Inclusion
In the Church
Verses that Encourage
1 & 2 Peter
Those who don't accept LGBTQ individuals will often quote the "clobber" passages from the Bible - 4 passages from the Old Testament and 3 passages in the New Testament. However, there are over 370 passages in the New Testament that are encouraging to all people, including the LGBTQ community. How does that compare? When wondering if those who identify as LGBTQ are loved by God, I encourage you to read and ponder these verses that apply to you and to your LGBTQ friends and family members.
1 Peter 1:8-9 and though you have not see Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.
1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
1 Peter 2: 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
1 Peter 2:17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
1 Peter 2:19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
1 Peter 2:20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
1 Peter 3:8-9 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:10 Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile.
1 Peter 3:11 And let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always begin ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
2 Peter 1:3 Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
2 Peter 1:5-8 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Next Verses: 1, 2, 3 John and Revelations