What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
Excerpted from the booklet "When a Loved One Says 'I'm Gay' "
This month on Weekend Magazine, I will be examining a common struggle that many Christians face when confronted with the issue of homosexuality. We may understand that the Bible identifies homosexual behavior as sinful, but when someone we care about — a family member or close friend — claims to be gay, how should we respond?
I hope you have the chance to review the audio segments we recorded with two former homosexuals, Mike Haley and Melissa Fryrear, who now frequently speak on behalf of Focus on the Family about this very concern. I know you'll find their comments very insightful.
I also think the following article can give you some insights as well. It is excerpted with permission from "When a Loved One Says 'I'm Gay' " by Bob Davies, with additional insights offered from Focus on the Family's Gender Issues Department.
What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
Debating the Scriptures
Some people who are struggling with homosexuality may wonder if there is a loophole in the scriptural arguments against it. Maybe God does not really condemn this activity. Maybe there is some way that I can combine my Christian beliefs with a gay identity.
This is the position of the "pro-gay Christian" movement, which has become increasingly strong in the last 35 years. Prior to the 1970s, it was largely unknown; today, its teachings are everywhere, even making inroads into evangelical congregations. For more information on this viewpoint, we highly recommend the book The Gay Gospel? How Pro-Gay Advocates Misread the Bible by Joe Dallas.
Joe was on pastoral staff at an evangelical church in southern California. He used to scoff at the local gay church when he drove by it — until he got ensnared in homosexuality and found himself visiting the local gay congregation to see what they really believed. He became caught up in this false theology for several years and was actually training to become a minister in the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which is a pro-gay denomination.
But as Joe got more and more involved in this movement, he began to see that there was an emptiness in his life. He could not quite put his finger on the problem, but he felt out of sync. One day he found himself watching a Christian television program, and he heard a sermon about the biblical perspective of homosexuality.
Joe began to have doubts about the direction of his life. "What if I'm wrong?" he wondered. "What if the Bible really does condemn homosexuality?" Soon he was back in fellowship with his old church friends, and God pulled him out of MCC. He left homosexual activities and eventually became the president of Exodus, a Christian ex-gay organization. Today, Joe speaks all over the world on the false theology of the pro-gay movement and how to counter its teachings.
Keep a "Big Picture" perspective
As you are counseling someone, remember to look beyond passages which address homosexuality. We need to examine the bigger biblical picture of what God intended for men and women.
As Christians we believe that God is loving, powerful, good and holy. He made us in His image, male and female, and He created us to be in relationship with Him and with each other. He designed sexuality to be fully experienced in the marriage relationship between one man and one woman.
Through disobedience, man fell from this relationship with God. Man's relationships with others were broken, and we came under the power of God's enemy. Our souls were ruined and we became subject to sin in all areas, including sexuality. All sexual sin — adultery, pornography, divorce, homosexuality, lust, rape and more — came about as the result of this original disobedience. Those living homosexually are just one example of sexual brokenness and sin.
The good news is that through Christ, God loves us exactly as we are — sinful and fallen. Through Christ's death and resurrection, we are also given the power to change, to become more as God intended us to be. This is the context in which we view change from homosexual behavior and identity.
Sexual orientation is complex because it develops over time. We are born with the potential to have a healthy sexual orientation — towards the other sex — but because of sin, our sexual orientation may not develop as God intended. This is where we need God's power for healing and change.
From a Christian worldview, then, nobody is "gay" in his or her essence. That is, nobody is born gay or created by God to be gay. We were all created male or female in the image of God, and all of us have the potential to live according to God's design — with faithfulness in a married relationship (one husband with one wife) or in chaste (pure) celibacy outside of marriage.
One man's story
John was deeply involved in homosexuality. But after a few years, John found himself dissatisfied. He also had a major drinking problem from hanging out in gay bars every night. Then, he was befriended by a local pastor who was a regular customer at the copy shop where John worked. He didn't know why, but this pastor treated him with love and respect, even though John was obviously gay.
One day this pastor asked if he could visit John. "Can I come over to your house? There is something I want to share with you." John suspected that he was about to become this man's latest evangelistic project, but he agreed anyway. He was growing increasingly unhappy with his life, and decided maybe this pastor had something he should look into.
So, the pastor came to visit, and their conversation led right into a discussion of the Scriptures. But, instead of talking about Romans 1 or 1 Corinthians 6, this pastor began talking about the first two chapters of Genesis and God's original plan for men and women. Then the pastor read Genesis 1:26, "And God made man in His own image. In the image of God, He created him male and female." Then they read Genesis 2:18, "Then the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. And he created woman."
It was one of those divinely empowered moments when the scales fell off John's eyes. He realized that homosexuality was not God's intent for him. Within weeks, John became a Christian, and this pastor and his wife supported him in leaving homosexuality behind. Today, John is happily married with three children. His life shows me that the Scriptures can be very powerful. So don't stop at sharing that homosexuality is wrong; show a person what God's original intentions were.
In addition to this article, Focus on the Family has a booklet available called "When a Loved One Says, 'I'm Gay.'" This resource can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-A-FAMILY (1-800-232-6459). Also review the Focus on Social Issues Web site.
Referrals:
I hope you have the chance to review the audio segments we recorded with two former homosexuals, Mike Haley and Melissa Fryrear, who now frequently speak on behalf of Focus on the Family about this very concern. I know you'll find their comments very insightful.
I also think the following article can give you some insights as well. It is excerpted with permission from "When a Loved One Says 'I'm Gay' " by Bob Davies, with additional insights offered from Focus on the Family's Gender Issues Department.
What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
Debating the Scriptures
Some people who are struggling with homosexuality may wonder if there is a loophole in the scriptural arguments against it. Maybe God does not really condemn this activity. Maybe there is some way that I can combine my Christian beliefs with a gay identity.
This is the position of the "pro-gay Christian" movement, which has become increasingly strong in the last 35 years. Prior to the 1970s, it was largely unknown; today, its teachings are everywhere, even making inroads into evangelical congregations. For more information on this viewpoint, we highly recommend the book The Gay Gospel? How Pro-Gay Advocates Misread the Bible by Joe Dallas.
Joe was on pastoral staff at an evangelical church in southern California. He used to scoff at the local gay church when he drove by it — until he got ensnared in homosexuality and found himself visiting the local gay congregation to see what they really believed. He became caught up in this false theology for several years and was actually training to become a minister in the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which is a pro-gay denomination.
But as Joe got more and more involved in this movement, he began to see that there was an emptiness in his life. He could not quite put his finger on the problem, but he felt out of sync. One day he found himself watching a Christian television program, and he heard a sermon about the biblical perspective of homosexuality.
Joe began to have doubts about the direction of his life. "What if I'm wrong?" he wondered. "What if the Bible really does condemn homosexuality?" Soon he was back in fellowship with his old church friends, and God pulled him out of MCC. He left homosexual activities and eventually became the president of Exodus, a Christian ex-gay organization. Today, Joe speaks all over the world on the false theology of the pro-gay movement and how to counter its teachings.
Keep a "Big Picture" perspective
As you are counseling someone, remember to look beyond passages which address homosexuality. We need to examine the bigger biblical picture of what God intended for men and women.
As Christians we believe that God is loving, powerful, good and holy. He made us in His image, male and female, and He created us to be in relationship with Him and with each other. He designed sexuality to be fully experienced in the marriage relationship between one man and one woman.
Through disobedience, man fell from this relationship with God. Man's relationships with others were broken, and we came under the power of God's enemy. Our souls were ruined and we became subject to sin in all areas, including sexuality. All sexual sin — adultery, pornography, divorce, homosexuality, lust, rape and more — came about as the result of this original disobedience. Those living homosexually are just one example of sexual brokenness and sin.
The good news is that through Christ, God loves us exactly as we are — sinful and fallen. Through Christ's death and resurrection, we are also given the power to change, to become more as God intended us to be. This is the context in which we view change from homosexual behavior and identity.
Sexual orientation is complex because it develops over time. We are born with the potential to have a healthy sexual orientation — towards the other sex — but because of sin, our sexual orientation may not develop as God intended. This is where we need God's power for healing and change.
From a Christian worldview, then, nobody is "gay" in his or her essence. That is, nobody is born gay or created by God to be gay. We were all created male or female in the image of God, and all of us have the potential to live according to God's design — with faithfulness in a married relationship (one husband with one wife) or in chaste (pure) celibacy outside of marriage.
One man's story
John was deeply involved in homosexuality. But after a few years, John found himself dissatisfied. He also had a major drinking problem from hanging out in gay bars every night. Then, he was befriended by a local pastor who was a regular customer at the copy shop where John worked. He didn't know why, but this pastor treated him with love and respect, even though John was obviously gay.
One day this pastor asked if he could visit John. "Can I come over to your house? There is something I want to share with you." John suspected that he was about to become this man's latest evangelistic project, but he agreed anyway. He was growing increasingly unhappy with his life, and decided maybe this pastor had something he should look into.
So, the pastor came to visit, and their conversation led right into a discussion of the Scriptures. But, instead of talking about Romans 1 or 1 Corinthians 6, this pastor began talking about the first two chapters of Genesis and God's original plan for men and women. Then the pastor read Genesis 1:26, "And God made man in His own image. In the image of God, He created him male and female." Then they read Genesis 2:18, "Then the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. And he created woman."
It was one of those divinely empowered moments when the scales fell off John's eyes. He realized that homosexuality was not God's intent for him. Within weeks, John became a Christian, and this pastor and his wife supported him in leaving homosexuality behind. Today, John is happily married with three children. His life shows me that the Scriptures can be very powerful. So don't stop at sharing that homosexuality is wrong; show a person what God's original intentions were.
In addition to this article, Focus on the Family has a booklet available called "When a Loved One Says, 'I'm Gay.'" This resource can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-A-FAMILY (1-800-232-6459). Also review the Focus on Social Issues Web site.
Referrals:
- Focus on the Family Counseling
You can reach our counseling department Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Mountain Time) at 1-800-A-FAMILY (1-800-232-6459). - Exodus North America
P.O. Box 540119 Orlando, FL 32854
888-264-0877
www.exodusinternational.org - National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH)
16633 Ventura Boulevard, #1340
Encino, CA 91436
818-789-4440
www.narth.com
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