Transcript
We live in a very important moment. It's a moment when the whole issue of gender is up for a discussion, maybe in a way it's never been discussed before; and that can be a troubling and confusing moment for Christians. I have to start this way because this is the grief of my heart.
We Need to Stop Being Haters
We need to stop being haters. I think that it is biblically wrong, immoral to treat any human being as a sin on two legs, to use it as a title, "He's a homosexual." We don't say, "He's a pride. He's agreed." We don't do that and yet we've given ourselves the liberty of treating this area like we treat no other area; and so, we've led with condemnation rather than leading with grace.
We don't understand the concept of being deceived. We don't understand the concept of being lost. We don't understand the concept of being blinded. And so, what I would say is we need to move out into our culture in the same way that God moved in on us. Two things to remember, God's move toward us never in any way compromised His law. God holds His law high. The cross celebrates God's law. But that's not all He gave us. He brought along with His law the glory of His grace.
Now, think about grace. Grace never calls wrong right. If wrong were right, there would be no need for grace. What grace does is a particular way of dealing with wrong. It's right for us to hold God's standard boldly in our culture. It's right for us to give grace to people we know are lost. It's right for us to help confused Christians to understand more clearly what the Bible says about this area. It's right for us to confront rebellion, but here's what we better do. We better be willing to give a gorgeous gospel to everyone.
I want homosexuals in my church because I want them to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Am I going to say to them that they're okay and what they're doing is okay? No, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to want transgender people who are in midst of confusion. I want to welcome into the doors of the church of Jesus Christ, oh, not in a membership way that doesn't confront what they're struggling with; but I want them to be welcomed to hear this gorgeous message of God's grace and the wisdom of God's truth. Listen, I am deeply persuaded if God had responded to me like I sometimes responded to others, I'd be damned. We can do better.
