hard part. The difficulty is when we don’t believe that what we are doing is wrong! How can something that feels so good be wrong? As I've stated before, that mindset relegates God to second fiddle.
So, if we don’t come before Him seeking forgiveness, and continue to willfully sin, what is it that Scripture shows us that happens to people who behave like this? They get punished brother.
That’s pretty much it. I won’t go into the realm of can a person lose their salvation. Gosh, we’d be writing a book if we were to get into that discussion! Instead, all I can say is that I and I hope others as well, will put the desires of the flesh behind them so that they may walk in the Spirit and with the Spirit be obedient to what God wants for us. Holiness, sanctification, perfection…for God doesn't tempt us, but we do a good enough job of doing that to ourselves and each other.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
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