armelli on homosexuality

Jerry Armelli of Prodigal Ministries hit a home run at VCC tonight as he spoke on Homosexuality: Development, Healing and Responding. His voice is refreshing amidst the constant drone among liberal Christians that "gay is ok" or that we cannot confront sin since we also are not without sin. Armelli's wonderful perspective is summarized in this, "Homosexuals are afforded a glaring and wonderful opportunity to die." He rightly understands that healing, whether from homosexuality or from any other sin issue, is "ultimately spiritual". In his own testimony Armelli reports, "I wasn't a sinner because I was a homosexual. I was a homosexual because I was a sinner."

Homosexuals, again as all trapped in sin, are slaves. Armelli taught that in the midst of slavery, God does not dessert His people. In fact, God will show us kindness even in the face of our enemies (Ezra 9.8-9). A pattern of God's grace to break free from slavery to sin is found in Romans 1.21-32.

• acknowledge God as God - and we are not Him
• abandon the "unnatural"/sin and embrace righteousness
• put the flesh under submission
• worship God
• identify lies, renounce them, and accept God's truth in the matter (Rational Christian Thinking)
• follow Christ's shepherding
• stand firm in the knowledge we have, i.e., what truth God has already revealed while trusting for His revelation of more
• reside in the Holy Spirit

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 6.9-11 that we are washed, sanctified, and justified in Jesus by the Spirit! Because of this, we can adapt a posture of humility as we allow Him to bring healing. True healing comes as we know Christ and the power of His resurrection. We share in His suffering and become like Him in His death so that we then may attain the resurrection of from the dead. We press on to make this our own because Christ has made us His own. We hold on to what is true. Many will tell us to walk as enemies of the cross (e.g., that sin is ok). But we have a different citizenship - HEAVEN! Our lowly bodies will be transformed by the same power that subjects all things to Christ (Phil 3.9-21). Praise God!

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