Enriching Grace

Question and Answer #3

June 1, 2023

jbh42

“How are we supposed to feel about gay people?”
- The first problem is not the word “gay,” but the word “feel”
  - This could change the way the question is answered
- One feeling to never express is hate
  - Proverbs 10:12 states, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”
- Homosexuality is absolutely a sin.
  - Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:26-27; Jude 1:7
    - But hate is not a valid, Scriptural answer. Love must be manifested and spoken in truth.
      - Rooted and grounded thereof (Ephesians 4:15)
“Is there such thing as a ‘bad’ Christian?”
- This is a tricky question.
  - You may know that there is none good, not even one (Romans 3:10;12). So in that regard, yes.
  - But you may also know that Christ imputes His righteousness on us so that we are seen as righteous by Him. So in that regard, no.
  - Still yet, we are storing up rewards in Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:20-21).
    - This is made clear, so the obvious answer would be that some have “done better,” but a Christian is not “bad” if made “good” by Christ.
- Perhaps the question needs to be better defined.
“How do you tell what God wants you to do?”
- My answer for this would come by means of a funnel. A lot of times we treat God’s purpose for us as a funnel. but an upside down one. We want to know the specifics of purpose before we get the bigger picture. But purpose-wise, we need to treat our purpose like a funnel as it is intended. We have our broad and then we find the details as they trickle down (1 Timothy 2:4).
  - Then Lord fulfills His purpose for you (Psalm 138:8).
    - Regardless, instruction from that point on is the Word of God and led by the Holy Spirit within you (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
“How to be more disciplined as a Christian?”
- My understanding of Scripture is that in our dispensation/age, being a Christian is much more to do with what you believe, than what you do. Belief directs the direction of your discipline.
  - Our faith is not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but we are created unto good works (Ephesians 2:10). Discipline’s origin is observance and study of the Word. When truth is accepted thereof, pursue action and grow.