Exodus International, which claimed to be “the oldest and largest Christian ministry seeking to curb or eliminate same-sex attraction” recently closed its doors. The group’s president, Alan Chambers apologized for Exodus’ past work, saying: “I am sorry for the pain and hurt many of you have experienced. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts.”
Chambers also said, “I believe we’ve come to a time in the church when it’s time to lay our weapons down. We’ve fought the culture, and we’ve lost. But I think we’ve lost for a good reason.”
Exodus International’s main mission was to help gay Christians overcome their same-sex attractions. But is there such a thing as a gay Christian? In order to be a Christian, you have to love Christ. Is a rebellious son proud of his father’s name? Somehow I doubt a favorite hymn of those who define themselves as gay Christians is: “His Name is Wonderful.”
“He is the mighty King, Master of everything, His Name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord.”
Jesus is the Master of everything, including His own teachings on the proper marriage relationship.
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5)
It is fairly obvious that Jesus defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Paul received instruction directly from Christ. “I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).
Here is what Paul says that Jesus teaches about homosexuality:
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, for this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:24, 26-27).
Jesus calls homosexuality a “vile, shameful, error.”
Genuine Christians know what Jesus thinks about homosexuality because: “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10a).
Those who do not have the Holy Spirit abiding in them deny that homosexuality is a sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8, emphasis added).
The primary purpose of most organizations representing homosexuals is to force acceptance and approval of the homosexual lifestyle upon non-homosexuals. Those who disapprove are condemned and labeled ‘homophobic” and hateful. How in the world is it possible then for a homosexual to label Jesus Christ as loving and kind if He disapproves of homosexuality in such a strong way? After all, those labeled as hateful use the very words of Christ to disapprove of the homosexual lifestyle.
We are commanded to love Jesus and His followers.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).
Can a homosexual really say: “I’m happy to be a Christian! I love Jesus Christ! I love Him─who condemns the sin that I openly identify with! Yeah! I love His followers too!”
I doubt it.