“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Mal. 3:6)
Those of us who have been born-again are agreeing with concepts that were written down almost two thousand years ago, many of them over four thousand years in the past. We base our lives upon these words, we live as best as we can in accordance to the truths of the Word of God, we are not under the law, but under grace, but we study both of them to seek the face of God, to know the mind of Christ, to be taught what it means to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
Sin is part of what we study, to understand what is detestable in His eyes, and so that we might not sin against Him. There is something though I am beginning to be shown that, in my opinion, is detrimental to our witness to those that do not yet recognize Jesus Christ as Lord when we are attempting to reach them for their salvation and His glory. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Gal. 5:6)
We are focusing on a particular sin, and many times it is based on the law given and the commandments therein, infractions in the Scriptures, known, revealed items and actions that are sinful. In other words, we are telling gay people, homosexuals that their lifestyle will lead them to hell, the thief that he will find only eternal suffering after he dies, the adulterer, the liar, those that covet and all manner of actions are made known to them as the cause for the reason that the wrath of God abides on them.
My friends, the kindly old gentleman down the street who lives a proper and generous life in the eyes of mankind if he does not repent will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)
It does no eternal good to tell a person who is confused about their sexual identity that they need to leave that lifestyle, for even if they do and find a spouse and raise children, if they do not repent, they will die in their sins. Many who profess Christ as Lord are trying to get people to turn over a new leaf, when the entire tree must be rooted up and grafted into the vine.
We bring up the action of sin that each person is committing, but we do not address the root cause, that self must die, that full and complete submission to the will of God is required, that changing one part of their lifestyle will avail them nothing. Good people in the eyes of mankind are not saved people.
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10)
Works, my friends, can never achieve salvation, following the law does not lead to Christ or please God, faith does. You cannot be transformed by the renewing of your mind until you are saved by the grace of God. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
Changing a part of their lives, modifying their lives to what is considered “right” in the ways of the world does not remove them from the world, it simply places them under a different set of laws. Telling them they must change is not telling them how to be saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.