It is strange that we cannot see how our beliefs affect our thoughts and actions on things. It is almost as if these foundational understandings drive us to conclusions. We do not notice this until we begin to deal with people who do not share these foundational understandings. These differences and their consequences are the cause of doctrinal and political debates. These differences also are the reason that many in the evangelical community will eventually embrace sodomite unions and sodomite membership in their churches.

This is nowhere better illustrated than in the decision by a San Francisco mega-church, City Church, to drop its ban on practicing sodomites from membership.

Christian News reports:

The leader of a megachurch in San Francisco has announced that it will no longer require members who struggle with feelings toward the same-sex to remain celibate—as long as the sexual activity is within “marriage”

In an open letter to the congregation, Fred Harrell explained:

“Our pastoral practice of demanding life-long ‘celibacy,’ by which we meant that for the rest of your life you would not engage your sexual orientation in any way, was causing obvious harm and has not led to human flourishing.”

What this means for the congregation is that they are expected to accept as members in good standing sodomites as long as they are in a union. The church will no longer exclude those who are in a monogamous relationship.

Harrell continued, “We will no longer discriminate based on sexual orientation and demand lifelong celibacy as a precondition for joining,” he said. “For all members, regardless of sexual orientation, we will continue to expect chastity in singleness until marriage.”

This is essentially the pastor and elders of this “Reformed” Church embracing the concept that two people of the same sex can be “married.” As we have reported, this is the same stance taken by the apostate PCUSA. How Harrell come to this conclusion?

The Denison Forum reports:

“We believe the thrust and focus of the gospel is the breaking down of former boundaries of exclusion and the expanding of the welcome of Jesus to all.”

Deciding that welcoming was synonymous with joining, the distinction between guest and family was eradicated and City Church will now more widely open its physical doors and figurative arms to all who come.

This understanding of the gospel is one that points to the setting aside of the Law of God. Jesus came, according to these people’s understanding of the gospel, to make the Kingdom of God more inclusive. Christ came to bring in more people and set aside law requirements. This would mean those things called “abominations” in the Old Testament are just “orientations” now.  It is just the way people are, and we cannot discriminate against them because they cannot help the way they are.

You see, if Christ came to fulfill the Law, it is no longer binding on us, according to their thinking. This one verse would then set all of the New Testament teachings on its head. What then is sexual immorality? What is theft? How can we be holy if we have no standard by which to judge holiness?

That is the rub in all this. We do not get to make these decisions on our own. It is not up to us to take a poll and decide that this is no longer sin. But this will be the end of all those who think that they can. They have set aside the Law of God and made sentimentality to equal love. The result is what we see in I Corinthians 5:1-2. This pastor and others like him boast in their tolerance, but they boast in sin, and that to their shame.

Paul wrote.

You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead.

Read more on the subject of God’s Law and how it still applies today in my book,  An Everlasting Covenant: A Biblical Critque of New Covenant Theology