COVENANT FAITH

The Spirit of Power.

In this Bible verse, Apostle Paul says to the brethren in Christ, “God has given us the spirit of power, and love and self-control, therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord…” Dear believer, know who you are in Christ and do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

I believe anyone can be homosexual (being naturally and sexually attracted to the same sex), but if they are also Christian and they deny themselves (Luke 9:23) and strive to give God glory for their actions, which should be righteous....then they are not sinning. So yes, homosexuality (acting on same sex attraction) is a sin.

For homosexuals who don’t know their homosexuality is a sin either because they have not accepted Christ as their Savior or they are still young in faith, we have a duty to pray for them and love them and gently point them to Christ (Gal. 6:1)

By His Grace, Sheela (via godfirstgodalways)

Galatians 6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

The truth is in His Word, it’s in the Bible. Any understanding outside of that is “our own understanding”, which is really not to be trusted. Our own understanding without the wisdom of God is not foundational, is not Truth. Accepting that you are gay is the first step to being set free. However, continuing to live in the nature of homosexuality only builds your ego and not your faith. You may have trusted your own understanding more and so trusted your feeling of being closer to God and Christ. God is watching us at all times and listening to us at all times, whether we are aware of it or not. The idea of us “feeling closer to Him” is drawn from our ego. Don’t trust your feelings all the way. They come and go, but God Almighty does not. He remains forever unchanged. 

Take James 1:5-8 for instance…If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

A person who doubts much even after praying feels more out of touch with God than a person who is confident his prayer was heard. He is more so ruled by his ego and not truly allowing God to rule over him. Nowhere in the Bible says that if a person accepts their homosexuality it will bring them closer to God. To be closer to God, they must first deny themselves and become a disciple. Feeling closer to God is not the same thing as growing closer to God. John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 14:13-14 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” When we ask in Jesus’ name it means we must ask on the basis of who He is and what He has done for us on the cross, assuming that we have already denied ourselves because we want to promote His kingdom.

I remember a period in my life where I was aware of my potential to be gay. I was enticed to see homosexual women publicly display their affection for one another. However, my relationship with God and the convictions I had told me this was not right. Today I have no confusion about my sexuality, I’m attracted to the opposite sex, and I enjoy being a woman. Each of us are born with tendencies to give in to all types of sin. It’s our human nature. If you are a follower of Christ, the Word encourages you not to follow the ways of this world, you must strive not to live in the flesh. It’s the health of our relationship with God that determines which path we choose. Thank you for this, I will be praying for you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Like 9:23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

— Philippians 3: 12-14 (NIV)

“Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion.”

— John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life

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