A Tale of Two Celebrities

I read two interesting articles today and have been thinking and comparing and contrasting the two all day long. First was the sad news that the wonderfully gifted and seemingly anointed Christian song-writer and singer, Ray Boltz, has declared that he is a homosexual. He has left his wife of 33 years, with whom he had 4 children, and now declares that God made him this way and he feels closer to God now that he isn't lying to himself and has begun living who he is. I honestly have conflicted feelings. Well, not really. It's sad and I am in prayer for him, that he quickly repents and changes his ways. What I really don't totally understand is the ability to discern when a person is just backsliding and when he has "fallen away". But then it's not my decision; only God knows the heart, and I pray that Ray Boltz's heart and spirit will not rest until he comes to his senses! The flesh and the enemy Satan want to rationalize our behavior in an attempt to make it okay. But Boltz's argument is an obvious lie. God didn't make Ray Boltz homosexual, no more than he makes people alcoholics or pedophiles or arsonists or addicted to pornography, etc. We all are tempted by sinful behavior and that is what homosexuality is - a behavior, an act. While Ray Boltz may feel an attraction to men, he chose to give in to the sinful behavior and now tries to rationalize it.

On the other side of the spectrum, I read an amazing article about former Rolling Stone editor and dark thriller author, Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct), who has had a Damascus Road style Christian conversion. When he had been diagnosed with throat cancer, had 80% of his larynx removed, had to give up drinking and smoking and his wild lifestyle if he wanted to live, he felt he had reached rock-bottom, going crazy, jittery, trembling, irritable, and impatient with everything. He cried out to God and felt an immediate peace and the confidence that he could "defeat himself and win". He had seen the light of Christ and has never wanted to return to the darkness, refusing large offers to write dark movies. He is now writing a book about his spiritual conversion as "a thank you to God" and "to tell the world what He has done for me." It is a remarkable testimony.

I can't help but think of the scriptures in the Bible that tell of a righteous man who turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity and dies in his iniquity, his good deeds not remembered; and of a wicked man who turns from his wickedness and does good and all his wicked deeds are forgotten and he lives. What perfect examples are these two men. Hopefully, it doesn't end here for Ray Boltz. I sincerely hope he has only backslidden and will be miserable until he repents and returns to the light!