Rosaria Butterfield, a precious believer who was saved out of a background of homosexuality, in her personal testimony, speaks of the Christian response to a gay pride march she was participating in before she came to know Christ. She tells of the placards with Bible verses being waved, and her certainty that every Christian there was happy that she, and everyone she loved, was going to hell. She contrasts that with the loving acceptance of a pastor who invited her into his home, and then genuinely became her friend. For 2 years, this man and his wife loved her and patiently fielded her questions, until she surrendered her life to Christ. Her testimony is compelling and gives great insight to the church for people who struggle with any kind of sin. Watch it at this link: Rosaria Butterfield’s Testimony.

Our passages today deal with that which should drive the heart of every believer for all those around us: love. Jesus condensed all the commandments into two: love God and love others (Luke 10:27). 1 John 4:7-8 says, “let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Now, this is not a love that accepts falsehoods. Ephesians 4 tells us that we are always to speak the truth (okay, but how?) in love. The scriptures marry these two realities. And 1 Corinthian 13 tells us what love looks like. Among other things, it is patient and kind, doesn’t seek to dishonor others, is not easily angered, etc. It perseveres (it keeps going and doesn’t quit) even, perhaps, when the person you love knows the truth, but has not yet made it their own. It remembers our own sin and the lengths God went to save us and then, lovingly, with compassion, seeks to show Jesus to others. This kind of love can only come from the Holy Spirit’s work in us. (Cf. the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23)

What about a person who was saved, but has since walked away from the faith to live in sin? There are great warnings in the Bible regarding this. 1 John 3:9-10 tells us, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” This is strong and meant to shake us to the reality of our danger if we are in this place! To be born of God is to be inwardly renewed by the power of the Spirit of God. If you have been truly saved, your nature is different and sinning in this manner should greatly distress you.

However, there is always the offer of grace! This is the practice of repentance that we talked about yesterday in which every believer must daily live. For, God tells us that if we sin, he is faithful to forgive us of that sin if we confess it and ask forgiveness (1 John 1:9). And he also tells us to seek to restore others who have been led away into sin in a “spirit of gentleness” while keeping watch over our own selves, lest we too be tempted. (Gal. 6:1) In fact, if we know a brother who has fallen, the most loving thing we can do is to lovingly remind them of the great love and forgiveness of our heavenly Father and the grace he offers if they turn back to him. 

Tomorrow we will look at the most powerful thing we can do for all who are separated from God.