Saturday I finished “Holy Sexuality and the Gospel” by Christopher Yuan. It was an excellent study of God’s sexual standard, particularly as it relates to homosexuals.
One of the biggest takeaways from the book is everyone (homosexuals included) must be approached with an attitude of humility, and love.
Obviously this doesn’t mean we agree with sinful actions, or compromise our convictions! Instead this loving humility doesn’t approach the sinner with an attitude of arrogance that believes we are better than them.
This attitude of love comes from a foundational truth of Doctrine….
We have all failed God
Christopher Yuan does a good job of explaining that each of us were created to glorify God, and have failed miserably by sinning against Him. Though some sins have greater consequences than others, the Lord doesn’t look upon us as “big sinners” or “little sinners.” Just ONE SIN can separate us from Him for eternity!
This truth challenges me to approach sinners not as someone who lives a perfect life, but a fellow sinner who has experienced the grace of God.
This kind of humility keeps me from falling into the extreme of isolating myself from the unsaved (never interacting with them) and compromising myself with the unsaved (adapting to them). Both of these extremes do great damage to a testimony.
- An Isolation Relationship with the Unsaved gives off the message that I am better than them. It refuses to even have friendships with the unsaved because it could affect their testimony.
- The Compromising Relationship with the Unsaved does the exact opposite by accepting everything that they do, and never confronting any sin.
Approaching them as a sinner who has experienced God’s Grace avoids both extremes
- I take the initiative to approach them with the Gospel of Christ
- I emphasize building a relationship, and taking opportunities that the Holy Spirit gives to clarify the teaching of Scripture
- I deal with their heart relationship (Salvation) instead of outward sinful actions (drinking, drugs, etc) but make sure they understand these actions dishonor God
- I give them time to change…..show patience instead of forcing them to accept Christ
- And I live the Gospel in front of them on a daily basis
Above all things a spirit of loving humility gives Grace to the unsaved…..
Because God continuously gives me Grace .
A few doors down from me is a rum-shop where people gather during the day. I will visit there during the week to pass out tracts, explain Scripture, and build relationships. Everyone there understands I am totally against drinking, especially in the local community where so many are addicted to rum, but I still visit there.
In a perfect world I wouldn’t have to visit a rum-shop to share Christ. But we don’t live in a perfect world! So with the Lord’s help I enter into the darkness with the light of the Gospel.
Not as someone who is better than them….
But a sinner who has received God’s Grace.
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