News-Record.com

The N. C. Baptist State Convention is only being consistent with the Scriptures they honor. They are NOT excluding homosexual CONVERTS from joining their churches, only excluding those that are unrepentant ant/or promoting and defending a sinful lifestyle. The resolution, as posted in the article, reads: "knowingly act to affirm, approve, endorse, promote, support or bless homosexual behavior."

Members AND pastors can always have private- unobservable sins, which may at some point be exposed and censured, and the offender even removed, if unrepentant, from the pastorate or church membership; but those sins must not be publicly approved or promoted. What liberals generally, and liberal Baptist churches, are pushing for is the right to be unbiblical, and to promote what God has clearly designated as sin.

And those who claim that accepting homosexuality, and homosexuals for membership, is not being “loving” are seriously deceived! Love is NEVER presented in Scripture as accepting sin and corruption, but rather warning sinners to disengage from sin, repent and be restored to fellowship. Accepting and promoting this behavior is, in fact, sin – of the worst sort, by those who should know better.

Taking such a stand, however, DOES shine the light of God’s call to full sanctification and righteousness on those who take it – and on all Christians who support their stand. Lest we be guilty of the sin of hypocrisy, let us resolve to remove all expressions of sin from our own souls and the Church. Even though perfection is not possible this side of heaven, a life of discipline, repentance, righteousness and joy IS possible. But the Church must be protected from the moral departures of a fast-degenerating PC culture.

The Convention is a free association of like-minded Christian Baptists who cannot but affirm basic Biblical truth; and those who abrogate this responsibility should, and must be, expelled - which is a clear Biblical mandate. Allowing error to embed itself and grow is a total breech of Christian discipline and faithfulness ("a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Kudos to the Convention, and shame on those who choose to depart from the moral authority of the Scriptures.