Have you noticed the increased emphasis on validating, affirming, and encouraging LGTBQ+ in America during 2021? Rainbow flags at U.S. Embassies. Company logos changed to a rainbow pattern. An onslaught of advertising campaigns. Products created to celebrate a sexual revolution. Such rapid and radical changes in our society can often overwhelm us. How should a biblical Christian understand our culture? What should followers of Jesus do?
1 Chronicles 12:32 “Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”
1. Love God - Understanding False Religion. Read 1 John. Just because someone calls themself a Christian doesn’t make them a genuine believer. Rebellion against God’s authority and Biblical commands reveals both a false religion and a false conversion. If God’s voice in Scripture is not one’s authority, Jesus is not one’s Lord and Savior. A true love of God is evidenced in obedience and submission to His Word.
Matthew 15:8 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me”
2. Practice Self-Control - Understanding Cultural History. Be slow to speak. The sexual revolution in America didn’t happen overnight, and was overwhelmingly found in heterosexual sin before LGTBQ+ sin. Decades of sensuality, pornography, no-fault divorce, serial marriage, fornication, adultery, prostitution, abuse, and more have led us to the LGTBQ+ rebellion against God. We are all broken sexually in our sin. This cycle of sexual sin has happened repeatedly in many other cultures. We are on a historical and moral path towards even more destructive sexual immorality: polygamy, polyamory, pedophilia, beastiality, virtual sex, and sex bots.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”
3. Be Kind to LGTBQ+ People - Understanding Relationships. Many who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, bi-sexual, queer, or any number of evolving labels have suffered intense hatred, insults, abuse, and attacks. Get to know your LGTBQ+ neighbors. Listen to their stories. Weep with their hurts. Find ways to show them genuine, Christian love without condoning or approving their sinful choices and self-identification.
Luke 6:27–28 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
4. Exhibit Faithfulness - Understanding Spiritual Truths. The increasingly rampant heterosexual, homosexual, and gender identity sins are “false to the truth…earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:14–15). Validating, affirming, approving, accepting, endorsing, encouraging, supporting, promoting, and celebrating LGTBQ+ is foolish, unnatural, dishonorable, impure, and offensive to our Holy God (Romans 1:18-32). Watch out! Before you form or share your opinion on LGTBQ+, examine the Scriptures in the pursuit of faithfulness to God’s truth (Romans 1:24-32, Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-6, 1 Timothy 1:9-10, Jude 7). Do not bend the knee to the false god of LGTBQ+ pride.
Romans 1:24, 26-27, 32 “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves…For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; [27] and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. …Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
The world says “love is love,” but God explains that “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16); He is the definition and definer of true love.
The world encourages “love yourself” while God warns of the danger of being deceived to follow “the course of the world” in pursuing the “desires of the body and the mind” (Ephesians 2:1-3).
The world advertises “you be you”, but God says “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
The world teaches you to follow your “own truth” and understanding of god, while God proclaims “whoever says ‘I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him”(1 John 2:4-6).
Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
5. Be A Joy-Filled Presence - Understanding Eternal Consequences. Those who continue in sexual sin, whether heterosexual or homosexual, have chosen a path to Hell. When surrounded by cultural evil, may be choose to be like Noah, Daniel, Paul, the church in Philadelphia, and so many more faithful saints, keeping God’s Word and not denying His name (Revelation 3:8). We must choose to be an evangelistic, joy-filled presence among those who are perishing.
1 Corinthians 6:9 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality."
6. Endure - Understanding God’s Plan. Don’t be surprised when people hate you for standing on God’s Word concerning the sinfulness of LGTBQ+ (1 John 3:13–14). Some might falsely accuse you of being homophobic or a bigot. Others may threaten and attack you (Matthew 5:10-11). Stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-20). Turn the other cheek (Luke 6:29). When possible speak truth, with humility, as an act of love. Live in righteousness, evidencing the bright light of true love to a dark world. Practice genuine love.
Romans 12:9 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
Here are some helpful biblical resources for you to consider!
What does the Bible say about homosexuality? - http://www.trustworthyword.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-homosexuality
How can I be sure I’m a Christian? - http://www.trustworthyword.com/how-can-i-be-sure-im-a-christian
How can I become a Christian? - http://www.trustworthyword.com/how-can-i-become-a-christian
Evidence for Jesus - http://www.trustworthyword.com/evidence-for-jesus