The tragedy in Orlando will define our Christian faith - love/hate

I am sorry, but I simply do not understand some Christians and I am a Christian. We preach ‘grace’, forgiveness, love, not to judge, compassion, humility and etc., but let something horrible happen in the Gay community or let a terrible act of Mother Nature happen and there are some Christians (a minority) that immediately start blaming the Gay Community.  I am saddened by some of the comments posted by Christians on public sites regarding the Orlando terrorist attack – they are totally without any ‘grace’.

I have read, “They got what they deserved”, “I am glad it was a bunch of queers and not black folks”, about the ones trapped in the restroom – “They probably forgot to try and knock a wall out because they were too busy having sex with each other”, “God got those that are destroying our children”, “May they all burn in hell” and “I wish he would have killed them all and someone would attack every gay bar in the United States.”

It is a great time to read Luke 13:1-5. 

Do you think God finds our self-righteous judgment of the Gay Community acceptable? We all sin and come short of the glory of God.  Our righteousness does not come by our deeds it comes through Christ paying our sin debt on the cross. Our heart  is not any less obstinate and wicked than those at the gay bar in Orlando.

If you think God takes delight in the death of the wicked (sinners) maybe you should read Ezekiel 18:23 and neither should those who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit take delight in their death.

If you believe the Bible states emphatically that homosexuality is a sin before you start talking trash about Orlando and the Gay Community read  Luke 13:34 - Weep over death and the widespread grief that accompanies it and  John 11:35 - But don't utter a word of condescending judgment — because your own sinfulness earns you no less than an eternity under God's anger.

Now is the time to help and pray for fellow human beings who have been hurt. The shooting was a hate crime against the Gay Community carried out by a radical Islamic terrorist, but more importantly it is a crime against human beings made in the image of God, and this should be the only reason Christians need to help those effected by this tragedy. Human beings were hurt and as a Christian, we are called to love and help our neighbor.

I am aware there will be some calling themselves Christians who will celebrate this tragedy. Westboro Baptist Church has already responded by saying, “God sent the shooter,” and, “God still hates fags.” Please do not join them.  If I believed these lies I could not serve the God I do.

As Christians, our marching orders are clear. Jesus tells us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Our neighbors have been attacked, and we need to show love to them. Paul tells us that true love “does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:6-7). “The Lord is . . . not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

I would like to add I do not believe Christians are responsible for this happening as some in the media have claimed. The terrorist that carried out this act did not care what Christians believe concerning homosexuals. He was in no way influenced by Christian teachings. I also do not believe gun control was a factor regardless what gun laws we have he would have gotten his weapon of choice one way or the another. How we respond in this crisis is not a conservative or liberal issue, Democrat or Republican issues it is a CHRISTIAN issue.

Christians must be part of creating a world where the kind of hatred and intolerance which motivated Omar S Mateen simply cannot prevail. We should not listen to men like Pastor Steven Anderson. He said the victims deserved to die. This is the same man that ask Christians to pray that President Obama would die.

Just hours after American’s worst mass shooting came to an end, Steven Anderson, pastor at Faithful Word Baptist Church in suburban Phoenix, unleashed a sickening tirade in which he said the victims deserved to die. The man is a bigot, a lunatic, a bitter/angry man, with a poisoned heart and a disgrace to the Christian religion. As they all do he quoted different scriptures from the Bible that suited his needs and the Book of Leviticus as he tried to justify the terror attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. Let us not forget Leviticus tells us to kill our children if they talk back to us. Christians should not listen to these voices and not just react, but respond in love to this tragedy.

Perfection is not possible!

 

Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American businessman, civic and religious leader, and was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He said, "Being perfect means to triumph over sin. This is a mandate from the Lord. He is just and wise and kind. He would never require anything from his children which was not for their benefit and which was not attainable. Perfection therefore is an achievable goal." Can we really triumph over sin – if that means being perfect?

The Mormon is taught that he must triumph over sin and that he is saved by grace ‘only’ after he has done all he can and he must be perfect. It appears to me forgiveness of sins in the LDS church is dependent upon the persistent and necessary effort of the Mormon to keep the Laws of God. Some Elders in LDS would dispute this, but even if some LDS Elders do dispute it I can see how it would easily be construed by some members of LDS that perfection is essential. I believe our forgiveness depends on what Christ did on the cross and the Grace of God.

I sincerely sympathize with the Mormon who is seeking to please God, honor Him, and bring glory to Him by trying to obey all His commandments. Can anyone say that he has done all he can do and has triumphed over sin and is perfect? I do not think so! I do not think God would put such a burden on anyone.

The Bible teaches us that if you want to be made right before God based on your efforts, then you better not make any mistakes. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all," (James 2:10).  Does the Gospel of the Bible teach that forgiveness of sins is based upon our obedience to the Law's and Ordinances of any church and that we are to be perfect? I don’t think so. "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law (Romans 3:28-30).”…therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1). "…nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified," (Galatians 2:16).

Justification is the legal declaration by God where God declares the sinner righteous in His sight.  Justification is by faith and not by keeping the Law in any way - not by doing all you can do, not by triumphing over sin, and not by being perfect. No one (except Jesus) can keep the whole Law, triumph over sin, and be perfect.  Christians can only trust in the righteousness of Jesus and receive Him by faith, (John 1:12). All we need to do is accept that Jesus alone is our only hope and that we must by faith accept His work on the cross for the complete forgiveness of our sins.

After we are then made right before God, we are changed in our hearts and then desire to do that which is right before God. God works in us to bring us more into the image of His Son Jesus.  We then are able to freely serve God, love Him, and keep His commandments out of appreciation and gratitude to God--not to please God so we can be saved. The good news is that Jesus has done all that needs to be done, and we can by faith trust in Him and be made righteous in His sight and do not have to achieve perfection – which is impossible.

Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us. Jesus paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few sins. He paid it all! It is finished. Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Christ’s Grace Is Sufficient to ‘Transform Us’.
Many Christians view Christ’s suffering as only a huge favor He did for us, but it is more than that it as a huge investment He made in us.  Grace isn’t just about being saved. It is also about becoming more like Him. The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die, but that we can live more abundantly here and now. The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled, but that we can be transformed.

Too many Christians are giving up on the Church because they are tired of constantly feeling like they are falling short. They have tried in the past, but they always feel like they are just not good enough. They don’t understand grace. It is sad, but that some in the church are making many Christians feel this way with their judgmental attitudes toward many of today’s societal issues. Some in the church have laid so much guilt on some Christians they feel like, “I’ve blown it. There is no use in even trying anymore.”

There are not just two options perfection or giving up. God does not work that way. God only ask us to do our best and when we fall to get up and try again. In fact He will help us get up and start over if we will only ask Him. We do not even have to be worthy of a chance to try again we only need to be willing to accept the chance.

Remember - the grace of Christ is sufficient—sufficient to cover our debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that transformation process takes. We must also remember Grace is not the absence of God’s high expectations of us, but is the presence of God’s power to forgive us even when we cannot reach those expectations.

 **I received a comment and I want to make sure that no one thinks I am trying to say that we should not strive to be obedient to God. In regards to the comment I do not believe that you must be baptized in order to go to heaven. I just cannot accept that aborted babies and unbaptized infants do not go to heaven. I know what the Bible says regarding baptism, but I also believe that you have to read the Bible keeping in mind the character of God. I certainly did not intend to imply that you can do anything you want and Grace will save you. I do not think Grace is a license to sin. There are consequences to choices. **