Many Christian churches include men and women who struggle with homosexuality, along with such heterosexual issues as premarital sex and adultery. They also include people who struggle with greed, selfishness, hatred and such like.
That should not surprise us, for Paul saw the same struggles when he looked at the early church (see 1 Cor 6:9-10 for a fuller list). The mix may vary from time to time and place to place, but the same struggles occur among Christian people across time and space boundaries.
Some activists claim that as many as 10% of the population are homosexual. This may well be overstated. However, there is a significant number of people struggling here, whether they are 'out' or maintaining a life of quiet concealment.
What can Christians say about same sex relationships?
Let's first distinguish between orientation and action. Someone may may a disposition to homosexuality but choose not to act on it. (As may also be true for other struggle areas.) Another may give may to homosexual thoughts as a purely private and inward action. (As again may happen in other areas.) Yet another may act out their thoughts. The last two are problem areas in Christian perspective, for Jesus teaches that our inward thought actions are morally significant, along with outward body actions (eg Matt 5:21-29).
The Bible teaches that homosexual action is sin (see Lev 18:22; Rom 1:25-27; 1 Cor 6:9). On the basis of Matt 5:21-29, this surely includes homosexual lust as well as outwards homosexual behaviour. It is sin because it is against the God’s ‘order of nature’. Our sexuality is a good gift of God. But like all good gifts it can be put to sinful uses when driven by our fallen nature. Because our sexuality is so powerful, it does greater damage when misused (1 Cor 6:12-20).
While homosexual action is sin, it is no worse than other sexual sins. (In some cases it may be less worse - for example consensual homosexual activity between adults is surely less of a problem that rape or pedophilia.) Along with other sexual sins, it draws God’s judgement if it continues (1 Cor 6:9). Along with other sexual sins, it draws God’s grace if it is confessed and repented with faith in Jesus (1 Cor 6:11).
How should we react to proposals for decriminalising homosexual behaviours, or allowing homosexual marriage?
On the one hand we can bear strong witness to Christian moral values. And, we can argue a ‘public benefit’ case that society gains by reflecting Christian values in legislation. However, we need care. Why legislate against homosexual behaviour while being legally silent on heterosexual sins which are far more common? This seems to be an area where it is an odd discrimination to punish a minority sexual sin while leaving the majority ones untouched.
We need a good sense of priorities. Rejection of God’s rule is the root problem, not homosexual actions or other sinful behaviours. Romans 1:18-32 gives a clear perspective on this. We need to focus on ministering to the homosexual at this root problem rather than being distracted by the symptoms. We may get a lead from John 8:1-11. Try substituting ‘homosexuality’ for ‘adultery’ in this passage and see where it takes us.
My point here is that it may not be productive to attack the fruits of rejecting God's kingship in such a way as to cloud the root issue. We may well start with the fruits of rejecting God, but this should be done in such a way as to talk of a person's need of Jesus and offer them grace. This is especially so with regard to the homosexual community which sometimes makes strident accusations of homophobia against Biblical Christianity and Christians.
From a pastoral note, there is a vast difference between the homosexual struggler and the one who denies the sin. The struggler labels their behaviour sin, confesses it, and battles against it with God's help. Their is an apt word of absolution and encouragement for this person (1 Jn 1:5- 2:2; Heb 4:14-16. The homosexual who denies the sin and revels in it needs to hear a sharp gospel message of God's judgement and God's salvation.
We are all sinners and strugglers at one point or another. What matters is that we confess sin and struggle against it. Christ came for people like all of us (Lke 19:10). Let us extend his welcome to one another, whatever the point of struggle.
4 comments:
Some people are of the opinion that David and Jonathan are homosexuals if we read the Hebrew bible. you gave a sermon on 16/11on david and jonathan.What your view on this
After I talked about this with those who sympathize with homosexuality, and read their literatures, I found out that their view is more nuanced.
Christians who are sexually attracted to the same sex very often will agree that 'homosexual sex' is not in the original order. But that doesn't mean they cannot practice it.
Their argument is that just as the original intended purpose of creation is not omnivore or carnivore. But since the Fall, we are allowed to eat meat.
And very often Christians with homosexual orientation do not see themselves as those who despise God as those in Romans 1.
Yes.I agree totally that homosexuality is wrong.I am only suggesting that scriptures seem to suggest that David and Jonathan are together.anyone want to discuss scripture on this?
Scripture certainly reveals David as expressing great love for Jonathon, for example, see his lament at Jonathan's death (2 Sam 1:26). However I think a homosexual relationship very unlikely: (a) David's sense of God's will re sexual relns (eg Lev 18:22); (b) David's obvious heterosexuality (eg 2 Chron 14:1-6. David is big-hearted and demonstrative in his human relationships, including to Jonathon but there's no need to posit homosexuality to explain his love for Jonathon.
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