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Zitat

VIDEO: Rated T For Tolerance (And Truth)

Have you seen or heard about this video, which is going viral on YouTube right now?

This is a prime example of what Ephesians 4:15 means when it instructs us to speak the "truth in love" and encourages us to pursue not just unity in love, but unity in doctrine as well.

It's recognizing our true identity in Christ as His "ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) and not succumbing to the pressures of political correctness (Galatians 1:10).

Of course, all of this is amplified for us somewhat when you consider that this is an American teenager that understands this already, and not someone who's been maturing as a Christian their whole entire life.

It's called "Rated T For Tolerance" (I was the one who changed it in this post's title to "Rated T For Tolerance (And Truth)"), and it's one Christian teen’s anti-gay poetry video that has now gone viral.


Rated T For Tolerance (And Truth)


EXCERPT:

"Equality or Freedom? Jesus didn’t come to make our lives fair, but to set us free. To become born again and have our mind renewed through Christ is true Freedom through Righteousness; not Equality through fairness. Love is not a right; it is a God-given privilege bought at an extreme price — death on a cross. Jesus freely gave His life for you and me so we can have the privilege to be with Him in Heaven. God only ordains, blesses, and accounts for marriage as being a covenant between a husband and wife. Society, however, will always find cheap imitations of the real thing, promote it, then sell it. Realize this is not hate speech, I speak every word out of love. Love is a choice."

Amen! May God bless this courageous young woman for her bold stand for Him and His truth, and her loving approach to those caught in the clutches of sin.

Now, to be fair, she never actually utters the word "sin" in her 2-minute poem nor mentioned "Hell" either, but both are strongly implied. Still, that's the reason why I can only give this 3 out of 4 stars.

I know, I know, "beggar's can't be choosers," right? I mean, it's much better than another "Harlem Shake" video that others in her age group (and within the Church!) are turning out by the thousands each day.

However, a diluted, watered-down Gospel is no Gospel at all.
While I applaud her noble efforts here, I just wish she would've gone all the way, because that truly would've been a "loving" response to sinners in need of His saving grace.


1 Corinthians 6:9-20 (ESV) 9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sine a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.


At the end of the day, I'm thankful that she did this, because at least it will get people talking and perhaps open the door to having a serious conversation about sin and salvation.

When that happens, I pray that you and I will be ready to preach the full, unadulterated, life-saving, and life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ using this video poem as merely a springboard for witnessing to others (1 Peter 3:15).

In that sense, may we all learn a little something from her willingness to stand up and speak out during this late and urgent hour of humanity.

Grace and peace to you and yours!

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About JKR

Christian. Husband. Father. Friend.

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Thank you for visiting A Lutheran Layman! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question since we do not exercise censorship. We've seen a similar policy with other blogs and it's worth repeating: Please act as if you're a guest in my home, and we'll get along just fine. I think anyone would agree that the kind of back-and-forth that is characteristic of blogs/chat forums and social media is becoming tiresome for all of us. Still, we should confess, edify, and love (and contend and defend when needed). Bottom line? Search the Scriptures! Apply Acts 17:11 to anything and everything you find here and, if you do happen to disagree with something you find here (which is certainly ok), or think I'm "irresponsible" and "wrong" for writing it, then please refute my position by supporting yours with Scripture and/or the Confessions. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, especially for those who identify themselves as "Christians" here, right? Besides, Proverbs 27:17 tells us "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" and 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." If you have an opinion that's great, I welcome it, but try to support it using God's Word. I mean, if the goal here is to help us all arrive at the truth of God's Word (myself included), then it should be easy to follow through on this one simple request (I'm talking to all you "Anonymous" visitors out there). Grace and peace to you and yours!

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