Dear Editor,
I am a Baptist Minister who contributes to the ‘Evangelical Baptists’ website, primarily about the same-sex issue. The Evangelical Baptists are a reform group within the Baptist Union.
I write in response to Philip Almond’s letter of November’s issue of en, where he thinks too much time is given by Evangelical Anglicans to the same-sex issue and that more time should be given to ‘preach the terrible Biblical warnings of the Day of Judgment facing non-Christians, and the wonderful invitation to all to repent and submit to Christ in His atoning death and life-giving resurrection’.
The warnings of judgment and the nature of true repentance and faith in Christ that Almond highlights are actually integral to the same-sex issue. This is why it is so important.
Any minister who preaches immorality, including homosexuality, and any believer who does not truly repent of such are themselves in danger of ‘the wrath to come’.
Paul adds the warning in most of his ‘vice’ lists from his letters:
The word Paul uses is the usual word for sexual sin in the New Testament. It’s the Greek word ‘porneia’. It refers to the broadest category of sexual sins and includes more than simply adultery (cf. Matt.5:32, where Jesus uses ‘moicheia’ for adultery and ‘porneia’ for the larger category of sexual immorality). As one commentator observes, the term ‘can be found in Greek literature with reference to a variety of illicit sexual practices, including adultery, fornication, prostitution, and homosexuality.’ (Walter Bauer et al, Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature).
Passages include Romans 1:24-31; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:5-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10. Others, not written by Paul, include Mark 7:21-22 and Revelation 21:8.
The challenge in these is usually toward Christians. So 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 Paul has upbraided the Corinthians for their sin and adds: ‘Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?’ He goes on to list these vices: ‘the sexually immoral, nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards…’
The only hope for the false teacher and the practising homosexual is in genuine repentance (turning from such false preaching, resisting the temptation to homosexual activity) and finding forgiveness through Christ’s grace and mercy. Thus, the balance ‘hating the sin, loving the sinner’ is maintained.
Genuine saving faith in Christ, being ‘justified by faith’, will show itself in a sanctified life.
So resolving the same-sex issue is vitally important. It has serious repercussions for faith, repentance, and the judgment to come.
Yours sincerely,
David Barnes Minister, Angmering Baptist Church
