The most important question isn’t “is being gay a sin?”
Please, dear fellow Christians, stop telling me that homosexual acts are a sin. Please. And when I balk at your reprimand, do NOT tell me I obviously haven’t read the Bible. What you really (very much so) shouldn’t do is tell me that to be a Good Christian means “following the Bible”. I really am never sure what you mean by that. I read my Bible, I find revelation in it, I can demonstrate that who I am and how I behave has changed accordingly. But do I strictly follow every rule and regulation (especially the internally conflicting ones?)? Well…
Is the Bible our best source for truth about Christ? Absolutely. Did Christ strictly follow the religious code of HIS time? Absolutely not. What I have learned by reading that good book is that questions of sin and salvation run far, far, far, far, FAR deeper than following lists of rules. It’s a balance of faith and works that even the most eloquent of passages cannot clearly explain. You could go your entire life trying to understand, trying to achieve, trying to explain… but you’d never get all the way there.
If there were a simple equation, don’t you think Jesus would have told it to us?
But what did he say? Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and mind… And love your neighbor as yourself.
All the Law and the prophets hinge on it.
Hm.
So here’s the point: The most important question will never be what is sin (or what isn’t). The most important question will always be if we are trying. Are we trying to hear God’s voice? Trying to better ourselves? Trying to leave behind what we can demonstrate is a wrong being? Sure, someone may be gay, but if they’ve heard God telling them to be less cruel and more patient and give more and help in their community and they are doing all of those things, doesn’t that mean something? Demonstrate their true heart? Or is the ONLY important measure of our commitment to God found in our sexuality? Because if that’s the case, I know a lot of straight Christians that haven’t got a chance.
So please, let’s have this conversation. I want to.
Just stop insisting that the most important thing is that homosexual acts are sin.
futiledemocracy replied:
Great blog. It’d be great if all Christians thought like you.
April 3, 2009 at 11:39 am. Permalink.
standsbytruth replied:
Jesus didn’t follow the religious code of that time, because it was not God’s code. It was man made. Homosexuality is discouraged in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 which mentions that any abusers of themselves with mankind(some versions translate directly to homosexual) will not inherit the kingdom of God.
April 3, 2009 at 11:52 am. Permalink.
Lindsey replied:
standsbytruth:
Shall we bar the jealous and angry from becoming members of our church as well? I’m not saying that the Bible doesn’t say what it clearly does- I’m just saying that it condemns a whole lot of things. If we applied the standard many churches do to homosexuality to ALL sin, the pews would be empty.
Compassion is absolutely necessary, grace and forgiveness, temperance and love. That’s what I’m saying. There are more important things than just rules. Faith and works must balanced. We must not judge based on one alone.
April 3, 2009 at 12:00 pm. Permalink.
Lindsey replied:
futiledemocracy: thanks!
April 3, 2009 at 12:01 pm. Permalink.
Carmen Rose replied:
There are an awful lot of big brothers (and sisters) with spiritual superiority complexes in the church who seem a little pissed when the prodigal son (or daughter) shows up on the horizon and God starts getting excited. We focus on our little critical “concerns” and miss the purpose of our lives on this earth. “For God sent not His Son TO CONDEM the world but to save it.” Someone else already has the job of accusing and condemning (it’s the enemy’s character folks, why chose to be like God’s enemy the devil?!!) And furthermore, your quote of Jesus is an excellent point, Lindsey. He outlined the central goal of our lives: Love God, Love our neighbor, Love ourselves. And “love covers a multitude of sins.” “Love is patient, kind… not proud, not rude, not easily wronged, keeps no record of wrongs…” To be rude and cruel over this issue is to take on the devil’s character, I don’t care what kind of religious dogma you wrap that crap in, it still stinks!
April 3, 2009 at 1:52 pm. Permalink.
Preacher replied:
Love is one of God’s attributes. However, Love does not trump his other attributes like holiness, faithfulness and purity.
November 3, 2009 at 2:27 am. Permalink.
bridgeout replied:
{BIG HUGS}! Thank you for consistently being willing to be that voice–the unpopular voice– to speak for those who are so spoken against. Lord bless you today Lindsey!
April 3, 2009 at 4:04 pm. Permalink.
Sidney Carton replied:
The Lord will forgive whom he will forgive, that is his right and prerogative, gained through his sacrifices in Gethsemane and Calvary, we however are required to forgive all men. There are several reasons for this, first off, as we lack a perfect knowledge of the contents of another person’s heart, we cannot render an accurate judgment of their degree of effort and repentance. Also, as we are all sinners ourselves to one degree or another, we do not have the authority to condemn our fellows, and as we seek forgiveness ourselves, it is the height of hypocrisy to demand the condemnation of others at the same time.
We may judge that certain activities are wrong, that is certain, and we have been given this right so that we may distinguish sin, but the right to condemn is given solely to Christ, for he alone can render the just verdict, as he alone has suffered for the sins of each and every individual. Hence his judgment will be both empathetic, fair and absolutely personal in each and every case.
April 3, 2009 at 4:18 pm. Permalink.
Tony replied:
I wonder if I should be going back to read some of your older blogs to find these zealous anti-gay comments you get frustrated about and see if they fuel my own rants. I like rants, very cathartic.
April 4, 2009 at 5:30 pm. Permalink.
Curtis replied:
I am not gay. Could care less who is. Judge not lest ye be judged. Correct? What you had to say I will be showing to as many people as possible as it is obvious apparent to me you get it and they do not. Thank you for opening my eyes in a way heretofor I had never considered. It was and is very refreshing!
Talk to you there when we meet in heaven!!! I am indeed looking forward to it!
Curtis Sulaski
April 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm. Permalink.
reto replied:
what do you want? we are all sinners. human nature is so deeply fucked up. only by grace we can we be saved. we are nothing. as far as homosexuality is concerned: of course it is wrong. we all know that, don’t we? but so is almost everything we do. most christians who attack gays so vehemently will not see heaven themselves. jesus made it plain enough: broad is the way that leads to damnation. there are many who say lord lord to him and he does not know them. or “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?”
we shouldn’t judge. we are not in the right position for that.
but being a christian homosexual is a bit odd, don’t you think? I mean… you would do better being an atheist or something like that, no harm meant!
Peace
Reto
April 4, 2009 at 7:51 pm. Permalink.
Sidney Carton replied:
Reto,
Our understanding of hell and damnation is considerably limited, and our conception of Christ’s atonement and mediation is also incomplete. If we accept that God is perfect and just, then we must accept that he is also not capricious, and as such he will not lightly damn his children, and he will provide for them many opportunities for receipt of his mercy.
As for being gay and christian… one can be Gay and Christian, and alcoholic and Mormon, of a violent nature and a Quaker. It is better for us to embrace what we believe and then confront and engage our sins and imperfections accordingly, than to seek out a values system taylor-made to justify them.
April 5, 2009 at 5:10 am. Permalink.
Matt replied:
Let me begin by responding to Reto saying: I want to be judged. I want to be judged harshly. In heaven, before the Father, I expect no mercy to be shown when looking at me and my works, but luckily, the Father will look at my basis for salvation not based on what I have done but only the righteousness of Christ. So let’s not take Matthew 7 out of context. A believer DOES want the measure by which they judge to be used on them because the measure is always perfection, and the believer’s righteousness is counted as Christ’s, perfect. Next, we should be introspective and remove the “beam” from our eye but this is so that we CAN and SHOULD help the brother with the speck in His. We don’t just run away from judging OR judgment. It’s a hard thing to do to judge and call out a friend in sin. And, it isn’t comfortable to have our sin exposed (the darkness does not like the light, so walk in the light etc.) But Christianity is a group thing, so we have to help each other persevere and hold ourselves accountable. Please fellow believers continue judging believers to stir up and create good works in them. If you see a professed believer in sin, then it is your duty, as a fellow believer, to admonish them and encourage them to repentance. Now, here is an important clarification of something that we keep getting caught up on: you cannot judge an unbeliever. That is the Lord’s prerogative, upon their death. That unbeliever will spend an eternity receiving judgment. The job of a believer in an unbeliever’s life is to preach the true gospel, remind them of their offense to God, and make them aware of their standing before God, which will lead them straight to hell.
I think another important clarification needs to be made in how we are saved. It is a misunderstanding to keep getting caught up in “homosexuality is a sin” because YES IT IS A SIN, but let’s examine our lives and realize every other sin we commit. Are you rebellious to authority: parents, employer, team leader, or even God? Romans 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” Do you ever talk bad about that authority? Do you speed – because that’s a law that the governing authority has given you? Moreover, Do you gossip? Do you pirate software or movies? Are you sexually immoral, even with your eyes? Do you lie or cheat? Do you ever put yourself above others? YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! Of course you do. All men are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:10-12 “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” So why does it always have to be about homosexuality that we categorize as the unthinkable sin? Let me profess that I struggle with all sorts of pride, self-indulgence, deceitfulness, gossiping, lack of tender-heartedness, lack of self-control, impatience, jealousy, anxiety, AND homosexuality (sometime we should talk about whether it is natural/genetic or born in a person). These are just the sins I deal with consciously on a daily basis, but I’m positive there are more (my prayer is that the Lord would reveal and root out those sins in my life). Anyroad, my point is that I struggle with homosexuality constantly. Does this take away from my salvation? Is Christ’s sacrifice and atonement deficient and too inferior to cover culturally “large” sins? May it NEVER be! Sometimes it is hard to walk past attractive guys. Even in my thoughts, I am stumbling. Thus, I am a sinner. I have to be in constant prayer every second of the day just to submit and repent for all my sin. This is what salvation is about: a constant, prayerful clinging to Christ and worshipful attitude toward the Father for His grace and mercy DESPITE sinfulness. I have to be aware of my sin and the fact that I am going to hell apart from Christ, and I have to “follow the Bible” in that I strive to keep to it (let’s discuss how seriously we keep to it later as well) and participate in the body of Christ. Summary of this point: I am a sinner. Sin is intrinsic. Flee from sin through Christ. Forget about worrying about which sins are worse because you’re missing the point.
So let me respond to Lindsay’s question now – isn’t it more important if we are trying – well sort of. I can try to do good things, have good intentions, seek after God, etc, but my heart is naturally evil through and through (reference Romans 3). My good intentions still have selfish motives and even while seeming good to the human eye are not good enough before the perfect standard that God provides nor do they bring glory to Him. Upon regeneration, the first point where my heart is changed from one of stone, sinful, to a heart that has the ability to do good, I can do just that, good works. Only upon this point, the beginning of salvation (which I believe is a lifelong process through sanctification), is “trying” an actual measure of eternal security (James 1:18 “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”). Let’s mesh my last two thoughts now. Is my homosexuality, although sinful, preventing my salvation? Not if I am growing in the Lord and fleeing from that sin. I could call myself gay because I rarely am attracted to women, but I am constantly turning from that sin, as well as others, to follow Christ and pursue holiness, so I’m just another sinner saved by grace, not a gay Christian. I have been regenerated, am clinging to Christ daily, and have fear and trembling before the Lord. So now the question becomes not about what sin I have committed (because we all have committed sin) but instead whether I am saved from that sin through Christ’s payment. And when I am saved, the question doesn’t have to be about what sins I am turning from currently, but that I AM turning and how, through Christ, I am not JUST trying to be better, but am seeing growth and BECOMING a better, holier person.
Again, sorry for my rabbit trail line of thinking. If you appreciate anything I said, to God be the glory. If I am conceited, self-promoting, or encouraging sin, then to me comes the blame. My sinfulness is often that strong.
Lindsay, although I’m feeling we have doctrinal differences (or, at least, that they could soon become more evident), I appreciate your thought provoking posts, and I pray that your blog would not bring unity among believers and unbelievers, but that it would convict and work in the lives of the lost. Stand for truth.
April 6, 2009 at 12:34 am. Permalink.
Rob V. replied:
Just wanted to commend Matt on an excellent comment.
April 8, 2009 at 6:08 pm. Permalink.
Lindsey replied:
Carmen: Oh so true!
Bridgeout: Thank you!
Sidney: Very well put, thank you.
Tony: A lot of the comments I’m reacting to are actually negative reviews on StumbleUpon. Leave it to me to find whole new ways to be called a bad Christian.
Curtis: Thank you so much!
Reto: I don’t think being a Christian Homosexual is any more odd than being, well, a Christian human. We (by this I mean humans, not gays, because I’m not gay) worship God because he’s worthy of praise, not because it suits our lifestyles.
Matt: Please keep commenting. I seriously like your comments! You said a lot of the same things I said in my post, but in a different way, from a different perspective. I’m intrigued by what doctrinal differences may come up. I’m a “mutt” religiously speaking, I was raised in several different traditions (Primarily Mennonite, but also a little bit of Methodist and Non-Denominational thrown in for flavor) so what I believe is either cobbled together from many different places or just my own interpretation. Which means I’ve got a very high chance of being pretty wrong about a lot of things. But I do have it on good authority that God is Love, which is as good a place as any to start.
What I meant by “are they trying?” being a more important question to ask isn’t that trying is all that matters- FAR FROM IT. But I think we are to judge based off of fruit- ALL the fruit- not just the fruit we WANT to see. We want bananas from people. And when they demonstrate apples and oranges, we say, “come back when you’ve got bananas.” That’s no good. If there are demonstrable ways to show that they have committed to God, that matters far more than if it’s the change WE choose. If they are demonstrating a will to grow closer to God and can show that He is speaking to their hearts, that matters far more than if they have an aberrant sexuality.
Rob V: I agree with you. I wish there were a medal for commentator of the month! (Well, for blog commenting. I think there probably is something like that for sports.)
April 10, 2009 at 11:32 am. Permalink.
goldenamber replied:
Truth is subjective… for those of you who want to judge and condemn others, Do try dealing with your own issues first. When you can walk on water, lets talk ok?
April 13, 2009 at 6:15 pm. Permalink.