Reverend Franklin Graham is trying to reach out to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community by sharing a message of inclusivity, compassion, and understanding: "We are all sinners."
"There are many people who will tell you what you want to hear in this life. I hope you will give me an opportunity to tell you the truth here," he writes on his Facebook page.
Graham said even though every person on earth is a sinner, the good news is that God the Creator still loves each and every one of His creations "even more than we can imagine."
"But we — all of mankind — have a problem, and the Bible calls it sin. Sin is disobedience to God's laws, and it has infected the entire human race. It is a disease of the soul," he says. "Mankind is under a death sentence because of sin — but because of God's great love for us, He sent His Son Jesus Christ from Heaven to this earth on a rescue mission to save you, and me, and everyone from sin."
Graham explained that sin is anything that runs counter to God's Word, which is His standard for people's lives. This includes pride, dishonesty, lack of love for our neighbours, using God's Name in vain, and loving anything more than Him.
"There is also sin involving the misuse of sex. God created sex and gave it to us to enjoy, but tells us in His Holy Word that it is to be reserved for a marriage relationship between a man and a woman. Any kind of sexual activity or sexual relationship outside of that is sin," he stresses. "The world would like to redefine marriage and other boundaries for sex, but it's not up to us to define. Almighty God, the Creator, set the standard at the beginning of time."
According to Graham, only enemies of God would like to deceive people into thinking that sin is acceptable. And as painful and difficult it is to hear, Graham said that he wants to share the truth.
"The Bible teaches, 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' What a promise!" says Graham. "I want people everywhere to know that we can be forgiven, cleansed, and set free from the power of sin's control by believing on Jesus Christ and trusting Him as our Saviour and Lord!"
Then he shared a prayer that repentant sinners can use: "Dear God I am a sinner, I am sorry for my sins. I want to turn from my sins and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son who died for me on the cross and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Him as my Saviour and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen."
