Colossians 2:6-12
Do not let anyone take you captive through philosophy and empty deceit.
It is said that there is only one unforgivable sin and that is blaspheming of the Spirit. To deny the Spirit I suppose would be an insult to God. While we can take joy in all of God's creation, there is perhaps only one creation that we can take pride in and that is ourselves. Not that we are self made but we are certainly in charge of ourselves and are personally responsible for what God has created in us. In that sense, we should be proud of ourselves. In that sense too, it woud perhaps be blasphemy to deny who we are. Further, it might be a blasphemy to deny the nature of anything that God has made.
Taking pride in anything else it seems to me would be considered empty deceit. Even though this reading says not to, I know we all do it even though it's wrong. Let me rattle off a few things we take pride in. Our job? Our cars? Homes? School we went to or our kids are going to? How about our children? Aren't they entrusted to us by God, yet we take pride in them. How about the lastest "i"? i-phone, i-touch, i-pad, i-mac ? Do we take pride in them? Are we prideful of the church we go to or belong t? Are we prideful of the clothes we wear or how buff our bodies are? Of course I could go on.
God gives us many, many gifts to be enjoyed for sure. Truly, the only thing we can be proud of is ourselves, who we are. If you are gay, by all means be super proud of that and revel in it. Enjoy it to the full. Live a life that respects God and others and yourself but enjoy being gay and there's a whole lot of fun in being gay. I think it is an incredible blessing. If you are straight, that too is to be equally enjoyed and revelled in within the same bounds as any gay person - lets just say any person. Be proud.
Don't let anything but who you are become a philosophy or any empty deceit but by all means, celebrate the spirit of God within you and who you are.
Be out and proud.
It is said that there is only one unforgivable sin and that is blaspheming of the Spirit. To deny the Spirit I suppose would be an insult to God. While we can take joy in all of God's creation, there is perhaps only one creation that we can take pride in and that is ourselves. Not that we are self made but we are certainly in charge of ourselves and are personally responsible for what God has created in us. In that sense, we should be proud of ourselves. In that sense too, it woud perhaps be blasphemy to deny who we are. Further, it might be a blasphemy to deny the nature of anything that God has made.
Taking pride in anything else it seems to me would be considered empty deceit. Even though this reading says not to, I know we all do it even though it's wrong. Let me rattle off a few things we take pride in. Our job? Our cars? Homes? School we went to or our kids are going to? How about our children? Aren't they entrusted to us by God, yet we take pride in them. How about the lastest "i"? i-phone, i-touch, i-pad, i-mac ? Do we take pride in them? Are we prideful of the church we go to or belong t? Are we prideful of the clothes we wear or how buff our bodies are? Of course I could go on.
God gives us many, many gifts to be enjoyed for sure. Truly, the only thing we can be proud of is ourselves, who we are. If you are gay, by all means be super proud of that and revel in it. Enjoy it to the full. Live a life that respects God and others and yourself but enjoy being gay and there's a whole lot of fun in being gay. I think it is an incredible blessing. If you are straight, that too is to be equally enjoyed and revelled in within the same bounds as any gay person - lets just say any person. Be proud.
Don't let anything but who you are become a philosophy or any empty deceit but by all means, celebrate the spirit of God within you and who you are.
Be out and proud.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
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