An affirming Christian church is one that welcomes all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, culture or race into its congregation.
As a member of the congregation you are taught through Scripture, preaching, teaching and Bible study that all who enter the Church are sinners — “all have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God.”(Romans 3:23).
Sin separates us from the love of God and the only way to be reconciled back to Him is through the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed on the Cross.
When sinners repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, their sins are wiped clean and they are reconciled back to God.
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
When we follow the way and the truth, then we have eternal life. Sinners who do not repent and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour have eternal death (hell).
“The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. (Romans 6:23 ).
When one repents and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit convicts the sinner and transforms him or her into the righteousness of Christ.
The old person has passed away and a new creation has begun.
This truth was evident when on May 25 of this year over 200 millennials took part in a Freedom March in Washington, D.C., expressing their experience of walking out of the lifestyle of homosexuality into a life of freedom in Christ.
They did not hesitate to let everyone know that change is possible, hope is tangible and love is available. They were able to freely stand up and say they choose Christ and holiness over their sins.
How does the above affirming Christian Church differ from the beliefs of the United Church of Canada? The United Church of Canada welcomes all regardless of sexual orientation, culture and race.
However, sinners are welcomed into the congregation but there is no expectation of the transformation of the person.
Their theology is, there is no sin, God is love, do good deeds, be a good person and all go to heaven. Since God is love, there is no hell and nobody will go there.
Surely this is not the truth of the Bible. If so, then Jesus’s death on the cross was in vain and Christianity is meaningless.
Only through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross can our sins be forgiven and eternal life granted.
“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God, whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2John:9 ).
Tolson Chapman,
St. John’s
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