There is but one lawgiver and Judge

I'm guessing that often we can fall into the category of having just enough knowledge to be misleading, or even dangerous.

As Christians, it is possible, though we may have memorized some verses, to still overlook others. In so doing, we miss the big picture painted by Scripture.

Homosexuality is a very difficult subject in today's society. Often we hear someone say, "You are being judgmental," or "they were born that way." Actually, considering the whole of Scripture, they are right in both cases. For Matthew 7:2 and 3 says, "For with the judgment you pronounce you too will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."

If we therefore, judge someone as less than perfect, we too will be judged for our own imperfections. And Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." So while it would be wrong to think homosexuality is genetic (basic genetics says weak genes die off and strong genes survive, and since there is no way to reproduce a homosexual gene genetics cannot be blamed), original sin, however, says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. Therefore to say someone is 'born that way' simply means they were born into sin, as were we all.

So for the Christian our focus needs to be more on our own relationship to God and less on the relationship of our neighbor.

Let me be clear here, I am not excusing what God has called sin, I point to these verses only to remind Christians that we are told in Scripture to "seed and water," and then reminded that "God alone does the growing." And as 2nd Corinthians 5:17 points out, it is only after we are Christians (indwelt by the Holy Spirit) that "the old has passed away, the new has come."

And so my purpose here is simply to remind us all that our focus needs to be inward, on our own relationship to Christ rather than outward, in judgment of others. We are called rather to love others, to be kind, to be gracious and to forgive as we also have been forgiven. And to remember that salvation depends entirely on the recognition and belief that Christ died on the cross for our sins.

Helping others to know Christ loves them is God's great commission to all believers. After all God has made us all in His image...is that not, indeed "Good News?"