Christian Support Group Community Group
This is a place for everyone who loves Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (or those who are seeking Him), to come and discuss important issues in their lives and find support from fellow believers in regards to their faith and life. We uphold the Bible and living a Christ-like life, not as a way to heaven, but as a reflection of our love for God.
My friend from youth group came out to our small group (the senior girls). I don't know what to do because the Bible is very clear but I feel out numbered because everyone is acting like its ok. If she had come out to the group saying she was sturggling with heroin, we would all be saying "Ayveri, we love you but this needs to stop. Its sin and unhealthy." but with her coming out and saying shes gay, no one said anything about the fact that its sin, it was basically a big gay support fest when she came out. IDK what to do because I feel like I'm the only one who sees her being gay as sin... Please pray for me and any adivce would be great.
I meant having a gay orientation or desire is not in itself sinful, as many people say they can't help it, but that where the sin lies is when a gay person has gay sex with anyone else, that is where the sin lies.
EG. If I'm tempted to have a dirty thought, there is a second where I didn't even want that thought or try to have that thought, so no sin has ocurred yet...however, IF I decide to continue with the dirty thinking, then I'm sexually sinning in my mind, not being chaste, not being sexual ONLY with my husband.
A temptation or a desire is not the sin. The sin is when we use our will and decide to continue on and actually pursue the bad behavior.
Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
Ok, I get that it isn't sin until its acted on.
Some sins are more serious than others, God was so peeved about the sexual immorality in Sodom & Gomorrah that He rained HELL FIRE AND BRIMESTONE and killed them all because He was so sick of them and the fact they even went after His angels. My issue is how do I approach the situation when my small group is now divided over whether or not its sin and Ayveri (The girl who came out) doesn't think its sin.
My big issue is that I'm on God's side here and IDK how to help them see that this is sin without being a jerk about it and causing more division than whats already going on.
(BTW I really appreciate all your answers so far, its healping my thought process ALOT getting outside opinions)
We must bring all of our thought life under the blood, because even it easily leads us to sin more.If you allow something polluted or dead in there, it will continue to contaminate the well for a long time. That's why we have such a hard time forgetting a dirty joke or a movie scene for so long. Sin-stained stuff makes a deeper impression than we could ever imagine. So long after the song is off the charts or the show is over, the pollution planted by them will live in your heart and continue to poison your thoughts and desires.
this is from Hutchcraft minestries
EG. Years ago, I used to say "God" as an exclamation, not angry, just like an exclamation point. I had picked it up in college. My oldest brother, (who used to also do this sort of thing, and worse), pointed out to me that I was using God's name in vain. I realized that I was using it as an exclamation point, not actually trying to pray to Him or even thinking of Him at that time, just a bad habit. I immediately worked on myself and haven't said the name of God in vain for at least 35 or 40 years.
The point I'm making is, I'm so GLAD that my brother pointed this out to me. Otherwise, I would have gone on ignorantly and unthinkingly insulting and abusing God's precious name. If noone tells others the truth about something they're ignorant of, how will they make it to heaven? It's like warning someone who is playing around near the flu bug to be careful, because you don't want them to catch the flu.
I don't think it is presumption to warn people of serious sins if they are speaking about them in my presence. This is not done in a self-righteous, snooty manner, it is done in a friendly way, like Christ might do when He was trying to help humanity to change their ways. I work on my own behavior every day, and wish I could find a good spiritual director to be accountable to. Arrogant proud types don't want anything to do with that. Just sayin....
Bravo to your group for not refusing her to continue in your group. Perhaps she has a heart for God and wanted to know if she would still be accepted if she confessed her sin to the group. Now that she has, it would be good to acknowledge that she has come out, but then to also encourage her to confess her sin to God and open her heart to his guidance so that he can continue his work in her, with the support of your group. She will need your groups support as the Lord starts to move within her.