I have been reading about actual case studies of Gay people and their struggle. In detail, there is a book by Mel White called 'Stranger At The Gate' which basically has the author telling his story of the struggles he went through as a Christian Gay man. I imagine that they are multitudes of people that have this same struggle as Mel White. And I say 'struggle' because almost all of the book talks about the struggle he went through, and the final episode of giving in to what he always wanted to do; live out his life as a Gay man, without having to stay in the closet to protect himself from the 'Religious Right' who he claims would like to exterminate every Gay person.
As I read through this book, I want to shout out things as I read it, as if Mel White could hear what I am saying. I think I have some insight into what the problem is all about.
As I started reading this book, I noticed that it was very personal, and very detailed. Mel White described what kind of home life he had, which shaped his understanding of the Scriptures and Christianity. Mel White tells about his being taught about the Bible and was raised in the church environment.
The Bible tells us that if the foundation isn't right, the building will fall. In analyzing Mr. White's understanding of what he believes about God and sin, he indicated in several places that he was striving to please God. Certain things were taboo for him to do, such as; go to movies, play cards, drink liquor, and dance. His conscience never allowed him to do those things. But in his adult life, he found himself, a little bit at a time, branching out doing some of these things. And he was surprised and amazed that a lightning bolt didn't strike him down when he did. I admire this man's sincerity and perseverance through his struggle. At times, he believed that if he had enough faith, he would be healed from being Gay. But it didn't happen. I failed to read in the book, any reference to repenting from sin (not just homosexuality) and receiving God's grace to help in time of need. Every expectation of overcoming homosexuality was based on the assumption that he had to do something to make it happen. That is where the foundation is wrong. Everything else that is built on top of that belief system is sure to crumble.
I have to bring up some points here before I go on. Mr. White had some very good observations, that are helpful for us to know about. He pointed out how the church always condemned homosexuality, and along with that condemnation, rejected people who were Gay. The church doesn't seem to know how help a person who is in open sin, without rejecting him or her. The church needs to embrace people who are struggling, not turn them away. They need help, and some of them really do want help. If the church doesn't help or show compassion, the Gay person will find what he or she needs in the world instead. The Gay person will reject Christianity altogether, or worse, come up with his own version of Christianity that goes along with his belief system. This is exactly what happened to Mel White, and I believe, this is why there is an LGBT Community today.
The church has not only rejected Gay people. The church has largely rejected people that they see as sinners. The problem is, in those churches, the people who are part of them, including leaders, are serious sinners, as well. Their sin is hidden though, at least it is hidden to themselves. Others can see their sins, and it makes them appear as hypocrites. How does the Bible say we are to treat people? How did Jesus treat people? Jesus is known to be a 'friend of sinners'. Does that mean Jesus condones sin? Absolutely not! It was because of sin, Jesus had to come to earth and be killed. Our sin cost Jesus His life. But Jesus loved people and wanted them to be free from the sins that they were entangled with. The same is true today. Jesus loves people and died for them, to pay for their sins, but also to set them free from sin.
It is not as easy as telling someone to 'repent' when that person is Gay. The Gay person does have to repent of his or her sins (all of them, not just homosexuality), and turn to God. When we come to Christ in repentance and faith, that does not mean we won't struggle with sin anymore. The opposite is now true. Our struggles will seem to intensify. But God's power can help us to be delivered. And the church is designed to have people who will minister to those who are suffering and broken. But for the Gay person to repent, he or she will have to have a good understanding of the Gospel first. That is foundational. The Gay person will have difficulties, at least for a while, and needs a person who is filled with faith and the Spirit of God to walk him through the difficult seasons he will be going through.
The Gay person will learn that many of the things in his belief system are lies from the devil. The lies will seem plausible and will appeal to him or her. They will seem to make sense, but God has a better plan. We cannot just yank the lies out of the person. The lies are embedded in him or her. What are some of these lies?
One lie is; I was born Gay. Another lie is; There is a category of sexual orientation that isn't talked about in the Bible, and a person can't change his or her sexual orientation. These are lies that are intended to keep the Gay person believing that there is no way out of being Gay. He or she is doomed to be a homosexual or lesbian. But, as hard as this may be to believe, that statement is not true. God can, and has changed/delivered people who were Gay. Here is a lie also; If you have enough faith, you can do anything (implying that if your prayer for being delivered from being Gay isn't answered, it is because you did not have enough faith). And this lie is just as destructive; If you pray hard enough, God will 'heal' you from being Gay.
Let's go back to the Foundation though. The Foundation of everything that exists is Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16,17). Our lives need to be on the Rock. The only way we can be on this Rock is to repent and put our trust in what Jesus did for us while He was dying on the Cross. When Jesus was dying a horrific death, God was putting all of your sin and mine (along with everyone else's) on His Son. The Bible says that God 'crushed' Jesus so that He would take our punishment upon Himself. Then He died, and was buried, and three days later, He arose from the dead. He still heals, saves, and delivers people from their sin and bondage. But, I think where people miss this is, that they know the Gospel (or parts of it) and believe it is true, but they haven't come to the place where they put their trust in Jesus Christ. They know about Him and think that salvation has been applied to them, when it really hasn't. Some people think they are saved when they raise their hand during an altar call. Others think they are saved because they prayed a prayer and are trusting in that. This is critical, because, unless a person truly comes to Christ in repentance and faith, he will not be saved, in spite of how much knowledge he has of the Gospel message. It has to be personally applied.
Homosexuality is just one sin out of millions. It is not a newly developed sin, nor is God surprised that people become Gay. But God will punish sin, whether it be committing adultery, stealing, lying, hating, gossiping, slander, being angry, etc.
The good news is that God does love people, and He wants people to be free from their sins (including homosexuality). The bad news is that we have to want to be free, and if we do, it will probably be a very long process for that to happen. But with the right help, and with God working in all this, change can happen.
One other thing that struck me while reading Mel White's book, is that he struggled with homosexuality. One thing that this means is that whenever there is a struggle, then we are fighting against something that is bothering our consciences and we know it is wrong. God put that inside of every person. But if we take steps toward actual sinning, our consciences don't bother us so much. The more we accept sin as being ok, the less our consciences work. The reason Mr. White struggled, I believe, is that deep down in his heart, he knew that homosexuality is wrong. There were countless times he would try to deliver himself from being Gay, and after talking with another psychologist, he was told to go after his desire. The psychologist told him that he was a Gay man, and that he should pursue that kind of lifestyle, so Mr. White began to take steps toward divorce and weaning himself away from his family, in order to live with a man he really liked. His whole reasoning was based around the belief system that said that he had a sexual orientation that would be permanent. His sexual orientation was a gift from God to be used for God's glory. He believed that every time he enjoyed the sexual act, in such a way, God was smiling on him. Notice how Mr. White came up with his own belief system on who God is and what God thinks about our sin.
Here is a thought; In Isaiah 6, Isaiah has a dynamic encounter with the True and Living God. He is in awe, and will never be the same. I wonder how much we would change if we had eyes to see God in His glory? A similar thing happened to Peter when Peter and the other fishermen were out on the boat fishing all night. They didn't catch any fish. They encountered Jesus, in the morning, and Jesus instructed the disciples to put out their nets. They reluctantly did, but boy they were surprised. The nets were so full of fish that they were breaking! What did Peter do? He freaked out! He realized something about Jesus that he didn't realize before. There was something definitely different about Jesus than any other person. He was beginning to realize that Jesus was God in the flesh! Both Isaiah and Peter had the same response. They both realized that they were terrible sinners in God's sight. This is what we call, 'The fear of the Lord' and it is a good thing. We recognize that God Almighty is powerful and we aren't.
God is not like a watch maker who winds up the watch and pulls away while time goes on ticking. His presence is here, right with us, whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not. When a person is practicing acts of homosexuality, God is right there with him or her. So this begs another question; What would you do if Jesus came to your house? I know literally, that won't happen, but spiritually, that is the condition we live in. What would change? What would you get rid of if you knew Jesus was going to be at your house in an hour?
So, if you are Gay, do you feel comfortable knowing that the Creator of the Universe is right there with you when you are in bed? Do you have peace about what you are doing, and what you are doing to influence others?
If you are Gay, you need to know that God will punish all immorality and that includes homosexuality. You are living in your own kingdom, not God's. But, you also need to know that God will give you the power to say 'no' to sin, and 'yes' to righteousness. You cannot change your heart, but God can. Please seek help with a trusted friend or counselor. Find a church that will be willing to work with you. For more information or if you have questions, please write to RUgood@mail.com
Remember, God is for you and wants you to be free. You were not intended to struggle the rest of your life with this (although we will still have struggles and difficulties until Jesus returns) but your only hope for help comes through the Cross of Jesus Christ. You cannot pull yourself up by your boot straps and change. You will be frustrated and discouraged if you try. There is hope if you want it.
http://americanvision.org/8136/new-twin-study-people-not-born-gay/
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