Can a person be gay and a christian

This may not be a giant surprise, but we receive A LOT of questions via email, social media, and in person on Tuesdays. What kind of questions? Well, anything from, Should I get back together with my boyfriend or girlfriend? to What should I do next with my life? to How should I lovingly engage those in the LGBTQ community?

In this blog series “Ask The Porch,” we’re answering real-life questions that we’ve received from you. Disclaimer: our highest priority is always to first respond with biblical counsel from God’s Word. The hardest questions to answer are those in the “grey” areas. So we’ll do our foremost to share our biblically-informed perspective, but know that we may have different convictions on the non-essentials (vs. the essentials).

Now, let’s dive into the question for this week emailed in from an online listener:

Can a Christian be gay?

“Hey David,

I am a Christian and have struggled with same sex attraction since childhood. I would not wish it on anyone. It’s very challenging being alone and longing for someone to hold hands with. I want the chance to love and have som

The Bible and same sex relationships: A review article

Tim Keller, 

Vines, Matthew, God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books,

Wilson, Ken,A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media,

The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is one of the main topics of discussion in our culture today. In the fall of last year I wrote a review of books by Wesley Hill and Sam Allberry that take the historic Christian view, in Hill’s words: “that homosexuality was not God’s original creative intention for humanity and therefore that homosexual practice goes against God’s convey will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ.”

There are a number of other books that accept the opposite view, namely that the Bible either allows for or supports same sex relationships. Over the last year or so I (and other pastors at Redeemer) have been regularly asked for responses to their arguments. The two most scan volumes taking this position feel to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson. The review of these

What Does the Bible Tell About Homosexuality?

What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality?

Introduction

For the last two decades, Pew Research Center has reported that one of the most enduring ethical issues across Christian traditions is sexual diversity. For many Christians, one of the most frequently first-asked questions on this topic is, “What does the Bible say about attraction to someone of the same sex?”

Although its unlikely that the biblical authors had any notion of sexual orientation (for example, the term homosexual wasn't even coined until the late 19th century) for many people of faith, the Bible is looked to for timeless guidance on what it means to honor God with our lives; and this most certainly includes our sexuality.

Before we can jump into how it is that Christians can maintain the authority of the Bible and also affirm sexual diversity, it might be helpful if we started with a brief but clear overview of some of the assumptions informing many Christian approaches to understanding the Bible.

What is the Bible?

For Christians to whom the Bible

Is it possible to be a gay Christian?

Answer



“Do you not recognize that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians ). There is a tendency to state homosexuality as the worst of all sins. While it is undeniable, biblically speaking, that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural (Romans ), in no sense does the Bible describe homosexuality as an unforgivable sin. Nor does the Bible teach that homosexuality is a sin Christians will never struggle against.

Perhaps that is the key phrase in the question of whether it is possible to be a gay Christian: “struggle against.” It is possible for a Christian to struggle with homosexual temptations. Many homosexuals who become Christians contain ongoing struggles with homosexual feelings and desires. Some strongly heterosexual men and women have experienced a “spark” of homosexual interest at some point in their