Second Guessing God

I’ve been spending a lot of time these days trying to understand LGBTQ people and their struggle. And it is a serious struggle. Every Christian with a same-sex attraction (SSA) I’ve met has begged God to remove that desire from them, hundreds of times. They did not want to be that way. But for reasons known only to God, that temptation has not been removed. So, now what for them?

In a few weeks, I’ll begin a five-week blog series, a discussion guide for small groups, we’ve been writing, entitled, “Leading Your Church to be as Gay-Friendly as the Bible Teaches.”

However, today I want to explore the question I posed above; “So, now what for them?” LGBTQ Christians read the same Bible as you and I and the verses that discuss same-sex sex appear to be clear and unambiguous. Verses like these;

“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” Leviticus 18:22

“If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Leviticus 20:13

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” Romans 1:26,27

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10

So, there they are! Same-sex, sex (and all kinds of heterosexual sex outside of marriage as well) are forbidden by God. Therefore, every Christian, gay or straight has a choice to make when it comes to our sexual practices. Obey or disobey God. For thousands of years, those were the only two choices.

But does the Bible really mean that?
But many Christians with a same-sex attraction believe they have been offered a third choice. The debate has shifted from what the Bible says, to what the Bible really means when it prohibits same-sex sex.