Before you read one word on this topic of Homosexuality and the Gospel you need to know that this hot-button issue is quite personal for me because I am also a same-sex attracted male, albeit single and celibate, and I was born again in May of 1995. I have studied and considered the issue of Homosexuality biblically, historically, and socially--not extensively, not in the best libraries the world has to offer, but adequately enough to write this brief article. I have lived the life. I have also come out of that life by the grace of God. I have read pro-affirming works:
The only agenda I have is to tell you about my life, my experiences and beliefs, and pray that you will, by the grace of God, trust in Jesus and be gloriously saved, redeemed, justified and sanctified by God and fulfilled in Christ eternally. But I have no power to change your mind. I can only offer you what I believe and what I believe Scripture teaches of the ways and the thoughts and the standards of God. If you feel agitated at what you're reading at any time, I know that feeling, because I've been there myself. There have been preachers that I have wanted to punch in the face for what I perceived to be hateful, unloving, anti-Queer ranting and raving from bully pulpits. But, if you are like me, then what you want is bare-knuckle truth that, though it may sting, it also provides infinite healing, eternal promise, and infinite freedom.
THE TRUTH
The notion "Homosexuality is an Abomination" is not the Gospel--but it is a Gospel issue. How so? Because telling LGBTQIA+ people that God is affirming of their life-choice to embrace such an identity is, in truth, anti-Gospel: the pro-affirming camp, and all pro-affirming churches, are spreading a false so-called "gospel" that keeps these precious people--people for whom Christ died--in their sins and away from salvation. The so-imagined "love" of pro-affirming people / churches is not true love, not self-sacrificial and bold love, but fake love: this so-perceived "love" is cowardice, fearful to speak Gospel truth, and disingenuous, because true love brings people to the Light, refusing to keep them in the Dark.
Now, what I just expressed is considered by many today as Hate Speech, harkening to Medieval theology. I know, I know, I should get a grip, embrace "who I am," and celebrate how and who God made me to be. But that is exactly what I am trying to do. God made me (Job 4:17; 10:8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 31:15; 33:4; 34:19) and then remade me to be an adopted child of His, graciously bringing me to Himself in and through Jesus Christ, and to be conformed to Christ's image (Eph. 1:4-5 NLT; Rom. 8:29, 30; Eph. 2:8, 9, 10). But the militant Queer camp will have none of it! There is no option for the individual attracted to his own sex but despises it, has turned from it, and wants to faithfully follow Christ; and, even if they permit this choice, they don't want me suggesting to others that they, too, must follow suit or spend eternity in Hell separated from God.
THE CHILD OF GOD
Odd, though, how I'm told by those in affirming churches that we are all children of God, including all LGBTQIA+ persons, and I just need to sit down, shut up and keep my views to myself, while they spread lies. What they offer you may feel like love but I'm telling you the truth: that is not true love. I offer you real love--eternal love. Hear me loud and clearly, my friend, we are not all children of God. To say that we are all automatically children of God is an unbiblical, vicious, and demonic lie from Hell. Don't you believe it for a second! Scripture teaches:
THE GOSPEL
The issue of Homosexuality is a Gospel issue because the nature of the Gospel concerns sinners who need to be saved (saved from their sins and saved from the wrath of God), justified by God (considered by God just-as-if-I'd never sinned), and accounted righteous (holy and sinless). Who is saved, justified by God, and accounted righteous? Those who trust in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26 ESV) by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8-10).
Affirming churches do not teach and do not believe these biblical truths. They assume that Jesus' death on the Cross renders us all saved and all children of God. This is a lie from the pits of Hell and from Satan himself. I once heard an Episcopal priest confess at a conference at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina that, when Bin Laden was killed by our military for his terrorism in the U.S., God "straightened him out" theologically upon his arrival in Heaven. I looked around the room to see if anyone was shocked and biblically offended by her blatant heresy. Does she truly have no clue as to who is permitted in God's Kingdom? Has she never read the New Testament?
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
Why is Homosexuality a Gospel issue? Because the Gospel, the Good News of what Jesus Christ has accomplished on our behalf, involves who can and who cannot be saved. Are there people who cannot be saved? Absolutely! First, affirming churches tell you that there is nothing about you that needs to change, and we know from Scripture that such an idea is false. We are sinners, spiritually dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1, 2, 3), who need to be saved from sin by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ--and this grace is a transforming power. Being born again (John 3:3, 5), inwardly changed by the Spirit of God (John 3:5, 6, 8), is necessary for entrance into God's Kingdom (John 3:3, 5)--Heaven. We all need to be changed regardless of gender attraction, ethnicity, genealogy, social class or any other identity. We must, you must, be changed!
Second, affirming churches are erroneously telling you that you are already a child of God (because we are all automatically children of God), giving you the impression that you are already safe with God when you are actually living in danger of eternal separation from God each and every second you remain in your sinful, unbelieving, unchanged condition. How could you consider their message to be loving? Is that loving? Is giving you a false hope of eternal security really loving? No, my friend, that is not loving in any sense imaginable. Those who love you will tell you the truth. You must be changed, born again, renewed by the grace of God to express faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4, 5).
BORN AGAIN ≠ HETEROSEXUAL
However, what I do not want you to understand here is that your "change" must be from homosexual attraction to heterosexual attraction. I was saved, born again, in May of 1995, while living in California, unbelieving and same-sex attracted (and promiscuously sexually-active). I am still not attracted to women. But being heterosexual doesn't save you, doesn't justify you before God, doesn't sanctify you (and the sheer number of heterosexual men who are born again yet hooked on porn proves the latter). The change I am referring to is spiritual. I also do not want you to think that you can change yourself into a Christian. Being born again (regeneration) is the work of God. The promise of salvation is given to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ. Will you trust in Him today, tonight, right now? Christ is your Hope--our only Hope.
We are born into this world in a sinful context (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12, 18, 19; 1 Pet. 1:18). Sin not only separates us from God our Creator (Isa. 59:2) but causes our spiritual death and renders us children of wrath (Eph. 2:1, 2, 3)--wrath referring to the wrath of God that is to be poured out on all rebellious and sinful unbelievers (cf. Matt. 10:28; Rom. 1:18; 2:5; 5:9; Eph. 5:6; 2 Pet. 2:9). For those who trust / believe / exercise faith in Jesus Christ, the wrath of God that was poured out on Jesus on the Cross (Isa. 53:10-11) is accredited to our spiritual account (Rom. 3:21-26 ESV; Rom. 4:1-17), and we will never see that wrath (1 Thess. 5:9). This is Good News (Gospel) indeed! You need this Gospel! You want the true Gospel! You can't rely on trying to be good enough, or trying to do enough good deeds, or just assuming that you are already a child of God. You want what the Bible tells you that you can have in Christ Jesus: salvation from sin and God's wrath, justification by God, and eternal life.
PRIDE MONTH
There is no coincidence here as to me posting this at the beginning of Pride Month. I know you know that already. I'm not fooling anyone. But, seriously, what exactly are you so proud of? Bathhouse sex with strangers? Random Grindr hookups with strangers? Sex with strangers in bathrooms and parks? Walking half-naked (or completely naked) in a Pride parade? We usually take pride in what we accomplish for the good--of ourselves, our neighbors, our organizations, our country, etc. But we all insist that same-sex attraction is not something that we chose for ourselves. In some sense we feel like victims: this homosexual attraction is merely a framework into which we were thrust without our consent. How can we take pride in this for which we did not create? If you say that Pride is about not being ashamed of being attracted to one's own sex then I understand that. But is parading around town half-naked, in costumes that are sexually degrading, something to be proud of? What of all the promiscuous sex that occurs at venues of Gay Pride parades? Is that something to be proud of? Really? Seriously?
CONCLUSION
So you say that not all LGBTQIA+ people behave in such manner. That is true. But from what we all see, and from all that I have experienced, the so-perceived noble among this group is the exception rather than the rule. So-called gay marriages are rife with a freedom to invite sexual partners into what is supposed to be a binding covenant of marital faithfulness. Do you really think that God honors such unions? Even before I trusted in Christ I thought "open marriages" were disgusting and not real unions. I know this for certain: Had I been part of a church that embraced and promoted the legitimacy of LGBTQIA+ persons as priests / pastors and bishops, receiving constantly the message that God affirms me just as I am, and that there is nothing more I need do or believe because He already loves me and I am already a child of God, I would have remained in my lost state, unsaved, unregenerate, and doomed for Hell. This is why I write so boldly. I pray God will use this to shake your confidence in the false "gospels" you've heard from affirming churches. Don't believe them! Run to Christ now! Don't put it off!
- Martti Nissinen's Homoeroticism in the Biblical World;
- James V. Brownson's Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships;
- Justin Lee's Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gay-vs.-Christians Debate;
- Patrick S. Cheng's disgusting and blasphemous From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ;
- John Boswell's Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality; and his Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe.
- Christopher Yuan's Holy Sexuality and the Gospel; and
- Wesley Hill's Washed and Waiting.
- Robert Gagnon's The Bible and Homosexual Practice.
- Rosaria Butterfield's Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age;
- Abigail Shrier's Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters; and
- Michael L. Brown's A Queer Thing Happened to America.
The only agenda I have is to tell you about my life, my experiences and beliefs, and pray that you will, by the grace of God, trust in Jesus and be gloriously saved, redeemed, justified and sanctified by God and fulfilled in Christ eternally. But I have no power to change your mind. I can only offer you what I believe and what I believe Scripture teaches of the ways and the thoughts and the standards of God. If you feel agitated at what you're reading at any time, I know that feeling, because I've been there myself. There have been preachers that I have wanted to punch in the face for what I perceived to be hateful, unloving, anti-Queer ranting and raving from bully pulpits. But, if you are like me, then what you want is bare-knuckle truth that, though it may sting, it also provides infinite healing, eternal promise, and infinite freedom.
THE TRUTH
The notion "Homosexuality is an Abomination" is not the Gospel--but it is a Gospel issue. How so? Because telling LGBTQIA+ people that God is affirming of their life-choice to embrace such an identity is, in truth, anti-Gospel: the pro-affirming camp, and all pro-affirming churches, are spreading a false so-called "gospel" that keeps these precious people--people for whom Christ died--in their sins and away from salvation. The so-imagined "love" of pro-affirming people / churches is not true love, not self-sacrificial and bold love, but fake love: this so-perceived "love" is cowardice, fearful to speak Gospel truth, and disingenuous, because true love brings people to the Light, refusing to keep them in the Dark.
Now, what I just expressed is considered by many today as Hate Speech, harkening to Medieval theology. I know, I know, I should get a grip, embrace "who I am," and celebrate how and who God made me to be. But that is exactly what I am trying to do. God made me (Job 4:17; 10:8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 31:15; 33:4; 34:19) and then remade me to be an adopted child of His, graciously bringing me to Himself in and through Jesus Christ, and to be conformed to Christ's image (Eph. 1:4-5 NLT; Rom. 8:29, 30; Eph. 2:8, 9, 10). But the militant Queer camp will have none of it! There is no option for the individual attracted to his own sex but despises it, has turned from it, and wants to faithfully follow Christ; and, even if they permit this choice, they don't want me suggesting to others that they, too, must follow suit or spend eternity in Hell separated from God.
THE CHILD OF GOD
Odd, though, how I'm told by those in affirming churches that we are all children of God, including all LGBTQIA+ persons, and I just need to sit down, shut up and keep my views to myself, while they spread lies. What they offer you may feel like love but I'm telling you the truth: that is not true love. I offer you real love--eternal love. Hear me loud and clearly, my friend, we are not all children of God. To say that we are all automatically children of God is an unbiblical, vicious, and demonic lie from Hell. Don't you believe it for a second! Scripture teaches:
- Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them (John 3:36 NIV);
- Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit [the Holy Spirit] gives birth to spirit [your inner spirit]. You should not be surprised at my saying: 'You must be born again' (John 3:5-7 NIV);
- For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16);
- Whoever believes [trusts / exercises faith] in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe [trust / exercise faith in Christ Jesus as Savior, Lord, and King] stands condemned already because they have not believed in the Name of God's one and only Son (John 3:18);
- See what great love [what kind of love--what kind of other-worldly love] the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not [personally and relationally] know Him (1 John 3:1);
- This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are [ask yourself which one are you]: Anyone who does not do [live for and practice] what is right is not God's child--nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister [in Christ] (1 John 3:10);
THE GOSPEL
The issue of Homosexuality is a Gospel issue because the nature of the Gospel concerns sinners who need to be saved (saved from their sins and saved from the wrath of God), justified by God (considered by God just-as-if-I'd never sinned), and accounted righteous (holy and sinless). Who is saved, justified by God, and accounted righteous? Those who trust in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26 ESV) by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8-10).
Affirming churches do not teach and do not believe these biblical truths. They assume that Jesus' death on the Cross renders us all saved and all children of God. This is a lie from the pits of Hell and from Satan himself. I once heard an Episcopal priest confess at a conference at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina that, when Bin Laden was killed by our military for his terrorism in the U.S., God "straightened him out" theologically upon his arrival in Heaven. I looked around the room to see if anyone was shocked and biblically offended by her blatant heresy. Does she truly have no clue as to who is permitted in God's Kingdom? Has she never read the New Testament?
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
Why is Homosexuality a Gospel issue? Because the Gospel, the Good News of what Jesus Christ has accomplished on our behalf, involves who can and who cannot be saved. Are there people who cannot be saved? Absolutely! First, affirming churches tell you that there is nothing about you that needs to change, and we know from Scripture that such an idea is false. We are sinners, spiritually dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1, 2, 3), who need to be saved from sin by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ--and this grace is a transforming power. Being born again (John 3:3, 5), inwardly changed by the Spirit of God (John 3:5, 6, 8), is necessary for entrance into God's Kingdom (John 3:3, 5)--Heaven. We all need to be changed regardless of gender attraction, ethnicity, genealogy, social class or any other identity. We must, you must, be changed!
Second, affirming churches are erroneously telling you that you are already a child of God (because we are all automatically children of God), giving you the impression that you are already safe with God when you are actually living in danger of eternal separation from God each and every second you remain in your sinful, unbelieving, unchanged condition. How could you consider their message to be loving? Is that loving? Is giving you a false hope of eternal security really loving? No, my friend, that is not loving in any sense imaginable. Those who love you will tell you the truth. You must be changed, born again, renewed by the grace of God to express faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4, 5).
BORN AGAIN ≠ HETEROSEXUAL
However, what I do not want you to understand here is that your "change" must be from homosexual attraction to heterosexual attraction. I was saved, born again, in May of 1995, while living in California, unbelieving and same-sex attracted (and promiscuously sexually-active). I am still not attracted to women. But being heterosexual doesn't save you, doesn't justify you before God, doesn't sanctify you (and the sheer number of heterosexual men who are born again yet hooked on porn proves the latter). The change I am referring to is spiritual. I also do not want you to think that you can change yourself into a Christian. Being born again (regeneration) is the work of God. The promise of salvation is given to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ. Will you trust in Him today, tonight, right now? Christ is your Hope--our only Hope.
We are born into this world in a sinful context (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12, 18, 19; 1 Pet. 1:18). Sin not only separates us from God our Creator (Isa. 59:2) but causes our spiritual death and renders us children of wrath (Eph. 2:1, 2, 3)--wrath referring to the wrath of God that is to be poured out on all rebellious and sinful unbelievers (cf. Matt. 10:28; Rom. 1:18; 2:5; 5:9; Eph. 5:6; 2 Pet. 2:9). For those who trust / believe / exercise faith in Jesus Christ, the wrath of God that was poured out on Jesus on the Cross (Isa. 53:10-11) is accredited to our spiritual account (Rom. 3:21-26 ESV; Rom. 4:1-17), and we will never see that wrath (1 Thess. 5:9). This is Good News (Gospel) indeed! You need this Gospel! You want the true Gospel! You can't rely on trying to be good enough, or trying to do enough good deeds, or just assuming that you are already a child of God. You want what the Bible tells you that you can have in Christ Jesus: salvation from sin and God's wrath, justification by God, and eternal life.
PRIDE MONTH
There is no coincidence here as to me posting this at the beginning of Pride Month. I know you know that already. I'm not fooling anyone. But, seriously, what exactly are you so proud of? Bathhouse sex with strangers? Random Grindr hookups with strangers? Sex with strangers in bathrooms and parks? Walking half-naked (or completely naked) in a Pride parade? We usually take pride in what we accomplish for the good--of ourselves, our neighbors, our organizations, our country, etc. But we all insist that same-sex attraction is not something that we chose for ourselves. In some sense we feel like victims: this homosexual attraction is merely a framework into which we were thrust without our consent. How can we take pride in this for which we did not create? If you say that Pride is about not being ashamed of being attracted to one's own sex then I understand that. But is parading around town half-naked, in costumes that are sexually degrading, something to be proud of? What of all the promiscuous sex that occurs at venues of Gay Pride parades? Is that something to be proud of? Really? Seriously?
CONCLUSION
So you say that not all LGBTQIA+ people behave in such manner. That is true. But from what we all see, and from all that I have experienced, the so-perceived noble among this group is the exception rather than the rule. So-called gay marriages are rife with a freedom to invite sexual partners into what is supposed to be a binding covenant of marital faithfulness. Do you really think that God honors such unions? Even before I trusted in Christ I thought "open marriages" were disgusting and not real unions. I know this for certain: Had I been part of a church that embraced and promoted the legitimacy of LGBTQIA+ persons as priests / pastors and bishops, receiving constantly the message that God affirms me just as I am, and that there is nothing more I need do or believe because He already loves me and I am already a child of God, I would have remained in my lost state, unsaved, unregenerate, and doomed for Hell. This is why I write so boldly. I pray God will use this to shake your confidence in the false "gospels" you've heard from affirming churches. Don't believe them! Run to Christ now! Don't put it off!
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