12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
We are not called to gratify, or glorify, the power of sin. We can recognize that Jesus died and rose again in order to defeat the power of sin and death and to enable us to experience His true freedom. Certainly, we will be tempted, but as 1st Corinthians 10 reminds us, He has provided a way of escape, giving us powerful resources through which we can experience victory. We have the power of the indwelling Christ, who has redeemed us, and the principles of God's Word.
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Throughout his writings, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh, the expressions of sinfulness, with the powerful, cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. An example is found in 1st Corinthians 6:
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
One week ago, National Coming Out Day was celebrated in all 50 states. The Daily Citizen website of Focus on the Family reported:
October 11 is “National Coming Out Day,” (NCOD) designated by activists in 1988 to encourage individuals to “come out” as gay-identified. Now under the auspices of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBT activist group in the U.S., NCOD is celebrated in all 50 states and countries around the world.
The day has grown far beyond celebrating those who identify as gay. HRC says:Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, asexual, intersex, or Two-Spirit, be proud of who you are and your support for LGBTQ+ equality this Coming Out Day!
In the Daily Citizen article, Jeff Johnston writes:
In “coming out,” a person is supposedly saying, “This is me – my sexuality is the core of who I am and how I now express myself. Celebrate with me.”
But what if that’s not true? What if broken sexuality is not a person’s true self?
Johnston points out:
Thankfully, there are many Christian groups providing help and resources for those whose identity comes from their faith – not from their sexual feelings or sinful behaviors.The article notes that: "The group has created a new booklet, Self-discovery: How childhood shaped our sexual identity. It explains how many in the movement “experienced shifts in our sexual feelings and gender identity as we have addressed perceptions and wounds from our childhood.”
While corporate media, big business and social media celebrate NCOD, Christians are providing support for those walking away from an LGBT identity.
The Changed Movement is one such group, a loose connection of individuals who have left homosexuality or transgenderism. Many of them now lead ministries for those wanting freedom from homosexuality.
One of those featured in the book, which is free and can be downloaded, is Garry Ingraham, who is ordained as a pastor and leads the Love and Truth Network. He struggled with unhealthy sexual practices during childhood. He writes:
After years of struggling. I eventually turned to my faith for peace. I began a process of self-discovery that exposed the pressures of my childhood and enabled me to find transformation. My faith became a cornerstone in my life, and I began building stable relationships with others by attending church and intentionally seeking positive emotional connections (his emphasis).
The Changed Movement asks:
Imagine how different Garry’s life might have been if he’d been given the opportunity to confront his childhood insecurities and better understand his masculinity alongside a professional therapist or counselor.
If he were a young person today, he might be pressured to embrace a gay identity and never resolve his self-hatred and rejection. Like so many in the LGBTQ community, he might be outspoken about these common experiences yet never fully understand their true source to find emotional healing.
About those who contributed to this book, Johnston writes:
Through a variety of means, such as counseling, self-understanding, pastoral care, God’s healing, healthy relationships, renewed thinking, and experiencing God’s love, they found transformation. They were able to embrace their God-given sexual identity as male or female and to walk away from homosexuality and transgenderism.
This indicates a true Biblical approach to sexual brokenness. However, it has become trendy in some circles of Christianity to treat same-sex attraction as something that seems to be irredeemable. Consider Denny Burk's response to a Christianity Today article written by a so-called "Side B" Christian named Bekah Mason:
“Side B Christians” treat homosexual orientation not as sin to be lamented but as an identity to be affirmed. Yes, they agree with Christians to their right that homosexual behavior is sinful and fallen, but they nevertheless don’t want to consign homosexual identity to a similar category. From Wes Hill arguing that being gay is “sanctifiable” to Grant Hartley‘s “Redeeming Queer Culture” to Gregory Coles‘ suggestion that gay orientation may be an aspect of God’s original creation design, it is clear that “Side B” folks aim to convince Christians that at least part of homosexuality ought to be redeemed rather than repented of. I don’t believe that Mason’s article is forthrightly dealing with these problems. Rather, she writes as if the debate is mainly due to the irrational rigidity of conservatives.
Burk, one of the drafters of the Nashville Statement, affirming a Biblical view of sexuality, points out Article 8, which says;
WE AFFIRM that people who experience sexual attraction for the same sex may live a rich and fruitful life pleasing to God through faith in Jesus Christ, as they, like all Christians, walk in purity of life.
But this hope for such brothers and sisters isn’t helped by the Side B paradigm. Rather, it inhibits and diminishes the formation of Christ’s holy image in his people.
Notice the call to purity - that seems to be the message the Change Movement, not the "Side B" crowd, is embracing. Believers in Christ should be confident in the Biblical sexual ethic and consistent in their proclamation of Scripture to endorse God's plan.
Certainly, in culture today, there is confusion about sexuality - that's by design, because the enemy sows seeds of confusion to distort God's good work that was established in Genesis. We have to be watchful that we are not deceived and that we do not try to excuse brokenness, but look to the healer who can truly transform us.
Also, the Ligonier survey I referenced last week found that many Christians believe that everyone is born innocent. Now, we are all made in the image of God, but I believe in the concept of total depravity - humanity is fallen, and we need a Savior to bring us out. We can say, regarding sinful behavior and tendencies, that's "just the way I am." But, that does not comport with who God says we are and who He wants us to be - and He gives us the capability to change.
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