"Yeah!" Everyone agreed. Or almost everyone.
"I think we need to work on not gossiping so much and let other people deal with their own sin...if they want to," a college-aged girl added.
I was in a Bible study. For the next several weeks, we were doing discussions of the pastor's sermons from the previous Sunday. Our pastor was faithfully teaching the book of Romans. He had recently gone over Romans 1:18-30. This passage talks about how people really know God exists, but suppress that inborn knowledge. As the passage goes, God allows them to exercise their free will, and gives them over to their sins, which eventually lead to a "depraved mind" (v 28). This passage gives the progression through which people go once they deny God in their hearts. They do things they never started off thinking they'd ever do. Several sins are listed here. Verses 26-27 specifically list homosexual acts. Verse 29 lists several other sins (wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, inventing evil, disobedience toward parents, etc.). The point (which culminates in Romans 3) is that no one gets off the hook. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23). The Apostle Paul is building a case here that eventually points all people to the way of salvation. In chapter one, though, he is pointing out where life without God leads. It does lead to a digression into sin. And homosexual acts are listed in this digression. Our pastor has addressed it as he read that passage. By no means was that his aim in the entire sermon, but he was faithful to the passage. He didn't hold the Bible at the mercy of 21st century protocol. He had stated the truth: homosexuality isn't God's will for anyone (according to this passage, and many others). Certainly this phenomena of transgenderism isn't His plan, because it would assume that He made a mistake when He crated someone--and we know our God makes no mistakes. These things are being pushed on our culture and society like never before in history, and as Christians, we need to address them biblically. That is what our pastor was doing. The other sins listed are clearly not God's will either, and they are just as deadly. However, there isn't an agenda of these sins being pushed on us, our universities, or our school children. That's the key here.
I grew distressed as I sat in the Bible study. These college-aged students (that particular church was in a college town, so many attendees were 18-22 years old) were taking the message in an entirely different direction than the pastor had. They were quoting the bilge being thrown around nowadays--stuff people repeat without even thinking through: "Don't judge." People often show very little discernment. That's how it was in the Bible study that morning. Everyone (other college kids, older people in the study, and the in-between people my age) seemed to be catching this message that the problems in the world are all the Christians' fault for being too judgmental toward homosexuals. My spirit was troubled as I heard this. I knew I was being called upon by God to say something. The discussion got more and more off-point. People were throwing their brothers and sisters in Christ to the wolves while praising people who suppress the truth (according to the very passage we were studying).
"You know," I spoke up, my voice quivering (I totally expected to have to find a new church after I said this), "I'm hearing everyone in this room say that the Christians are the problem, and I have to disagree. I don't know any Christian people who abuse homosexuals. Most Christians I know are quite compassionate. Disagreeing and abuse are two very different things. I think the reason Christians are talking about this so much nowadays is because there is an agenda being pushed on us, and we have to find the right response to it. Christians aren't sitting around thinking, 'Let's attack gays.' There is an agenda attacking Christians. Not all homosexuals are involved in that. In fact, I'd guess even the majority of them are not. But this agenda is what's pushing some gays to demand a pastor marry them and sue him if he doesn't, or sue Christian bakers for not wanting to make their wedding cake. Our freedom is being tested and removed. It's very serious. I believe it isn't even about homosexuality, ultimately, but about religious freedom as a whole. This is just part of the battlefield, and the homosexual people are being used as pawns. In my home state, a lot of churches have changed their church constitutions to where they'll only marry members of their congregation in order to protect themselves from it. It's real, and to say Christians are the problem is way off-base."
Everyone looked at me for a second, and I expected rotten fruit to fly in my direction...but that didn't happen. One of the men who had been most vocal in the conversation said, "Wow, you're right. There is agenda being pushed." And all of a sudden, everyone agreed with me and was talking in the complete opposite direction of where they'd been going before. It took several minutes for my heart to slow down to normal. I was mostly relieved, and felt peace about having said what God led me to say. A small part of me was amused at how easy everyone's mind was to change. This showed me that people often don't think things through, but repeat what everyone else is saying.
All sin is equally wrong, and also equally forgivable by God through faith in Jesus. In the meantime, how do we respond to the message in our culture, which says things that are clearly stated to be against God's will are right and good, and failure to agree is equated with hate? I've heard people say, "Jesus hung out with sinners, so that means we can't disagree with homosexuality being a valid lifestyle."
First, I'm going to say that same-sex attraction itself isn't the sin. Just like a single heterosexual person having sexual urges isn't a sin, nor is a married person noticing they have a chemistry with someone who isn't their spouse. The sin is what a person does with any of these things. Jesus said in Luke 9:23 that in order to come after Him, we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. That cross might be sexual desires that can't be righteously fulfilled. It might be something vastly different. But nobody gets a pass on that--not the person prone to violence, not the one with the penchant for gossip, not the one with same-sex attraction, and not the one who feels he or she was born with the wrong body parts and thinks sexual reassignment surgery will bring peace and fulfillment. We are all called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily (meaning it is a daily choice) and follow Jesus. Self-denial is the big thing no one wants to do, and that's really the bottom line to all of this. Our culture has long said, "If it feels good, do it!" Homosexuality and transgenderism are the latest, but this mindset against self-denial has existed for a long time, and used other sins, such as extra-marital affairs, drugs, abortion, etc. All of us are called to deny ourselves these things. The reason Jesus asks us to deny ourselves is because He knows these things aren't best for us. He loves us (Jeremiah 31:3) and has good plans for us (Ephesians 2:10)! He wants us to know Him as our joy-giver and fulfillment (Philippians 4:19). We do struggle with things that aren't God's will. The Apostle Paul had to be told by God, "My grace is sufficient for you." (Second Corinthians 12:9). And it is. I'm sure it breaks God's heart when anyone turns to something else to find fulfillment--to meet the needs inside, whether it be food, drugs, money, relationships. None of those things satisfy the deepest longings of our soul.
Having said all of that, our world today is bombarded with an agenda that not only promotes homosexuality and transgenderism, but condemns anyone who doesn't agree. The issue is painted as one of compassion. Some people have even said that Jesus would spend time with them and not "judge" them. Here is my take on that. First of all, it would break Jesus' heart, because He created us for a purpose vastly different than that (Psalm 139:13-14). They (especially children being used to promote transgenderism when they aren't even aware of sexuality yet) are pawns of the enemy, and it should break our hearts as well. Jesus did show love to people. He spent time with those in sin. But He never acted like their sin was acceptable. He freed them from it. The woman caught in adultery was forgiven, but told to "go and sin no more." (John 8:11). With the woman at the well (John 4) Jesus brought her sinful life to the forefront before revealing Himself to her. He was preparing her for conversion to faith in Him, and part of that involves acknowledging sin.
I have heard arguments that the Bible doesn't actually consider homosexuality as a sin. If I bring up how Leviticus clearly states, "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman," these people routinely dismiss the Old Testament for various reasons. This is wrong for them to do, but okay, even assuming for a moment this passage in Leviticus meant something else, Romans 1, which I have already mentioned, clearly defines it as part of the digression of sin toward a depraved mind. I have heard people point out that Jesus never spoke on homosexuality, but I have to add that Jesus defined marriage as being between one man and one woman for life. (Matthew 19:5). His definition of marriage didn't leave any room for homosexuality. Ephesians 5:25 says, "husbands love your wives." It doesn't say, "Love your wives, or your husbands if you happen to be gay and married to a man." It just isn't in there. I do not believe homosexual acts are worse than other sins, but I do believe they are sin. Just looking at the basic creation of Adam and Eve in Genesis is a pattern for marriage--a man and a woman. The problem in people's thinking is that they believe that sex is the be-all and end-all, when it isn't. Many people never marry, never even have a romantic relationship to speak of, and still have very fulfilling life. Matthew 19:12 says, "...some have renounced marriage for the kingdom of Heaven." God's calling sometimes involves a life of singleness. The be-all and end-all is following God's plan. That's where the satisfaction comes from.
Why is it important for Christians to talk about this? Are we just mean and want to attack a certain group of people? No! In fact, no one should even be defined by their sexual urges. We're much more than that. We're human beings, created in the image of God, loved by God, offered salvation in Jesus. That's how we want to see people, and be seen by people. But, as I have said, there is an agenda being pushed, and I believe the real goal is to eliminate Christian freedom. It is ridiculous. People are entitled to respect, but no one is entitled to have their lifestyle agreed with by everyone! Even thinking everyone should legally be forced to agree with me is egotistically insane. I am not entitled to have you agree with me. You have perfect freedom to dislike what I'm saying, and to disagree with me, even say so. I'm not going to sue you for disagreeing with me. It might limit how close I can be with you, but I respect your right to disagree with me. That is being stripped away from us as this agenda is pushed on our society. Transgenderism is, in my opinion, a whole new envelope. Some man--who everyone knows as a man--suddenly decides he's really a girl deep inside, and he expects everyone to adjust to this new identity. I have heard family members of people who faced this say it is like the person they loved died. They are gone, replaced by this fake woman (or man) who doesn't really even look like the sex they are saying they now are. Even needing to grieve the loss is considered hate, because it isn't instantly adjusting to this person's new identity. I have seen two different universities try to convince students who struggled with depression that they were really transgender. This led to complete confusion in their lives, and alienation from their important relationships. That isn't of Jesus. That is an agenda being thrown at an already-hurting person who had otherwise never even thought about transgenderism. They're attacking people who are vulnerable to the deception. These so-called counselors will have a lot to answer for when they stand before God on Judgment Day. Homosexuality and transgenderism are really a small part of this long-range plan that has been in effect for such a long time. Satan's plan to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10a) and to take away the freedom of believers. We can't give the enemy ground. We have to speak the truth, especially to weaker believers who are just quoting what they hear.
I was especially convicted by Ezekiel 3:17-19, Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.
That passage is pretty convicting. We are to speak up. God holds us responsible for speaking the truth. I once read a tract about how someone who had died and gone to hell had a chance to speak to their Christian friend who was still alive, and he said, "Why didn't you warn me?" That tract was just a fictionalized idea to get us thinking of the importance of speaking the truth of God's word. Are we called to harp on homosexuals? Not at all, but we are called to answer the lies of our culture with what the Bible says. We are called to love those caught in all kinds of sins, showing them there's a better way for them ("life abundantly"-John 10:10b). Our heart should break for the bondage of these precious people--people worth the life of Jesus Christ, who don't know the wages of sin. Our motive should be love. Love doesn't leave people to a life that will ultimately destroy them. Love wants what's best for them--God's best for them. That's what we need to be doing.
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