A prequel to my series on keeping others from God's love (part two).

Below is my letter to a church in San Diego that was supporting the San Diego Gay Rights Parade in 2007. Again, I notice that the way in which I approached that church is forceful like my letter to The City Church though perhaps not winsome and loving.

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Dear Pastor,

I am happy to hear that you have reached out to different "communities" in the San Diego area. It is the place of the Church to reach out to the world. We reach out in love by not judging those outside of the church. They do not have Christ so, of course, they will live according to their sinful natures. We inspire them to glorify God when they see our good works. However, in not judging, we should not come to the support of unrepentant sinners. In this regard, I noticed that your church had helped sponsor the San Diego Gay Rights Parade.

It is just as wrong for the body of Christ to sponsor any kind of worldly behavior as it is to judge it. We should support Godliness within the body and only judge the sin of those who call themselves believers.

Please, consider the Holy Spirit inspired words of Paul when he writes in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13,

"9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

Please, focus on judging those in your midst who call themselves Christians. You would not sponsor your own congregation in it's sin would you? Why would you sponsor the world in it's sin and tarnish the name of Christ? Thank you very much.

Grace and peace,
Evan Bryan