I'd be lying if I said that seeing all of the equality signs and comments this week has not bothered me. It has definitely made me think on the issue of homosexuality which is ever-growing. I call it an issue because if it weren't, things would not have been out on facebook the way they were this week. As a pastor, I feel the need to place my cards on the table for the sake of those who look to me for such guidance. And I realize it is a lose-lose situation to say anything negative, but I come to this in a spirit of love and humility.
The issue that seems to be going on around the country is not really a Christian issue. It is a governmental issue. I find it intriguing that many of the people who are so in favor of less government on certain things want the government to crack down or stand firm on other things. This goes for just about all of us. It is a natural human tendency to want our governing body to side with us. In the case of homosexual marriage, the democratic republic of the United States should eventually do what the people want. That is the idea of people voting for representatives to make laws (or not make laws). So if the people of the country we live in want homosexual marriage to be legal, then it will be legal. That is how it works. And that is the simplified political side of the issue.
So what does this mean for Christianity? Well, as I read the Bible, with the presupposition that it is the divinely inspired Word of God, containing God's revelation of Himself, His desires, and what He demands from His people, it seems clear to me that homosexual activity is a sin against God. There are several places where it is mentioned, and none of them carries any semblance of a positive tone. But more than that, simply taking a look at the order of creation and the purpose for creating male and female, it seems opposed to the nature of God Himself. I realize it is easier for me to accept this as I have never felt a physical attraction toward someone of the same gender. And I also realize that there are many other sins of which I am guilty. Many of the sins I have committed, others have not felt inclined toward. But to come to the conclusion that homosexual activity is not a sin against God, you have to do some interpretive gymnastics with the Bible.
But here is the rub. I have committed myself to follow Christ. I am not perfect, and I rely on other Christ-followers to call me on my failures. When I sin, my attitude is to confess it as sin, thank God for his grace, and turn from the sinful act to God, whose Spirit is there to transform my heart so I will overcome such sins. That sounds nice and neat, and I wish I could say it was always that easy. However, being committed to follow Christ gives other people the right to hold me accountable. For those who have not committed themselves to follow Christ, I have no ground on which to hold them accountable. I cannot call them out for something they are doing which is sinful. All I can do is invite them to follow God because I believe true liberty is found in actually submitting myself to God and His unwavering standard for humanity, which is found in the example of Jesus. That's the righteousness side of things.
But there is also the love side of things. There is the merciful side of things. Do I hate people who practice homosexuality? No. Nothing could be further from the truth. Do I support what they are doing? No. How is that possible? Love does not mean I should place my stamp of approval on what you do with your life. We have equated tolerance to supporting everyone else's lifestyle, but that is not what it means. If I tell you something you are doing is a sin against God, it doesn't mean I hate you. I can only speak for myself on this because I have heard many people speak out in very unloving ways. But what I can say is that no matter what you are doing or have done, God loves you. God wants to be with you, and He wants to give you the gift of life. He wants that so bad that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the punishment for your sins, so that you could be washed of your sins. You can't make up for any of your sins by trying to be good. Life with God is a gift, already paid for by Jesus. The question is will you receive that gift? Will you surrender to Jesus, that the Holy Spirit would begin to change you? Nobody can argue whether that is love or not. But many are just fine being their own god, so why would they surrender to another? Even those of us who have surrendered still battle with allowing God to be God.
As for God's people, we don't always get it right. I include myself in that. A man named Paul, who had personal interaction with Jesus after he was raised from the dead, told us to speak the truth in love. The truth is that every single one of us has been shaped in some way by things that have happened in our lives. It would be easy for me to say I am insecure, but that is not the truth. I have feelings of insecurity because of things that have happened in my life, but when it really comes down to it, my feelings of insecurity are sinful. Why? Because God has told me who I am in the Bible. He said I have been adopted into his family as his son. He said I have been redeemed. To feel insecure is to not trust God. Does that mean I will automatically stop feeling insecure? Most likely not. However, God did not create me with insecurities, and His desire is for me to overcome that by learning to trust Him. If God says it is wrong, he can redeem it, and change us to be right.
When it comes to homosexuality, people have been sold a bill of goods, as I see it. They have been told they are homosexual, rather than being told they have feelings of sexual attraction toward someone of the same gender. It's easy to see why. When you start sexualizing a physical attraction to someone of the same gender, it seems to explain everything in your past which has led up to this point. The assumption is that you were created that way. What if that assumption was incorrect? What if the things that happened in your life leading up to that point actually influenced you to have the feelings you have toward someone of the same gender? Is that so far-fetched?
You will notice I have not mentioned anything about judgment or hell. Some would scold me for refraining, but here is the deal: I am not the one judging anybody, and I am not the one who has been sinned against. We will all answer to God. God is absolutely righteous and holy in character, and somehow, at the same time, he is also merciful and gracious. It's not my place to tell you that you are going to hell. It is my place to tell you that God is standing in front of you with arms wide open, and he wants you to let go of everything in your life that is opposed to His nature. As I understand from the Bible, this would include homosexual activity, as well as gossip, slander, drunkenness, lust, pride, greed, back-biting, theft, lying, sex outside of God-designed marriage, hate, insecurity, and the list could go on and on.
I have tried to be concise, but I know there are things which need more elaboration, and many things that people will not be happy about. It's okay. You can stand for what you believe, and I can stand for what I believe, and we can still have a good relationship. But in the end, neither one of us will be the One saying whether we believed rightly or not.
Gary
