Sunday night we looked at a very controversial issue in the Church...Homosexuality. Of all the sins known to humanity, this one sin seems to bother the church more than any other. Modern pop culture accuses the Church of being homophobic because of the way they've seen us respond to this issue. Let me say upfront that I believe the Bible is clear that practicing homosexual sex is a sin. Even if we were to leave the Bible out of the equation, it is unnatural to have sex in this manner. The science and biology of sex proves this wasn't meant to be. As wrong as homosexuality is, the sin of hating gay people is wrong as well. Where did these radical Christians get this hatred for homosexuals? Would Jesus be holding up one of the above signs? I think not! The Bible never speaks of homosexuality in a positive way, and Jesus' silence on the issue should not be taken as approval.
I want to address the homophobia the church has. I believe it is wrong for the church to have hatred for those who are gay, and call themselves followers of Christ. The Bible I read doesn't tell me that "God hates queers!" It is not the will of God that anyone should go to hell, that includes gay people. God wants everyone to be saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Homosexuality is wrong, but the church is wrong when it........
1. Classifies the sin of homosexuality as being "worse" or different than any other sin. Some radical Christians even go as far as to say that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality, but there were many, many other sin issues in Sodom as well. When we think the sins of a homosexual are worse than our sins, we are extremely wrong.
2. Thinks that homosexuality is unforgivable and homosexuals have no hope. There is a sin mentioned by Jesus that cannot be forgiven, but that sin is not homosexuality. It is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. There is NOT a sin that the grace of Jesus cannot forgive.
3. The homosexuals want to be homosexual and weren't born that way. I don't know what makes a person crave same gender sex. Are they born with something in their chemistry that makes them crave it in the same way certain people have something in their chemistry that craves porn, alcohol, or drugs? Desiring to have sex with someone of the same gender is unnatural according to the Bible. To say that gay people want to live in the shame, torment, and separation from normal life is pushing it a bit. Yes, there are gay people with an agenda, but most gay people wanted to be looked at as a person or worth, rather than a person who is gay.
4. Can't get past the homosexuality and see a person in need of Christ. Everyone needs a relationship with Christ. Jesus accepts EVERYONE the way they are, including homosexuals. However, He doesn't leave us the way He found us. His grace will save us from the penalty of sin (hell) and the power of sin (addictions, issues, past baggage). If the Church doesn't show gay people the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ, how can they ever hope to find freedom?
I must admit to those reading this post that I get disgusted when I met a gay person and think of them having unnatural sex with someone of the same gender. I will always be disgusted by this and can never accept this as "normal" or "acceptable." However, I am learning that I can love and accept a homosexual as a person of worth, without accepting their practice of homosexual sex. When we say we are a "come as you are church" does that apply to everyone who is "straight" only? If gay people aren't welcome in the House of God as they are, how will they ever have any hope of getting into a relationship with Christ that brings transformation?
4 comments:
Pastor Mike,
Thanks for stepping out and giving some much-needed teaching on this issue. I firmly believe that the church must repent of the mistakes you mentioned before we can be empowered to minister to the homosexual community.
Should you minister to blacks and hope that God will make them white? Should you minister to Jews and hope that God will make them Christians? Should you minister to women and hope that God puts them all in the kitchen and hushes their mouths? Forgive me for missing your point, but isn't your interpretation of the bible as 'everyone should be like me cos I'm right'? How is this relevant?
jwk....
Thanks for your input. How is this relevant you ask? We are relevant as the Body of Christ when we do not judge or condemn people because they are doing things the Bible doesn't approve of. Christians can LOVE & accept non-Christians without APPROVING of things they do. This has been the greatest error of the modern church. When most Christians disagree with someone they riot, pickit, boycott, and just get downright mean sometimes. The Bible does not approve of homosexuality, nor does it approve of many things hetrosexual people do as well---such as sex before marriage, which it calls fornication. Fornication is as wrong as homosexuality, but most evangelical Christians do not see it that way. They thing homosexuality is a sin that cannot be forgiven or overcome---they're homophobic! No we do not have the attitude that we are 100% right and everyone in the world needs to be like us. Sorry if you perceived it that way.
Yes - I probably did perceive it differently. I don't often use the word 'disgusted' myself. I think the biggest difference is how one sees the Bible. Is it a guide to life or is it a rule book? Even after thousands of years of creating laws we cannot cover every eventuality of human action and I therefore doubt that we will ever be able to write a 'rule book' on human emotions and morals. I therefore believe that every religion should be a guide. You will notice that it is only when we believe that a rule is being broken that we get annoyed - and the fundamentalist Christians with their rule-book bible are getting very, very annoyed... We have managed to dismiss the Bible's stance on slavery, popular only a few years ago - perhaps it is time to dismiss more of the less important issues and focus on the big ones?
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