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Food for Thought

Can Gays Be Christians

CAN GAYS BE CHRISTIANS?

It is a volatile question that confronts churches today.
To answer no leaves one open to the accusations of homophobia
while a yes seems to imply that because God accepts us as we
are we can sin without consequences.
To begin, let’s look at homosexuality as it is addressed
in the Bible. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are clear in stating
God’s position; “If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth
with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination”, with
the ancient penalty being death. It is obvious that God does
not condone homosexuality. And in the New Testament read
Romans 1:21—32 where Paul describes a whole society that turns
away from God and indulges itself in many vices, including
homosexuality, and doesn’t even care that they are leading
themselves to destruction. With these and other verses we can
see that God’s position did not change from the Old to the
New Covenant; from Abraham and Sodom to Christ, homosexuality
is called a sin as is drunkenness, lying, theft, murder, and
promiscuous heterosexual sex.
Are gays any more sinners than anybody else? Again, through
Scriptures that say, “There are none righteous, no not one.”
(Rom 3:10) and “all come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)
we can reasonably say that no one is where they need to be
in his relationship with God. Salvation is offered to all
through Jesus Christ if one repents of their sins and receives
Christ’s atonement. Repenting means “to turn away from” and
to do no more. What was Jesus’ attitude toward the woman caught
in adultery in John 8? “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin
no more.” Jesus completely forgave her, but she needed to turn
away and not repeat her sin. Just as the adulterer needs to
quit his promiscuousness and the drunkard his alcohol, the
homosexual, upon his profession of faith in Jesus Christ as
Saviour, is asked to refrain from his sins, including homo-
sexual relations. Some may answer to this, “But that’s putting
too difficult a burden upon them.” Matt 19:12 says, “For there
are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb,
and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men;
and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for
the kingdom of heaven’s sake.” There is strength and power in
the regenerated person, “I can do all things through Christ
Jesus, which strengtheneth me.” (Phil 4:13) Every one, Christian
or non—Christian, gay or straight, needs to practice sexual
restraint. Difficult? Possibly, but not impossible.
So, can gays be Christians? Jesus calls to all who thirst
for the living water, and all who respond to him can be
cleansed at his healing fountain, leaving his burden of sin
at the cross, never to pick it up again.