Retired, Christian, singer Ray Boltz, recently came out of the closet and announced that he’s gay. This revelation has cause a storm of controversy in Christian circles, so I decided to dust off and old sermon, update it a bit and post it here.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1
I often hear this verse from people, who are using it in place of, “Just shut up already.” The problem is that the verse is being taken out of context, and leads to an “anything goes” Christianity which is destroying the church. Let’s read a little further.

Matthew 7:2-3 “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Let’s remove the beam, and see what God’s Word has to say.

When asked how I view homosexuality, I often ask if the person wants the short answer, that will piss them off, or if they want to know how I really feel. The short answer is that I believe homosexual sex is a sin, because the Bible says that it is, but there is more to it than that.

Romans 1:22-27 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

This is the passage which has been used for too many years to “gay bash’ from the pulpit. So often in fact, that it is considered hate speech in Canada. Once again taken out of context. Let’s look at the rest.

Romans 1:28-31 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”

Wow, there’s a lot of stuff listed here!
Covetousness: who of us hasn’t wished we had that thing sitting in our neighbor’s yard?
Maliciousness: bad mouthed any politicians lately
Full of envy: seen anything green today?
Murder: the Bible says a lie is like murder. Need I say more?
This list is long let’s move to,
Whisperers: heard any good gossip? Passed any on?
Backbiters: had the preacher “for lunch” this week?
Disobedient to parents: Ouch!
Unmerciful: yeah I know.

Anybody not get dinged yet? Do we need to go through the rest?

Let’s look at verse 32.
“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Watched any prime time TV lately?

If I haven’t made my point already:
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

That’s right all of us have sinned. We need to remove the “beams” of self-righteousness and hate from our eyes.

The church has turned it’s back on homosexuals, and that’s wrong. We all need the strengthening influence of a good church, and the fellowship of “real” Christians. We can’t continue with the lie that homosexual people cannot be Christians. If we are the body of Christ, why aren’t we using his merciful arms to reach out to all of our Christian brothers and sisters?

Christians are human. We lie, gossip, envy, and forget to be merciful. Some of us struggle with homosexuality. The sin is in the act, not in the temptation. And if I tell a lie it doesn’t mean I’m not a Christian. It means I’m an imperfect Christian, who still struggles with sin and will until the Lord calls me home.