The Gay Rights Movement Itself Shows Us
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
—the apostle Paul to Christians at Corinth in what we now know as 1 Corinthians 6:9-11—
Key point: As the gay rights movement has gained traction and taken off, the church has struggled to frame and lovingly convey a clear and truthful message about homosexuality. Upholding biblical truth while lovingly sharing it is a formidable challenge. Fortunately, an increasing number of once-gay individuals are faithfully declaring the whole message of Scripture on this topic. Luis Ruiz is one of them.
Luis Javier Ruiz is a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016. In the wake of that horrible event that ended the lives of 49 people and injured another 53, Luis rediscovered his faith in Christ and left homosexuality. The following audio track is from a Church United video. Listen to Luis describe, in his own words, both the shooting and how Christ changed his life.
Remarkably, Luis isn’t the only shooting victim whose life has been transformed. Angel Colon also returned to Christ and walked away from a gay identity and lifestyle.
Of June 12, 2016, Luis has said,1
I should have been number 50! Going through old pictures of the night of Pulse, I remember my struggles of perversion, heavy drinking to drown out everything and having promiscuous sex that led to HIV. My struggles were real! The enemy had tightened his grip, but now God has taken me from that moment and has given me Christ Jesus. I’ve grown to know His love at a deeper level. Two out of the 49 were my close friends and are no longer with us. They lost their lives that night. I should have been number 50, but now I have the chance to live in relationship and not religion—not just loving Christ, but being in love with Christ and sharing His love. I know who I am, and I am not defined by who or what the enemy says I used to be—but who Christ Jesus says I am.
I know who I am, and I am not defined by who or what the enemy says I used to be—but who Christ Jesus says I am.
—Luis Javier Ruiz—
Truth and Love Go Together
Ruiz uses his platform to encourage members of the LGBT community—and everyone else, for that matter—to experience the freedom that only Christ can give. He spoke at the Freedom March (FM) last May in Washington DC, as well as at the FM event held Sunday, November 4, in Los Angels. At FM events, individuals who have found Christ and walked away from LGBT lifestyles celebrate their changed lives, proclaim Christ as their liberator, and encourage others to join them in trusting Him as Savior and Lord.
Luis invests his energies in another related, worthy cause. He seeks to help churches reach out to the LGBT community with genuine love, yet without sacrificing the truth of the gospel, which includes devastating news about sin, including, but not at all limited to, the sin of homosexuality. Sadly, the church seems to have forgotten that truth and love stand together. Luis himself is living evidence that truth and authentic love cannot be separated. In his very countenance you see both! Hear him speak out against AB 2943, a bill in California that would have banned counseling and therapy to help people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction.
The Church’s Errors
On September 25, 2018, Luis took to Facebook to make a very important statement. He declared,1
The church has made 3 main mistakes on dealing with homosexuality.
#1 We’ve made it the greatest sin. It’s not…pride is!
#2 We’ve become silent or scared speechless, hoping someone else will address it for us.
#3 The church is affirming it! We can’t affirm what God’s Word doesn’t affirm; we can’t call blessed what God’s Word doesn’t bless.
The heart of our message is unconditional love for people while remaining unwavering in our loyalty to God’s Word (The Bible).
In several different posts at Word Foundations, we have addressed both the second and third issues Luis named. We’ve talked about the first as well, but to a lesser extent. In the second and third articles in this series, I want to hone in on item #1 directly. The church has made homosexuality “the greatest sin,” says Luis. But “[i]t’s not…pride is!”
Next time we’ll begin exploring why Luis made this statement.
Stay tuned!
Part 2 is available here.
Copyright © 2018 by. B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
- Luis Ruiz and Angel Colon have a ministry and website called Fearless Identity.
- Luis’s Facebook page is available here.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages have been taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Note:
1Extremely slight changes have been made in Luis’s statements for clarity and smoothness.
top image: Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
Pulse memorial photo: Exactly three months after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson visits Pulse and the memorial set up outside.
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