Let's Talk About Homosexuality

Actually, we are already talking about it; The world is already talking about.

Unfortunately, we are speaking in secret, behind closed doors, or we are speaking about it openly and offensively. Neither of these are healthy options for America or for the Church.

Support it or hate it, homosexuality is no longer “in the closet” of America. It is open, proud, and outspoken, so we need to talk about it.

It’s too easy to talk about a controversial subject when everyone you have a conversation with agrees with your viewpoint. You can be loud, energetic, and even hopelessly wrong or hateful as long as the people you talk to agree.

Having that same conversation in an open format causes much more trouble, and at the end of the day shows that maybe we should be better at knowing how to address these issues so we can have respectable conversations in any setting.

In this blog, I want to address the homosexual community from a Biblical standpoint.

To Non-Heterosexuals

First of all, as a pastor and devoted Christian myself, I want to say that the Church should indeed be sorry for the way some Christians have treated you or spoken to you.

It’s not right and it’s not Jesus.

With that being said, there are some things that have probably caused confusion, both to you and to the Church from the word of God. If you’re willing to keep reading, I’d like to offer this as a friendly conversation from the Church to you. As I’m writing, I’m sitting here drinking my coffee at the table and thinking about you and those whom I know and love who are living just like you, and am writing from the standpoint of a friend.

Please join me by reading this from the standpoint of a friend as well.

Homosexuality and the Bible

As a Christian I believe that the bible is the word of God. It shows his character and personality and it teaches us what He has determined right and what He has determined wrong based on His own character and creation; part of that creation is you. Since God has given to us His design and purpose for creation within the word of God, we see not only what God desires, but why He desires it; we see not just God's prohibitions, but why He prohibits them.

God’s Design

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

When God created man, He created man and woman and He created them for a purpose. In fact, God’s first command and blessing to His creation is in Genesis 1:28,

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

God shows His purpose and design for us in His command and in His creation. His command, “be fruitful and multiply,” was put into His design, creating us into male and female, with obvious and undeniable biological differences intended for procreation.

In Genesis 2:24-25, we see that it was in the mind of God for man and woman to live together in marriage, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

In this union between man and woman, God’s design and purpose is fulfilled and they become one flesh… that is both a mystery and, in a very literal way, not so mysterious.

Later, in the book of Malachi, God speaks through the prophet declaring that his purpose for marriage is for a man and woman to be unified in His Spirit and to bear Godly offspring:

• “Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth” (Malachi 2:15).

God’s design for us as His created people is for man and woman to experience love and sex within the confines of marriage, in which we are able to join in one flesh (both in an act, and in a supernatural way) and fulfill his command to be fruitful, multiply, and bear godly offspring. We are even told in Ephesians 5 that this union is a reflection to Jesus’s relationship and love for the Church, also referred to as His bride, Him being the bridegroom (reaffirming the gender roles of a marriage).

The Body

In a very practical manner, as we look at the body itself, we find that men and women are made for each other. Our body parts are given to us in the womb, not according to our choice, but according to genetics. These parts were created and designed for specific uses. When a man and a woman come together intimately, they are equipped perfectly for the act of procreation and the body was specifically design to be appropriately used in that scenario.

However, when women come together or men come together, they do not correspond so perfectly, and, in fact, they cannot.

In order to have the same experience they must act in ways that are not “natural” for their bodies to be used and, men in particular, misuse certain areas that were clearly not designed for such use, even causing bodily harm by doing so. Therefore, the body itself gives witness to God’s command and perfect design.

In Romans chapter 1:26-27 the bible tells of this “natural” order as well.

• For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

The most unfortunate part of this is that God does ultimately judge those things, regardless of what they are, that are done in opposition to His design and word. Not only can we hurt ourselves and others when we live outside of God’s word and will, but we distance ourselves from the blessings of God, and ultimately will not enter eternal life for our disobedience.

So, Does God Hate Homosexuals?

There is only one answer to this: Absolutely not.

Does God hate adulterers? Thieves? Murders? Liars? The proud? The disobedient? No, He doesn’t hate them either, but sin is anything that is against the perfect character of God. God doesn’t lie, He doesn’t steal, doesn’t murder (killing someone’s life unrighteously), He doesn’t do anything outside of His perfect purpose, will, and character. He is perfectly just, perfectly merciful, perfectly wrathful, and perfectly loving…. among His other endless attributes.

This leaves anything less than His perfect character and design as sin, and though God does not hate the liar, thief, or homosexual, God does hate lies, theft, homosexuality, and every other sin.

Why?

Because it degrades the image you were created to reflect, His image. Also, it hurts us and those around us when we live in sin. We don’t just mock God and break His commandments, we also open the door for pain, brokenness, confusion, depression, and anxiety in our lives and in the lives that are affected by our sin.

Truly God’s hatred towards sin only shows the depth of love He has for us.

If no one lied, no one stole, no one murdered, no one thought evil, no one did drugs, no one committed acts of lewdness or unnatural acts of lust, we would find true love, wholeness, togetherness, and wrathless lives; we would be at peace.

The Good News

Now let me tell you a secret. No one is able to live such a way on their own.

We are all full of sin and awaiting the judgement on God that is against those who deny His son Jesus, and refuse to live by his word (Romans 3:23), but God shows His love for us in that though we are all sinners, and while we are still in our sin, He still sent His son Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8), taking the punishment for these broken commandments and paying the penalty Himself, that by believing that Jesus is able to free us, and that He has forgiven us by His work on the cross, we would be born again and free of the hurt and pain inside of us that leads us into all these wicked things (Romans 10:9-10).

Salvation through Jesus saves us from the sin in our lives, not just the guilt of it.

If you feel trapped or broken, if there is hurt deep in your heart, or depression that is weighing you down, Jesus loves you and wants to set you free from those things. God does not hate you for your actions any more than He hates me for my past actions, in fact He loves us both so much that he sent an open invitation to save us out of those things.

• 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness,” and Romans 10:9 says, “if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.” This is God’s promise.

Don’t let hate and burden keep you from the Church, and don’t let pride or lust keep you from Christ. He loves you, we love you, but true love seeks the best and we all need to be saved from ourselves.

Accept Jesus’s love today and let Him cleanse you of your ways and brokenness (we all need it). If you want to accept that, if you feel a pull or burning on your heart for Christ’s help, pray the same prayer I prayed when Jesus saved me from my sin:

• Jesus… I need you. Please forgive me of my sin, of not acknowledging you, of walking my own way rather than yours. I want to be honest with you about my hurts, my pain, my pride, and my struggle. Give me new life Jesus, exchange these things for your peace and blessing. Save me from my sin and wash me clean. Amen.

If you just prayed that pray and are willing to trust your whole life to Jesus, then in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven and made clean. Welcome to the Kingdom of God. Please get ahold of us and let us connect you to people who will love you and show you how to walk the narrow road that leads to life. This isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning of Jesus’s promise to give you, “life and life more abundantly.”

Go and be blessed.