3.03.2005 | Remarkable

With no pun intended, if you have any interest whatsoever in the reconciliation of a biblical view with the so-called gay and lesbian agenda brewing in American churches, you must read this remarkable series by Rev. Mark Roberts. The series, written last year, was prompted by the movement in the Episcopal Church to embrace (again, no pun intended) an openly gay man as a bishop.

At the risk of oversimplification of a graceful and Christ-driven series, what I've taken away from Rev. Roberts' opus is this overly brief summary:

• Jesus was open and accepting of all persons in His ministry, and He loves us all


• To gain the kingdom of heaven through Jesus, however, one must repent and leave one's sins behind and be made whole


• The church's response to gay people today must be to imitate Jesus -- love them unconditionally, but not accept their sins


• And no double standard -- sin is sin, whether committed by gay or straight people.

The bottom line is that we can not abandon biblical authority for some feel-good vibes in the here and now. The Bible remains our eternal truth, and it is clear in telling us that homosexual behavior is a sin. Not that homosexual persons are bad. Just that their behavior is sinful.

Even if some Episcopalian bishops and others disagree, and call us names such as "homophobe" or "intolerant." Or, even, God forbid, "exclusive" -- as in, excluding sinners from union with the Almighty.