And it shall come to pass, L, G, B, T, Q, H, whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)

H? (human)

I was recently asked at a local Bible study if a homosexual can be saved… 

Hmm, probably the dumbest and easiest biblical question I’ve ever been asked; It certainly insults the finished work of Christ. 

We defer to Jesus for the answer: 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

Jesus answered, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”. (John 3:9,16-17)

Salvation is available to all who place their faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, regardless lifestyle, behavior, past, present or future struggles. (Ephesians 2:8-9). When someone places their trust in Christ, they are fully forgiven, made new, and brought into perfect union with Him (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 2:13-14).

This doesn’t mean their behavior will align with the perfection of Christ’s salvation; none ever have, this side of heaven. 

Christ died for our sins, not our behavior. 

As believers, we are called to live out our new identity in Christ, allowing His Spirit to guide and transform us (Galatians 5:16-18). This transformation is a journey, and each person is at a different place in their walk with God. In other words, “get em to Jesus”, He’ll do the work, not you! It’s important to approach these matters with grace, understanding, and love, recognizing that God is at work in each person’s life.

None of us seek God, it is ALWAYS God seeking us. He will come to every human at some point and draw them. They will accept or reject Him (Romans 3:11, John 6:44).

Ultimately, the focus should be on one’s relationship with Christ and allowing His love and truth to shape their life. Encouraging open dialogue and providing a supportive community can help individuals grow in their faith and understanding of God’s love and grace.

SALVATION IN CHRIST IS THE ONLY THING I KNOW OF THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE. 

Anything other than “whosoever”, reeks of ignorance, arrogance, hypocrisy and religion. 

While our behavior matters in terms of our witness and the quality of our life here on earth, it does not affect our eternal security. We are called to live out our new identity in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). Our relationship with God is secure, and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

Christ died for the sin of the world. How can we choose a specific sin that excludes His grace?  

“Perhaps we should pay attention to the log in our own eye before noticing the speck in someone else’s eye” – Jesus. (Mathew 7:3-5)

So let us look at the question: can a homosexual be saved?
Firstly, we could fill in the blank with heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, greysexual, autochorissexual/aegosexual, aro, ace, Allosexual/zedsexual, fornicator, thief, murderer, proud, judgmental, liar, cheater, black, white, women, man, Muslim, Jew, or just wait for it… HUMAN!

The vast majority of these labels are not grounded in scientific fact but are rather human attempts to categorize behavior. They reflect how we perceive ourselves and others, but they do not define who we are! 

You are not the lunchbox you carry!

Reflect on how your lunchbox evolved over the years. One year it might have featured “Ninja Turtles,” then “Alf,” “Pretty Pony,” “Boyz II Men,” and now perhaps a $99 “Yeti” or a simple brown paper sack. You are not a “Yeti”. 

Just compare your infant photos to those  of adolescence, puberty, teenager and adulthood. 

Will the “real you” please stand up!

In our current age, there’s so much talk of “identity”. 

I shoplifted, took innocent life, used the Lord’s name in vain, coveted my friend’s possessions, looked at his sister with lust, was attracted to his brother, bore false witness against my big brother, and lied about it all – all before the age of twelve!  Should I “identify” as a liar, thief, murderer, adulterer and homosexual?  

Do we even know who we are?

Behavior is the outward expression of our thoughts, choices and understanding; desires and struggles don’t determine our true identity. Just as someone battling anorexia isn’t actually overweight, or an eagle living among chickens isn’t truly one of them. How you perceive yourself may not reflect your real identity. I love airplanes and desire greatly to fly, it doesn’t make me a bird or a pilot. 

The challenges you encounter at twelve will differ from those you faced at four. At sixteen, you’ll face new challenges distinct from those at twelve. This pattern continues as you journey through life. While changing lunchboxes is straightforward, it’s wise to avoid drastic actions and instead wait, and embrace the next change.

Your will, emotions, body and behavior change, and will continue to change, but the acorn is in that oak tree. The tree may sway, bend, break, lose or gain branches and leaves. It will change as the world comes at it with sunshine, water, or lack thereof.  Erosion may cause changes in its root structure, and influence from other trees may change its topography, but its identity doesn’t change. 

We’re like that. As the world comes at us, we respond based on the understanding and wisdom we have gained, whether genetically or empirically, but our identity doesn’t change. None of us begin as a blank slate; we enter humanity as part of a gene pool, ultimately tracing back to our Creator. We are then influenced by the world around us, to include cultural, familial, and societal factors that can shape our thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs. It’s easy to see this when looking back a few generations, but consider how far we truly go back.

We are human…everything else is behavior. “Human” is our identity – not the myriad of labels we have created to “identify” ourselves and others. We are “Homo sapiens,” which translates to “wise man.” The name reflects the capacity for thought, reasoning, and understanding that characterizes human beings. We are united beyond color, shape, size, culture, or ethnicity; blood brothers, if you will. We are different than every other creature – Homo sapiens share God’s knowledge. (Conscience)

Our identity is not based on external labels or societal categories but on our relationship with God. 

Humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation story, a crowning “master” piece, if you will. After all of creation was finished, God said: 26Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1)

Who do you think you are?

Pause, and contemplate: Let “us” make man in “our” image, after “our” likeness. 

“Elohim”, (Hebrew for God) is plural language in Genesis 1:26 highlighting the complexity and richness of God’s nature, suggesting a divine conversation within the Godhead (Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:9). This understanding is consistent with other scriptural references to the Trinity, such as Jesus’ baptism, where the Father speaks, the Son is baptized, and the Spirit descends like a dove (Matthew 3:16-17).

We were to reflect the triune nature of God, to bear His image in – the – physical – realm. (Body). Spiritual meets physical right here.  God entered/joined the physical realm in the breath of Adam. We had His likeness as no other created being. We humans are what God chose to look like in the physical realm  (Colossians 1:15). The idea that God chose to manifest His likeness in humans underscores the special role humanity plays in creation. Aren’t you special? Yeah! 

The entire universe, including our complexity, exhibits who God is (Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1). 

When we speak of image and likeness, it’s important to remember that God is Spirit, and humanity was uniquely created from the physical elements of the earth (molecules, chemicals, DNA, not just a mud statue) and given something no other created being possessed: the union of Spirit and physicality – His nature, and attributes. God chose mankind to enter His creation (1Colossians 1:15). 

God was “in” man, and man was “in” God – compatible with both realms. (John 17)

Our identity was being “in” God – Like no other created being. 

(I hope you’re catching the past tense of these truths). 

You don’t need the Bible to tell you, we are a soul, with a spirit, living in a body. 

Soul –  The Greek word used is “psuché, where we get the word psyche.  It refers to the life, self, or essence of a person, encompassing the mind, will, and emotions. The soul is often seen as the seat of emotions and desires, reflecting the inner life of a person, or any animal for that matter. You can’t find it on an operating table or X-ray, but it’s real. 

Spirit – 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3). 

God is spirit and being made in his image, we reflect certain attributes of God, a special capacity to connect with Him, such as the ability to reason, make moral choices, and engage in relationships.  Our spiritual nature allows us to understand spiritual truths, and experience a relationship with Him.

When God “breathed” into the first man of our kind (homo sapient), divinity and creature were connected, compatible with perfect intelligence, power, love and truth – mind, will and emotions – soul became alive in God’s realm  by the breath of God. (Genesis 2:7)

Body – The “earth suit” equips your soul and spirit for the physical realm. It’s temporal and will die, returning to dust; whether you’re buried or burned. We’re one for one on this planet. The “real you” will continue… How?  You’re made in God’s image, more than a body. 

Your soul and spirit are not physical, they will continue…. Somewhere. (Law of thermodynamics)

Science now confirms these truths. Our blood is distinct from that of any other creature, highlighting our uniqueness. No other being possesses human blood, and despite knowing its components, science has not yet been able to replicate it. Our brains are larger, relatively speaking, with intelligence like no other. An ape could never build a yo-yo, or a magnetic resonance imaging device (or an atomic bomb, silly humans). This uniqueness underscores the “special” nature of humanity within creation. We are creation’s highest order of intelligence with a capacity to recognize and ponder our own essence and existence- shared knowledge, not shared with a tree or rock, but humans – God’s knowledge. 

God wanted to live “in” His creation, not just outside of it, just as a loving father desires to be with his children.  

We were chosen to be Gods’s dwelling place on this rock! (1 Corinthians 3:16)

We were designed to resemble the Eternal Son in the physical world – a perfect world with perfect creatures to live in a perfect kingdom family eternally (Philippians 3:20-21).

In the “original” state of being in God’s likeness, there was perfect harmony with God, with one another, and with creation. Humanity was free from sin, knowing nothing of disobedience to God.  There was no jealousy, lying, stealing, murder, adultery, hatred, disease or shame – no bad behavior.  Humans were perfectly male and female so as to be fruitful and multiply. This reflects the purity and innocence of the original creation (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 1:31).

Do you think God designed anything that wasn’t perfect?

The earth wasn’t meant to quake – tsunamis, hurricanes, disease and hate weren’t in the original design! (Genesis 3:17-19)

The design was good, by God’s standards. 

The Hebrew word for “good” is “טוֹב” (tov). This word is used throughout the Old Testament to describe something that is pleasing, beneficial, or morally right. For example, in Genesis 1, after each act of creation, God saw that it was “good” (tov), indicating that it was complete and perfect according to His design. 

Humans were meant to be God’s expression in creation – perfect, holy, set aside in a “place” of perfection, free from the world that Lucifer had corrupted. A garden/paradise for the replenishing of the earth corrupted by Lucifer’s rebellion. 

The original identity of humans was found in their relationship with God. 

As my two -year old grandson says:  

NOW WHAT?

God so loved…the answer every time. 

God is love, and love requires choice. God didn’t want His masterpiece to be automatons, there’s no love in that. 

God gave the first human choice – choice that would impact all of humanity, its identity, and behavior. “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. “(Genesis 2:16-17)

This command presented Adam with the choice between trusting in God’s provision and wisdom or seeking independence by determining good and evil for himself. Remember, the tree of life—God’s kind of life—was there for their choosing. 

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolized the temptation to rely on human effort and moral discernment apart from God. By choosing to eat from this tree, Adam and Eve sought to establish their own standard of right and wrong. Does that sound familiar?  

Pride always comes before the fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

Now what? Truth. 

Is God a liar?  They died…

To die is separation. When we die physically, our bodies experience cessation of biological functions: The heart stops beating, and blood circulation ceases. This leads to a lack of oxygen and nutrients being delivered to cells, separation from that which caused life.

Spiritual life mirrors physical life. 

When we experience spiritual death, we become separated from the source of spiritual life, eternal life, which is God’s kind of life. God is not harsh; rather, truth and error, perfection and imperfection, order and chaos, good and evil, light and darkness, sin and holiness, death and life simply cannot coexist.

Before the fall, Adam and Eve were “breathing” from both the physical and spiritual “oxygen tanks.” They had physical life and also spiritual life, which meant they were in perfect relationship with God, experiencing His presence and life fully. They were enjoying what it truly meant to be human. 

When they sinned, it was as if the spiritual “oxygen tank” was cut off. They still had physical life (temporary), because it was of the world, but they lost the spiritual life (eternal) that came from being in perfect union with God. This spiritual death meant separation from the life and presence of God, as sin created a barrier between humanity and God (Isaiah 59:2).

We still have a spirit, it’s our inner being where God carved out for Himself, it’s just separated, dead to God. Without God, your spirit is influenced with physical things of the world. 

Our identity didn’t change, it was distorted, still human, still God’s masterpiece, with the capacity to express and exhibit attributes of God, but we lost any connection with God. We were on our own, alive physically but dead spiritually. We were without God. (Ephesians 2:12)

Just as the body needs nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen, and water vapor (H2O), our spirit needs the breath of God to experience life as God intended. It was lost at the fall, we were left with a void. “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; (Genesis 2:7). 

OUR TRUE IDENTITY. 

Jesus Christ modeled this perfectly and is what we were meant to be; a perfect union of divinity and humanity. 

The homo sapient was meant to be a physical being with God in him – A type of God/man. 

Sin, which opposes God, entered this perfect creation, leading to corruption and distortion. It would be passed on as a “crack baby” inherits its mother’s addiction. 12″Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.” (Romans 5)

Watch this: “When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.” (Genesis 5:3-5)

“In his own image”, do you see the shift, the loss of God’s image? All now are in man’s image. 

Our identity was no longer in God but in Adam.

This is called the “fall”.  Man, beast and all of creation were affected, even the ground. (Genesis 3:17-19). 

We live in a broken world. 

God wasn’t mad, I suspect He was sad; He lost his first two created children. Darkness is what happens with the separation of light. 

Humanity was indeed created in a state of innocence and perfection, as described in Genesis 1:31, where God saw all that He had made and declared it “very good. However, with the entrance of sin through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, the world became subject to corruption and brokenness (Genesis 3). This fall introduced a host of issues, including moral and physical decay, which manifest in various forms of sin and suffering.

The manifestations of sin, such as hatred, murder, and various forms of sexual immorality, are symptoms of this deeper issue of separation from God. Humanity, in turning away from God, has engaged in behaviors that are contrary to His will,including both heterosexual and homosexual immorality. The presence of intersex traits, like other variations and challenges in the world, can be seen as part of the broader effects of living in a fallen world. When sin entered the world, it brought about brokenness and imperfection in creation (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). This includes not only moral and spiritual brokenness but also physical and biological challenges. 

THATS EVERY ONE OF US! We all have something in our lives that is contrary to God’s will. They may not always be obvious or easily recognizable, but they do exist.

When God leaves the scene, chaos ensues. Just as when Lucifer rebelled causing “Tohu va bohu” – chaos and emptiness. (Genesis 1:2)

Just look around or read the news. 

We’re all in the same boat!

All now are disconnected from God, alive to sin and dead to God. Mankind is under the curse of sin. God didn’t cause it, man caused it. God’s will is that none would parish (2 Peter 3:9).

Just imagine the billions of people who somehow think they are connected to God… by some “thing” they do, or some process they’ve concocted – Religion.

Religion will kill you:  The law, written on stone, brings condemnation because it reveals sin but cannot provide life or righteousness. 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones. 

You hear it all the time, “we’re all God’s children”.  Nope, we’re all made in His image but marred with sin, we lost a childlike relationship. (John 1:12-13) We’re children of Adam. We lost our “true” identity. 

Every single human is born bearing the image of Adam – Gay, straight, black, white, man, woman, Jew and gentile. 

What now? Mercy

God so loved!

 From the moment Adam sinned, God, who is rich in mercy, had a plan to address the problem of sin and to restore humanity. He would place enmity between sin and the seed of the woman. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

This was promised at the moment Adam sinned and was not an afterthought or response, but in place at the foundation of the world. It was spoken thousands of years before Christ’s incarnation!

Enmity refers to a state of hostility or opposition between two parties. In the context of Genesis 3:15, it describes the ongoing conflict between the serpent (representing satan and sin) and the offspring of the woman (ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ). This enmity signifies the spiritual battle between good and evil, culminating in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

The promise was reiterated seven hundred years before incarnation:  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us”. 

Or, look at this: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

No one fully understood this until after the cross, when the mysteries were revealed. (Ephesians 3:4-6)

What now? His-story. 

God so loved…

that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

God would enter humanity through the perfect womb of a virgin in the person of Jesus Christ to redeem humanity. The blood of a fetus doesn’t mix with the blood of the mother, so the offspring could remain untainted by the natural, sinful state of the mother. (Sorry Catholics, immaculate conception is Jesus, not Mary). God would take on the flesh of  humanity but remain God – all God and all man, the invisible made tangable. He would take the sin of the world upon Himself and take it to death (Colossians 2:13-14). The wages of sin is death, and He would die with the sin of the world upon Him. Not – the – flavor – of – sin – we – pick – to – condemn, but the sin of the world. His perfect, unblemished sacrifice paid the debt we owed. 

14For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy”. (Hebrews 10:14) 

The Son of God became the son of man, so the sons of men could become sons of God. There’s no greater love. 

This statement captures a profound truth about the purpose of Jesus’ incarnation and the transformation available to believers. 

12″Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). This highlights the incredible exchange that occurs through faith in Christ, where we are adopted into God’s family and become His children.  Notice: we have the right to “become” children, meaning we never had sonship. 

Through Jesus, we are brought into a new relationship with God as His beloved children.

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

(God’s mercy extends to the innocent, those who can’t choose. Babies, children and the mentally ill) (2 Samuel 12:23). 

Now what? Life. 

God so loved…

He raised to life, death couldn’t hold Him! 

He returned to life, never to die again, and was seen by more than five hundred people, over forty days, in a glorified physical body. This body is the prototype of what we were originally designed to be and what we can become—alive to God and dead to sin. Through this, God’s life is restored to humanity. OUR TRUE IDENTITY! (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 – The Gospel)

He ascended to heaven, allowing God, the Holy Spirit—God’s breath—to enter as oxygen to all who ask; we are sealed with Him (Ephesians 1:13). He is seated at the right hand of the Father, waiting to return to meet us in our glorified bodies.

Now what! Grace, undeserved favor and power. 

God so loved…

Jesus was born under the old covenant of law, but something would change at the cross; The purpose of Jesus being born under the law was to fulfill it perfectly, something no one else could do, and to ultimately redeem humanity from its demands and penalties (Matthew 5:17). By fulfilling the law, Jesus was able to establish a new covenant through His death and resurrection, offering grace and freedom from the law’s requirements (Hebrews 9:15). The old that depended on humanity’s obedience for blessings, was not upheld by people. When one or more party breaks any part of a covenant, the covenant is broken; humanity was unable to keep it. In the new covenant, God promises to write His laws (desires) on our hearts and minds, ensuring a relationship with Him that is based on His faithfulness rather than our ability to follow rules, we suck at it (Hebrews 8:10-12).

(Unless you were a Jew, you were never given the old covenant, so stop putting yourself under it. (Ephesians 2:11-12)

The new Covenant was between God and Himself, not man, and can’t be broken. This new covenant is Jesus Christ. 20Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22) 

This signifies that through His death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurated a new way of relating to God, based on grace rather than law. 

Based on “His” behavior, not ours! 

Your identify was in Adam, dead to God, but now! But now! But now…

8But now, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Roman’s 5:8) 

This verse emphasizes that God’s love is unconditional and not based on our actions or worthiness. Even when we were in a state of sin, separated from God, He took the initiative to send His Son, Jesus, to die for us, providing the way for reconciliation and eternal life. This act of love underscores the grace and mercy that define our relationship with God through Christ.

We were all in the same boat- dead!

Jesus says to every human:  Get out of the boat and come. 

29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14)

“Lord save me”, is the cry that turns on the spiritual oxygen tank and restores life with God. 

Watch this: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Who did Jesus die for? Jesus died for sinners,  “whosoever” calls (Romans 10:13), not whosoever keeps the law of Moses (no one can), or engages in a certain flavor of sin and not another. Jesus died for the sin of the world that we’re “all” infected with.  

There is no mention here of a homosexual, heterosexual, Jew, Muslim, or any “identifier” we have chosen, other than a sincere human heart. 

Remember, God speaks heart. 

“So, in Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ (not water) have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-28). 

All! A gay person doesn’t come to Christ to be made straight, he comes to be saved – Just like any other human. 

Religion says, you must turn from your sin… we’re all bound for hell if that’s the case. 

Jesus said – while – you – were – yet- sinners!

Our behavior may fluctuate, our salvation remains secure because it is based on God’s faithfulness and grace, not our own efforts (Romans 8:38-39). As we grow in our relationship with Christ, our behavior will increasingly align with our identity as new creations in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

No one has ever, nor will anyone ever, exhibit behavior perfectly aligned with their salvation this side of heaven. If someone accepts Christ, Christ promises to complete the work “He” started.  “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). 

Who are we, now, to judge what Jesus is doing in another person’s life? 

Christ died for your sinful behavior, but sin always has, and always will have, a consequence, no matter the flavor.

We damn fool humans take the good God has created and pervert it, causing pain and destruction to ourselves and others. Alcohol, opioids, food, drink, atomic power, sex, work, intelligence. Etc. 

Perversion of any good thing has a consequence. 

The one consequence that the believer will never face is hell, whether L,G,B,T,Q, straight or crooked. Thank you Jesus!

God doesn’t want us to sin here in the physical realm because He loves us and wants the best for His children. *

You can’t sin in the spiritual realm. (1 John 3:9) Your old man is crucified with Christ and we are new creatures; born of God by faith in His finished work (John 3, 19:30, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

The believer’s Spirit man is seated at the right hand of the father in Christ, cleansed, as righteous as He is. Our minds are being renewed as we traverse this planet for the purpose of reflecting Christ. At death, we will shed this sin ridden flesh and receive a new glorified body to match that perfect Spirit!

Jesus gave no wiggle room when defining what sin is, and no wiggle room defining who can be saved. 

We must always tell the truth in love, Jesus did. Love is not love without truth. 

Truth is not concerned with what the court says, or what society says, but with what God says. 

Homosexual behavior is a sin and a perversion of God’s design. Anyone who says it’s compatible with God’s desire is a liar (Roman’s 1).

Heterosexual behavior is a sin when perverted by pornography, lust, fornication, fantasy, pedophilia or any other way we’ve twisted (perverted) God’s design for human behavior. 

Jesus said: 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mathew 5)

Anger is murder (Matthew 5:21-22). We’re all guilty! (Romans 3:23)

Just as Jesus died for murder, stealing, anger, lust and all the rest, He died for sexual perversion of any kind. 

Aside from Christ, name one person who has ever lived on this earth who hasn’t sinned, either before or after salvation. Name one who has perfectly kept the standards of the Sermon on the Mount. Not the Pope, not Mother Teresa, not even Mary, the mother of Jesus. No, not one. 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (Luke 1) Mary needed a savior.

So, how many sins do you have to commit to be a sinner? You may say one? Wrong, the answer is none!

You just have to be human. Your dog has never sinned a day in its life. 

Just because you “feel” this is your orientation doesn’t change the truth. 

There are some who are oriented toward anger, pride, murder, stealing, lust, greed and adultery. It doesn’t make it compatable with our perfect Creator. It’s only compatible with a fallen world that we are all a part of and struggle with. 

We’re all pointing our finger at each other’s sin as if one is bigger, smaller, better or worse!  

Watch this:  “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10). 

Perfection is required – we only reach it “in” Christ. 

Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount showed humanity their inability to keep God’s standard of perfection, and their need for a Savior. He was saying: “you can’t handle the truth”.

We don’t need an example, we need a savior. 

We cannot select a specific sin when relating to salvation, God didn’t! 

Your sin of lust, lying, judging, pride and materialism, look the same to God as Hitler, Jeffery Dahmer, Mao Zedong, Mother Teresa, the Pope or the gay bishop.

Should sin ever be condoned or celebrated? God forbid. Christ never condoned it; He died for it. How can we possibly condone or celebrate it if He died for it?

A gay pride parade is not the only form of celebrating sin. Don’t we all do it in our own way?  

Don’t we celebrate our pride in materialism when we build a five-thousand-square-foot house for two people, or our “second home” at the beach or in the mountains, while our neighbor’s children are hungry?

Don’t we celebrate our greed when we own 500 pairs of shoes, 200 pairs of jeans, and jewelry worth thousands, and in some cases, millions of dollars, displayed for our friends and the world to see?

Don’t we celebrate our hate and anger when we spew disparaging inner feelings against our political opponents?  

How about our drunkenness, unfaithfulness, lust, lying, cheating, judging, and self-righteousness? It sure looks like a celebration to me. Just watch the news, a movie, or go to spring break… or church. 

The call of the Gospel is not to condemn but to invite everyone to find redemption and transformation in Christ. As believers, we are called to extend love and grace to all people, recognizing that everyone is on their own journey of faith. This journey of faith is not ours to plot! He will finish the work He has started. 

When you call on the Lord, you are saved from hell, not saved from bad behavior. You are saved from the penalty of sin, not its earthly, physical consequences. Death and hell are gone for the believer, this is God’s promise. You are reunited  with your Heavenly Father, not separated from this fallen world.  You are born from above, a new creature, a child of God, immersed into the living Christ (Galatians 3:26, true baptism). You become part of His bone and flesh of His flesh. The old nature is crucified, dead and raised, never to see hell.  You now live as He lives – eternally. Death has no place in this God-life. When your physical body perishes, you are present with God, because your spirit is now present with Him.  You’re equipped with a new body suitable for eternal life. You will meet the Father, Son and Holy Spirit face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). 

You have been blessed with all that God wants for you. (Colossians  2)

Christ did not come to set up a behavior clinic, He came to save your life! (John 3:17)

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Colossians 2:9-10)

God emptied all of the resources of Divinity to rescue His children, renewing them to right relationship. 

The entire 873,000 words of scripture, culminate here: one must believe that Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, died for the sin of the world, shed His perfect, untainted, blood on the ground and on the alter of heaven, redeeming sinful humanity from separation due to sin. He was buried, raised to life the third day, is seated with the Father in heaven in a glorified body; the first born of a new creation. 

Note: believe means to trust. Even if you don’t understand God’s word fully, Call! God will not turn from a sincere heart. 

By this one perfect sacrifice, “all” who believe are saved. 

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3)

Jesus says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw “all” people to myself.” (John 12:32)

All!

In the Greek, this means ALL!

The steer and the queer. 

Watch this: 

9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men.” 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderersnor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. KEEP READING…11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Aren’t you somewhere on this list?

This emphasizes the transformative power of God’s grace and the new identity we have in Him. NEW IDENTITY!

All who have sincerely accepted the finished work of Christ are as clean, perfect, sinless, and glorious as Christ. 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5)

It’s gotta work for everybody or it’s just another religion.   

Salvation is God, through Christ, bringing the world back into a right relationship with Himself. The key point here is that God is not counting people’s sins against them. They were placed on Jesus Christ and nailed to the cross. 

Sin is gone for the believer. 

We “whosoevers” come in all colors, sizes, behaviors and flavors of sin. 

“We may not resonate with each other’s choices, behaviors, or interpretations of scripture. We might not drink at the same bar or worship at the same church. We may have different views on politics, actions, orientation, or doctrine. However, we must always speak the truth in love, because without truth, there is no genuine love (Ephesians 4:15). We must stand firm on what the Holy Scriptures clearly teach, and not twist it for our comfort and convenience. 

Yet, if you have embraced the finished work of Christ on the cross, you are cleansed and made perfect in Him. In that, you are my brother or sister. All else is behavior. 

The greatest attribute of our  beautiful humanness is we can be alive to God through Christ – His behavior, not ours. 

From a biblical perspective, there are fundamentally two kinds of spiritual states for humans: those who are spiritually dead to God and those who are spiritually alive to God. This distinction is not based on any earthly identity or label but on one’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Stop telling me you’re gay, straight, or any of the myriad of labels we humans have come up with. Your true identity is either “in Adam”, dead to God, or “in Christ” alive to God. 

The Holy Scriptures, a beautiful love letter from our loving Creator, when rightly divided in context, will bring you to understanding.

Our identity is “human” first…, “whosoever”. 

The religious will say to you: “So now that you’re saved you can just go and live any way you want? Yes! Give God some credit, your  “want to” will change with the God of the universe living in you. 

Wow! I almost forgot the silly question: can a homosexual be saved?  

Only if they’re a “whosoever”. 

Anything other than “whosoever”, reeks of ignorance, arrogance, hypocrisy and religion. 

Get ‘em to Jesus – God so loved!

To my fellow humans:  

If you are the person who stumbled out of the bar, the young woman who recently faced a difficult choice, the one struggling with addiction, identifying as LGBTQ, the gambler, the swindler, the proud, the self-righteous, the liar, the cheater, the fornicator—”whosoever” you are—Jesus stands at the door and knocks. I pray you open it today, right now is the day of salvation.   (Revelation 3:20)

He will take you if you’re human. 

He is God become flesh, perfect sacrifice for your sin. He traded His righteousness for your sin, His life for your death. 

The greatest love story in time and eternity. 

Call on Him from wherever you are—the sinner’s pulpit—where the sinner speaks and God listens. Whether in a car or under a cardboard box, it doesn’t matter your condition or behavior.

SINNERS PULPIt.com

“Come in a sinner, leave a saint”.

*While a believer’s salvation is secure in Christ and they are eternally forgiven (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:13), ongoing sinful behavior can still have significant consequences in their earthly life and spiritual walk. Here are some potential harms:

1. Earthly Consequences: Sinful actions can lead to various negative outcomes in a believer’s life, such as damaged relationships, loss of trust, legal issues, and personal suffering. For example, stealing or lying can lead to broken relationships and legal trouble, while sexual immorality can result in emotional pain and broken families (Galatians 6:7-8).
2. Grieving the Holy Spirit: While the Holy Spirit will never leave a believer, persistent sin can grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30). This means that the believer may experience a sense of spiritual discomfort or unease, as the Spirit is deeply concerned for their well-being.
3. Quenching the Spirit: Sin can also quench the Spirit’s work in a believer’s life, hindering their ability to experience the fullness of God’s guidance and power (1 Thessalonians 5:19). This can result in a lack of spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
4. Loss of Joy and Peace: Sin can rob a believer of the joy and peace that come from walking in close fellowship with God. While their relationship with God remains intact, their experience of that relationship can be negatively affected (Psalm 51:12).
5. Harm to Witness and Ministry: Persistent sin can damage a believer’s witness to others and their effectiveness in ministry. It can lead to a loss of credibility and hinder their ability to share the gospel and serve others (1 Peter 2:12).
6. Discipline from God: God disciplines those He loves, and persistent sin may lead to His loving discipline in a believer’s life (Hebrews 12:5-11). This discipline is not punitive but corrective, aimed at bringing the believer back to a healthy and fruitful walk with Him.

It’s important to remember that these consequences are not about losing salvation but about the quality of the believer’s life and their experience of God’s presence and blessings. Encouraging a fellow believer to turn away from sin and embrace their new identity in Christ is about helping them live in the fullness of the life God has for them (John 10:10).