OPEN LETTER TO THOSE WHO HAVE ABANDONED NATURAL RELATIONS WITH WOMEN Josimar Salum

OPEN LETTER TO THOSE WHO HAVE ABANDONED NATURAL RELATIONS WITH WOMEN. Josimar Salum 

DO NOT DOUBT THE LOVE OF GOD!

Never doubt that the Lord loves you individually, personally.

Not only do not doubt, but never, ever doubt that our Heavenly Father loves you.

“Long ago the Lord appeared to me, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; also with a loving kindness have I drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3

“But God proves his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“Have I become your enemy by telling the truth?” Galatians 4:16

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: 

Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11‭, ‬18‭-‬20 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed —a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness , 

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 

In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. 

Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.  

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. 

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:16‭-‬18‭, ‬21‭, ‬24‭-‬29‭, ‬32 

““All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. 

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:3-5‬ ‭‬‬

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. 

The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 4:3‭-‬8 

“Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:7‭-‬8 

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. 

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." Isaiah 55:6‭-‬7 

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus." Acts 3:19‭-‬20 

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:9‭-‬10 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1‭-‬2 

#ASONE

Resolution regarding the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage - January 5th, 2005

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne.” (Psalms 11:3-4a)

The Scriptures, the Old and the New Testaments, must be the only and final Word in the matters of faith, doctrine and conduct. This is the very fundamental principle of the Baptists in its history and tradition. Baptists read the Old Testament from the perspective of the New Testament and especially in the light of Jesus’ teachings. This means that any practice, doctrine and conduct that it is against the Bible and Jesus’ teachings are not to be accepted or practiced.

In a day and age when same-sex marriage and homosexuality divide our society, it is more important than ever that the Church stand strong on the Word of God. The Church must be a place where the Truth of God’s Word is preached as much as the Love of God is shown. It is a must that the Ministers of the Gospel and all Christians show love for all men and women, thus being to proclaim the Truth and to show to all people the way of God for holiness and purity is the greatest proof of Love. Because salvation, healing, hope and restoration are found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through His Name, His Blood and His Word.

We are at the crossroad of history and we do have to decide whom we will serve and follow. We will be known today and in the next generations, if we have been standing for Truth or if we have compromised our message to pleasing men and following society.

Because the Bible is clear and consistent regarding the authority of God and Holy Scripture in addition to its clarity on homosexuality and sin, we acknowledge the following to be true:

Whereas, the Bible, our Superior and Ultimate Constitution declares that “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”     (Genesis 1:27). The sex is determined by God’s creation. The Creator made them male and female to be suitable partners for each other. Marriage is the exclusive union of a man and a woman. This is the relationship that God created at the beginning of Creation. This is the way God constituted the family and the children are naturally the fruits of that union.

²³ “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23-24)

^“4And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female, ⁵and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? ⁶So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."” (Mathew 19:4-6)

Whereas, the Bible teaches that God does not change and Jesus taught that He is the fulfillment of the Law and that God’s Laws do not change.

“I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)

¹⁷"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–19)

Whereas, the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin that is unacceptable in God’s eyes, and the Bible also teaches us that a person living a life of unrepentant sin will keep him or her from the Kingdom of heaven.

 “ 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22)

“If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.” (Leviticus 20:13)

“²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--Who is forever praised. Amen. ²⁶Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1: 25–27)

“⁷As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)

⁹Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”(1 Corinthians 6:9–10)

Whereas, the Bible teaches us that a Christian Minister must live, teach and preach faithfully the Word of God in all ways. And as the Bible also clearly teaches us the sinfulness of the homosexual relationship, it is unacceptable that homosexual people exercise the Ministry of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^“1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach.” (I Timothy 3:1-2)

“¹²Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (I Timothy 4:12)

^“5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-- ⁶if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. ⁷For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, ⁹holding fast the faithful Word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” (Titus 1:5-9)

Whereas, we believe that everyone is free to choose the lifestyle they want according to their convictions, as well we are free not to accept it. It is not discrimination to call the homosexual relationship as an abomination or sin. That is what God calls it in His word. Also He calls it immoral, detestable and a perversion. We are not to keep company or associate with anyone named a brother or a sister who is sexually immoral, unless they repent and abandon their wicked ways. 

“ ⁹I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person. ¹²For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³But God judges those who are outside. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."                    (I Corinthians 5:9-13)

^“7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)

“²⁰Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)

^“9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

Whereas, the General Board of the American Baptist Churches adopted in October, 1992 the following resolution on homosexuality: “We affirm that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian Teaching.” And in June 1.984 the General Board of the American Baptist Churches adopted the following Policy Statement on Family Life, in which, regarding marriage, declares: “We affirm that God intends marriage to be a monogamous, life-long, one flesh of a woman and a man, who in response to God’s call leave father and mother and cleave to one another. We affirm God’s blessing and active presence in marriage relationships so entered in response to God’s call.”

Whereas, we believe in the traditional Baptist principles of church autonomy and association: the autonomy of a church must be kept in all circumstances, but that autonomy shall not harm the associational principle when the Word of God is not respected. Our differences of opinions shall be respected, but not opinions that compromise the Word of God and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Baptist polity must never be more important than the Bible, moreover, when the churches, per example, through the General Board, adopts resolutions and policy statements according to the Word of God we have the duty do uphold them, because the Bible is the Book that ultimately must hold us together.

^“8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! ⁹As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8-9)

^“16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (II Timothy 3:16)

Therefore, we call upon the Board of Directors of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts to acknowledge and affirm that:

1.     The Bible is the inerrant and authoritative Word of God.

2.     Homosexuality is not compatible with Christian living and Christian ministry.

3.     Marriage is to be exclusively between a man and a woman in a monogamous life long relationship.

4.     Premarital, adulterous and homosexual relationships are inconsistent with biblical teaching and also, according to the Bible, sexual abstinence is to be maintained by the unmarried.

5.     There is a desperate need to develop and maintain special ministries for people who struggle with homosexuality and any sin, knowing that there is healing and restoration, not only forgiveness, through the Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross and through the Power of His resurrection.

Worcester January 5th, 2005

Document approved unanimously by the members of World Outreach Evangelical Community to be presented at the 2005 Annual Gathering of TABCOM – The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. Original resolution proposal written by Rev. Jim Fontaine from Burncoat Baptist Church was not brought to vote in the previous year for denomination technicalities.

Rev. Josimar Salum-Gouvea

475 Burncoat St. - Worcester, MA 01606

Email: jsalum@greatrevival.com

What Pope Francis said about gay priests and what I should not say?

Josimar Salum

My opinion is my full right of expression.

According to Wall Street Journal Pope Francis "signals openness to Gay priests". 

It is authored by Stacy Meichtry - email: stacy.meichtry@wsj.com

Published on July 29, 2013 - 10:01 PM

Here I transcribe some of the reportage; then I comment:

“The pope's remarks on homosexuality were prompted by a reporter who asked the pontiff to comment on a report in an Italian magazine alleging Battista Ricca, a Vatican monsignor promoted by Pope Francis, engaged in gay sexual relationships years ago when he was posted overseas at a Vatican embassy in Latin America." 

The monsignor, who has never publicly commented, remains in good standing with the pope, said a senior Vatican official.”

"Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?" the pontiff told a news conference in response to a question."

"Never before had a pope spoken out in defense of gay priests in the Catholic ministry, said Vatican analysts, and past popes have traditionally treated homosexuality as an obstacle to priestly celibacy. In 1986, the Vatican defined homosexuality as an "objective disorder," and in 2005 Pope Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, formally barred men deemed to have "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" from entering the priesthood."

"Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York echoed the pope on Monday, saying a priest's homosexuality "wouldn't matter to me as long as one is leading a virtuous and chaste life." But, he added, "My worry is that we're buying into the vocabulary that one's person is one's sexual identity and I don't buy that and neither does the church."

"A poll of Roman Catholic priests across the U.S. the Los Angeles Times conducted in 2002 found that 15% of priests described themselves as homosexual or leaning toward homosexuality.”

Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals may not want to admit, but among them there is a very expressive percentage of gay ministers, practicing homosexual sins as well as many other sinful behaviors.

For a better understanding of what I mean I suggest you to read a Barna Report from December 17, 2001: “TheYear’s Most Intriguing Findings, from Barna Research Studies.”

Let me share just two of those findings in light of what God says:

  

Barna’s finding: “Among adults who have been married, born again Christians and non-Christians have essentially the same probability of divorce.”

“I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “because the man who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence”. (Malachi 2:16)

Divorces among thousands and thousands Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal ministers are as common as in Hollywood circles.

I am not judging anybody here nor I am condemning with the remarks "divorced pastors." 

Who am I? Why should I?

On the contrary my heart aches for them. The only reason Cristina and are not divorced and will celebrate our 30rd Anniversary next year is solemnly by God's Grace!

Barna’s finding: “A plurality of adults support the legalization of same-gender sexual relations, and even one-third of born again Christians support this aspect of gay rights.”

 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

And said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mathew 19:4-6)

Here Jesus declares that marriage is an exclusive union between a man and a woman.

But He also declares here that faithfulness in marriage is in the same level of importance and authority of a man marrying a woman and not of the same sex. 

“What God has joined together, let no one separate.”

There is a huge amount of hypocrisy around homosexual issues in the midst of Evangelical, Protestant and Pentecostal realms.

I find very distressed that even some of my minister friends want to demonize and “sinfulnize” homosexual sins above everything else while tolerating other sinful practices among them, or at least, not condemning with the same fervency.

The pontiff asked: "Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?" 

Neither do I. 

Pope Francis was talking about not judging gays. I am too.

Please, read Romans 1:18-32:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness…

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles – an image of a mortal being like the statue of “Our Lady of Aparecida” that Pope Francis kissed.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 

In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error…

God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

But, please, do not stop on chapter 1, read it also Chapter 2:

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 

Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 

So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”

Here is what I do think while asking God's mercy upon me as I comment on these Pope Francis remarks and about all the reactions that are going on around the Globe.

1 - Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals should shut up and mind their own business. 

Let Pope Francis speaks whatever he wants to speak and do whatever he wants to do.

2 – Most of Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals I know very close has no moral neither they flaunt collectively enough testimony and example to back up authoritatively what they are condemning and without honestly dealing with their own perversions.

3 - Among Baptists, Assemblies of God, Presbyterians, Pentecostals etc, etc, denominations we have enough of every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder- hate is murder - strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, arrogance and boastfulness… 

So let us humbly come before the Lord with a repentant heart and call on ourselves His Grace and Mercies.

4 – Sin is sin. 

You may call sexual orientation a man or a woman that goes after same gender for their sexual desires. 

God calls it sin.

You can also call supporting gay rights sympathy for minorities.

God calls it perversion. 

5 - Any sin is a sin.

You may call collecting offerings a pastor raising money while promising blessings for those who “plant a seed in their ministries."

God calls it a deceitful lie, because His son has blessed us already with all blessings when He offered Himself as a perfect offering at the Cross. 

God accepted that offering. 

There is nothing I may do to please Him in order He may accept me, because as a son of God I am already accepted in the Beloved.

6 - The practice of homosexual sins and the practice of spiritual distortion for God are sins. 

Neither is less or more evil that one another.

7 - “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

8 - Both homosexual desire when it is practiced as well a lie when is practiced gives birth to death.

  

Hypothetically if Pope Francis wants to legalize gay marriage in the church he is the Pontiff I don’t really care. Should I?

Should I agree, support and applaud with my colleagues, who go on and on after this Gay agenda issues, in frenetically and fanaticallly fixation while they do nothing to reach gay people with Love and with the Gospel of the Kingdom?

If I give a cup of water to a gay person who is thirsty would I be giving it to Jesus? 

Statement of Concern regarding the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage

American Baptist Churches USA

The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts

Statement of Concern regarding the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage

 

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne.” (Psalms 11:3-4a)

The Scriptures, the Old and the New Testaments, must be the only and final Word in the matters of faith, doctrine and conduct. This is the very fundamental principle of the Baptists in its history and tradition. Baptists read the Old Testament from the perspective of the New Testament and especially in the light of Jesus’ teachings. This means that any practice, doctrine and conduct that it is against the Bible and Jesus’ teachings are not to be accepted or practiced.

In a day and age when same-sex marriage and homosexuality divide our society, it is more important than ever that the Church stand strong on the Word of God. The Church must be a place where the Truth of God’s Word is preached as much as the Love of God is shown. It is a must that the Ministers of the Gospel and all Christians show love for all men and women, thus being to proclaim the Truth and to show to all people the way of God for holiness and purity is the greatest proof of Love. Because salvation, healing, hope and restoration are found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through His Name, His Blood and His Word.

We are at the crossroad of history and we do have to decide whom we will serve and follow. We will be known today and in the next generations, if we have been standing for Truth or if we have compromised our message to pleasing men and following society.

Because the Bible is clear and consistent regarding the authority of God and Holy Scripture in addition to its clarity on homosexuality and sin, we acknowledge the following to be true:

Whereas, the Bible, our Superior and Ultimate Constitution declares that “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”     (Genesis 1:27). The sex is determined by God’s creation. The Creator made them male and female to be suitable partners for each other. Marriage is the exclusive union of a man and a woman. This is the relationship that God created at the beginning of Creation. This is the way God constituted the family and the children are naturally the fruits of that union.

²³ “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23-24)

^“4And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female, ⁵and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? ⁶So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."” (Mathew 19:4-6)

Whereas, the Bible teaches that God does not change and Jesus taught that He is the fulfillment of the Law and that God’s Laws do not change.

“I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)

¹⁷"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–19)

Whereas, the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin that is unacceptable in God’s eyes, and the Bible also teaches us that a person living a life of unrepentant sin will keep him or her from the Kingdom of heaven.

 “ 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22)

“If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.” (Leviticus 20:13)

“²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--Who is forever praised. Amen. ²⁶Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1: 25–27)

“⁷As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)

⁹Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”(1 Corinthians 6:9–10)

Whereas, the Bible teaches us that a Christian Minister must live, teach and preach faithfully the Word of God in all ways. And as the Bible also clearly teaches us the sinfulness of the homosexual relationship, it is unacceptable that homosexual people exercise the Ministry of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^“1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach.” (I Timothy 3:1-2)

“¹²Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (I Timothy 4:12)

^“5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-- ⁶if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. ⁷For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, ⁹holding fast the faithful Word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” (Titus 1:5-9)

Whereas, we believe that everyone is free to choose the lifestyle they want according to their convictions, as well we are free not to accept it. It is not discrimination to call the homosexual relationship as an abomination or sin. That is what God calls it in His word. Also He calls it immoral, detestable and a perversion. We are not to keep company or associate with anyone named a brother or a sister who is sexually immoral, unless they repent and abandon their wicked ways. 

“ ⁹I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person. ¹²For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³But God judges those who are outside. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."                    (I Corinthians 5:9-13)

^“7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)

“²⁰Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)

^“9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

Whereas, the General Board of the American Baptist Churches adopted in October, 1992 the following resolution on homosexuality: “We affirm that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian Teaching.” And in June 1.984 the General Board of the American Baptist Churches adopted the following Policy Statement on Family Life, in which, regarding marriage, declares: “We affirm that God intends marriage to be a monogamous, life-long, one flesh of a woman and a man, who in response to God’s call leave father and mother and cleave to one another. We affirm God’s blessing and active presence in marriage relationships so entered in response to God’s call.”

Whereas, we believe in the traditional Baptist principles of church autonomy and association: the autonomy of a church must be kept in all circumstances, but that autonomy shall not harm the associational principle when the Word of God is not respected. Our differences of opinions shall be respected, but not opinions that compromise the Word of God and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Baptist polity must never be more important than the Bible, moreover, when the churches, per example, through the General Board, adopts resolutions and policy statements according to the Word of God we have the duty do uphold them, because the Bible is the Book that ultimately must hold us together.

^“8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! ⁹As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8-9)

^“16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (II Timothy 3:16)

Therefore, we call upon the Board of Directors of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts to acknowledge and affirm that:

1.     The Bible is the inerrant and authoritative Word of God.

2.     Homosexuality is not compatible with Christian living and Christian ministry.

3.     Marriage is to be exclusively between a man and a woman in a monogamous life long relationship.

4.     Premarital, adulterous and homosexual relationships are inconsistent with biblical teaching and also, according to the Bible, sexual abstinence is to be maintained by the unmarried.

5.     There is a desperate need to develop and maintain special ministries for people who struggle with homosexuality and any sin, knowing that there is healing and restoration, not only forgiveness, through the Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross and through the Power of His resurrection.

Worcester January 5th, 2005

Document approved unanimously by the members of World Outreach Evangelical Community to be presented at the 2005 Annual Gathering of TABCOM – The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts

Rev. Josimar Salum-Gouvea

475 Burncoat St. - Worcester, MA 01606

Email: jsalum@greatrevival.com

Revised by Rev. Jim Fontaine - Burncoat Baptist Church