Question: Many churches today are welcoming homosexuals who want to attend their services. Shouldn’t we only invite people who are living the way God wants them to live?
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Answer: You are correct that the Bible states that God judges homosexuality to be wrong, just like sexual relations outside of marriage, adultery, and child exploitation, among other sexual sins. If we only invited people to church who we knew were living in every way according to the scriptures, we wouldn’t find many to invite. The Bible tells us that none of us ever ceases our sinning, Christian and non-believer, even when we try our hardest. A pastor once told me that the church is not a museum of saints but a hospital for sick souls! The Bible says:
There is none righteous, no, not one… Romans 3:10-12
…even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:22-23
For there is not a just man on the earth who does good and does not sin. Ecclesiastes 7:20
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and us to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. I John 1:8-10
So, if we never quit sinning, then what difference does it make if we become a Christian? The reason is because when we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, God no longer looks at our tarnished record but at Jesus’ perfectly clean record, which He substitutes for ours. It’s in our hell-bent human nature to desire to live without any rules, laws, or the heartbreaking consequences. Satan knows this and has been capitalizing on our selfish preferences towards sin ever since the beginning of mankind. The Devil once told Eve that she should follow her desires and fulfill her human emotional needs because God was just trying to keep her from experiencing great pleasures and rewards. That lie led her and her husband, Adam, to disaster with far reaching consequences! And Satan has been using those same destructive tactics on men and women ever since. (Genesis 3)
Since the church is the “hospital for sick souls”, invite everyone you know to come in for treatment and rest! All people are in need of Jesus’ gifts of forgiveness, healing, and renewal as together we study the Holy Word of God and experience His gradual transformation of our desires and lives.
Yes, invite everyone to attend church services, group activities, and Bible studies to learn what the Bible teaches and be mentored by others to follow Jesus. We all begin at this starting point! When it’s time to select people for church leadership, examine who is living for Christ and setting a godly example by adhering to God’s standards as clearly taught in the Bible.
(I Timothy 3)
God’s “Word” – another name for Jesus and also what we call the Bible scriptures – assures us that He welcomes everyone to come to Him so that “they will be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth.” (I Timothy 2:4)
What better place is there to learn about God’s Word and His truths than your local church?
