Compassionate Orthodoxy

Not long ago, I rolled up to the church and found an unfamiliar vehicle parked in the lot. I strolled over to assess the situation and struck up a conversation with the driver. After a moment, I could tell he was in some distress. Against my better judgment, I invited him into my office to chat. He accepted, and in we went.

Seated in the comfy chairs, this stranger began to pour out his heartache. He revealed he was gay – a deduction I’d already made. This determination and some personal integrity issues led to a string of tragedies. I shared the Gospel with him, and then he asked me the dreaded question: “does your church welcome gay people?”

One of the challenges faithful churches face is balancing orthodoxy with compassion. It’s possible to forget that faithfulness to Christ means welcoming sinners. In a sense, we do that every Sunday morning and evening. Jesus demonstrated God’s tender mercy when he shared a meal with the lost (Mark 2:15-17). The church’s mission is to go into and live among the world (Matthew 28:18-20). It is not Christ’s will for his people to seclude themselves from the culture (1 Corinthians 5:9-10) or refuse them entry into worship. We are to live in the world, preserving it like salt and proclaiming the light of God’s truth.

It’s also possible to forget that faithfulness to Christ means proclaiming the whole truth of God, naming sins, and calling sinners to repentance. Some churches try so hard to be relevant to culture they have become irrelevant to Christ. He is a false teacher who only preaches Christ as savior and never as judge (Psalm 2:10-12).

In 1 Samuel 15, God commanded Saul to annihilate the Amalekites. Believing he was being merciful, Saul spared the life of the Amalekite king, Agag, and some of their livestock. However, Samuel confronted Saul with these words, “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).

The lesson for us is that we can never out-mercy God. God is infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably good. Not to preach repentance or confront falsehood because you want to be “merciful” is to commit the sin of Saul: presuming you are more merciful than God.

So, what should a same-sex attracted individual expect at New Covenant? A warm reception! All are welcome to attend Christ’s worship and sit under the preaching of God’s Word. And, those who renounce their sins and profess faith in Christ Jesus are welcome to join the church and partake in the Lord’s Supper with us. Every member of Christ’s church is battling against his flesh. We recognize the depth of mercy Christ has shown to us (Matthew 18:21-35). This recognition enables us to show compassion to outsiders and encourage one another in the pursuit of holiness as we follow after Christ, who has called us.