Holy Ostracism…Not So Holy
I recently read a blog article about Holy Ostracism. It was asking the question if we should isolate ourselves…or otherwise refuse fellowship with homosexuals. There are biblical references to not fellowshipping with “sinners” that people rely on to support this view. However, here is my response.
I think we Christians, to our discredit, place much too much importance on the issue of homesexual sin. Outsiders view us a haters, high and mighty, pompous, etc… Is homosexuality a sin? yes. But remember that ANY sin is just as sinful as homosexuality to God. God teaches us to take the plank out of our own eye before we look to take the speck out of another person’s eye.
Should we practice holy ostracism because someone is homosexual? absolutely not. That only feeds the negative perception…that “we won’t associate with those sinners”..and that we are somehow better than them.
The fact is that we are NOT better than them. Even if we are Christian, and they are not…we are still NOT better than them. God is better…and it is Him who redeems us.
Would you ostracize someone who drank excessively? How about someone who was prideful. How about someone who lusts after someone who is not our spouse? How about someone who (insert any other sin you’ve ever heard of)?
Unless you are going to ostracise everyone (for all sins), I wouldn’t recommend ostracizing anyone for simply being homosexual.
Instead, associate with them. Share your love with them. Engage with them and let your life influence them positively. Let them know that even though God considers their behavior a sin…that we ALL sin, and God still loves us. Then encourage them to seek God and ask him into their life. Homosexuals don’t need to be “fixed”…they need to be loved. God will take it from there.
By the way, I’m very passionate about this negative perception of Christianity. I’ve started a movement to counter those negative perceptions…but it starts with YOU..and how you interface with the world. If you are interested, join our facebook group called “Chaning the Face of Christianity“:
Filed under: Changing the Face of Christianity, General
Great post. I completely agree with you on this. Homsexual sin is a sin like any other, and just like there will be previous alcoholics who are in heaven, there will be previous homosexuals in heaven as well.
Alcoholics may fall off the wagon ocassionally and I dont know, maybe homosexuals would too(?) but the desire to move away from sin is the natural fruit of a spirit striving towards Christ of course.
But the idea to ostracize someone for being homosexual is not biblical I dont believe either. I think those scriptures that support having nothing to do with sinners might be reflective of those sinners who we’ve tried to reach, and whom have publicly denounced following Christ.
Some may feel that the nature of homosexual sin, is one so flagrant that maybe there is not a spirit within the person to want to pursue God. Many of our sins are hidden, which at least shows a natural remorse for it. Homosexual sin is almost worn with such pride sometimes and I think that’s what makes them sometimes difficult to reach for Christ. However, there are many of my own sins I wore with pride too. So only God truly knows our hearts.
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