Homosexuality/Gender Identity or Design

Truth – God’s Word

-  We are all made in the image of God by design – Male and Female   Genesis 1:27

-  We Are All Sinners (we are fallen) in need of a Savior

-  Jesus came, lived and died & rose again for every person

-  Every person can and must admit & repent of their sin, believe in Jesus is God’s Son and the only way to heaven and confess Him as Savior and Commit their life to Him as Lord. 

What Does God’s Word Say About Sex/Marriage?

-  God is the Creator of Marriage and sex – it is a gift to us when used within the boundaries of marriage. 

-  The way in which woman was created indicates that she is the man’s divinely designed complement            Genesis 2:21-23

-  The nature of the one-flesh union presupposes two persons of the opposite sex and reflects God’s nature.  Genesis 2:24

-  Only 2 people of the opposite sex can fulfill the procreative purposes of marriage.   Genesis 1:28

-  Jesus Himself reinforces the normativity of the Genesis account.  Mark 10:6-9

- The redemptive-historical significance of marriage as a divine symbol in the Bible only works if the martial couple is a complementary pair.  Ephesians 5:31-32

What Does God’s Word Say about Homosexuality?

Leviticus 18:22; 20:13 (ESV); Genesis 19; I Corinthian 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:9-10

-  It specifically forbidden in both the Old & New Testament and thus a sin.

-  It is unnatural in the sense of creation’s fixed order (not what we subjectively feel is natural)  It is contrary to God’s perfect design.  

-  Jesus did speak directly about homosexuality & also affirms the creation account of marriage.   Mark 7:20-23; Matthew 19:4-6, 11-12

-  It is not an inescapable sin nor is any other – 1 Cor. 6:11

How Should We As Individuals Respond?

-  Don’t freak out

-  Thank them for being open and trusting of you

-  Assure them you aren’t afraid of them and that you will not reject them (You are for them and not against them)

-  Listen to them and be patient

-  Pray with and for them

-  Let them know that God loves them

-  Be realistic that coming to Christ doesn’t mean it all goes away

-  Ask about their faith Carefully and compassionately share what God’s Word says

How Should the Church Respond?

Much of this is summarized from Kevin DeYoung’s book What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality  Pgs 149-150

-  We must preach all of God’s Word as the standard and not avoid the challenging passages

-  We must guard the truth of God’s Word, protect God’s people from error and confront the world when it tries to press us into it’s mold.

-  We must speak the truth about all sins & extend God’s forgiveness to ALL those who come in brokenhearted repentance of any sins.

-  We must call all people to faith in Christ by sharing the Gospel with them.

-  We must make church a place where people can talk openly about their struggle and battles.

-  We must ask forgiveness when we are rude or thoughtless or joke about those who experience same-sex attraction or homosexuality.

-  We must strive to be a community that welcomes all who hate their sin and struggles against it, even when that struggle involves failure and setbacks.  (Be a place of encouragement and accountability)

-  We must seek to love al in our midst, regardless of their vices or virtues by preaching the Bible, recognizing the evidence of God’s grace, pointing out behaviors that dishonor the lord, taking church membership seriously, exercising church discipline, announcing the free offer of the gospel, striving for holiness together, practicing the “one anothers” of Christian discipleship and exalting Christ above all things.

Resources to Consider

-  Is God Anti-Gay? And Other Questions About Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction  By Sam Allberry; The Good Book Company 

-  What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality?   By Kevin DeYoung; Crossway

-  Holy Sexuality & the Gospel:  Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story  By Christopher Yuan;  Multnomah

-  Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted  By Ron Citlau;  Bethany House

-  Living in a Gray World:  A Christian Teen’s Guide to Understanding Homosexuality  By Preston Sprinkle;   Zondervan

-  Love Into the Light:  The Gospel, the Homosexual, and the Church  By Peter Hubbard

-  Compassion Without Compromise:  How the Gospel Frees Us to love Our Gay Friends Without Losing the Truth    By Adam T. Barr & Ron Citlau   Bethany House

-  Counter Culture:  Following Christ in an Anti-Christian Age By David Platt  Tyndale House