After watching an interview with Emma Ayres, now Eddie Ayres, very likeable ex-ABC Classic FM breakfast host, I realize that we, the Christian community in general, live in a condemnation bubble regarding the whole LGBT community. Sobering to know: this issue has now become the new normal in our society!
We are asked by God Himself to continue to remain or maybe BECOME effective in our interaction with those around us, no exceptions made, for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A tall order and one that requires a genuine desire to become informed as to the issues out there, in order to become a credible alternate voice within the society we live in. I am just as challenged as many of my fellow believers!
We know the Scriptures about this issue, but then again, so did Jesus! It is said of him that “he was a friend of sinners” (Luke 7:34 and 15:2), no specifics mentioned. As He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8), He still takes the same stand and so should we. What do I mean by that? He never condoned sin (He died for sin in order to deliver us from its power!) but was prepared to interact with and therefore listen to sinners. As a consequence of this, sinners listened to Him and made life-changing decisions for themselves.
What helps me when I think of people like Emma, now Eddie Ayres and listen to their stories, is that humanity basically has two choices to make in our lives; to follow God’s way and will, as revealed in the Bible, or to follow our own way and will. It’s really as simple as that! After a lifetime of following my own will and reaping its destructive outcomes, I can confidently say: His ways and will are far better and will produce far better outcomes and a happier, more peaceful life.
Finally, that choice is not just a once in a lifetime choice, it is a daily one, for the temptation to choose our own way and will never fully disappears! Let’s not sing at the end of our lives: “I did it MY way” but rather, “I did it His way!”