As our society continually explores and emphasizes sexual variations, the Church must consider staying faithful to God’s Word while remaining loving to all people. As representatives of Jesus, we must display grace and truth to our closest relationships and the culture at large. 

Definitions

• Lesbian – female homosexual
• Gay – male homosexual but can refer to any homosexual
• Bisexual – attraction towards both genders
• Transgender – one who identifies with the gender opposite of what was assigned at birth
• Queer – an umbrella term for gender minorities
• Intersex – someone whose body biologically shares both male and female characteristics (0.018% of the population)
• Asexual – someone who has little to no sexual desire
• + includes a growing list of designations – Transsexual, Two-Spirit, Questioning, Ally, Pansexual, Agender, Gender Queer, Bigender, Gender Variant, Pangender

#1. The Scriptures Are Clear on Sin

God stands in opposition to all sin – not just some sin.

• Genesis 1-2 – The creation of man and woman set a standard for completion in human relationships for the sake of human flourishing.
• Genesis 19 – The first record of the effects of practiced homosexuality being endorsed by a culture brought serious consequences (cf. Ezek. 16:47-50; Jude 7 – “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire”).
• Leviticus 18:22 – “[Men] shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” 
• Leviticus 20:13 – “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act.”
  • In this section, Scripture prohibits incest, adultery, child sacrifice, bestiality, theft, lying, oppression, partiality, slander, trafficking, and witchcraft. Do we still hold those as sins?
• Matthew 5:17-20 – Jesus took the sexual morals of the Old Testament Law and deepened the expectations. Jesus spoke on issues that needed to be confronted or challenged.
• Matthew 19:4-6 – Jesus speaks to the nature of God’s design and standard for gender and marriage.
• Romans 1:26-27 – “For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”
  • Progression – 1:24 – gives them over to sexual sin, 1:26 – gives them over to homosexual sin, 1:28 – gives them over to a “debased mind.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:9 – Malakoi refers to effeminate men who played the passive relational role. Arsenokoites is a unique compound word that means a male who sleeps with other males.
• 1 Timothy 1:10 – Paul walks through sinful acts in order of the Ten Commandments and includes homosexuality with adulterous sins.

#2. The Scriptures Are Clear on God’s Heart Toward Sinners

God loves all sinners despite the type or degree of sin.

• We are all prone to wander, yet each wanders in different directions.
  • Psalm 51:5 – “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
  • Matthew 15:19-20 – “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.”
• All sinners are rebellious but not unredeemable.
  • In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, homosexuality is listed as sin with a host of other sins.
  • 1 Cor. 6:11 – And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
• God’s love always precedes any positive change in our lives.
  • Romans 5:8 – God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

#3. The Scriptures Are Clear on Our Dilemma

Christians must find a way to love people without approving of sinful behavior.

• Speak the Truth in Love
  • Protestors proclaim the truth without love; enablers offer love without the truth.
  • Ephesians 4:15 – “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ.”
• Separate Desire from Identity
  • What you feel does not determine who you are.
  • Protect your children from premature sexual situations as much as possible.
• Clarify the Goal
  • We ought not to address culture wars and sin issues the same way.
  • You can win an argument and lose the person if you are not careful.
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:8 – So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
• Create a Safe Place
  • The LGBTQ+ community is so cherished because it accepts people just as they are (as long as it’s not biblical Christianity).
  • Our church and your home should be a safe place to be honest about struggles.
  • Those who admit weakness and those who display defiance are two different groups of people.
  • In your relationships, work to be the reliable person that people can come to when troubled.
• Determine the Higher Story
  • We will be tempted to compromise on God’s truth due to cultural pressure or heartfelt stories.
  • Luke 14:26 – “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.