It wasn’t until the very end of a rather frustrating
conversation when I finally realized what I believe to be the source of that
frustration. I had reached out to
initiate a gospel outreach conversation with Semaj, 32, who told me this was
his given name and that it is actually James spelled backward. Perhaps his parents like to defy convention;
it certainly seemed to be the case with their approach to religion. Semaj told me they had raised him without
reference to any one religion, but belief in a sort of buffet table mix of
spiritual ideas from a variety of religions.
Semaj was very friendly and willing to share his beliefs,
which he did with the enthusiasm of someone who is very sure and excited about
telling what is very important to them.
I could tell religion is something he has talked about and studied some
before reaching his conclusions, so I don’t think he was just ill-informed
about Christianity. I guess what I found
frustrating was that he had told me he was agnostic, which I took as
open-minded, and that he respects all religions, but I found him to
particularly reject the key tenants of Christianity even though it didn’t seem
like he should have had motive to do so.
It seemed like Semaj categorically rejected every core
belief about God’s existence and character, preferring instead to hold on to
beliefs from other religions that preserved his independence from God and his
right to do as he pleased. If there was
a question about God’s character, such as why God would be jealous, he chose to
make critical, man-centered assumptions.
He would give the benefit of doubt to beliefs from other religions,
while biblical Christianity was held to an impossibly high standard for
critique.
This is not at all unusual, but I can usually tell the
source of someone’s antagonism toward God – some foundational belief or sin
they want to hold on to that creates a negative filter by which to see all the
things of God. I finally saw what it was
just as we about to part ways – Semaj told me he is gay, and involved in a
long-term relationship with his boyfriend.
Just as anyone who wants to hold on to a particular sinful habit or
lifestyle, I believe Semaj has built up a lifetime of excuses to reject
Christianity and try to justify his own behavior as he designed his own belief
system from the alternative beliefs available to him.
I told Semaj what this “designer religion” practice is
called – idolatry- and how it is possibly the most serious sin described in the
Bible because of the way it misrepresents God with a cheap substitute of our
own making. Maybe that’s why we are told
to “put to death” sexual sin in particular as described in Colossians 3:5: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to
your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,
which is idolatry.” It causes us not
only to form untrue images about God but to treat our fleshly desires as more
important than our relationship with the true God.
So was I being a “hater” for warning Semaj about his sin of
idolatry? Or was I looking out for his
best interest even though he didn’t want to hear it? I believe that just as a fireman must
convince people their building is on fire in order for them to want to evacuate
immediately, so the loving but difficult thing we must do is to tell people
what they don’t want to hear before it’s too late. In this case, Paul gave the warning just
after that passage in Colossians: “Because of these, the wrath of God is
coming.” (vs.6)
Semaj gave me the classic complaint given by those involved
in sexual sin – “Why would God limit the way I choose to love others?” God is love, yes, and everyone wants to take
heaping portions from that part of the buffet table of religious beliefs and
ideas. But God’s love takes many forms:
His love for holiness, His love for purity and right living, and His love for a
just punishment for sin included. I’m
glad I was also able to tell Semaj about the love of God expressed in Jesus at
the cross, even though Semaj rejected the idea. Unfortunately, his confusion of physical
pleasure for love has him limiting the way God expresses His love too.
‘Thanks Semaj, for allowing me to record our
conversation! It can be seen HERE at https://youtu.be/cQDluClZ_AM
No comments:
Post a Comment