What to Do with the Homosexuals?

Dear Members and Friends of Second Reformed Church, and especially my anonymous letter writer,

This past week I received an article with a short note attached to it. It was sent anonymously, which is fine, but, should the sender ever wish to talk, I am willing to talk, and look at the Scriptures with you.

The article concerned the Episcopal Church's debate over granting membership and ordination to practicing homosexuals. The priest about whom the article was largely garnered, who was not a homosexual himself, argued that the practice of homosexuality is just one sin, and as Christians, we have greater and more pressing issues to deal with, especially since our sins are forgiven in Christ. So, he was in favor of granting membership and ordination to practicing homosexuals by virtue of the fact that all Christians are sinners, and to deny practicing homosexuals membership and ordination because they sin, would be reason to deny all Christians membership and ordination.

The note asked me, as the minister of Second Reformed Church, to be compassionate, loving, and progressive by adopting the same stance.

I cannot.

I agree with the priest and my anonymous friend, that all Christians are sinners and continue in sin until they reside in glory. However, the issue here is not whether or not we allow sinners to become members and be ordained in the church, the issue here is, do we allow unrepentant, happily persisting, sinners to become members of the church and ordained to office.

Now, before we raise all the popular issues, let me answer them, so we can answer the question of my anonymous friend:

Is homosexuality genetic? I don't know.

Does it matter? No.

Why not? Just as we are born sinners, with the guilt and disposition of the will only to sin, which we didn't choose, but were born with, and are still guilty of through our representative inheritance, so, if the practice of homosexuality is a sin, whether it is genetic or not is a moot point.

Is the practice of homosexuality a sin? Let's leave out the Old Testament for those who get into side arguments about that. Instead, here are two quotes from the New Testament:

"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, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

"Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted" (I Timothy 1:8-11).

The practice of homosexuality is a sin, just like all the other forbidden items in these lists are sins.

So, what shall we do?

Shall we invite practicing homosexuals into our churches? Yes!

Shall we sit with them and talk with them and treat them like they are human beings? Yes!

Shall we touch them and pray with them? Yes!

Shall we allow them in our Bible studies and worship services? Yes!

Shall we tell them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Salvation in Him Alone? Yes!

Shall we call them to repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Alone for their Salvation? Yes!

And if they repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Alone for their Salvation, then, shall we make them members of the church and even ordain them? Yes!

Because each and every one of us is a sinner. Each and every one of us has committed sexual sins, if not of body, then surely of mind. And no unrepentant sinner, not one who happily persists in their sin, ought to be considered for church membership or ordination. Because someone who continues happily in unrepentant sin is not yet a Christian.

And if you are a persistent gossip, and you love to hear about others and dig up dirt about them and spread it around and you see nothing wrong with it, you ought not to be allowed to become a member of the church or to be ordained. It is the same for every sin -- whatever sins plague us, and we all have our weaknesses.

Can a man who struggles with lusting after women, who has received Jesus Alone for his Salvation, and repents of and struggles with his lust, be allowed to become a member of the church or be ordained? Yes.

Can someone who struggles with homosexual lust, who has received Jesus Alone for his Salvation, and repents of and struggles with his lust, be allowed to become a member of the church or be ordained? Yes.

If someone is unrepentantly, happily persisting in his sin, he is not a Christian, and ought not be made a member or ordained -- whatever his pet sin is.

But anyone who has repented and received Jesus Alone for Salvation and fights not to sin may become a member, and such who are called by God to office may be ordained.

At Second Reformed Church, all sinners are welcome, whether believers or not. I am a sinner, I fight against my pet sins and continue to repent of them when I give in to them, but I am not unrepentantly, happily pursuing them. All are welcome to Second Reformed Church, but only those who have repented and believed in Jesus Christ Alone for their salvation will be allowed to become members, and only such who have been called by God will be ordained to office.

Is that compassionate and loving? That we invite all people to Second Reformed Church, that we welcome all people to Second Reformed Church, that we call all sinners to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ Alone for Salvation and the life-long fight against sin, that we don't fool people into believing that you can continue in unrepentant sin and escape eternal Hell? I believe so.

Is it progressive? Perhaps not, but I have often said, I have trouble trusting anyone who hasn't been dead for four hundred years.

Dear reader, member, friend, and anonymous one, you are welcome at Second Reformed Church, and I call you to repent of your sin and believe in Jesus Christ Alone for Salvation.

This is the call I have been given:

"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time -- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen" (I Timothy 6:11-16).

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is the judge of the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, enduring suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (II Timothy 4:1-5).

Know that I am a sinner, just like you. I have to fight against my sin, just like you. And I have to repent of my sin, just like you.

I pray I'll see you in worship,

In the Name of the Only Savior,


Rev. Peter Butler, Jr., pastor
Second Reformed Church