Christians in our church still struggle with the decision to dedicate a child to same sex parents, if we’re ever asked. They believe that gay couples are unrepentant and have no intention of changing their behavior. How can they worship God while being in a state of rebellion toward Him? We should judge them and not allow them in the church. I want to challenge your thinking by asking, “What would Jesus do?”
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A well-known story in John 8:1-11 recalls a woman caught in the act of adultery. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought her to the temple and presented her to Jesus. They believed He would uphold the Law of Moses, which stated the death penalty for adultery. But they were in for a surprise. “If any one of you is without sin,” he said, ‘let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” It didn’t take long for all the men who had been ready to judge her to walk away.
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” Jesus asked.
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Are we in a position to judge other’s sin? The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees certainly thought so. They were the spiritual leaders of the temple and believed they had the authority to stone the woman. Jesus disagreed. When Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, he didn’t elaborate. He didn’t try to classify sin as “visible or invisible.” He didn’t categorize the sin by type, e.g. “sexual sins.”
He didn’t rank and order sin as if some sins were worse than others. Our man-made classifications appear to be irrelevant to Jesus.
“At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left.”
Jesus leveled the playing field, assuring that the teachers and Pharisees understood they were no better than the woman who committed adultery. He forced them to examine their own sinfulness. Why? Maybe Jesus wanted to humble the spiritually elite. Maybe He wanted to send the message that they didn’t have the credentials to judge like they thought. Maybe He believed that a deep understanding of their own sinful condition could give way to compassion for others.
I appreciate that Jesus confronted the men who were self-righteous. He reminds us that there is a little bit of Pharisee in each of us. It’s easy to start thinking that we are better than others, while forgetting the depth of our own sin condition.
When Jesus ascertained that no one had condemned her, he said, “Neither do I. Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus was sinless. He was the only one qualified to judge this woman. Could He have declared the death penalty? Of course! Yet He modeled a loving spirit, not condemnation or judgment. Jesus showed compassion without compromising His Word. He didn’t dodge the fact that adultery was “a life of sin.” He invited her to embrace a new way of life.
Many of us assume that the woman repented after having an encounter with Jesus. But what about believers who come to church who appear unrepentant, especially those who live a lifestyle contrary to God’s Word? Are they welcome in the church? Yes, because ALL are sinners who need a place to find spiritual healing and growth. Moreover, it’s not just the gay community who appear to have a problem of unrepentance.
For example, do you know professing believers who still don’t tithe? Jesus says, “Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and render unto God what belongs to God.” We know in Malachi 3 that God believes we are “robbing” Him when we don’t bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Yet many believers are unrepentant about not tithing. What does a non-tithing Christian have in common with a Christian who engages in homosexual behavior? They both rationalize their sin. A homosexual person will say, “I was born this way,” or “Marriage is about love not gender.” A non-tither will say, “The church is always asking for money.” Or, “This church doesn’t need my money.” As a general rule, we know that approximately 20% of Christians support 80% of the church budget in most churches. Since 80% of non-tithing Christians are disobeying God’s command, should we judge them? Do we tell them they are not welcome in the church?
So how should the church respond to the unrepentant believer? What would Jesus do? I believe He would welcome ALL sinners so that the Holy Spirit can touch the hearts of everyone who attends. For some believers, it may take several years because there are certain areas of their life they don’t want to submit to Jesus. I believe everyone needs a safe place to hear God’s Word, and all will stand before the Lord to give an account of our choices. Our part as a church is to remain open to all sinners, whether they are repentant or unrepentant. We should never compromise His Word.
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If sinners can’t come to the church for healing, where else will they go? How will we reach them if we tell them “they are not welcome?”
I believe the church exists to seek and to save the lost. Jesus is looking for laborers since the “fields are ripe unto harvest.” We can choose to love the sinner and show compassion in their brokenness. I think you can be this kind of laborer! Let’s embrace the opportunity to reach hurting people. Let’s BE the church by demonstrating love over law and allow the Holy Spirit to take care of the rest. I believe this is what Jesus would do.
We live in a fallen world, filled with broken people. Are you willing to introduce Christ to all sinners through unconditional love and compassion? Do you think Jesus is asking too much of us? I invite your thoughts below.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
