I have been asked this quite a few times over the years and the issue was brought up again recently. Can homosexuals be Christians? Or, better, is there such a thing as a “homosexual Christian”? Many would believe that someone who engages in a homosexual life style is necessarily excluded from the Kingdom of God unless they repent. Repentance here would mean a change of thinking and, shortly following, a change of action – no longer participating in this lifestyle. In other words, while some would be willing to say that a homosexual can be saved, their salvation necessitates their change of lifestyle within a short period of time.

While I agree with those who say that homosexuality is a terrible sin (Lev. 18:22, 20:13 Rom. 1:27; 1 Cor. 6:6; 1 Tim. 1:10), I do not believe it is one that is outside the realm of a believer’s carnality. Neither do I believe that if one practices homosexuality their entire life, they are necessarily excluded from the Kingdom of God. I hope people do not misunderstand my purpose here. I in no way endorse homosexual behavior or seek to relativize its standing before the Lord as an abomination. But I do think that sometimes, we who are not tempted in such a way can fail to see the seriousness of the struggle experienced by people who are tempted towards homosexuality.

Sexual sin and temptation are part of everyone’s life. We are born with a drive toward fulfillment of this God-given part of our humanity. Some will deny this drive because of God’s calling in their lives (e.g., singleness). Yet sin has corrupted this drive and we are all born infected with sin. Because of upbringing, genetics, cultural influences, and other factors, people will experience this corruption to greater and lesser degrees. I personally have never felt any inclination toward expressing my sexual corruption in a way that was focused on the same sex. Why? Not necessarily because of good choices I have made, but because the genetics, upbringing, and influences were not there. I have just never had the sinful bent within me that compels me to lust after someone of the same sex. Don’t get me wrong. I have a sinful sexual bent, but it is of the more natural kind. This does not justify it or make me more innately righteous than the homosexual, it is just a fact that this is not a sin I have ever had to deal with.

I thank God that this is the case because I know that whatever sinful bent I have, it will get the better of me at some point. It is just the way it goes, living with corruption. I also know that I will not be alleviated of my bents until the restoration of my body at the resurrection. I just have to do whatever I can to master my sinful tendencies until then. As the U2 song goes, “some days are better than others.” I can identify with sinners because I am one. I can identify with those who have a bent, because I have one (many actually). Therefore, when I see someone giving in to the bent of homosexuality, I am saddened. My heart goes out to them because their problem is essentially the same as mine. We have a corrupted nature that causes us to give in to our bents.

Now, back to the question of the hour. Can homosexuals be Christians? This is really a theological question that evidences a lack of understanding about sin and redemption. It reveals a major misconception about the nature of sin, placing homosexuality in its own category because of its depraved nature. While I do believe that homosexuality is a worse sin than many others (that is right, not all sins are equal like some would have us believe), I don’t believe that those who have that bent should be seen differently than others.

We could ask the question this way: Can people who have sinful bents be Christians? Of course. Who else can be? Christ was the only one that did not have a sinful bent. Okay then, how about this: Can people who have really bad sinful bents be Christians? Again, the only biblical answer is yes. People who have really bad sinful bents can be Christians. Really, the question that is being asked is this: Can sinners be Christians? To that, I say, is there any other kind of Christian?

Some would respond and say that while they are willing to concede that homosexuals can be Christians, they must be in the process of overcoming this sinful behavior. In other words, they must have consistent and perpetual victory over this bent. Hold on there. While I agree that homosexuals can and many times do have victory over this bent to the point where they redeem themselves completely from this lifestyle, I don’t necessarily think that this is always going to happen. I would say that in my life there are some bents I have had victory over, and some that remain as a naggingly persistent web. This web is one of deception and destruction that can easily trip us up. Listen to the writer of the book of Hebrews:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The writer of Hebrews says that it is “easy” to get entangled in this web. The passage warns of the ten euperistaton hamartian - literally, “the easily ensnaring sin.” I believe the primary referent for “the easily ensnaring sin” is the sin of unbelief (the subject of the book), but this sin of unbelief expresses itself in the sin of the hour. In other words, the sin of unbelief leads to our practicing our particular bent. Most importantly, it is “easy” to fall into this.

Again, while I agree that homosexuals can and should be overcoming this sin, it could be the case that they have become entangled in it. This entanglement may be the very acts of homosexuality, or it may be the plight of struggling with it until redemption. It is no different for those of us who are not bent toward a homosexual lifestyle. Some of our most serious bents may plague us, literally, until Kingdom come.

Many refer to Paul admonishing the Corinthians to look back to their victory over sin, implying that they did not practice such things any longer or were completely delivered from them. One of these sins is homosexuality.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

While this seems straightforward upon a cursory reading, I don’t believe that it supports the case that homosexuals can’t be Christians for two primary reasons. First, the people to whom Paul was writing were sinners and were in the process of being rebuked by Paul. Notice here just three chapters back:

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

They were fleshly. The sins described in 6:9-10 are fleshly sins. This means that the Corinthians were not necessarily doing well. Yet Paul says they were washed and sanctified. Now either Paul has a slight case of amnesia, or we have to understand 6:9-11 differently, which brings me to the second reason I believe this passage cannot be used by the person who says homosexuals cannot be Christians. Paul identifies Christians with Christ, not with their sinful disposition. In Pauline thought, people who are clothed in Christ’s righteousness are no longer named according to their sinful bent, even if that bent may continue to entangle them. The Corinthians were entangled in their bents to be sure, but Paul sees them through the righteousness of Christ. This is why Paul could say “such were some of you.” This does not make their sinfulness any less severe, but it does say that Christ’s redemption, in Pauline theology, has redeemed the sinner, though he remain in a sinning state. Those without the covering of Christ’s righteousness are still identified by their sin in the eyes of God. Therefore, in this context, it is true that fornicators, thieves, coveters, homosexuals, and all unrighteous people (those not covered by Christ’s righteousness) will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But thankfully, we have been covered by His righteousness and set apart, though we are still sinners.

One more thing. I often hear this concession: While I believe that homosexuals can be saved, they cannot believe that homosexuality is approved by God or attempt to justify their sin. I understand and agree with this to some degree, yet I still say that this is not always the case. We all have ways of justifying our bents, whatever they may be. Sometimes we minimize their seriousness, while other times we outright deny them. It is also often the case that we just do not ever deal with them. For twelve years after the resurrection of Christ, Peter continued in his belief that Jews were better than Gentiles. He lived twelve years after becoming a Christian believing that he, by virtue of being a Jew, was so much better than Gentiles that he would not even set foot in their house. Speaking to the Gentile Cornelius and his family, he said, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28). What if Peter had died in year eleven? He would have died living his entire Christian life as a prideful racist. Racism is spoken of in the New Testament as a mark of ungodliness even more frequently than homosexuality. Therefore, while I believe that the conviction of the Holy Spirit should be there and it should change our hearts, we have this uncanny tendency to justify our sinfulness to ourselves and to others or to just ignore it.

Having said all this, we all need to recognize the utter sinfulness of sexual perversion. Homosexuality is a sin, and a terribly destructive one at that. But we need to be careful and gracious with those who struggle with this sin, understanding that the struggle against sin is the plight of us all. The solution is not for us to compromise to the politically correct agenda of our culture, which seeks to turn this sin into a perfectly acceptable lifestyle choice. But at the same time, we need to be gracious, knowing that the only hope anyone has is to be covered in Christ’s righteousness, not our own.

Can a homosexual be Christian? Yes. All sinners can be Christians. Indeed, all Christians are sinners. Let us all view this important issue in light of a deep understanding of the plight of sinfulness and may God help us to overcome the resulting bents.

“Sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:7).Similar Posts:

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• Sinners in the Hands of a Wishy-Washy God?
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I’ve been exposed to a variety of preaching, from the very topical where a new subject is introduced each week, to series on a topic or on a series of going through an entire book of the bible.   I’m sure every pastor has their preference but if the goal is to equip the body for the work of ministry, I think going through whole books of the bible is the best way.  I’m sure there are other lists out there, but here are my reasons;

1)  It connects the narrative or letter to the whole meta-narrative of scripture from Genesis to Revelation.  This is really what we should want people to understand anyway.  No matter what book it is, the pastor will be forced to make correlations to give a fair and honest treatment to the book.  A good systematized topical study may be able provide this treatment, when done thoughtfully and that does require several sessions regardless of the topic.  It would be most difficult to do this in a topical, week-by-week sermon.

2)  It anchors the congregation in one theme of thought for an extended period of time.   The biblical writers had a particular theme when writing in a particular genre to a particular audience.  Going from start to finish through one book is able to better capture the author’s purpose and give an appreciation for a fuller development of understanding.  As stated, in #1, making to connections to the biblical meta-narrative is key and necessary.  This is in contrast to the new-topic-every-week.  A steady diet of this keeps people bouncing around and grasping for whatever they can to help them out, and ultimately does a disservice.

3)  It treats the bible as it should be treated as a complete revelation of God instead of a self-help guide or manual for living.  In this day and age, where contemporary Evangelicalism has been drawn to pragmatism with instantaneous results, people are already prone to grab for verses that will help out their life concerns.   Application is important, but not without an understanding of the foundation.

4)  It teaches people how to approach scripture on their own.  It’s a case of monkey-see-monkey-do.  When people are exposed to methodically going through a whole book, this is what they will most likely emulate.  If they are exposed to explanation of what the author is communicating and how that connects to the complete meta-narrative, it will influence how they approach scripture.  On the other hand, if people are exposed to finding a topic, then finding supporting passages, it teaches them to go home and do the same, most likely ignoring the context.

5)  It keeps the pastor from focusing on pet agendas.  Of course, this depends on the person and their agenda.  It is possible that one can find a pet agenda in a book, but I think made a little more difficult than just giving a topical treatment to a subject.

6)  It keeps the pastor grounded in their task to connect people to God’s word in ways that are interesting.  I recall one pastor telling me that going through books of the bible bores people and doesn’t require much work.  On the contrary, it requires a tremendous amount of work to study the background, in some cases the original language, the complete theme of the book and how to divide it up into a series.   The really thoughtful pastor will ascribe an interesting name to the series that is in line with the theme of the books. This should keep the pastor humble and thoughtful in the care of the congregation as well as reliant on the Holy Spirit.

7)  It confronts everyone with hard truths.  Let’s be honest, there are parts of the bible that we would rather avoid.  But when going through the bible a book at a time, that is hard to avoid.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to topical teaching.  But in the grand scheme of things, if people are to learn about God on his terms, preaching through books at a time is the best way to go.Similar Posts:

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Sometimes I feel like I rise up with wings like eagles only to fall with wings like penguins.

I must preempt my conversation here with an apology to many of my Christian friends who are going to see this post and cry out in protest. I understand your concern, and it is valid. However, this is a blog and there are certain liberties that can be taken within the blog genre that are not available in other venues. The primary attribute of a blog that expresses such liberties is the ability to engage personal emotions without a governor.

Looking in the mirror today, I saw the same face as yesterday. I found my eyes to be worn and tired. They did not look good. I saw within them the residue of hurt, pain, and failure. I found myself downcast with shame for the testimony they give to others. I thought of many friends I want to see. I thought of those whom I love here in Oklahoma who need Jesus. I want to see them, but I don’t want them to see me. I have a message for them, but I don’t know if it is written in my eyes. My eyes tell a different story. They tell a story, for many people, of why we should NOT become Christians. “You want to look like that?” someone may say as they look breifly into my eyes. “I don’t. He looks more defeated than anyone I have ever seen. Look at his eyes. Let us pity him, not follow him.”

Isn’t it funny how eyes tell a story? Everyone - everything - looks into your eyes before they look anywhere else. Even animals somehow know to look into our eyes. Old friends do not come up to you and devote attention to your hands or ears. They don’t ask you to open your mouth so that they can examine the history told by your teeth. They look into your eyes and find the exposed nudity of your soul.

I used to have green eyes. My green eyes used to be an endearing and attractive means by which I lured many young ladies to my side. I don’t know what color they are now. They may still be green. I am not sure. No one knows. It is hard to notice color anymore when the life in my eyes does not offer to tell such things anymore. It gives a more vivid history that overwhelms such incidentals as color.

My eyes tell a story and the story is true. But you have to look deeply into them to get the whole story.

Isaiah 40:31:
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Is there a better verse than this? I mean, really. This is one of the best propositions in all of Scripture. I love it.

U2 wrote a song about this verse. Read the lyrics here if you are so inclined:

Take my hand
You know I’ll be there
If you can
I’ll cross the sky for your love

For I have promised
Oh, to be with you tonight
And for the time that will come

Take my hand
You know I’ll be there
If you can
I’ll cross the sky for your love

And I understand
These winds and tides
This change of times
Won’t drag you away

Hold on, and hold on tightly
Hold on, and don’t let go
Of my love

The storms will pass…the storm will pass…
It won’t be long now…it won’t be long now…
His love will last
His love will last…forever

Take my hand
You know I’ll be there
If you can
I’ll cross the sky for your love
Give you what I hold dear

Hold on, hold on tightly
Hold on, hold on tightly
Rise up, rise up
With wings like eagles
You run, you run
You run and not grow weary

…Take my hand, take my hand…

Hold on, and hold on tightly
Hold on, hold on tightly
To this love…last forever
To this love…last forever

Take my hand

You may not know this, but the above are words of a love song from God to us based on the passage in Isaiah. It is appropriately entitled “Drowning Man.” I don’t know if there is a better U2 song ever written. (Listen to it here.)

Drowning. Maybe that is what my eyes communicate. “I’m drowning!”

Old friends come into the Credo House. I lead them back into my office with high hopes to introduce them to Someone I know and Someone they need to know. “Please give me strength and the right words,” I silently pray as we enter my office. We turn to look at each other for the first time in years. They know I changed and started following this Person. They wonder if this Person might be able to help them as well. I wonder if I should not put a bag over my head to hide the fading glory of my eyes, but that would be inappropriate. Finally, they see me. They look deep into my eyes and see the drowning man.

But don’t go away. The green in my eyes may not be visible anymore. And I know this is not what you expected, but there is Something here that you may need. No, I don’t have what you were hoping for, but give me a chance to change your hopes. Join me and the color of your eyes will fade too. Join me and you will experience disappointment, brokenness, and sometimes, a Great Sadness like you never thought possible. Join me and all your problems will not go away. I don’t offer that kind of hope. I am simply going to offer you a pair of wings. They are eagles’ wings. Some days they work, and some days they don’t seem to work at all. The wings themselves may create scars in your eyes that could be avoided should you decide not to take them. You will fall over and over again with these wings. For the most part, you will not know how to use them. One day you will soar into the clouds, the next day you will crash onto the rocks. But I can assure you of this: These wings are from God. They will never break, become damaged, or lost. They will be there every morning and every evening. In the best of times and in the worst of times, these wings will be in your eyes. The wings that are offered anywhere else may seem to “work” better, but they don’t last. Rather, they are counterfeit wings which seek to bring the color back into your eyes alone. But what is the color worth if the wings are only of temporary transient value?

I take the bag off my head and offer you this: Look into my eyes and see what you will. Maybe you see me today as a drowning man. But don’t fail to see the wings of hope. Don’t fail to see that Jesus Christ has given me eternal wings. Don’t fail to see that I will rise up every day with wings like eagles, even though I may not be able to use these wings very well. Don’t fail to see that there is something different. I may be drowning at times, but I will never drown. With all other wings, you will eventually drown.Similar Posts:

• The Parable of the Life Preserver
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Join Michael Patton and Tim Kimberley as they welcome Dr. J.P. Moreland to Credo House for our continuing “Coffee with Scholars” series.Similar Posts:

• Theology Unplugged: Coffee with Scholars – Mike Licona – Part 1
• Theology Unplugged: Coffee with Scholars – Mike Licona, Part 2
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• News Release: Update on the New Testament Manuscript Find
• The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) is proud to announce the SMU Debate between two noted New Testament scholars, Dr. Bart D. Ehrman and Dr. Daniel B. Wallace
• Manuscript Discoveries from Summer 2007 Expeditions
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Grown men often look back over their lives and reflect on how far they’ve come and the progress they’ve made throughout. But poet Thomas S. Jones, presents the opposite perspective: what if the younger version of me were to peer forward and see what kind of person I have become?

Across the fields of yesterday

    He sometimes comes to me,

A little lad just back from play—

    The lad I used to be.

And yet he smiles so wistfully

    Once he has crept within,

I wonder he still hopes to see

    The man I might have been. 

Those words haunt me. I often wonder what the bygone generations of Christianity might think if they could peer “across the fields of yesterday” and see what had become of the faith for which they lived and died. I constantly ask myself, “If the church fathers or Protestant Reformers were to show up at my church, would they worship . . . or run?” Sometimes I see such a pitch of “chronological snobbery” in our avant-garde evangelical churches that I wonder if we might purposely drive them off . . . then brag about having done so!

Studying church history will help evangelicals understand their place in church history. It will help them see that their particular church tradition—with all its idiosyncrasies—is a flawed but valid part of something much bigger than themselves. They will realize that their present form of Christianity is itself a period that will one day be left in the distant past. They will be humbled by the moving testimonies, passionate ministries, and sacrificial devotion of the saints of old. The result? Church history will curb the arrogance of our present. Similar Posts:

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Being irenic means that we approach people peacefully. It is the opposite of being quarrelsome. It is wonderful when individuals are passionate about their beliefs but, ironically, these passions can often make a person so militant and hostile no one else wants to listen to him speak! A good theologian always keeps his cool. He does not let the polemics of others cause him to sacrifice his level-headed calmness. When correction is necessary, tact is defined by gentleness. We have to love truth so much that we are gentle.

2 Timothy 2:24-26
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil. 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2Ti 2:25-26)

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1Pe 3:15 NAS)

2. Honesty

For the theologian this includes the willingness to admit it, when you don’t know things. The mark of a theologian’s influence is not simply in how much he (or she) knows, but how much he realizes he doesn’t know. The theologian’s job is not to have an answer for every question, but to be able to handle questions in an honest way, since he has wrestled with the issue himself. A good theologian always recognizes his finitude in the face of an infinite God and it shows. Are you a perplexed theologian? Good. Join Paul and Peter.

2 Cor 4:7-9 7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Pet. 3:15-16
And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand . . .

3. Adaptability

Are you willing to change your position? What if the evidence was not on your side? Are you led purely by your emotional convictions? If you cannot change, what gives you the right to require it of others? Theologians should always be adapting because they know they don’t have it all figured out.

One of the great illustrations of this is St. Augustine who, at the end of his life, wrote a book called “Recantations.” What courage it must have taken to admit the need to change and adapt so late in life! Good theologians should have a good list of recantations. And you know what? You must be ready to recant your recantation if need be! I find so many people who “convert” to one position or another and wear their conversion as a badge of authority, as if the fact of the change itself evidences the truthfulness of their new position.

4. Transparency

Show yourself to others, warts and all. You are not on a pedestal, polished and clean. You are filled with iniquity, the flesh, and brokenness. The good theologian needs not merely to teach cold hard facts, but to teach by example and identity. If people don’t see their wretched lives represented, at least to some degree, they will be nothing more than a gawked at example. Become real. Walk with a limp and talk with a lisp. Yes, it will take courage, but you need to quit holding your hair back when you vomit. People need to see the mess and smell the stench.

Look to the Psalms for encouragement. Look to Paul’s limp in Romans 7.

5. Networked

You don’t know that much. You are not that smart. The body of Christ is a body, even in the world of theology. You will never be an expert in every area. You need to know who to trust and be willing to lean on others who are “experts” in areas of your ignorance. A good theologian is networked. He or she reaches out to others for help. Build a community that you can bounce ideas off of. Require this community not only to encourage you, but to reprove you when necessary. Oh, and just because someone is dead does not mean they should not join your network.

Prov. 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

6. Pastoral

Believe it or not, it is often hard to find theologians who are doing what they do for the right reasons. Though I don’t necessarily consider myself a theologian in the proper sense, I can lose sight of my mission; I can leave my first love. Your passion for theology must come from your passion for God and people. If you don’t have this as your primary motivation, then you need to step back and take ten. It is not about being right, it’s about changing lives.

1 Thess 2:7-8
But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

Matt. 22:37-40
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

7. Dependent on the Holy Spirit

Oh, yeah. Then there is that. Follow one through six and you qualify for nothing. The Holy Spirit is our only hope to energize us toward understanding God. We are fallen, sinful, manipulative, and cranky. Doing theology in the flesh is possible. I have seen it. I have done it! I may be doing it right now. Hold on . . . let me pray. . . Okay, back now. Stop every chance you get and bow before God and ask that the power of the Holy Spirit would give you the ability to understand and yield to the truth.

1 Cor. 2:14
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Was going to put, “A good theologian watches his spelin and gramer close”, but changed me mind.Similar Posts:

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I have just completed my 4th year of the ThM program (minus internship duties through August).   I also just completed my first year of Hebrew and let me tell you this second semester was no cake walk.  If you saw some of my Facebook statuses you would know the struggles that led me to liken my dealings with Hebrew to a bad marriage.  There were fights, misunderstandings, one-way communication,  periods of rejection, elevated emotions and yelling.  I loved going through Jonah this past semester but the mechanics of those crazy verbs nearly drove me crazy.  In the midst of it all, we also had a word study assignment to address the meaning of the verb, translated “to grieve” in Genesis 6:6.  This basically entailed identifying everywhere else in the OT that verb or it’s cognate was used.  I pulled up a list of 15 or so.  Simple, right? After all, I had done these in my Greek exegesis classes as part of 20 page single space exegetical papers, that included writing a commentary, working out textual critical issues and validation problems.  What was a little few verse word study then?

For whatever reason, every time I sat down to complete this assignment, I experienced some major mental blocks.  It got to the point where I knew I would have to turn it in late.  The prof had told me no problem.  And still the “blocks” continued.  Given the difficulty I was already having with the mechanics of Hebrew, I got to the point where I just decided I would take a zero and a hit on my grade whether than continue with this dance of frustration.  The second to the last week of class, when asking about a make-up quiz I had missed because I was sick, she then said very calmly “and you do have a word study assignment coming, right?”  What?  Did my ears deceive me?  I was getting a second chance.  How could I not do the assignment now.

Ok, pause.   I think anyone who has spent any amount of time around bible-based teaching has heard countless illustrations like this of grace, receiving something we don’t deserve (or at least I hope so!).  But let’s keep going.  Even after this second chance I still kept struggling with this assignment every time I sat down to do it.  What on earth was going on?  This was not really rocket science and have certainly worked through far more complicated assignments on various topics.  Up until the end of the very last week I could turn it in, I struggled.

Finally, by Thursday of finals week, it came together.  I took off work early, spent a few hours in the library and pulled it together.  The flow at the end actually produced a pretty decent paper.  Whew!  At that point, I was uncertain if the professor would accept it and I was prepared for refusal.  After all, it seemed like I flubbed the second chance.  To my surprise, she was very accommodating and I turned it in ON THE LAST DAY.

What struck me about this whole situation was not that I had been given so much of a chance, which clearly I did not deserve.  But it struck me that had my classmates discovered that I was given this opportunity, some might not be too happy about it.  After all, they had turned their assignments in on time.  They complied and did what they were supposed to do.  Why should I receive the same consideration for an evaluation for my grade as they had received?  That probably seems most unfair.

It occurred to me, that this is very similar to the problem we would have with understanding grace for those who struggle with serious sin and whose sanctification process might look like an elongated version of my struggle with this word study assignment.  When we check off our compliance list, sins we either don’t do anymore or have maybe ever struggled with, it might be difficult to understand why that other Christian doesn’t get it or experiences some sin struggles that we think Christians should not have.

And let’s face it.  There are some sins that are believed to be out of the purview of struggle – sexual immorality, same-sex attraction, addiction, etc.  When we don’t accept this as reality, it can put us in the position of being like that disgruntled classmate.  We refuse to accept that the ones who struggle with such sin are deserving of the same grace we have received, because we have convinced ourselves we have complied with the requirements (meaning we don’t do sin x, y or z).

But the reality is that there are some sins that are so deeply ingrained into a person’s psyche or experience, that a serious struggle is inevitable.  It would be nice if when everyone came to Christ, the struggle discontinues.  Anyone reading this knows that is not true.  So why then can we not accommodate the person for whom there are some serious sin issues and elongated processes? The Holy Spirit’s work in a genuine believer may not be on our timetable of how fast we think things should be working.  But for whom this is true, God is still at work in them both to work and will for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).   For the one who struggles far harder or longer than we think they should, they do receive the same grace.

So rather than being angry or insisting that because one did not comply with the requirement according to an established time table, perhaps we can learn that some just need more time than others because for whatever reason, there are some more serious struggles.

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