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In presenting this study, I am going to use an edited version of something I had previously posted in an online forum discussion about homosexuality.
But first I want to give a little back ground information on this topic, and this probably applies to other topics as well. I think knowing this will help you understand some of the things I mentioned and also why I stated some of the remarks the way I did. They were in reply to other people’s remarks in this, and also other, forums. Most all of which extend from the ideas that “God is good”, "God is love", “God would not create mankind and then throw them in hell”, “This is the way God made me, so this is the way He expects me to live my life”, “Times are different now than they were then”, “If it is legal, then it is alright to do”, “If that is what the Bible teaches, then I can not believe in it or in the God that wrote it”, etc., etc., etc. (The excuses just keep going on and on). But that is really all they are. They are just excuses. You know, like, “The dog ate my homework”. But what I will say here to those people is, “PLEASE go to the ‘
RULES
’ study and see where we must recognize that 'God is God & People are People', And 'what God says is what we MUST follow (like it or not). HE is God, not us!'
OK, with all of that being said, we will begin.
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People, PLEASE wake up!
(omitted person’s name) is right about one thing = ‘There is a war going on’. (Good vs. Evil). We need to decide which side we are going to be on. Do we believe in God or not? If so, then is that the side we are going to be on? (
Joshua 24:15
= "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; ..... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.") & (
James 2:19
= "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the DEVILS also believe, and tremble.") The choice is ours. We need to choose carefully. (
Matthew 12:30
= "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.").
I figure that this post will end up being lost among the vast amount of other postings, but if you have read this far, then please read the rest of what I have to say.
As I read these post, I am amazed at the number of people quoting (or should I say, “misquoting” ) the Bible. Apparently it is not the Bible they are quoting, but what they heard someone say the Bible says. That can be very dangerous. That is why we must not be lazy, but MUST ALWAYS go to the scriptures OURSELVES and see for ourselves what the scriptures really says.
So let us say that you do believe in God, and you do want to do what He says, and you do want to do good instead of evil.
Then read on.
OK, that is what we want, but what does GOD want? “He wants to be our God and us to be His people”. The Bible makes reference to this over 30 times from Exodus through Revelation. (
Leviticus 26:12
,
Jeremiah 11:4
,
2 Corinthians 6:16
,
Hebrews 8:10
, etc.)
That is why God made man a free will agent, able to choose between right and wrong, or good and evil, or to serve Him or Satan. He wants to be our God but He also wants to see if we want to be 'His people'. (of course God knows and wants us all to, but He still leaves the choice up to us to choose if we want to be one of His people or not.) (
2 Peter 3:9
= The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.)
With all of that being said, What does the Bible say about someone who is GAY?
First of all, God DOES LOVE EVERYONE. (
John 3:16
)
And I get so sick and tired of people saying, “It is a sin to be a homosexual, or that all the homosexuals are going to go to hell.”
Well, if these SO CALLED Bible thumpers do not start seeing for themselves what the Bible really says and stop just repeating what they THINK it says, then the problem is a lot greater than the issue of GAY RIGHTS.
If I am wrong, then please tell me. I mean give me Book, Chapter, & Verse!
Second of all: I have a great deal of respect for someone who is gay. They are stronger than I am. Why? Because I believe the Bible. God does not condemn someone because of how they were born. I am not GAY, Thank the Lord. I do not think I could handle it.
So, in explaining what I am talking about, I am going to use a quote that Jesus said in
Matthew 22:31
, “… have ye not read that which was spoken unto YOU by God, …” in the Book of Job, How God allowed Satan to tempt Job up to a certain point, but go no further. And how then later on, God allowed Satan to tempt Job again but only up to a certain point, and again go no further? That is because God knows how much temptation each of us can handle. And He will not allow Satan to tempt us past that point. (
1 Corinthians 10:13
= There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be ABLE TO BEAR it.”
So, yes, If a person is born gay, God does not automatically condemn them. He still loves them and has blessed them with the extra strength they need to overcome their temptation. Whether they realize it or not. Because Christ died for them just like He did for everyone else.
The same goes for all of us. We all are tempted in DIFFERENT ways. We ALL have our own demons (whether they are drugs, or alcohol, or sex, or whatever) with which each of us have to deal. We all have our own crosses to bear, some of which are heavier than others, but God expects us to bear them just the same. And He has given each of us the strength that each of us needs to do so.
Now I know that the sexual temptations are some of the strongest and hardest temptations to overcome. But God knows that you can do it or He would not allow Satan to tempt you with it. (
1 Corinthians 10:13
)
Now I am not going to overstep my authority by telling someone that they are going to go to Hell. I do NOT have the authority to do that. I am a fellow human just like you. And we (you or me) just do not have the authority to do that. But we do have the authority (and responsibility) to show someone, by the scriptures, where God, (not us), where God, who DOES have that authority, tells us, “that they which COMMIT such things are worthy of death.” (
Romans 1:16-32
)
So I will leave you with this final thought, “BEING a homosexual (As defined by = Someone who is sexually attracted to others of the same sex) is not a sin, that is who you are, but PRACTICING homosexual acts is most definitely a sin and the Bible and God condemns it.” (
Romans 1:16-32
) (
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
)
And remember this, “….It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (
Hebrews 10:30-31
)
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So far I have not received many responses on the studies that have been discussed. So I must assume that everyone is in agreement with what has been said. But I suppose there will be more discussion on this study than some of the others.
So, What do you think about this lesson ???
Go to the COMMENTS link and enter YOUR COMMENTS
so we can SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH together.
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