“In this most awkward cultural predicament, evangelicals must be excruciatingly clear that we do not speak about the sinfulness of homosexuality as if we have no sin. As a matter of fact, it is precisely because we have come to know ourselves as sinners and of our need for a savior that we have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Our greatest fear is not that homosexuality will be normalized and accepted, but that homosexuals will not come to know of their own need for Christ and the forgiveness of their sins.” (Albert Mohler)
Dr. Mohler made this statement a couple years ago in a post on his blog. Given the headlines of late, I thought it was a good jumping off point for this subject. What struck me most about the statement was the clear definition of how the church views (or should view) the subject of homosexuality. Most of what I’ve heard come out of the church condemning homosexuality sounds like, and is received as such, pure homophobia.
Having discussed this subject a number of times I’ve become painfully aware of the impression that the world has regarding the churches stance on homosexuality. Most have the impression that the church sees homosexuality as the greatest of sins. Unfortunately, primarily because of the lack of thought on the part of most church members and good sound teaching from the pulpit, this is a belief that many have, either consciously or subconsciously. Clearly the Scriptures disagree. As Mohler states, “We cannot pretend as if we do not know that the Bible clearly teaches that all homosexual acts are sinful, as is all human sexual behavior outside the covenant of marriage.” This being true, it is equally true that all heterosexual acts “outside the covenant of marriage”, are sinful as well.
As with all arguments that are emotionally based, we do harm to the position when we do not take the time to think out rationally and intellectually, the position that the Scriptures spell out. It doesn’t matter what we think or feel personally about this or any other subject. I recently had a discussion about inter-racial marriage. Having grown up in a local culture that was not shy about using the “N” word as casually as we say “African American” now, I find at times those old feelings of prejudice rearing its ugly head. However, I’ve learned to recognize these thoughts to be exactly what they are, simply emotions that are baseless in fact. As Thabiti Anyabwile said at a conference a few years ago, “there is only one race, the human race.” That’s what I base my conclusion on for that subject. Basically, the only restriction that the Scripture puts on who can marry who (assuming it involves a male and female) is whether or not they are of the same faith. End of discussion.
Having grown up in a very legalistic church, it took me a while to weed out the denominationally influenced definitions of Christianity and see it to be exactly what the Word says it is, on all subjects, without editing by the local church. Drinking alcohol is not sinful, drunkenness is. Smoking is not sinful, addiction is. Going to the movies is not sinful, the particular movie you go to can be. There is not a Holy style of music, it’s the content that is or isn’t sinful. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt to church isn’t sinful, not cleaning the inside of the cup is. Wearing suits isn’t more acceptable attire if the heart is sloppy.
Matthew 15:11 “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
It is essential for the health of the church, the health of the individual Christian, and for the presentation of the Gospel to a lost world that we know how the Scripture represents a particular subject. We are to set aside our individual thoughts on a particular subject, the emotions and prejudices we have developed, and look to the Scriptures for perspective.
I will let Dr. Mohler finish this posting as he finished his:
“It is now abundantly clear that evangelicals have failed in so many ways to meet this challenge. We have often spoken about homosexuality in ways that are crude and simplistic. We have failed to take account of how tenaciously sexuality comes to define us as human beings. We have failed to see the challenge of homosexuality as a Gospel issue. We are the ones, after all, who are supposed to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for sin, starting with our own.
We have demonstrated our own form of homophobia—not in the way that activists have used that word, but in the sense that we have been afraid to face this issue where it is most difficult . . . face to face.
My hope is that evangelicals are ready now to take on this challenge in a new and more faithful way. We really have no choice, for we are talking about our own brothers and sisters, our own friends and neighbors, or maybe the young person in the next pew.”