Does Jesus accept everyone?

Several times during the debate over Amendment 1, I heard proponents say in one form or another, "Jesus accepted all persons, so we should too."  When I heard them say that, I wondered if they read the same scriptures I do.  Jesus wasn't a nicety-nice fellow who "just loved everybody," in a Mr. Rogers or Barney the Dinosaur sort of way.  Read the first 36 verses of Matthew 23, where Jesus condemns the Pharisees.  How anyone could read those words and then turn around and say, "Jesus accepts everyone," is beyond me.  That's just one such example.  The parable of the sheep and the goats is another.  When the king says to the goats (the ones on his left), "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels," (Matthew 25:41) it doesn't sound like words of acceptance to me.

I believe that God's grace through Jesus Christ is available to all.  However, I don't believe that's the same thing as "Jesus accepts all persons."  God's grace is not as Calvin taught, irresistable.   It is one thing for Christ to offer love, forgiveness, and acceptance.  It's quite another for human beings to receive these offered gifts.

When an individual receives the gift of grace it changes how that person lives.  There is evidence of that change.  This message was proclaimed by John the Baptist.  "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."  (Matthew 3:8)  Jesus taught that those who do not produce this fruit will not find acceptance, see John 15.

Those who follow Jesus Christ have the joy of proclaiming that all may receive God's grace.  With that also comes the responsibility to proclaim that those who desire God's grace must claim it for themselves and show in their actions that they have.

Comments

[noel]

AMEN TO THAT

[Carter]

So can we also agree, based on Matthew 25:31-40, that if we do not feed the hungry, satisfy the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, tend the sick, AND visit the prisoner, that Christ does not accept us, regardless of how celibate we may be in our singleness?
And what if a self-avowed, practicing homosexual is doing all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ?
I'm not saying that this is a slam dunk, but I think we need more depth to our consideration, on all sides.

[Mike Cooper]

Carter,

It is not either/or. If you and I have accepted Christ as our Savior, you and I should WANT to be celibate in singleness, to feed the hungry, visit those in prison, and generally do what Jesus calls us to do through the Scriptures.

The difference that I see when this issue is raised is that while we as United Methodists often fall far short of the mark concerning our treatment of the sick, hungry, imprisoned, etc, no one argues that we shouldn't do those things. That is not the case with homosexual behavior, where a significant protion of the church is arguing to reject Scripture.

Mike Cooper