Louie Giglio's Cowardice by Refusing to Stand for the Truth

Moving along, I'm going to do the Lou Giglio piece right now here. In fact, let's do our news update music so that I can do this right here. From the PassionCityChurch .com website, from their blog, the headline reads, Change of Plans, the author is Louie Giglio.

That's right, Louie Giglio. He writes, Dear PCC family, so this is a communication to the family that is Passion City Church there in Atlanta, Georgia, who's pastored by Louie Giglio. Here's what it says.

Louie Giglio Withdraws from the Inauguration Invitation

Though I was invited by the President of the United States to pray at his upcoming inauguration after conversations between our team and the White House, I am no longer serving in that role. I sent the following statement to the White House today, quote, I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming inaugural on January 21st.

Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably ending slavery in all of its forms. Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15 to 20 years ago, it is likely that my participation and the prayer I would offer will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration.

Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past 15 years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ. Let me read that again.

Clearly, speaking on this issue, the issue of homosexuality has not been in the range of my priorities as Louis Giglio's priorities in the past 15 years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.

Does anyone have any clue as to what that means? What does it mean to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ? That doesn't sound like it's a synonymous statement with the concept of calling people to repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name, which, by the way, is what Jesus has told the church to do.

See Luke chapter 24, somewhere in the neighborhood of verses 46, 47, you'll find it right there. I've never, never in my years as a Christian in reading God's word ever seen anywhere in scripture that the church is called to make its aim to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.

Which, by the way, is his excuse as to why there haven't surfaced more recent statements on the part of Louis Giglio regarding homosexuality, which is actually a problem. Here's why. Any pastor who is preaching through scripture, doing their job, preaching the word, will have no choice, if they're preaching the word, to address the topic of homosexuality on a semi-regular basis.

In fact, it's something that I cover on a semi-regular basis here at Fighting for the Faith because scripture covers the topic. It needs to be addressed. And here's the reason why, is because all of us are sinners.

Every single one of us. And God's word defines what sin is and what it isn't. Homosexual relations and lust both fall under the category of sin, just like murdering is a sin, just like lying is a sin, just like adultery is a sin, just like coveting is a sin, just like, you get what I'm saying?

And the Christian church has been given the mandate to go and proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins to all nations. Therefore, if that's our mandate, then we would be doing a disservice to our friends and neighbors and loved ones who have, well, succumbed to that particular sin because the solution for it is the forgiveness of their sins, and that one included, won by Christ on the cross.

But apparently, Louis Giglio, a message of his from 15 to 20 years ago has surfaced. 15 to 20 years ago. I'm sorry, but if he was doing his job, there should have surfaced a video regarding his preaching what God's word says regarding homosexual sin that doesn't date any later than, I'll just say two years ago, just to be fair.

And then there should be regular intervals from now all the way back to 15, 20 years ago where he is properly teaching what the scriptures teach on this matter. So, due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15 to 20 years ago, boy, that's a long time for a pastor to go without talking about that, don't you think?

15 to 20 years ago. But his aim, he says, clearly speaking on this issue, has not been in the range of my priorities. It's weird, scripture has this as a priority. Has not been in the range of my priorities in the past 15 years.

Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ. I have no clue what that means. We continue with his letter to the White House. So, neither I nor our team feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing.

Thus, I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the president's invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the president and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.

Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever, we need God's grace and mercy in our time of need. In other words, by the way, there are people who are literally praising Louis Giglio for being, well, a martyr.

He's not a martyr. He's a coward. He's a straight up, absolute coward. He didn't want to fight a fight not of his own choosing because 15 to 20 years ago, he said something to the effect of homosexuality being a sin.

So, he didn't want to actually engage in a battle regarding that. He just wanted to breeze in and into Washington, D .C. and pray for the president and breeze out. So, he decided to back out because, well, he wouldn't want to get into a fight regarding that because it hasn't been within the range of his priorities.

That's not in the range of his priorities. We continue though. The issue of homosexuality, which a particular message of mine some 20 years ago addressed, is one of the most difficult our nation will navigate.

However, individual rights of freedom and the collective right to hold differing views on any subject is a critical balance we as people must recover and preserve. Here's the deal. No Christian pastor has the right to his own opinion regarding this issue, by the way.

As a pastor, my mission is to love people and lead them well while lifting up the name of Jesus above anything else. I am confident that anyone who knows me or has listened to the multitude of messages I have given in the last decade would most likely conclude that I am not easily characterized as being opposed to people, any people.

Rather, I am constantly seeking to understand where all people are coming from and how to best serve them as I point them to Jesus. In all things, the most helpful thing I can do is to invite each of us to wrestle with the scripture and its implications for our lives.

God's word trumps all opinions, including mine, and in the end, I believe God's word leads to life. My greatest desire is that we not be distracted from the things that we are focused on. Seeing people in our city come to know Jesus and speaking up for the last and the least of these throughout the world honored to be your pastor, Louis Giglio.

In other words, as soon as he realized that there might be a battle waging and that he might have to actually pick a side and actually have to defend what the scripture says publicly regarding homosexuality, he put his tail between his legs and scampered off the battlefield.

These are the actions of a liberal and a coward, not somebody who really firmly believes and holds and proclaims what God's word truly teaches. Again, I have no clue what it means to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.

I'm sure he's doing a fine job at that, but it doesn't sound like he's calling sinners to repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name, which is what he's supposed to be doing.