I want to start this blog with a situation/question.
What would you say to a person who is in Christ and is struggling with same sex attraction?
Now, can you answer this question with complete confidence AND in love?
If not, I am hoping this blog can help you in doing so. With my southern Baptist roots three point teaching! ( Joke )
- Faith in the Gospel makes us new creations.
2 Cor. 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
This includes making new those who have been in a homosexual lifestyle before Christ. For those who have lived that lifestyle and believed that part of your identity is that you are gay—your identity changes when coming to Christ. Some may say they were even born gay. To be honest, I do not know if people are or not, but I do know that you are born again when coming to Christ. Your identity is no longer that lifestyle. Your identity is in Christ. You are friend, you are child. Your identity is in Christ and nothing thing else! You are a Child of God.
This is important because often, Satan, flesh, and society will tell you that because you still feel temptation or still feel lust, that you are still gay, a homosexual. But when you recognized, “NO, I am still a child of God,” it changes everything. If you believe what society is telling you, you might become discouraged, your faith in might grow weak, your focus shifts away from your God and onto yourself, and ultimately, you might stop fighting sin.
The truth is if you are in Christ, then your identity is in him, and his promises are for you! That means even in your temptations, his promises are for you!
- Christ is not only your savior from sin but also in temptation.
Lets look at some promises of God.
Hebrews 4:14-16
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—Yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
2 Corinthians 1:20
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
There are promises of grace, help, mercy, endurance, and a way of escape. These things are free to you from Christ!
Now when all of this truth is in your mind then you know that when you are tempted, it does not change you. It does not define your identity or govern your actions. In fact, you know that you are secured and fixed in Christ. That you are a child of God and that is the defining characteristic of your identity. Though temptation may come, you are not hopeless and it does not change who you are in Christ!
- Did you know that God did not only die for you and me, but also for everyone else as well?!
Ephesians 4:11-13
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
There are many other new creations on this earth too that God calls his bride, his church. See, God does not want you to fight your temptations, struggles, and issues alone. He has provided multitudes of people in his church to help and equip you, to pray for you, to teach you, to correct you, to guide you, and even to help point you to the truth.
To be honest though, I do not know many people who love to tell others about what they are struggling with or sin they are facing. And quite frankly, it’s not the easiest thing in the world. But you should go to someone who has a firm foundation in Christ and talk to them about what you are dealing with.
Some may shy away from the church saying, “no one can understand me.” Some may say, “no one gets it.” No one can empathize with me dealing with same sex attraction. Well, maybe that’s true. Maybe you don’t know someone who has dealt with those exact temptations BUT, everyone can empathize with dealing with sin!
Everybody knows how it feels to be weak, to be burdened, to want Jesus, to need Jesus. You go to these people wanting the same comfort God supplied them. They can help grow you to know and love Jesus more. That’s exactly the way that Jesus has called the church to love. Isolation is NOT the way to fight.
This was my 3 point blog on same sex attraction. Hope this helps!
I am persuaded that nothing—neither death nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor past or present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in this world will be able to separate us from God almighty, and if our God is for us, who in Hell can be against us!!
