Mid-week Prayer Focus
Jesus and LGBTQ+
Pastor Wes
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This video is going to be a little different than what our typical content is- I want to talk briefly about homosexuality. The homosexual agenda has been rapidly advancing over the past several years, and while currently it’s not in the main spotlight due to virus concerns, racial concerns, protests, and politics- it is still an agenda that is advancing, and I want to help Christians know how to respond. Disney is airing cartoons whose main characters are gay or bi-sexual. Businesses, organizations, schools are not asking for tolerance and respect of those LGBTQ, rather they are asking for whole hearted support and agreement with “alternate” lifestyles. This topic is one that the church in general has not responded very well to, and while we could probably spend a lot of time on this subject, I want to now in less than 10 minutes help equip you as you face the rapidly evolving culture around us.
I want to begin by quoting to you John 1:17, it says “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” This is a verse we as Christians need to hold tightly to on any conversation of right and wrong. God’s law is solid, it is firm and set in stone, but through Jesus we have the responsibility to temper God’s law and its truth- with grace. As we compare the standard of the God’s word to any subject- we have to handle that subject and God’s word with both grace and truth. There are some who have leaned so heavily upon grace and in doing so have excused and permitted all sorts of actions that have grieved God’s heart. Others uphold only truth without grace, and in doing so have been nothing but arrogant, self-righteous Bible thumpers to the world. We have to be equipped with God’s truth AND grace at all times, standing firmly in His unchanging truth, yet applying it with grace- in mercy, humility, sensitivity, and with respect.
If we are to look at the truth in God’s word, we cannot avoid the fact that God deems homosexuality, sexual immorality, sexual perversion as being wrong. The Old Testament condemns it, the New Testament condemns it. Leviticus 18 and 20 lists the laws concerning sexuality- prohibiting a man to lie with a man as he would with a woman, but also prohibiting incest, bestiality, and other sexual perversions. In the New Testament, Paul speaks to the church in Corinth, which at that time in that culture was really wrestling with issues of sexuality. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul mentions that many from within the church used to be unrighteous, as sexually active outside the bond of marriage, adulterers, homosexual, covetous, drunkards, thieves, etc.- but, they were washed, sanctified and justified by Jesus. (1 Cor. 6:9-11) He goes on later forbidding prostitution, and commands those who have been joined to the Lord to flee immorality, and that our bodies are the temple of God, and we should thus glorify God with our bodies. (1 Cor. 6:15-20)
There are other New Testament references as well, but let’s move on to answer those who would say Jesus never mentioned anything about homosexuality. Let me speak to that very quickly. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus stated “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5:17) Over and over again, Jesus emphasized the truth and permanence of God’s law contained in the Old Testament. You might object though, saying that Christians pick and choose what commands/laws to follow from the Old Testament. Here’s the thing you have to understand about the Old Testament. It contains 3 different types of laws:
Civil laws- how Israel was to function as a civil society. These laws covered handling loans, property, court cases, how to help the poor. We live in a society that functions now very differently civilly and governmentally, but we can still apply many of the moral principles behind many of these civil laws.
Then there are Ceremonial laws- how Israel was to function as God’s people. These laws covered, sacrifices, spiritual cleanliness, and worship- like the civil laws, these laws don’t as much in practice pertain to us, yet they point to Jesus one day fulfilling them as the ultimate sacrifice that makes us spiritually clean and able to worship God.
Lastly the Old Testament Law contains Moral Laws. These laws define morality, they define what is right and wrong, they are universal to all cultures in any given time period. The 10 commandments are included in this grouping, as well as the laws of sexuality. Adultery, homosexuality, bestiality are moral issues of right and wrong, not civil laws that have become obsolete as a result of modern times, nor are they ceremonial laws that pointed to Jesus and were 100% fulfilled with His death and resurrection.
So, yes, Jesus does not specifically address homosexuality, but He stands firm on the Old Testament Law which prohibits such sexual sin. What Jesus does declare however is this, Matthew 19:4-6 “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Jesus again referred back to the Old Testament, and gave the model for sexual relationships. 1 man, 1 woman, coming together as 1. In this one statement he answered questions about divorce, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, transgender, etc.
I’m sure you’ve probably heard how the U.S. government trains federal agents to spot counterfeit bills. The don’t study and list out all the ways US bills can be incorrect- no, they focus solely on the real, genuine dollar bill, and learn to know it so well that any counterfeit would be recognized immediately. In this statement from Matthew 19, Jesus declares the true dollar bill, and anything less than it is a wrong fake.
Some would argue that homosexuality is not a moral sin, but it is an identity that you are born with. This argument is actually very close to the truth, but it is still a perversion of God’s truth. The reality is, we are all born with sin nature within us. The Bible makes it really clear, if you are related to Adam (which we all are), then you have the tainted bloodline and are born in sin. Romans 5:12 tells us that “through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” So, here’s the deal, we are all born with sin nature, and tendencies to fall into certain sins. There are certain sins that we might each battle our whole lives. Some of us are born with very addictive predispositions- and as a result we wrestle through life being drawn to drugs, money, sex, power, adrenaline, or whatever it may be that our addictive tendency attempts to latch onto. That predisposition from birth doesn’t make addictions healthy or right. In the same way, people can be born with predispositions towards homosexuality. Males can be born with tendencies towards being effeminate. Females can be born with tendencies towards being masculine. How quickly we realize kids are born with sin nature already in them. You don’t have to teach a kid to lie, it comes naturally from within, and at a very early age. We don’t therefore say that since kids are born with a lying nature, that lying can no longer be called wrong.
But what about feelings? Can feelings dictate morality? If someone feels like they are supposed to live an immoral lifestyle, does that make it ok? No. We can’t rely on our feelings. I’m sure we have each at times felt a certain way, and as a result were tempted to do a certain thing that was wrong, and we have the choice to give into that feeling and do wrong, or to resist it and do what’s right.
Perhaps you could argue: “Well, we’re all sinners, right?” Yes, we are. We are all sinners in need of repentance. But that’s the issue- repentance. Defenders of homosexuality attempt to claim that homosexuality is not wrong, and therefore not something that requires repentance or forgiveness. At the very core of Christianity is repentance. The basic premise behind the gospel is repentance. The key that unlocks salvation is repentance. Repentance is admitting that what God says is wrong is actually wrong, what He says is right is actually right, and we then turn away from our warped perception, and chose to align our thoughts, lives, and actions with His truth.
So how should we as Christians engage with others and our world concerning the LGBTQ agenda? As I mentioned in the beginning, we have to present God’s truth with God’s grace. We have to stand firmly calling what is right right, and what is wrong wrong, but do so remembering how much patience, love, and grace God treats us with. We have to engage in conversations that present truth from God’s word, yet do so with the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
Secondly, we need to examine ourselves and do as Jesus commands, making sure we take the log out of our own eye before attempting to remove the speck in others eyes. Sexual sin is more than just the issues of homosexuality and gender confusion. Like I stated earlier, sexual sin includes sex outside of marriage and adultery. And Jesus even says “everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matt. 5:28) God’s universal church needs to get right with Him, not just concerning homosexuality, but in other areas of sexual sin as well, in order to have true, honest, beneficial dialogue with our world on LGBTQ issues.
Lastly, I believe it’s crucial for us as Christians to not push away, ignore, or write off those who disagree with God’s standard- whether it be over issues of sexuality or other issues. We can disagree, but our command from Jesus is to love, do good to, bless, pray for (Luke 6:27) even those who could be considered an enemy- those who are against, contrary, opposed to our beliefs, convictions, ideology. We are to love and not stop loving.
Romans 2:4 states that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. My prayer is that those who are wrestling with issues of sexuality, would be drawn to repentance after seeing God’s kindness and the Church’s kindness towards them. In fact, how are they going to experience God’s kindness, if God’s Church isn’t kind? May you and I be firmly established in and equipped with God’s truth, and display God’s kindness that His abundant grace requires.