WYSIWYG?

Daniel 11: 32-35

"With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. "

There are two reasons someone embraces a cause. One, because they truly believe in it. The other reason can be less honorable.

When I used to work at a high-profile ministry, I met a man who could knock you over with his sincerity. He was a real story: He had no family, and he'd been on his own for quite some time. He became a successful businessman. Unfortunately, his partner had swindled him and took all the assets, leaving him destitute. He was a devout Christian, and a very sweet guy, and was just looking for another big break that would put him back on top again.

Unfortunately, it was all a lie. He was an accomplished con artist. The high profile and big crowds at the church made it possible for him to move about relatively easily without being detected. He had been to many events, and had his picture taken at several of them with the Pastor, so it looked like the two of them were close. He also put together a network of legitimate "friends"; folks who would know him, say hello to him, and call him by name, unaware that he was using them to give him a legitimacy. He knew the morning schedules of those who were on to him, and was able to find his way around without being sighted.

He would come and go. Usually when he disappeared it meant someone had been conned and he decided to lay low for a while. It caused the ministry a lot of trouble. We managed to tip off the police whenever we discovered he was working another parishoner, but every time he got arrested he would get off with a minimal sentence, and within a year he would be back to his same old tricks.

Christianity, because of it's stress on forgiveness, is especially vulnerable to these kinds of things. We want to believe people when they say that Jesus Christ changed their lives. But it is a sad fact that there are some out there who have no conscience, and can convincingly profess Christ, but with total insincerity. Other entities suffer as well: Many so-called minority leaders profess a commitment to the cause of equality, while misinforming their constituency regarding policies that seem so good, but actually work to the detriment of "their people." Why? Because what would a minority need with a leader, if members were fully functioning well within society? Keep them enslaved, keep them indebted to their leadership!

Today's column is to serve as a warning: We cannot afford the luxury of complacency. Be careful. Trust those who can prove their trustworthiness. Look beyond the surface and try to find the real people you deal with. Jesus went beyond the surface. He saw into people's hearts. With prayer, and carful observation, we can and must do the same. Don't take a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) approach to life.

You can be discerning without being judgmental. Look deeper, and act accordingly.

Is It Our Job to Judge?

1 Timothy 1:9-11

"We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me."

There are sometimes when I am uncertain what I am going to write about here on Internetspirations. I try very hard to avoid putting my own spin on any scripture. I try to understand its teaching, and then I try to find a new way to talk about it. Sometimes I write a topic and then check to see if scripture backs it up. More than once, I have found what I wrote to be wrong, because the scripture I find on the subject demonstrates very firmly that I need to reconsider my position.

My preferred way is to write on something that I am involved in studying, but right now, I confess, I'm not studying anything in particular. That's when I go for the random verse: I go to Bible Gateway, and see what the verse of the day is. So when I did that today, 1 Timothy 1:9-11 came up, and I said, "Oh no. I don't want to go there!"

I considered trying again for another random verse, but that's the chicken way out. No. I need to think about it here and now. So here we go, diving headlong into a verse that lists a number of sins, and there in the middle Peter lists practicing homosexuality. And it is sitting with some pretty bad company; Mother and Father killers! Slave Traders! Murderers! Liars! In an era where listing homosexuality as a sin can get you labeled a pariah and homophobic, addressing it isn't likely to win me friends in the gay community.

Well, here's the thing: The list isn't mine. And I am not about to condemn anyone for being gay, as I have several family members and friends who are. They are wonderful people, many of them people who call themselves Christian. Even this week the Presbyterian Church of America changed their playbook to allow gay marriage. So what's the deal? Is Peter just wrong?

One thing I can tell you for sure: condemnation isn't my thing. There are a lot of folks out there happy to pass judgement, but to them I always ask if they are as fast to judge adulterers, liars, cheats, thieves, and others as sinners as they are gays? It just all seems more heavy-handed for homosexuality than it is for other types of sin. And actually, is it a sin?

Well, it certainly was considered a sin during Peter's day. And in many countries today, being Gay can get you thrown in jail or killed. Plus, I am sorry to say there are plenty of gay people around today who do their best to make it an act of rebellion against the moral fabric of society. Meet-up parties for people to have random, anonymous sex are common today. Heck, there's even an App for it. But does that mean all loving relationships between people of the same gender are the same?

All I can tell you is that you have to look within yourself in prayer to determine what God wants for you. For me, I have to tell you, there are certain aspects (like the App) that I just cannot endorse. But what about committed, loving relationships between two people of the same gender? Marriage? I have a heterosexual one. That's the only one I need to address. When my younger daughter called to introduce me to the love of her life (a woman), I was easily able to accept it. It was her life; not mine. She is in a place, as a Christian, where she is fine with it.

What I can tell you is what the major theme of the verse is, and it isn't there to condemn any of the listed sinners and keep them out of the church. No, instead it tells us just the opposite. The law was given to all people, because who of any of us can claim to be sin-free. God's word is for everyone, in spite of any way they may be out of sync with what Peter calls the sound doctrine.

You may agree with me, or not. Either way, leave your comments (please be civil). Disagreement between Christians isn't anything new. That's why we have hundreds of separate denominations. I do think it is a little sad that we have to divide ourselves up according to our disagreements. If Peter is willing to extend the church to include all these sinners, who am I to stand in the way?

I'll leave the judgement part up to God.