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Copyright © Pastor Chad Carter • Family Harvest Church Global Ministries
W e ' r e m o r e t h a n j u s t a C h u r c h . . . W e ' r e a F A M I L Y !
Pastor Chad Carter & Family Harvest Church
In The News
Date: Thursday, November 23, 2006Newspaper: The Salem DemocratLocation: Readers' ForumReporter: Title: Pastor Carter clarifies position on homosexualityNovember 17, 2006Dear Editor: I want to thank you for the wonderful job you did on thearticle in The Salem Democrat on Thursday, November16. There does appear to be some confusion, however,concerning something I was quoted as having said, whichI would like to clear up. Some have questioned the contextin which the following quote was made: “Don’t tell me justbecause someone is homosexual, they are going to hell.” In proper context of a message I preached, I explainedthat a person involved in the sin of homosexuality has not sealed their fate and are no more predestined for hell than any other sinner. I preached that, even though such activity is sin, it does not predetermine a soul’s ultimate destination. No one involved in sin has automatically condemned their soul to hell by any one specific sinful action or lifestyle, and have not forfeited the opportunity of forgiveness and deliverance in this life.
The complete thought of this quote, in the context of the message being preached, was that homosexuality will not send anyone to hell any more than any other sin. From a biblical perspective, sin is sin, regardless of its form or the engagement of specific activities. The biblical truth of the matter, and the intended thought of the message, was that sin is what keeps one separated from God, and if not remedied by grace through faith in Christ it can ultimately prevent your entrance into heaven. In context of the article itself, I should also point out that sin includes the hatred of homosexuals as much as it does the lifestyle of homosexuality itself.
While homosexuality is a sin, it should not be a barrier that prevents Christians from loving them, praying for them and opening our arms to them. As followers of Christ, we are called to lead the lost, through the convicting and delivering power of the Holy Spirit, out of lifestyles of deceit and corruption and into abundant lifestyles of wholeness and victory. That love is to be impartially extended to all people. If we cannot selflessly love, in the manner and example of Jesus Christ, then we serve Him only with our mouths and our actions prove our hearts to be far from Him.
This article was not intended to express a doctrinal position on homosexuality, but the biblical position that God is a God of love, hates no one, and wants all to come to repentance and the knowledge of the Son of God -- both the homosexual (who, after being saved, will turn from the sin of homosexuality), and the hypocritical so-called Christian that says God hates them.
Thank you for stating my position of being 110% in favor of traditional marriage. Marriage, in God’s eyes, consists only of a relationship between a man and a woman joined together in covenant. Anything else which approximates such is a cheap imitation of a divine institution.
For further clarification concerning my doctrinal position on homosexuality, I encourage your readers to visit this page of the Family Harvest Church website: http://www.fhcglobal.org/perspective_homosexuality.html. It reflects my perspective on homosexuality and homosexual marriage.
Thank you for your time, and for printing this clarification.
Pastor Chad Carter
Family Harvest Church
www.FHCglobal.org
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Copyright © Pastor Chad Carter • Family Harvest Church Global Ministries
FAMILY HARVEST CHURCH
PASTOR CHAD CARTER
P.O. Box 512
Salem, IN 47167
812-883-2523
www.ChadCarter.org
info@ChadCarter.org
