Tags
Alan Chambers, Gospel, homosexuality, repentance, Robert Gagnon, Scripture, sexual sin, sexuality, temptation, theology
Something for your consideration. I’ll have up an analysis by Tuesday, but I thought I’d let my readers hit the ground running.
Alan Chambers’ interview in The Atlantic
Robert Gagnon’s lengthy response
At the present time, I have only read the first link of the two. Gagnon’s article is on my slate for this afternoon since I’m leading worship this morning and need to get going.
Gay and Evangelical 
For me, Dave, the biggest flaw in Gagnon’s argument (and to be fair, I’m only about 8 pages in) is that he doesn’t subscribe to the doctrine of Perseverance (or more accurately, Preservation) of the Saints. To me, this is a fundamental crack in the foundation of his argument, so to speak.
I have often wondered about the idea of “unrepentant sin.” But isn’t it true that we all commit thousands of sins every day that we aren’t even aware of, just because of how pervasive sin is? Those sins go unrepentant, and yet we do not doubt God’s Grace to cover them. Likewise, within the Christian community there are many different interpretations of Scripture; whether you be Catholic, Protestant, Messianic Jewish, etc…I have brothers in Christ who believe it is wrong to eat shellfish. What if they are right and I am wrong? Does that put me in danger of Hell? I think not.
I have to believe that just as there are Christians who completely deny doctrines such as Predestination (when I believe Paul couldn’t be more obvious about it as a truth of Scripture), there are likewise gay Christians who are not convinced that the Bible forbids sex between two men or two women. I may disagree with them, but it is not my place to say whether or not they are truly children of God. I think this is the biggest fallacy in Gagnon’s argument (so far–as I said I’m only about 8 pages in).
Thanks for the links.
If you get on Gagnon’s bad side, he’ll go after you with pages and pages of rebuke. I’m surprised he didn’t write a little novella to berate Chambers, I’d be in his character.