Paul Email - 14Nov2013- Disputable Matters and Non-desputable Matters

How you doin? I received this question in a response to yesterday's email-  "Good word here Paul, but I have kind of a deep question for you. A pastoral discussion group I belong to has started talking about same sex marriage in the church and several of them have kind of used the "support and mutual edification" issue to condone it. So, if we are not to be condemning, how do we obey/follow His word and still be supportive of those in these lifestyles?"

This is an easy one. Satan and God don't walk through the park holding hands. Condemnation and judgement aren't that tricky. I believe this idea of mutual edification falls under the category of "disputable" matters. Romans 14:1, "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." "Disputable matters" are matters that lend themselves to opinion. For example, eating meat. If the Lord convicts me not to eat meat... then it's right for me, because it's done in faith. I do not believe the Holy Spirit convicts anyone to be a homosexual.  Homosexuality or any sexual immorality is NOT a disputable matter. God's position on homosexuality and sexual immortality is clear. If lines are redrawn... where does it end?

As far as conduct with the homosexual. That's a harder one for me. The Holy Ghost is still working on my rough edges. Love is the ultimate weapon. You are right in hating the sin, but loving the sinner.  Prophecy is used to edify each other. I believe Gen 1:26, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,...". I've not found any Scripture that indicates or implies that God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit is a homosexual. In this situation I would speak to the person that God created and not the lie that leads them to homosexuality. IN NO WAY would I (or think that the body of Christ) should condone such a non-disputable matter.

Here is my bottom line. 1 Corinthians 5:
 
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. ² And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? ³ For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. ⁴ So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, ⁵ hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. ⁶ Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. ¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³ God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
Believers and non-believers are not treated the same. One more, because there are so many. 1 John 5:16-18, "If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them."
There are tons of Scripture on this matter. I'm for loving the sinner and hating the sin. I'm also for purity. Homosexuality or any sexual immorality should be dealt with in accordance to the authority and power given us by the Jesus' acts on the cross. All sin and impurities should be treated the same. By loving the sinner we can establish a relationship with them so that the Spirit may work through us to free them. COME ON!!!!!!! With that being said I need to point out 1 more verse 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." Hate sin and love sinners today.