Homosexuals - Can They Be Saved?

HOMOSEXUALS CAN THEY BE SAVED? A YouTube video sent by my son who attends UW-Stout prompted me to write what's been on my heart for a long time. Members of a Baptist Church came on campus to proclaim God's "wrath" as responsible for the recent deaths in a fire of three UW-Stout students who were reportedly involved in a homosexual lifestyle. Ignorance of the character of this age in which we currently live in God's dealings with mankind is what prompts this kind of injurious insult to the cause of Christ! The Apostle Paul, who was made the administrator of this Dispensation of the Grace of God (Eph. 3), had the privilege of making known the wonderful news that, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19). Those "church-goers" should have been declaring the truth of God's grace and mercy to the world at this time. No one's sins - not even unbelievers'

- are being held against us by God - and that includes the sin of homosexual fornication! The Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood for the sin of homosexual behavior just as he paid for the sins of adultery, heterosexual fornication, stealing, lying, and murder! The ONLY response God is looking for today is that we accept the fact that Christ died for our sins in our place! Does a homosexual need to "turn from his sinful lifestyle" to be saved? Doesn't he need to at least promise to turn from it? According to the word of God, ABSOLUTELY NOT! "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5). Trying to turn from sin, or promising to turn from sin, before putting faith in Christ, is a fleshly work, which God abhors. (Isaiah 64:6). We are to add NOTHING to what Christ has accomplished on our behalf by his death, burial and resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:1-4). If we require of seekers what God does not, we run the risk of driving people away from accepting Christ as their Saviour if they don't feel ready to forsake a besetting sin. Those involved in a homosexual lifestyle, as well as adulterers, thieves, murderers, and liars, can and will be saved in the midst of their sin - as we were if we're honest about it! - and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, whose

job it then becomes to help them "clean up their act." Once a person has placed his trust in Christ for his salvation, failure to completely forsake a besetting sin will NOT cause him to lose his salvation! We are "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13) "until the day of redemption." (Eph. 4:30). "Grieving the Holy Spirit" will result in loss of reward, but not of salvation! While we were "without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6); well, we're still "without strength" when we simply accept that he died for us! Believe and be saved - and receive the victory.