How do you respond to the person who on the one hand says
they are gay and on the other says they are a follower of Christ? I quite often
encounter this situation and the response, which seeks to be consistent with
biblical Christianity, is not always as straightforward as one might think. For
one, we all fall into sin from time to time, even to the point of being openly
and stubbornly wanton in our rebellion against God’s law. Does this mean that
during these periods of foolishness we are no longer to be considered
“Christians” or we have, by our refusal to repent, revoked God’s saving grace
in our lives? I find no biblical support for such a position, in fact, quite
the contrary. Take King David, for example, who sinned egregiously against God
committing murder and adultery. Was David considered “lost” during the time he
was unrepentant?
Similarly, one has to be very careful in casting broad
judgments upon those who claim to be “gay” Christians. Now, to be clear,
homosexual behavior, or any other lifestyle, contrary to God’s law, is
absolutely incompatible with the Christian life and constitutes disobedience
and salvation dictates repentance. This would be no different than the
Christian man who persists in adultery. In both instances, each could be truly
saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ while at the same time openly
rebelling against God. Some may say “yes but, if such a person were truly a Christian, they would come under
conviction of the Holy Spirit.” I would agree, however, I cannot nor can anyone
define a biblically “acceptable” period in which this conviction should be
accomplished. We simply cannot know where a person may be in their relationship
with the Lord or what the Lord is doing in response to their rebellion.
Therefore, these situations require a great deal of
humility, caution and grace in our response out of fear that we might sin in
our own words and deeds and cause harm to a brother or sister in Christ.
One such situation presented itself in one of the many
responses to my recent article Freedom for All
Except... A man, I will call “John,” from
As
a Christian I stand in awe at God's extravagant love, His all encompassing and
unconditional love for us all. I am amazed on a daily basis at how He takes us,
blesses us, breaks us and uses us... but the work is always His! I know that
God uses me in ways for which I feel I am not worthy - but He has deemed me
worthy. EVEN though I am gay!
For the most part, I would agree with this statement. God does indeed love sinners, however to imply, in this sense, that God’s love is “unconditional” is to suggest that He overlooks or ignores our sin. This is a wholly unbiblical premise. The issue of our sin (or rebellion) is the very reason for God’s redemptive plan, which was accomplished in Christ, and His love alone is the impetus for that plan being put into action. This is why God’s grace is so amazing! As the apostle Paul wrote, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)
While God does indeed offer mercy and forgiveness for our sin, He nonetheless commands us to repent or turn from our sin having been set free from the bondage to sin. (Romans 6:16)
Here is the second part of “John’s” response to my article:Michael, when you realise that I am
far more than my gayness, and that my sexuality is but a portion of my whole,
you will realise that it is not MY sexuality that threatens you, or your family,
or your community, or your country for that matter. It is the love of Christ
which addresses YOUR pain… I am a member of a local
The following is an edited version of my response to “John.”
My dear brother, I am not in anyway “threatened” by your homosexual behavior; I grieve for my own sin as well as the sin of others. But, I am particularly grieved by efforts to legitimize that which God calls sin, and as followers of Christ we are called to speak the truth in order that our ‘brother may be saved,’ in the same way that Nathan confronted David. This is love! Secondly, I am grieved because sin inevitably and always hurts people, including you. I do not judge you, judgment is the Lord’s, but His word is clear on this matter, and therefore I exhort you to turn from your sin and stop deceiving yourself into believing that the Lord is unconcerned with your sin. He loves you, yes, but He died to atone for your sins and mine. It is our sin that we must turn from if we want to truly follow Christ.
While I have focused on the subject of homosexuality
in this particular situation, we have a responsibility to call a brother or
sister, who is under the domination of any
sin, to repentance. (James 5:19-20) There are a multitude of sins which
dominate us, and the challenge for those who truly love is to show grace and
yet call the wayward to repentance, being open to this exhortation in our own
lives.
© 2007 by S. Michael Craven
Post your comments HERE
S. Michael Craven is the Founding Director of the Center for Christ & Culture, a ministry of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. The Center for Christ & Culture is dedicated to the renewal and reformation of society through the renewal and reformation of the Church. For more information on the Center for Christ & Culture, additional resources and other works by S. Michael Craven visit: www.battlefortruth.org
Michael lives in the Dallas area with his wife Carol and their three children.
