Divided over homosexuality, most people, including leadership, have neglected to answer the first question.

In reading the articles posted on the UMC website thus far, I noticed two things right away.  The first thing that struck me is that many of the writers attempt to move the argument over homosexuality out of the realm of morality and biblical accuracy where there is an unambiguous black and white answer.  They position or frame the argument in other domains like grace, law, language, personal interpretation, personal experience and other human perspectives where the issue can be manipulated by men and women who then portray themselves as dispassionate. 

The second thing is that no one here asks the question, “By whose authority do we dare to offer an opinion other than the one contained in the Word?”  Since mankind in his unredeemed state is hopelessly corrupt, is not any opinion based upon man’s perspective also corrupt? 

This postmodernist trend of supplanting the written words of documents like the Constitution with the opinions of men whether they be judges or presidents, is what is destroying the United States.  If not rejected as untenable, this trend of replacing the words of scripture with human opinion will destroy the United Methodist Church as well.  God calls homosexuality “very grave sin.”  How dare we call it anything else?  What supreme hubris!

A.W. Tozer often referred to one whom he called “the plain thinking man.”  He suggested that scripture can be understood by any plain thinking man.  Indeed, to believe otherwise would make God partial to the more highly educated.  John Wycliffe said that the Bible should be translated in a way that it can be understood by “every plowboy in England,” and it is.  We cause much consternation for ourselves whenever we try to improve upon what God has said.

Several of the writers here have bonded the issue of whether homosexuality is right or wrong, together with how their beliefs might impact the way in which lesbians and homosexuals are to be treated by Christians, as if the two must be answered simultaneously or not at all.  In reality, they are two separate issues, not one.  We tend to form our opinions with regard for where the extremists might take them, and that is always the wrong approach to any question. 

Another similarity in these responses is that the writers attempt to place a happy and credible mask of relative innocence on the repulsive and hideous face of evil.  Thus, we refuse to challenge deceptions like “gay” and “sexual orientation” and, in doing so, we do Satan’s work for him.  He is, after all, the great deceiver.  As I’ve said before, “Seek the motive; find the truth.”  The motivation of those who advocate for the acceptance of same-sex marriages and of homosexuality exposes who they are, and to whom they belong. 

It’s tragic and puzzling, that while the Church has at its disposal, the wisdom of the ages in the Word of God, the leadership of the United Methodist Church refuses to employ its principles.  A reading of the official UMC positions illustrates this fact.  There is a woeful lack of scripture reference here, and where scripture is quoted, it’s often out of context.  Jesus said, “Let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no.  Anything more than these is from the evil one” (MT. 5:37).  Why? Because “yes, but…” is a yes and a no, and the hearer chooses whichever he prefers.

It appears that the fundamental problem in the United Methodist Church today, is that too many of our members are unredeemed.  They are not born again, they have not repented of sin, they have been baptized of water, but not the Spirit, and despite the biblical warning of James 4:4, they seek to remain friends of the world.  They do this because they are still part of the world.  One of the first things that happens when a man or woman is reborn is that they stop arguing with God over the Commandments. 

It appears likely that the UMC will split over this issue, and that will not be a tragedy.  The tragedy is what we have now--people who call themselves Christians who clearly are not.  They have a faulty idea of who Jesus is because they do not read or study scripture, and because they have not given themselves over to the Lordship of Christ.  “By their fruits you will know them,” says the Lord (MT. 7:20).  Evidence of this is the way the ignorant and self-righteous will throw MT. 7:1 in the face of any and all who decry sin.  But MT. 7:1 is not the last word written about judgment.  The true Christians will judge the world.  Should we not know the standard by which judgment will come?

The secular world has no righteousness.  Therefore, it attempts to impose its own self-righteousness.  The Church has real righteousness in its grasp, but refuses to use it.  The result is the same--continued social and moral corruption.