Lets begin with a bit of clarity. The issue of homosexuality is more than a sin issue. It's more than a morality issue. It's more than a right or wrong issue.
It's a human issue.
It's a human issue because we are dealing with human beings.
Human beings are innately sexual creatures. We've been so since the beginning. In fact one of the first things we were commanded to do was be fruitful and multiply. Then theres the song of solomon. Which makes the point unavoidable. When we talk about homosexuality we are not talking about an issue, an epidemic, or a choice. We're talking about human beings who, like all human beings, find there sexual tendency closely linked to their identity. It's part of our brokenness. Sexuality was directly affected by the fall. Our sexuality instantly brought shame when sin entered the world, and anything shameful is hidden, and anything hidden is easily confused.
That being said no straight person defines their self by "heterosexuality." We call ourselves firemen or musicians, or we say we're married or love our dog.
If we don't make our sexual orientation our greatest divider for those who call themselves straight, why should it be the primary definer of someone who considers him or herself gay?
By allowing homosexuality to be the buzz word of identity and the pinnacle of "sinful culture" we have perpetuated to people that need the love of Christ that it is their sexuality that defines them instead of their creator. When we start with sexuality instead of humanity we will always end at depravity instead of the image of God. It has nothing to do with homosexuality being sin, it has to do with homosexuals being humans. When we attack homosexuality we are reinforcing that identity is sexuality, then telling people that their identity is detestable to God.
So we need to stop.
We need to learn the power of our words.
We need to stop dealing with the issue of homosexuality and start dealing with the issue of introducing people to Jesus. People. All people. All are loved. All can be forgiven. All can be redeemed. None have to do it on their own. None have to do it first.
Does that mean homosexuals can be Christians?
well... yes.
Does that mean gossips can be Christians?
yes.
The good thing is that it also means you and I can be Christians.
When struggling with a sin disqualifies a person from being a Christian I'm out. So are you.
Temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted. That means being tempted to look at porn isn't sin. That means having an attraction toward porn isn't sin. That means having the attraction to a member of the same sex isn't sin. Acting on it is.
But lets be real. David had an affair and killed a guy to cover it up. He was a man after God's own heart and wrote most of the Psalms. The cross of Christ is more powerful than any human issue.
But for some reason we think that homosexuality is going to tear apart the church? No. There is no sin, no struggle, no human issue that is greater than our God or more powerful than his cross.
That deserves an amen.
The more we worry about homosexuality instead of worrying about people meeting Jesus the farther we tear the wound.
Sin cannot keep us from his love. Accept him and trust him first. He'll deal with the sin as we grow close to him. It won't be easy. But it also won't be a losing battle.
Helping people enter into and grow in a relationship with him is the only issue Christians need to worry about. We do that by loving them, serving them, telling them, accepting them, befriending them, discipling them.
Yes, homosexuality is sin. That is an unavoidable truth in scripture, but there are a lot of sins in scripture. None of them define someone more than how much Christ loves them. Sin has never kept God from pursuing, accepting, forgiving, and THEN changing humans. The first step is Jesus. The middle steps are Jesus. The last step is Jesus. Worry about Jesus. He's the only one who can take care of any sin.
It's a human issue.
It's a human issue because we are dealing with human beings.
Human beings are innately sexual creatures. We've been so since the beginning. In fact one of the first things we were commanded to do was be fruitful and multiply. Then theres the song of solomon. Which makes the point unavoidable. When we talk about homosexuality we are not talking about an issue, an epidemic, or a choice. We're talking about human beings who, like all human beings, find there sexual tendency closely linked to their identity. It's part of our brokenness. Sexuality was directly affected by the fall. Our sexuality instantly brought shame when sin entered the world, and anything shameful is hidden, and anything hidden is easily confused.
That being said no straight person defines their self by "heterosexuality." We call ourselves firemen or musicians, or we say we're married or love our dog.
If we don't make our sexual orientation our greatest divider for those who call themselves straight, why should it be the primary definer of someone who considers him or herself gay?
By allowing homosexuality to be the buzz word of identity and the pinnacle of "sinful culture" we have perpetuated to people that need the love of Christ that it is their sexuality that defines them instead of their creator. When we start with sexuality instead of humanity we will always end at depravity instead of the image of God. It has nothing to do with homosexuality being sin, it has to do with homosexuals being humans. When we attack homosexuality we are reinforcing that identity is sexuality, then telling people that their identity is detestable to God.
So we need to stop.
We need to learn the power of our words.
We need to stop dealing with the issue of homosexuality and start dealing with the issue of introducing people to Jesus. People. All people. All are loved. All can be forgiven. All can be redeemed. None have to do it on their own. None have to do it first.
Does that mean homosexuals can be Christians?
well... yes.
Does that mean gossips can be Christians?
yes.
The good thing is that it also means you and I can be Christians.
When struggling with a sin disqualifies a person from being a Christian I'm out. So are you.
Temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted. That means being tempted to look at porn isn't sin. That means having an attraction toward porn isn't sin. That means having the attraction to a member of the same sex isn't sin. Acting on it is.
But lets be real. David had an affair and killed a guy to cover it up. He was a man after God's own heart and wrote most of the Psalms. The cross of Christ is more powerful than any human issue.
But for some reason we think that homosexuality is going to tear apart the church? No. There is no sin, no struggle, no human issue that is greater than our God or more powerful than his cross.
That deserves an amen.
The more we worry about homosexuality instead of worrying about people meeting Jesus the farther we tear the wound.
Sin cannot keep us from his love. Accept him and trust him first. He'll deal with the sin as we grow close to him. It won't be easy. But it also won't be a losing battle.
Helping people enter into and grow in a relationship with him is the only issue Christians need to worry about. We do that by loving them, serving them, telling them, accepting them, befriending them, discipling them.
Yes, homosexuality is sin. That is an unavoidable truth in scripture, but there are a lot of sins in scripture. None of them define someone more than how much Christ loves them. Sin has never kept God from pursuing, accepting, forgiving, and THEN changing humans. The first step is Jesus. The middle steps are Jesus. The last step is Jesus. Worry about Jesus. He's the only one who can take care of any sin.
