In a recent article at Christianity today, Michael Horton places some perspective around some remarks recently made by Alan Chambers. Chambers is president of Exodus International, an organization ministering to “ex-gays”. As a man who dabbled in the homosexual (bisexual) lifestyle for close to two decades until I submitted to Christ as both my Savior and Lord, I was compelled to read up on the “controversy” as well as the reply.
The most important word I see God using throughout the entire catalog of scripture is the word “repent”. It’s from a Greek word “metanoia”. It essentially translates as “new mind” or “change of thought”. When I met Christ as He appears in scripture, the things He said caused me to change my mind about how I lived. First, that I am incapable of meeting God’s standards on my own – if I spent the rest of eternity doing good, I could never make up for the sins I’ve committed against a God who is both Holy and eternal. That was a game-changer. Further, when I realized that Christ raises the bar on sin – “You have heard it said… but I tell you… even think like this and you’re guilty of sin…” I had to make a decision – “Can I honestly serve two masters? Can I serve both porn and Christ? Can I truly serve Christ while still disobeying his call to sexual purity, whether bi or heterosexual?”
To repent is to turn away and run to Jesus. If I’m facing my sin and trying to face Jesus, I’m not really running, am I? So, I ran to Jesus. Only by His grace am I saved and does He continue to keep me from my “natural” propensities to habitually sin. Do I still cuss? Do I still burst out in anger? Do I still lie? Yep. Still imperfect. But, not as often, not as willfully, and not without remorse and continued repentance. I don’t go to those things to find life anymore.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/julyweb-only/lets-not-cut-christ-to-pieces.html?paging=off
“our choices… reinforce or counter the specific sins toward which we are especially disposed.”
Michael Horton