Marsha's Musings: Would Jesus Discriminate?

I normally avoid dealing with "hot" social topics on my blog, but I am going to stick my neck out on this one and address something I saw on a blog recently.

I was surfing some blogs and happened upon a photo blog. The person is a great photographer and has many nice photos posted. But one post was a blog of photos from a Gay Fest. In scrolling through them I found one of a group of people carrying a banner that asks the question, "Would Jesus Discriminate?"

Of course, the people carrying the sign want you to think, "No, Jesus would not discriminate." But I maintain that these people either have not read their Bibles or they are referring to a different Jesus...one of their own making in their imaginations.

Why do I think Jesus would and does discriminate? Jesus claimed equality with God as shown in the verses below.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

If Jesus is who He says He is, equal with God, then His opinion will be the same as that of God the Father. So does God discriminate? Let's look at Romans 1:

Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Would Jesus discriminate? It looks to me like the answer is a resounding "YES!" if you are talking about the Jesus of the Bible.

But I don't want to leave it here. Jesus speaks in Matthew about dividing the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was
an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in me prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Here is another passage about who will get into heaven and who won't:

Matthew 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

We see in Romans that God's holiness is the measure of who makes it into heaven.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

You see, the measure of how one makes it into heaven is God's holiness. He will not allow sin into his presence. He makes it very clear in Scripture what sin is as we have seen above. But the good news is that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sin. He paid the penalty that God's wrath against sin demands. It doesn't matter what sin you have committed from the lists above or otherwise, if you are truly repentant and come in humility to accept the grace God offers, He will accept you as His child. But once one His children, you can not live habitually in your sin. If you truly come in faith and become one of His, He will put a desire in your heart to live in a holy pleasing way to Him. How can you come to Him?

John 6:28 ¶ Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Won't you forsake your sin and come to Him?