Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for bringing ### before the Lord with such care and honesty. It is right to take this concern to God in prayer, and it is also right to want to hold fast to what Scripture teaches while showing the love of Christ.
God's word is clear that sexual intimacy is designed for the lifelong covenant of one man and one woman in marriage, and that sexual activity outside of that, including homosexual practice, is sin. Leviticus 18:22 speaks of it plainly as detestable before God, and the New Testament reaffirms this same moral teaching. At the same time the Bible teaches that every one of us has sinned and fallen short, and that our deepest need is not simply to correct a view but to be made alive through being one with God. To truly live is to have fellowship with Him, and that life comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose to bring us forgiveness and new birth.
I hear that ### does have faith in Jesus yet is struggling in this area of understanding. Scripture speaks about how believers can differ and how some are weaker in faith on certain matters, and it reminds us that each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. He is the Lord we all serve and the one before whom we will stand. That truth frees us from harsh judgment of one another and calls us instead to be careful not to put a stumbling block in a brother or sister's way, but to pursue what makes for peace and what builds one another up.
Our example and measure in all of this is the Lord Himself. We are called to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another as He has loved us, and by that love people will know we are His disciples. That love does not mean we call sin something it is not, but it does mean we speak the truth with grace, with patience, and with a willingness to forgive as we have been forgiven so much.
So let us pray for ### that the Lord in His kindness would deepen her fellowship with Him, open her eyes more fully to His truth, and work in her heart by His Spirit. Pray that she would grow in love for Jesus and in trust in His word, that any confusion would be replaced with clarity, and that conviction would come not as a heavy burden but as an invitation to walk more closely with Christ who loves her and gave Himself for her. Pray also that God would give you grace to love her as Christ has loved you, to encourage and strengthen her, and to keep the unity and peace that helps faith grow.
May the Lord continue His work in both of you, drawing you into greater oneness with Himself through Jesus, and making your lives a reflection of His love and holiness.
God's word is clear that sexual intimacy is designed for the lifelong covenant of one man and one woman in marriage, and that sexual activity outside of that, including homosexual practice, is sin. Leviticus 18:22 speaks of it plainly as detestable before God, and the New Testament reaffirms this same moral teaching. At the same time the Bible teaches that every one of us has sinned and fallen short, and that our deepest need is not simply to correct a view but to be made alive through being one with God. To truly live is to have fellowship with Him, and that life comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose to bring us forgiveness and new birth.
I hear that ### does have faith in Jesus yet is struggling in this area of understanding. Scripture speaks about how believers can differ and how some are weaker in faith on certain matters, and it reminds us that each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. He is the Lord we all serve and the one before whom we will stand. That truth frees us from harsh judgment of one another and calls us instead to be careful not to put a stumbling block in a brother or sister's way, but to pursue what makes for peace and what builds one another up.
Our example and measure in all of this is the Lord Himself. We are called to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another as He has loved us, and by that love people will know we are His disciples. That love does not mean we call sin something it is not, but it does mean we speak the truth with grace, with patience, and with a willingness to forgive as we have been forgiven so much.
So let us pray for ### that the Lord in His kindness would deepen her fellowship with Him, open her eyes more fully to His truth, and work in her heart by His Spirit. Pray that she would grow in love for Jesus and in trust in His word, that any confusion would be replaced with clarity, and that conviction would come not as a heavy burden but as an invitation to walk more closely with Christ who loves her and gave Himself for her. Pray also that God would give you grace to love her as Christ has loved you, to encourage and strengthen her, and to keep the unity and peace that helps faith grow.
May the Lord continue His work in both of you, drawing you into greater oneness with Himself through Jesus, and making your lives a reflection of His love and holiness.
