11-2-6. Conclusions

Those who consent with homosexual behaviour in the church share the wrath of God (Rom.1:32). The principle that consent incurs guilt whether or not we commit anything is an Old Testament principle too; and the implication of Ps. 50:18 is that many will be surprised by this principle at the day of judgment. " He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 17:15). " Abomination" is often used in the context of sexual perversion; the implication is that those who justify the wicked who commit such things are seen as just as perverted by God. Which is exactly what Paul is saying in Rom.1. Whether or not we justify homosexual behaviour is therefore a salvation issue; it isn't something we can be morally neutral about. It seems that 'Christian' people have taken too far the (unBiblical) idea that we must love the sinner but hate the sin. Remember that God is angry with the wicked- not just with their abstract sinfulness- every day (Ps. 7:11 etc.). We cannot sympathize with those who commit what God calls perversion and abomination. We must hate every false way if we love God's word (Ps. 119:128). A person is in some ways his behaviour, as the thought is in a sense the action. Thus God labels people as fornicators or idolaters, not just " people, who are guilty of fornication" . We cannot therefore tolerate homosexuals within the church but not tolerate in theory their behaviour.

On the other hand, the true church must have a welcome, a warm welcome, for repentant homosexuals, as did the first century church (1 Cor. 6:11), and a long patience with those who are willingly going through the repentance process- just as we would with someone coming out of alcoholism or drug addiction. These things may be 'kicked' as habits, and yet irreversible damage, physically and emotionally, may have been caused. The church must be sensitive to living with this- as we must with repentant homosexuals. And a vital caveat must also be sounded, loud and clear: the true church must not fall victim to homophobia, i.e. a manic hatred of homosexuals more than any other form of moral decadence.

Whether or not we decide that some people are born homosexuals or not, the fact is that the Bible condemns both homosexual acts and lust. This means that those who insist they are 'born like it' must live a celibate life. The Old Testament's condemnation of homosexuality without any reference to the question of orientation means that even if there is such a thing as constitutional homosexuality, God expects His people to deny these feelings. The twentieth century obsession with obtaining sexual fulfillment must therefore be disregarded. Homosexual passion is described as " vile affections" (Rom. 1:26); and " you cannot belong to Christ unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). We are called to take up the cross, to walk out against the wind, to do what is against our natures, not what is only convenient for us according to our personal conception of Christianity. The seeming impossibility of achieving these things is ameliorated by the fact that it is not all down to the individual to overcome; by water baptism into Christ we are " a new creation" , we are no longer just victims of causal factors (2 Cor. 5:17). The Gospel is not, as gay 'Christians' seem to think, merely an affirmation of who we already are and what we do; it is the power of a new creation within us, whereby we acquire a new mind which is not moulded by the surrounding world (Rom. 12:1,2). In Christ we are sanctified wholly, both in desires and behaviour (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Thess. 5:23). To openly teach and evangelize that the expression of homosexual desire is not only quite O.K. but is also the will of God, is in fact a complete denial of what self-denying, cross-carrying Christianity is all about.

The issue of whether homosexuality should be tolerated within the Christian church is part of a much wider question. There are clear Biblical statements which teach that Christians should not physically resist evil (Mt. 5:38-41; Rom. 12:19), that women should not teach in the church (1 Tim. 1:11,12) and should wear head coverings at church meetings (1 Cor. 11:2-16). Because these things are not convenient in a twentieth century background, they are ignored, or 'explained away'. And the same is with homosexuality. The question of right and wrong, the utter supremacy of God's word, the need to dedicate our whole existence to submitting our will to that of God...all these principles are sidelined by the desire to live Christianity only insofar as it does not impinge upon what we of ourselves feel to be true or nice or acceptable or appropriate. And yet true Christianity, by its very essence, is exactly the opposite of this. It is radical. It is essentially demanding, demanding in those very issues in our lives which we would rather not be raised. It demands intellectual and spiritual self-sacrifice, the perception that the world and its way of thinking is adrift from God, and that our own very personal sensibilities are often false and need to be overthrown by Divine principles.

A Final Appeal

If you can see the essence of the 'homosexuality in the church' problem, I have to put it to you: How can you, for the sake of your own salvation, remain in a community which tolerates such blatantly anti-Christian behaviour and beliefs? And further, the homosexual issue is only one aspect of a far wider nexus. Either we accept the Bible as God's word, and make it the sole judge and arbiter in our relationship with God; or we effectively reject it, and thus we reject God. Viewing something as wrong or immoral is not bigotry (otherwise it would be bigotry to condemn murder of innocent people). God requires us to judge righteously concerning others' actions (Mt. 7:15-23 and see Appendix 3), and to speak out, in whatever way, against what is wrong (Eph. 5:11; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; Tit. 1:13; 2:15). And by so doing, God expects us in this age to separate from the spirit of unprincipled tolerance, suppression of spiritual discernment and criticism of anyone who dares to criticize, which so permeates this world.

If we accept the Bible as God's word, if we grasp the fact that our relationship with God is the ultimately important thing in our whole existence, then it follows that we must reject all that is unBiblical in our religion. And this involves rejecting so much of mainstream Christianity, and starting on a path of rigorous personal Bible study which will lead us to grasp that system of basic truth in the Bible which comprises the true Gospel. The road to this position is not as difficult as it may seem. There is truth in the Bible, and God will reveal it to the man or woman who seriously seeks it.