open and affirming musings

At a recent Kent Ministerial Association meeting at the Kent Senior Center, several pastors represented their churches as "open and affirming faith communities." They were speaking about how their churches might be accurately represented on a church-related community website and welcoming those who practice alternative, yes, homosexual lifestyles.

Immediately, I began thinking about the inmates I visit at the regional Justice Center and other facilities who want to participate, enjoy fellowship, and grow in our solid churches. My Prisoners for Christ ministry has taught me without Christ's saving work and ongoing transformation through the Holy Spirit,  I am a really bad sinner, right next to the lowest of the low, or the hardened man.

Without God's saving work, I just might be in a worse place than any inmate I've been around.

I am changed every single day because of the Holy Spirit's progressive and sanctifying work. The churches I have attended are not "open and affirming," for a very different reason.

Some don't want those "bad sinners" around us, as if their sin would rub off on our families.  Our sins are not bad like those other people. I wonder how that attitude rubs off on them?

Here's a note from Charles Spurgeon:

"Now, when the sinner is brought to the bar, Jesus appears there Himself. He stands to answer the accusation. He points to His side, His hands, His feet, and challenges Justice to bring anything against the sinners whom He represents; He pleads His blood, and pleads so triumphantly, being numbered with them and having a part with them, that the Judge proclaims, "Let them go their way; deliver them from going down into the pit, for He has found a ransom." 

Some are afraid to have those bad people in church, as if they are worse than some already in the church. Ugh!  I am not a gracious follower /servant of Jesus Christ if I somehow communicate bad sinners are unwelcome in my church.

Yes, some affirming churches welcome some to come and stay like they are.  Some churches welcome them to take leadership and pastoral roles. I am not seeking to address that, here.

What about me?  How is the Lord Jesus speaking to you and me through His Spirit?

In Romans 2, Paul carefully cautioned us against judging others without prayerful  self-examination.

" 1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:1-5 ESV)

The judgment of God falls on those who "practice such things," or who pass judgment on others without a full parcel of genuine humility-focused self-examination through the Holy Spirit.  The consistent message of the Bible is that none of us should ever "stay the same," as we are being transformed, or changed daily, through the renewing of our minds.  Romans 12:1-2

I want to be open and affirming in this way:  To every person, whatever their lifestyle, inmate, really bad sinner, starting with me, what would Jesus Himself say?

 I want  to say, "Come and join in with us.  We welcome you openly.  We are all repenting of our sins and seeking to follow Jesus.  As you are growing in life-changing transformation, I openly welcome and invite you to come and walk with us.  Come with us and we can follow Jesus, together!"

I am very certain this blog post will draw some comments and reactions.  How is the Lord speaking to you about really bad people?