Anyone who talks about overcoming here is quickly considered unbalanced. The author has left his homosexual life behind for almost a quarter of a century. But there shouldn't be anything like that! By Ron Woolsey
Reading time: 15 minutes
A publisher that could not get its way
It happened in 1999. An employee of an Adventist publishing company heard the story of my conversion from homosexuality. He then asked me if I could write them down and send the manuscript to the publisher. Such a publication would be a valuable tool in our church's book palette. The manuscript had to be submitted within four weeks if I wanted any chance of publication.
I prayed a lot and wrote fourteen hours a day. This enabled me to deliver the manuscript on time. Then came the waiting - day after day passed, week after week, it turned into months. Eventually I was so perplexed that I called to inquire.
"Oh! Haven't you received your manuscript yet? It should be sent back to you."
"Why sent back?" I asked.
'It was rejected. The Book Committee has decided that a more balanced viewpoint should be published,' I learned.
"What more balanced point of view?" I asked. »I was asked my submit story. Are you saying it's unbalanced?' I was startled.
"No, just thought it better to put several stories in one book to give a balanced point of view," was the reply.
I asked myself, "Do you have to balance stories of victory and success with stories of failure? And if so, why?'
From that moment on, I encountered this enigmatic balanced point of view again and again. Fifteen years have passed since then. Again and again my work, my projects or my seminars are rejected because the subject of homosexuality and the community supposedly requires a more balanced point of view. In the end, my only option was to publish my book with an external publisher. They then sold it back to the Adventist publishers for distribution in all English-language Adventist book centers around the world.
Just an interview, and yet a big impact
A few years ago I was invited to share my testimony at a conference on marriage, homosexuality, and the church. But one person who believes in the once-gay-always-gay theology, which I don't share, managed to discredit me enough to reduce my talk to an interview. That person then took my place on a panel in front of the student body so that the "balanced viewpoint" could be conveyed.
(Since then, critics and doubters have repeatedly dismissed me as a perfectionist because, from my personal experience of defeating homosexuality, I believe and preach that we from and not in sins are saved.)
Now that my time had been cut, I prayed that the Lord would make the most of it. So he did. In fact, in the closing address, the speaker then said, "When Ron Woolsey stood here on opening night, lifting up the Bible and saying that he had found in the Word of God all he needed to turn his back on and separate from homosexuality, that was a good summary for the whole conference.«
A university struggles through
When I was invited to one of our Adventist universities, I encountered again that "enigmatic balanced viewpoint." Months before the date, the invitation was stopped in the committees because my story was so controversial.
"Yes, but wait a minute! We're in the middle of a great controversy…' I replied.
»There are two sides to everything…«
"Well! Then why don't we bring the second side, God's side...?
I emphasized that I had studied at the same university and received my degree in theology with honors. I also serve as a pastor in an association. If straight/gay alliances are allowed on campus, why can't I present God's point of view on campus?
Eventually I got permission and was allowed to bring my message to the student body, which was warmly received with great interest and genuine appreciation.
Pluralism at the Preachers' Conference
At the final North American Division ministerial conference and breakout session in Austin, Texas just before general conference, two issues in particular caught my attention: women's ordination and homosexuality. Although the ordination question has been studied intensively in the last few years at the urging of the church leadership, the "pro side" has been officially promoted, the "con side" has been ignored, withheld, even suppressed.
Three different seminars were offered on the subject of LGBT. The Coming Out Ministries were originally supposed to have two time windows, but one was withdrawn due to the explosive nature of the subject. Again we prayed to the Lord to make the most of the time we would get. I believe he did.
However, another seminar with a very different message was given twice as much time as we were. The visitors who (like me) attended both seminars expressed their confusion to us. I then simply replied that both seminars bring exactly the same message, but only up to a point. The other seminar brought the message of love and acceptance. Acceptance with God, however, depends on giving our will fully to Him, and on this point the two seminars had different approaches. The message of the Coming Out Ministries also brings love and acceptance, but also speaks of the need for repentance, dedication, discipleship, character change, and overcoming homosexual sin like any other. In other words: from the gospel.
The other seminar brought the testimonies of a "lesbian Adventist," a "gay church elder," the parents of a gay man married to a man, and featured a "gay Adventist" who gave a power point presentation in which everyone Efforts by services to help gays win and change have been denounced. Not a single overcome testimony was given. A psychologist even testified that she did not know of anyone who had overcome homosexuality. Some listeners who knew me turned and pointed at me. For I was saved 24 years ago and have been married 23 years now. I am also the father of five children.
One of the organizers told us that there is more than one ideology about homosexuality. Therefore, a "balanced point of view" had to be brought. But this balanced point of view unsettled many.
Inspired answers to the question of balance
When bringing God's Word, is it necessary to strike a balance by giving equal time to political correctness, modern thought, the social sciences, psychology, and psychiatry? Isn't God's position balanced anyway?
“The heart is exceedingly deceitful and malicious; who can figure it out? I, the LORD, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each one according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.« (Jeremiah 17,9:XNUMX)
“No one deceives himself! If anyone among you thinks himself wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he may become wise! For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God; for it is written: He catches the wise in their cunning. And again: The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are worthless.« (1 Corinthians 3,18:20-XNUMX)
The Bible also speaks of "balance":
"Double weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false balances are not good." (Proverbs 20,23:XNUMX)
"False scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a full weight is pleasing to him." (Proverbs 11,1:XNUMX)
“But this is what the scripture says that is written: Mene, mene, tekel upharsin! And this is the meaning of the saying: Mene means: God has numbered the days of your kingdom and put an end to it! Tekel means: You were weighed on a scale and found wanting!" (Daniel 5,25:28-XNUMX)
“On the day of judgment we shall be acquitted or sentenced according to our works. The judge of all the earth will pronounce his just judgment. He cannot be corrupted and cannot be deceived. He who made man and who owns the worlds and all their treasures - he weighs character in the scales of eternal justice.« (Signs of the Times, October 8.10.1885, 13, paragraph XNUMX; Review and Herald 19.1.1886)
“And when it opened the third seal, I heard the third living being say: Come and see! And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the one sitting on it had scales in his hand." (Revelation 6,5:XNUMX)
Obviously, God's balance is not one of preaching two conflicting viewpoints, but of accepting the truth, obeying the law, and doing God's will by us.
“Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven silent. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and work many miracles in your name? And then I will testify to them: I never knew you; Depart from me, you outlaws! Everyone now who hears these words of mine and them silentI will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.« (Matthew 7,21:24-XNUMX)
"We have all become as unclean, and all our righteousness as a soiled garment. We are all withered like leaves, and our sins have carried us away like the wind.« (Isaiah 64,5:XNUMX)
We can only be justified in him who bears the name "The LORD our righteousness". (Jeremiah 23,6:33,16; XNUMX:XNUMX)
We find complete balance in justification and sanctification, in pardon/forgiveness and purification/transformation.
Jesus' righteousness is imputed or imputed to us when we confess and repent. Jesus' righteousness is also bestowed on us or created in us by His grace and transforming power as we surrender ourselves to Him and His work in us.
»But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.« (1 John 1,9:XNUMX) Do we see the balance here?
“He will have mercy on us again, subdue our misdeeds. Yes, you will throw all their sins into the depths of the sea!" (Micah 7,19:XNUMX)
“Satan is at the head of all the accusers of the brethren; but what does the LORD answer when he brings up the sins of God's people? 'The LORD scolds [not Joshua, the representative of the tried and chosen people of God, but] you, Satan; yes, the LORD scolds you, he who chose Jerusalem! Isn't this a burnt log torn out of the fire? But Yeshua wore unclean clothes and still stood before the angel.' (Zechariah 3,2:3-3,4) Satan had portrayed the chosen and faithful people of God as laden with dirt and sin. He could name the individual sins of the guilty. Hadn't he used his entire alliance of evil to ensnare her in these very sins through his arts of seduction? But they had repented, they had accepted Jesus' righteousness. They therefore stood before God clothed in the robes of Jesus' righteousness. 'And he began and said to those who stood before him, Take off the unclean clothes from him. And he said to him, Behold, I have taken away your sin from you, and I have put on your raiment.' (Zechariah XNUMX:XNUMX) Every sin of which they had committed was forgiven, and they stood before God so chosen and faithful , so innocent and perfect as if they had never sinned.« (Review and Herald, August 29, 1893 para. 3)
“John saw that the mercy, kindness and love of God coincided with his holiness, justice and power. He saw how sinners found in him a father whom their sins had made them fear. Then, after the climax of the great conflict on Zion, he saw how 'those who had come forth as overcomers... stood by the sea of glass, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.' (Revelation 15,2:3-XNUMX)" (Acts of the Apostles, 489)
»As we study the divine character in the light of the Cross, merge Mercy, kindness and forgiveness with fairness and justice. In the midst of the throne we see the One bearing on hands and feet and on his side the signs of the suffering he endured in order to reconcile man to God. We see a limitless Father, dwelling in a light that no one can come to, yet receiving us through the merits of His Son. The cloud of vengeance, which threatened only misery and despair, reveals the handwriting of God in the light of the cross: 'Live, sinner, live! Ye penitent believing souls, live! I paid a ransom.« (Acts of the Apostles, 333)
In my opinion, that is exactly the balanced point of view!
Source: The Narrow Way Ministry Newsletter of August 31, 2015
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