The current of the world is a powerful force, often seeking to reshape the narrow path of the Gospel into a broad way that accommodates the shifting mores of human desire. In this hour, the question of whether one may walk as a “gay Christian” has become a central point of contention, threatening to divide the house of God and obscure the clarity of His Word. To address this hot topic, one must look past the ever-changing tides of cultural opinion and anchor the soul in the immutable, eternal truth of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is not silent on these matters, and it does not speak with an uncertain sound; rather, it provides a consistent testimony from the dawning of creation through the establishment of the early Church.
The standard for human sexuality was set in the beginning, established by the Creator Himself in the garden of Eden. It is a design rooted in the holy union of one man and one woman, a reflection of the profound mystery of Christ and His Church. The Apostle Paul, writing with the authority of the Spirit, warns the believers in Rome of the consequences when a society turns from this divine order. He describes the exchange of the truth of God for a lie, noting that for this cause, “God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly” (Romans 1:26-27). This text leaves little room for ambiguity, characterizing such behavior not as a modern identity to be celebrated, but as a departure from the “natural use” intended by God.
The defense of the truth requires us to understand that while the world offers “identity” based on personal attractions, the Gospel offers a new identity based solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ. There is a vital distinction to be made between the temptation of the flesh and the surrender to sin. A believer may indeed struggle with various temptations—be they of the spirit or the flesh—but the mark of a true follower of the Lamb is the pursuit of holiness and the rejection of everything that God calls an abomination. In the first epistle to the Corinthians, the Holy Ghost provides a list of those who shall not inherit the kingdom of God, including those who indulge in effeminate behaviors and those who abuse themselves with mankind. Yet, there is a glorious hope found in the very next breath: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
This “such were some of you” is the battle cry of the redeemed. It speaks of a past tense—a life that was once defined by the lusts of the world but has been transformed by the power of the blood. To claim a Christian identity while simultaneously clinging to a lifestyle or an identity that the Word of God condemns is a theological impossibility. One cannot serve two masters, nor can one walk in the light while embracing the works of darkness. The call to follow Christ is a call to take up one’s cross and deny oneself. It is a costly grace that demands the surrender of our most deeply held inclinations at the feet of the King.
We must admire the firm conviction of the saints who, throughout history, have stood against the pressure to conform. They understood that the Word of God is the final authority, not the feelings of man or the legislation of governments. The truth is not a flexible thing to be molded by the hands of “progressive” theologians; it is a rock that breaks those who fall upon it and crushes those upon whom it falls. To love our neighbor is not to affirm them in their error, but to point them toward the narrow gate and the transforming power of the Holy Ghost. We stand fast in this truth, knowing that the King is at the door, and He shall judge the world in righteousness according to His Word.