Christians and Homosexuality

Living by God's Standards
in an LGBT World

In our post here we talked about how different people struggle with different things, and views on homosexuality. Christians and homosexuality is a pretty hot topic right now. So in this post we wanted to look deeper into what the Bible really says and what that means to us.

Did You Know that God Created Sex?

Yep. He did. God created sex.

If you don’t believe in Creation or still are uncertain, be sure to read my page on evolution vs. creationism first before reading on.

How did God create sex? What was the intended purpose?

Genesis 1:27-28 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

Genesis 2: 18, 20-24 says, The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." …But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

I think that God intended sex to be enjoyed…”it’s not good for man to be alone.” Of course, another purpose of sex is to continue to populate the earth, “be fruitful and increase in number.”

God Created Sex to be Enjoyed in One Place...

...in a Committed Marriage Between One Man and One Woman.

Some people won’t like that statement and will try to dispute the Bible.

That’s okay. Everyone is at a different place on their own journey and search for truth.

But, I encourage you to really investigate the Bible before you decide not to trust it. When I did, I was surprised to find several reasons why I really could trust it as God’s Word and live my life according to it.

But, even beyond the Bible, think about it. Does it make sense that sex was intended to be between two guys and/or two girls?

I was talking to a girl recently who is 25 years old who is a lesbian. We’ll call her “Beth.” She is in a committed relationship with her partner; they have built a house together and are now having kids together. Well, kind of.

You see, Beth told me about the emotional roller coaster ride she went on when they decided to have kids. Who would carry the baby? The baby could only be from one of them and then they would have to get a sperm donor to be the father. It was a tough decision. In the end, they decided to have her partner be the carrier. And it was a struggle for Beth. Why? Because deep down, she had a desire to nurture and care for a baby that was her own. A baby that was from her DNA. Most women naturally have this desire. But, when a lesbian couple decides to get pregnant, there can only be one “true” mother.

Beth said she’s pretty confident that her and her partner will stay together. But, if they don’t? Well, she has no legal rights to their son because he is not “technically” or “officially” hers.

That’s the risk she’s taken.

But, as I heard her talk about her story and her struggle, I thought, “Was it really intended to be this way? Did God really create sex to be this way?”

Personally, I don’t think so.

Is Homosexuality a Sin? Yes.

Does it go against God’s plans for our lives? Absolutely.

But so do a million other things.

One thing I (Heather) have heard time and time again, is that there is no hierarchy of sin. All sin is equal in God’s eyes. When we get to Heaven, there won’t be some scale God uses to weigh us to see if we are “good enough.” Even if we have only sinned one time in our entire life. Even if it was something small, it’s still sin, and it still disqualifies us from Heaven.

Homosexuality is a sin just like getting drunk, lying, stealing, adultery, lust, anger, murder, greed… and the list goes on.

It doesn’t make it any worse than the other sins. But it still separates us from God. You can read the references for yourself:

Romans 1:24-32 says, “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.

Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

I Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Homosexuality is a sin. And it’s listed right there next to idolatry, thievery, and greed. Which really brings me to say that we all need Jesus. I know I do. I struggle sinfulness every single day of my life. Sometimes I come out victorious, and sometimes I finish the day clinging to the cross of Christ and praying no one discovers the depth of my failure.

It's Not The Temptation That's Wrong

We can all understand this concept with a drug addict. They may be in recovery and “not using,” but still be tempted to get high on drugs. Just because they still feel the “urge” doesn’t make it wrong.

It’s their actions that follow that temptation thought that count.

As I mentioned earlier, Jesus said that lust in our minds is a sin, the same as having sex with someone would be. Therefore, is it wrong to look at a beautiful woman or a good looking guy and feel the temptation to lust after her or him? No. It’s not the temptation that’s wrong, but what you do with it afterward. Do you linger and allow that temptation to turn to lust as you dwell on her or him?

It's What You Do With the Temptation

James 1:4-5 says, “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

It happens in steps. It looks like this with one leading to the next.

1. Temptation
2. Desire
3. Sin
4. Spiritual Death

And it’s the same way with feelings toward someone of the same sex. It’s not the temptation that’s wrong, it’s what you do with it. Do you lust after that person and then pursue a relationship with them? Or like the recovering alcoholic, do you decide to abstain and learn to through God’s strength to overcome the temptation?

Sexual feelings and desires are normal. God created us to have them. Yet, they so often get distorted in our culture today.

Know This: God Loves Homosexuals

God loves drug addicts, liars, thieves, murders, adulterers, and homosexuals. He loves self-mutilators, and anorexics, and porn addicts, too. He loves us all.

Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

That’s the beauty of the gospel. That’s the love of God. He loves us so much, He sacrificed for us even when we sin against Him. But, unfortunately, many Christians haven’t displayed this love. Instead we have shown judgment and hate towards homosexuals through the years. And it really saddens me to see how they’ve been treated. They don’t deserve to be called names or ridiculed. They deserve to be loved.

The Church is supposed to be a hospital for sick and hurting people. People with problems and struggles. People like you and me. In Luke 5:31-31 Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Therefore, we should not be prejudice against homosexuals or homophobic, but agents of love. After all, we all have our struggles and need God’s grace. And, we shouldn’t stop there. We should also share with them the truth and the hope that is found in Christ.

In a post on Facebook, Jen Hatmaker wrote the following to the LGBT community, “You are so dear, so beloved, so precious and important. You matter so desperately and your life is worthy and beautiful. There is nothing ‘wrong with you,’ or in any case, nothing more right or wrong than any of us, which is to say we are all hopelessly screwed up but Jesus still loves us beyond all reason and lives to make us all new, restored, whole. Yay for Jesus! Thank God he loves us. He is not embarrassed of any of us. I am not a scandal, you are not a scandal. We are not ‘bringing down his brand.’ Anyhow, my message to you today is simple, LGBT gang and all those who love you: You are loved and special and wanted and needed. The end.”

Next Steps...

So if I’m struggling with homosexuality, how do I deal with it?

If we are honest, we will admit that homosexuality is a sin. And if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, that means you should have a problem continuing it in your life. It doesn’t mean you have to hate anyone, or look down on anyone, it just means that you have to recognize it’s not God’s best plan for you. And you need to know that if you are struggling with homosexuality, there is still hope. 

You deal with homosexuality like any other sin.

You confess and ask God’s forgiveness.

And then you repent.

That means change directions. You can read more about changing directions here.

Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.” If you stumble back into it, you get up, dust off, confess, and ask for forgiveness again. The reason we say we struggle with sin, is because it is a struggle. Sometimes we come out, sometimes we don’t. But as long as we are fighting against it, as long as we don’t give up, we will be okay in the end. Jesus has us covered.

The Bottom Line?

How should we handle songs like I Kissed a Girl?

How do we live in a world that is saturated with the LGBT movement?

One quote that has really had an impact on me was from Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird's book, Girl Defined. They wrote, “If God values something, then we should too. If God calls something a blessing, then we should too. We should never be ashamed or embarrassed to love what God loves.”[i] I would add that if God calls something sin, then we should too.

I (Shelley) also think we should be very careful about the type of media we take in. It really does impact us. And therefore, I think we need to guard our hearts and not watch music videos or listen to songs that promote homosexuality like the song I Kissed a Girl.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

What should our views on homosexuality be?

How should we treat homosexuals?

Instead of pointing fingers, let’s reach out and throw a lifesaver to those who are struggling with homosexuality… or any sin for that matter. Let’s share with them the hope that is in Christ.

If you’re not sure what this “hope in Christ” is all about, take the good test and see for yourself…

Take the Good Test

About the Authors

Shelley and Heather have written a book...
specifically for teen girls -- and this book could change your life
or the life of a teen girl you know!

Find out more now

[i] Clark, Kristen. Baird, Bethany. Girl Defined: God’s Radical Design for Beauty, Feminity, and Identity. Baker Books. 2016. p. 155

This tends to be a controversial topic, even sometimes among Christians. What do you think? What are your views on homosexuality? What are some ways you think we should address this issue?

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