Something interesting about gays.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

I have a stupid question is it a sin to have the desire or is the sin to act upon the desire???

When I got saved its seemed as God delivered me from some of my junk from my past only to have it pop up years later as a struggle.

So am I backsliding because my junk has came back or is God doing a new work in me???

It's not a sin to have a desire or be tempted. Jesus was tempted and faced all the desires of the flesh... yet He is said to have been without sin.

Sin takes place when one acts upon a given desire or temptation.

[MarieA27]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

I'm beginning to understand. I hate this flesh sometimes. lol

Only sometimes? lol

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

We all have our struggles in life that we desire to overcome with the help of Christ. It must be torture to have this type of fleshly desire, know it is wrong, and confess it to others, taking the chance of receiving scorn for the confession. At least heterosexuals in Christ can marry with the blessings of God.

All our "advice" without ever having experienced this particular problem doesn't mean a whole lot. It's like telling depressed people to 'cheer up'. It's like telling an alcoholic to just stop drinking or a smoker to just lay the cigarettes down.

We have a big compassionate God who is more than able to be touched and hear our cries.

Azzan and others who struggle like him, needs to be uplifted in prayer that God will help him to overcome, to have peace and happiness.

If we say that we care about people, we will do just that...uplift other people in prayer to God for their struggles.

Lord, help me to have more of a borden for others.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Timmy

God could heal amputees. He could heal Downs syndrome. He could protect children from rape. He could write a book that makes sense.

For the most part He doesn't, because the purpose of the course of this life is to solve problems. To be an overcomer of problems, that is what it is about.

God will finish His work on and in us, have no FEAR "....I have overcome the world..." The inference is that He will overcome ALL the world's influence on humanity!! And He will, we should seek righteousness, practice righteousness as much as is possible within us, and with all the help and direction that God and others can provide. But He as and will finish the work in us.

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by MarieA27

Only sometimes? lol

more often than not

[crakjak]

I recommend this book by our pastor, who has been in the trenches, mentoring both believing "gays" and the body of Christ in doing the ministry of reconciliation for over 30 years.

http://www.amazon.com/Lepers-Among-U...epers+among+us

[Ferd]

I believe that God does deliver us from immediately...sometimes.

I know people who had horrible addictions and God delivered them in a miraculous way.

I have seen this happen in my own life. I have also seen the grace of God guide a person thru difficult waters without deliverance.
They struggle. They fall, and get up and go on. And God leads and guides.

There was a time in my life when I didn’t understand that. Why didn’t God just poof stuff away?
Then the more I reflected the more I searched scripture and I see in scripture the Grace of God in action in the life of Paul.
Paul says in the book of Titus that the Grace of God that brings salvation teaches us… (Titus 2:11-12)
So I began to see Paul’s words in the light of Paul’s life.
I believe this is Paul’s thorn in the flesh. I have no proof and it certainly is no point of doctrine but this is my personal belief and it has meant a lot to me.

Paul was arrogant. He was harsh at times and self-justified in actions that can only be viewed as inflexible.
Paul says in one place that he “withstood Peter to his face” There was a conflict and Peter was wrong and Paul was right, but the indication is that this happened in public and it was ugly.
In another place we learn that Paul and Barnabas had a falling out over John Mark. The guy who eventually wrote the book of Mark.

Mark was young and Barnabas saw something in him that made him want to work with the kid. Barnabas invited Mark to make a missionary journey. Things got hard and Mark started complaining. Paul was NOT kind. In the end Barnabas and Paul had a serious falling out. They went in different directions because Paul had no time for a snot nosed kid.

But at the end of Paul’s life we see something very different. We see him saying “send John Mark to me for he is profitable for me”. ME. PAUL. Paul needed this man whom he had not been willing to help.
There was a shift over the life of Paul that softened that hardness that caused Paul grief. I think Paul knew about this thing. I think that is what Paul was praying that God would deliver him from and what God simply told him that His Grace would suffice.

Paul needed to walk thru that trial and not simply be delivered. It is instructive. WE have difficulties that we are not delivered from. That we must walk thru. God’s Grace is there. It bring salvation, but it also is instructive in our daily lives if we will bend ourselves to its instruction.

Does God deliver? Certainly. Does God deliver by his Grace, thru the fire that Peter talks of? Without question.

[Timmy]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

You didn't address any of my questions or arguments.

To expound further than I have would be a violation of the rules. (If I haven't already! )

[Timmy]

Originally Posted by crakjak

For the most part He doesn't, because the purpose of the course of this life is to solve problems. To be an overcomer of problems, that is what it is about.

...

Good point. I have overcome some problems.

[MarieA27]

Originally Posted by Aquila

It's not a sin to have a desire or be tempted. Jesus was tempted and faced all the desires of the flesh... yet He is said to have been without sin.

Sin takes place when one acts upon a given desire or temptation.

Not exactly...

You're always going to be tempted with something as long as you have this flesh on you, but when a desire or temptation comes, you are to resist it and fight the temptation, so as to not let it take root in you. It's like that analogy that you can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from landing.

If a desire/temptation comes, and if you let those desires permeate and the lust thereof fixate in your heart, that you would do the sin, if circumstances would permit, than you sin in your heart. Also even if you can't do the sin, won’t do the sin, but you meditate on the temptation and get joy in the meditations on the sin, it's the same as if you did do it, this is what Jesus was talking about, when he said you committed the sin within your heart. (Matt 5:28)

Using this extreme example, if someone desires to murder someone, and the only thing that is stopping them, is that the opportunity hasn’t presented itself, but if it did, he would act on the temptation, then it’s a sin. If the opportunity hasn’t presented it, and even if it would, you still won’t do the actually deed of murdering that said person, but instead you let yourself get satisfaction, and joy out of just meditating and fantasizing on the deed, and how you would do it, if you could, you’re just as guilty, as if you actually did the sin.