Did you know it is possible to introduce people to Christ without ‘calling out’ their sin? I find it interesting how many times I am told my story about two gay men won’t be accepted by a Christian website because it doesn’t ‘clearly call out homosexuality as sin.’
Look.
When I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, it wasn’t because someone told me that sleeping around, drinking, and having an abortion was wrong. In fact, the people who told me that are the ones who drove me away from church.
I was living my life in a way that the church told me would send me to hell. People held signs in my face and told me I had just committed murder, all while standing next to a sign that said, “Jesus loves you.”
The message I received was, “Stop sinning and trust Jesus so He can love you.”
That’s backwards folks!
Trust is built on a foundation of acceptance, and nothing about being ‘called out’ makes you feel accepted. Think about it. You don’t trust someone if you expect them to call you out for every time you do something wrong.
That’s just common sense!
Our assignment is not to ‘call out sin.’ Our assignment is to LOVE.
Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
And if you want to argue about who the “one another” is that we are supposed to love, read Jesus parable about the Good Samaritan. The answer is EVERYONE, even those opposed to our beliefs.
THAT is our assignment; to demonstrate the love of Christ by being kind, accepting, and helpful. And THAT is the message of my book. The men in my story didn’t need to be called out. They needed Jesus!
Then and ONLY then, Jesus can do what He does best. He changes their hearts and minds to be more like Him.
The world doesn’t need to be ‘called out!’ The world needs compassion, love, wisdom, and grace.
The world needs JESUS. Period.