Lord Jesus have mercy on the nation of Singapore
Today is the Day Singapore is allowing the Pink Dot, LGBTQ Community to Live stream their activities at 8pm. This community has asked Singaporeans to show them support by lighting up tbeir homes with Pink Lights. Although our government is firm on their stand and refuses to repeal 377A the Pink Dot LGBTQ community is becoming bolder and bolder and have been pushing their way up to be seen and heard. Our innocent children and their future are in danger.
What should we do?
When we are surrounded by people who demand that their sin be seen as 'normal' and not a sin. What do we as believers in Christ Jesus do?
First I would say that they do not know God. Most are not Christians They have not read the Bible. Even if they have read, they would have read it only partially or to justify their claims, never allowing the Holy Spirit to change them from inside out by the washing of the Word over them. The rest would be those who don't believe in God's existence or of other beliefs. Many may be confused and lonely people who have been rejected by their families and societies and are unstable psychologically. Therefore in that state of mind, they have been lured into thinking that being a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Queer, is normal. Many though are lawyers and doctors and people of high educational status. They too have sadly allowed their minds to be confused by this kind of thinking.
So it is really futile to argue with them, if not impossible. We will only resort to unnecessary arguments and animosity. Then our attempt to help them change and follow God's Way, will all be in vain.
We may argue that their feelings are legitimate and we must let them express themselves the way they want to without inhibiting them. If so won't our Creator God Who created us people and all creatures just leave it open and tell us, "Be what you want to be!"? No the Bible says, " He created them Male and Female!"Genesis 5:2
Know God's Word
For ourselves, being believers we must know God's Word like the back of our palm.
About Judging, Correcting, Loving & Praying
When Jesus said, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone," (Jn 8:7b) He did not mean:-
*We must not judge a sinful action done by someone.
OR
*We have the permission to commit sin.
He really meant 'Throw the first Stone if you have never committed a sin'! He shows us that all of us are, without exception, sinners. So we should not go around throwing stones at them or shouting at them as though we have never sinned. But we as followers of Christ Jesus, have the responsibility to point out sin in a fellow brother or sister and help them to stop sinning. That is not called judging them.
Let's see what God's Word says about this:-
Matthew 18:15-17 ESV Jesus Himself said...
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. [16] But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Galatians 6:1 ESV
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
James 5:19-20 ESV
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
2 Thessalonians 3:15 ESV
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
But...first before confronting one who is in sin and bringing him back to the Lord with a heart of repentance, we must look at the sin in us, correct ourselves first then tell him his fault. Or else we will be hypocrites.
This is what Jesus meant when He said in
Matthew 7:3-5 ESV
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? [4] Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Therefore that is why repentance of heart is vital and has to be practised daily and constantly. We need to humble ourselves before God and acknowledge our own sins and tell Him that we are sorry and ask the help of the Holy Spirit never to sin again and faithfully walk in the narrow way of Christ Jesus. We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. -Philippians 2:12
Look at vs 5 again. See what Jesus tells us...
[5] You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
He wants us to repent of our sins first, then go and take the speck out of our brother's eye. Jesus did not say, "take the log out of your own eye. Then don't worry about your brother. He will take the speck out of his eye himself." No Jesus never said that, but the world teaches us that by saying, "Don't bother about them. Correct your mistakes. They know how to take care of themselves. So leave them alone!" What should you do? Follow what Jesus says or follow what the world says?
How can you watch a child who is ignorant of what will happen to him, eat a sweet that has mould and fungi on it? We can't and won't right? In the same way, how can we watch someone, who is ignorant of their spiritual condition and of the consequences that will occur when they do continue to sin, without warning them? They are spiritually 'babies' who do not know right from wrong yet. We need to help them grow.
When we continue to walk in repentance before our Father God, we can correct another person who sins, with gentleness and love.
We need to judge the sin as a sin but not the person. At the same time we must love the person without taking part in their sin or condoning or supporting it.
We need to make a stand and say, "Look I love you but I don't want you to jump off that cliff because that will shatter you into pieces. I will do all I can to help you turn back and walk away from the cliff. I will pray for you and at the same time talk to you about the consequences you will face when you continue in this act or behaviour. I will show you what God thinks about it from the Word of God. I will stand by you till you are safe in the hands of our Creator.
Then show them verses from the Bible like the following:-
God is Merciful and He forgives all who repent.
Psalm 86:5 ESV
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We cannot be haughty before God claiming that we have not sinned.
1 John 1:10 ESV
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
These people, unless they repent, abide in Christ Jesus and walk in the right way of Jesus, WILL NOT enter heaven. I am not saying it. I am not judging them. It is God's Word that says so.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, [10] nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Again I ask you the same question as before...
When we are surrounded by people who demand that their sin be seen as 'normal' and not a sin. What do we do?
If they are believers who have gone astray, we can do all that I mentioned earlier in this article. Then let God take over. But on our part we must continue to pray for them.
But if they are not believers, then we can only pray for them, then try to explain what God's Word says, to them. If they become defensive and violent, leave them into God's hands for He alone can change any person. We can only be God's mouthpiece but the eventual change will come only when they allow God to change them.
Does that mean we should give up on them. No we must have this godly sorrow in our hearts for our sins and the sins that are happening around in our society like Lot did.
2 Peter 2:7-8 ESV
and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked [8] (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);
That's why Lot and his family were rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed those 2 cities. Those cities were completely destroyed for the same LGBTQ sins.
God loves us but He will not condone sin of any kind, whether lgbtq or other sins.
Sin has it's consequences. He sent His prophets to warn people of sin. He sent His prophets to ask them to repent. But they killed His prophets. He sent His Son Jesus to purify us of our sins and to tell us to walk in His Way in humility and repentance of heart. They crucified Him. He did not give us permission to sin after receiving salvation. He expects us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, repenting the moment we sin and getting up and living changed lives. He knows our weak sinful nature. That is why He has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in all who have accepted Christ Jesus as their Saviour. The Holy Spirit will help us correct ourselves when we obediently cooperate with Him.
Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead in the end. The Bible says all the world will bow at the name of Jesus.
Philippians 2:10 ESV
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
When Jesus appears as the Judge of the world all those who do not believe in Him and change their lives now, will be utterly dismayed but it will be too late then.
Revelation 21:6-8 ESV
And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7] The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. [8] But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Therefore we who are sinners washed by the blood of Christ Jesus, must repent ourselves and walk in humility and obedience before God. We must stand in the gap, be faithful watchmen and pray for those who refuse to listen and continue in their sin, seeking repentance for ourselves and for all, like the prophets of the old testament did. Then we must keep watch on ourselves lest we too get tempted and fall into the same sin. Gal 6:1b.
Remember that all of us sin daily. Some of us lie, some cheat, some do not honour their parents, some commit adultery (Jesus said looking at a woman lustfully is committing adultery), some gossip and that is equivalent to murder. All of us have sinned and need God's mercy and not judgement. Therefore we must not look down upon those who commit a certain kind of sin but pray for them. There is mercy and forgiveness of sins when we run to Jesus, confess our sins, repent and firmly resolve not to sin again and walk in obedience to God's Word with the help of the Holy Spirit. This is what we must tell them while correcting them with gentleness and love. Then we must pray for them.
Let us love everyone and pray for them and ourselves without ceasing.
Mary Augustine
27.06.2020
