A Loving Christian Response to Questions About LGBTQ+

I wasn’t planning on ever writing an article on this topic. Even though I have a firm, counter-cultural stance on many issues, believe it or not I don’t like controversy. I don’t want to argue; I only want to inform and inspire. So what led me to write this?

Well, I realized that people are looking to see how Christians are reacting to the changes in our world. Maybe they’re looking with an intent to judge; maybe they’re looking with an intent to understand. Whatever the motive, they want to know what we think, and I consider that it’s important to communicate what we believe in as clear a way as possible. I came to realize this more than ever after someone recently — and very specifically — asked me what I thought about this topic. There wasn’t time or space for a detailed response through email, but I thought a blog post might be a more thorough way to answer that person’s — and other people’s — questions.

You may be a long-time reader of this blog; you may be completely new. You may be totally accepting of my beliefs; you may be very skeptical of them. No matter who you are or where you’re coming from, my hope is that this article will provide the refreshing transparency and common sense, biblical answers that I believe we’re all hoping to find.

There are other good sources of Bible-based information on this topic other than this blog. You may want to investigate these, too. As you read the following article, look for links to these resources for further study.

Why Christians Should Be Good at Loving People

I don’t personally know all the Christians in the world; that would be impossible. There are about 2.3 billion Christians, making them the largest religious group in the world, and they are the second fastest-growing religious group (right behind Muslims, who have a higher birth rate). I haven’t interviewed all of them to ask about their stance on the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s beware of one thing right from the very start: Let’s not assume all Christians throughout the world feel and act the same as a few loud ones whose opinions have gone viral on social media. Ten Christians might say they “hate” certain people, or perhaps they act like they hate them — but, is that a fair sampling of what all the rest of them think?

In addition to being the largest religious group, Christians are also being persecuted all around the world. In fact, since Christianity’s very inception and continuing through approximately the next 2,000 years to the present, they have been imprisoned, abused, burned alive, tortured, and mistreated in many ways (Hebrews 11:37). And despite that, Christianity has thrived!

Christianity is about love. It’s about love because the Teacher we follow, Jesus Christ, loved. He suffered martyrdom and forgave His persecutors (Luke 23:33-34). He consented to die for us sinners to pay our debt before God because He loves us so much (John 3:16). He counsels us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-48). We are to bless, and not curse, those who persecute us; we are to live at peace with everyone, if it is possible on our part (Romans 12:14-21).

Does every Christian do as Jesus taught? No. But do some? Do many? I think that many do, if we consider all the outreaches and charities, hospitals and schools that Christians have historically founded and continue to actively support. Can you think of some Christian charities which are right now helping people in need? I bet it wouldn’t be hard for you to name a few. This is a great example of the love they have for God and others. To say that Christians don’t love other people, that they’re “haters,” demonstrates an unbalanced perspective. And, those (professing) Christians who don’t love others betray our religion, betray the Bible, and betray God. That’s not how He taught us to think, speak, or act.

What Does It Mean to Love?

At this point, we come to a crucial question. Christians should love like Jesus loved. But, what does it mean to love? We must define this term. But, who gets to define it? What if your definition differs from mine — which definition is right? I’ll come back to this in just a minute. First, let’s talk about Jesus a little more, the Man most of us would agree was the greatest Teacher and most moral Person ever to live. His life was an example of love for all the rest of us to follow.

We’ve already looked a little at how Jesus lived. Let’s see some more of Him and what He taught, from a very well-known passage of Scripture called the Sermon on the Mount:

So, Jesus said to stand out as light in a dark world, to let our light shine before men. He also said to live as salt, which functions as a preservative by keeping meat from going bad; in addition, it provides flavor to bland-tasting meals. Again, it stands out. Living a life of love by ministering to a hurting world can certainly help us stand out, and we’ve already covered that. What are Jesus’ very next words? In what way does He encourage us in this particular passage to stand out as light and salt?

Jesus taught love. Jesus taught the importance of being light in the dark and salt that’s salty. He also taught that it’s important to keep the commandments of God, and not only that, but to teach others to keep them, too. As we do this, we will stand out from the dark world around us. This isn’t to say that obeying God’s law saves us; only Jesus saves us (more about this soon). This is to say, however, that Jesus taught the Law and Prophets were so important that “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” That’s pretty serious. If we’re going to break a command from the Old Testament, we need to be 100% sure that God has allowed us to do so. We should have that much respect for God’s holy Word.

Jesus wants us to have integrity. We can’t be wishy-washy. We can’t cave in to “what everyone else is doing and believing” (though with 2.3 billion Christians around the world, I would question how many are really doing and believing some of the things that are currently popular in our culture — probably a lot of them aren’t). We have to remain true to the Bible’s teaching. If we teach others that it’s okay to break even the least commandment without His specific sanction, God calls that a bad thing. Now, there are reasons why Christians don’t follow some of the Old Testament commands. We’ll talk more about this soon. The point I’m trying to make is that God’s word is the maximum authority.

If

God is the Creator

then

We are created

We are owned

We are dependent

and

God’s morality is the only standard

God’s law is the only rule

God’s way is the only best option.

Jesus provided the example for us. He showed us that it’s not inconsistent with the meaning of love to live by God’s Word and teach others to do so, too. It’s not inconsistent with the meaning of love to shine brightly into the darkness by following the Bible’s teaching. It’s not inconsistent with the meaning of love to be salt and not blend in with the ways of the world. If Jesus, as the very epitome of love, had such a high regard for the authority of Scripture, then we can conclude that love and truth are not opposites; they are complements.

Let’s go deeper. Here’s a definition of love based on the teachings of the Bible:

What God means when He says for us to “love”

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matt. 22:36-38). God deserves nothing less. This is not a religious feeling, though it starts in the heart. This is an all-consuming life style.

• Love God’s law as if it were a great treasure (Psalm 119:1-176). Honor God’s word, don’t treat it lightly or twist it.

• If we love Jesus, we should obey His commands, written in the Bible (John 14:15). True love is shown through action. Jesus knows we love Him if we do what He says.

• Love others as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:39-40). What does it mean to love others as we love ourselves? Well, obviously we should treat them the way we would like to be treated. But here’s the thing: sometimes love is tough. Love doesn’t enable other people to continue in their errors without saying something. Love doesn’t agree to let people do things to themselves which will end up hurting them, in the end. They may not know that those things will hurt them, but we do and feel compelled to say something. Out of love.

Love, according to the Bible, isn’t “letting people do what makes them happy, just as long as they [supposedly] don’t hurt anybody.”

Sometimes, the way we sacrifice our comfort is by doing the uncomfortable thing of telling others the truth. Why am I emphasizing this so much? Here’s why:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Jesus is love (1 John 4:16) . He’s also the truth. And, he taught that He’s the only Way to God and the only Giver of life. If that is reality — if Jesus is the only source of truth, the only way to the Father, to heaven (where the Father is), and the only way to experience true life — then Christians have a duty — out of love — to teach others that way, that truth. Otherwise, those people will be doomed.

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 22-23

I repeat once more: Love and truth are not opposites, but complements. It is love that reaches out to help others understand the truth God has revealed in His Word. Love and truth are intimate companions, not mortal enemies. Loving compassion should be the motivator behind why we tell the truth.

“And the Word [Jesus] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace AND truth.” John 1:14

Do you have a different definition of love? That’s okay. Let’s move on to the next section.

Which definition is correct?

So, let’s say you don’t agree with the Bible’s picture of what it means to love. You agree that we should be nice to people, but you don’t think Christians have a right to “bash” their beliefs (the Bible’s teaching) over other people’s heads — in other words, tell them what is right and what is wrong. Well, at least we can agree on one thing: Christians should not be harsh in their approach.

And yet, what if they’re right in what they believe?

I just heard one possible response in my head; you might have just said, “And what if they’re wrong.” Good point. But, how can we know who is right and who is wrong?

Well, if we start with what we think should be right, then we’ve started at the wrong place. Let me give you a few examples to illustrate what I mean.

“I just can’t believe in a God who doesn’t accept people for who they are.”

“I just can’t believe in a God whose followers are so hateful.”

“I just can’t believe that a man named Jesus rose from the dead. That doesn’t happen. I don’t believe in miracles; I live by science, not fairy tales.”

There’s a huge problem with all of those statements, and it is this: They’re all based on assumptions, not facts. Who says God doesn’t accept people as they are? Maybe, He accepts all those who choose to believe in Jesus just as they come (John 6:37), but there’s a truth about themselves that He wants them to see so they can enter into His best for their lives. And, is that really “who they are” or is it just “how they feel they are”? Are all God’s followers really hateful? We already dealt with this one at the beginning. And how do you know Jesus didn’t rise from the dead?

If it were really true that you only follow science, then you would accept the facts, no matter where they lead.

If God really does exist, then He’s not going to conform to your idea (or my idea) of what He should be — He just IS. We can’t change reality with how we wish it would be.

The issue here isn’t really what I think, or what you think, or what anybody else thinks; the issue is . . .

What is true?

Can I ask you: Have you really spent time investigating if the Bible is true? The prophecies that have come to pass? The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? Is evolution true, or did God make the world — have you really, honestly looked at the proof? This is the crux of the matter.

If the evolution of the world through completely natural processes is what is true, if God doesn’t exist, if Jesus didn’t pay our sin debt because we’re already good enough to save ourselves (if there were anything after death to have to be saved from), if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, if the Bible is a book full of lies . . .

then Christians are most to be pitied of all the people in the world (1 Cor. 15:19).

But if the reverse is actually true, then Christians are the only ones living in reality. They have the set of beliefs that fits most closely to what is true and factual about God, the universe, and ourselves. So then, this isn’t about preferences, whether gender, sexual, or whatever: this is about the nature of truth.

I strongly encourage you to investigate what Christians believe, and why. Are they just a bunch of kooks locked up together in church, or do they believe things that make sense? And, if you come from a background of church, would you be willing to re-analyze the Christian beliefs? Maybe there’s something you missed the first time. Please don’t let your past experiences restrict you from finding the truth.

Who is He? Maybe those people from your life who hurt you were being bad representations of what God’s really like. Don’t let their immaturity stop you from getting to know your Creator!

Here are some resources:

Got Questions

Answers in Genesis

Living Waters

What does God say is true?

Maybe you’ve come this far, and you’re shaking your head, thinking that I’m just another one of those crazy, unbalanced people. Or perhaps you’re curious to know more about this. Okay, let’s move into what the Bible says about LGBTQ+. Now, I’m going to quote from the Bible. These aren’t just my opinions; these are words from a unique book that has survived since it began to be written 3,400 years ago. Many people have been murdered for believing in this book; some, for even having a copy of it. This book is really powerful!

Something I’ve heard from multiple sources is that Christians are inconsistent in their method of interpretation, that they cherry-pick what they want to believe and what they don’t. Well, they’re right about that, in a way: there certainly are plenty of Christians who do that with certain topics. I’ve seen it myself. However, what about when it comes to this topic — are Christians (who do not agree with LGBTQ+) cherry-picking about this?

For example, what about wearing clothes of mixed fabrics, or eating shellfish? Is it consistent to say “you can’t be homosexual,” but then turn around and say, “but it’s okay to eat shellfish”? Both are mentioned in the Old Testament. So why one, and not the other? If we’re going to be consistent, shouldn’t we observe everything in the Old Testament? But if we’re not going to observe everything, then on what grounds can we judge others for not observing everything, either? Doesn’t that make us hypocritical? Well, there are good reasons why Christians don’t bother about the shellfish command but still think the command about homosexuaity applies today. Please be patient with me as I take you down the following path of Bible verses in order to illustrate this point. Please don’t skip any; they’re all important for being able to understand this topic.

The Elders’ Decision

If you continue reading the chapter, you find out that Paul and the other Jewish men with him took the elders’ advice. They attempted to show the crowds that even though Paul didn’t expect the Gentile believers to follow Moses’ law, he himself and the other Jews with him still followed that law (though they knew it wasn’t trying to keep the law which saves us from God’s wrath — it’s Jesus). This passage makes clear what the early church believed about the customs of the Old Testament: Jewish believers are expected to walk after Moses’ customs, but Gentile believers are only expected to –

1. Keep themselves from things offered to idols
2. From blood
3. From strangled [animals]
4. From fornication

That’s a pretty simple list. Did you notice the fourth item? What is fornication? The NIV translates this word as “sexual immorality.” So, one of the things Gentile believers are to keep themselves from is “sexual immorality,” even though they are not expected to follow all of “Moses’ customs.” That should answer the question about the shellfish and mixed fabrics.

We could summarize it this way:

The Old Testament can be very useful in helping us identify general principles related to living a holy life which we can then apply to specific situations we encounter in our own lives. Sometimes a principle from the Old Testament will be confirmed in the New Testament, which reveals that God expects us to continue to put into practice that principle. Let’s see how this plays out in the rest of the New Testament. Most of the New Testament was written to Gentile believers (with Jewish believers mixed in), as can be seen by the titles of the books: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, etc. So what does the New Testament teach these Gentile believers about how to live and how not to, related specifically to the topic of homosexuality? Some of these passages are short, and a few are long, but if you manage to get through them all (and I very much hope you will), I’m sure you won’t regret the greater insight they will give you.

The Epistles

“We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.”

1 Timothy 1:9-11

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8

The New Testament mentions homosexuality specifically three times (Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:9-11), and labels it a sin along with other forms of sexual immorality, idol worship, adulterery, robbery, drunkennes, extortion, slave trading, murder, killing one’s own father and mother, and lying. It says to flee sexual sin, because this type of sin harms our own body in a more intimate way than any other type of sin. Furthermore, it says that those who practice the sort of sins listed above shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But, they can be washed from those sins by believing in Jesus and His death on the cross as payment for our sins.

Let’s look now to see how the New Testament’s teaching compares to the Old Testament.

The Law and The Prophets

“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them [have sex with them]. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.”

Genesis 19:1-13

“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable [abomination, KJV].”

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

“And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites [perverted persons] in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”

1 Kings 14:22-24

How Do They Compare?

You may have noticed that both Testaments, Old and New, say basically the same thing: homosexuality is a sin. So, there is harmony and consistency all throughout the Bible on this. Christians who believe that the Bible teaches homosexuality is wrong aren’t “cherry-picking”; they are actually being consistent with that teaching.

Here’s a couple more short passages to consider:

Genesis (First book of the Old Testament):

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply . . . Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24

Matthew (First book of the New Testament):

“And he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain [two] shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are not more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Matthew 19:4-6

Jesus very unequivocally confirmed the Old Testament’s teaching that God created only two kinds of humans: male and female — Jesus did not acknowledge any other sort of “gender identity.” He also confirmed the Old Testament’s teaching on marriage between one man and one woman for life. The two become one flesh, with the obvious implication of their having children (“be fruitful and multiply”) as a result of their one-flesh union. I can’t see how anything could be clearer than that! Jesus never condoned any other type of relationship.

There is one difference between Old and New Testament teaching, though: the earthly penalty for the sin of homosexuality. The New Testament makes it clear that those who practice homosexuality “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” That’s in the future, in heaven. That’s God’s punishment, not ours. But how are we to deal with this now, on the earth?

In the Old Testament, God says “they are to be put to death” for their sin. So, why don’t Christians believe in doing this today? Well, when Jesus, Who is God in the flesh (John 1:1-34), came down to dwell among His creation, He showed us an example of compassion. For an illustration of this in action, look at the following exchange between Jesus and an adulterous woman:

“Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.“

John 8:1-11

I hope you took the time to read the whole passage; it’s just beautiful! From this text, we can understand several things:

• Jesus, at no point, ever said that adultery was NOT a sin. It was just as much a sin in His day as it was in Moses’. Jesus even says to the woman, “Go, and SIN no more,” which shows that He, as God, hasn’t changed His mind about the sinfullness of adultery. Is it likely that if He hasn’t changed His mind about adultery, He would change His mind about homosexuality?

• The Law of Moses said for adulterers to be stoned. That’s similiar to how it decreed for homosexuals to be put to death. If the sin is still a sin, then why the change in punishment? Here’s what I believe is a reasonable answer: This is not a change in how God views the nature of the act, but a change in how we react to it. Jesus, Whose purpose in coming was to die for our sins, was demonstrating that in Him, there is forgiveness of sins. Though our sins still deserve the death penalty, they can be forgiven.

• The penalty for ALL sin is death: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Homosexuality is not the only sin deserving of this penalty, in an ultimate sense. God gave the Israelites the Law so they would know how to govern themselves. That is one of the purposes of the Law. These were a people who didn’t know how to live as a nation, and they needed a guide. The Law gave them that. God told them what the punishment for different sins/crimes should be. The other nations surrounding them did all sorts of vile things, and God was warning them against those things, making it clear to them what was wrong and what was right. He wanted to protect them from becoming perverted. The other purpose of the Law was to show us how sinful we really are: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). And in this sense, we are all guilty. There is no one who is perfect, who can say, “I have never committed any sin.” The Pharisees and scribes were convicted of their own sins, and that is why they walked away. We all need forgiveness, not just adulterous women . . . and not just homosexuals.

Putting it all together

Though more could certainly be said on this topic, I will end it here, for now. What has been presented in this article are the most important things to know, I think. What has been presented?

1. We are all sinners. Jesus came to die for our sins. He took the punishment for them, receiving the penalty of death that we all justly deserve. All our sin was upon Him on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13). Jesus would not have done something so drastic if there had been a way for us to save ourselves (by being “good enough,” or by our “good outweighing the bad”), or if there had been another “path to God” in the form of a different religion. We can only receive God’s forgiveness if we believe in Jesus and accept what He has done for us (John 1:12, 3:16). This involves repentance (a complete change of mind about our sin), and confessing (admitting) that we are sinners and deserve God’s judgement (1 John 1:9).
2. All sin deserves death. The just consequence for sins which have not been forgiven (for those who did not believe in Jesus so they could be forgiven) will come in the form of God’s judgement one day, when He decides who will inherit His Kingdom (heaven), and who will not (hell). This consequence applies not only to one type of sin, but to any type of sin. Any and all sin deserves death, even the sin of “merely” hating someone in our heart, or thinking of them lustfully (see Matthew 5:22, 27-28).
3. God will be the One to deal out this judgment, but Jesus gave us humans an example of compassion, in contrast to the Old Testament law.
4. Though there are some things that we, as New Testament Gentile believers, are not required by God to do, there are other things He has not changed His mind on. We can know what these things are by looking at the consistency of the Old Testament and New Testament’s teaching on these topics.
5. Jesus taught us to respect God’s law. If we are going to set aside any command from the Law and the Prophets, we must have clear biblical sanction for doing so. The Bible gives us sanction to not stone people as in Old Testament times; however, it does not give us sanction to accept homosexuality as okay. It is still a sin.
6. We are to shine as lights and to retain our saltiness in this world. This means that we are to stand out from those around us. Even if everybody else seems to be accepting a certain behavior as fine, we are not to blend in with them.
7. Love is not tolerance of sin; love is compassion for the sinner, and it involves telling the truth about that sin. Love involves rescue — and it is tough, sometimes. Love is not inconsistent with truth because the two things are complementary. We can love and uphold the truth at the same time.
8. Jesus is Truth, and He is the only Way to God. There is no other way. There is no other life. There is no other truth. The Bible gives a view of reality that makes the most sense; it is supported by proofs; it has survived the test of time. It is loving of Christians to point others to this truth. Other people may not accept it at first, but the truth leads to life, and it is loving to attempt to lead others to what can give them life. It is also loving to lead them away from what gives death.
9. Not all Christians are “haters.” Many Christians show their love and compassion for others in various, crucial ways, all over the world. It is illogical to assume that “not accepting a certain action” is the same as “hating.” Christians should be able to not agree with a certain action but still love the person.
10. If some “Christians” have truly mistreated others in a way the Bible itself would condemn, they are wrong and a stain on the Christian faith. Christians, as a result of our long and continuing history of being persecuted, should understand how important it is to have mercy on those who are lost. We are not the ones to condemn; God is. We should speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

. . . “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” . . .

Ephesians 4:14-15

I sincerely hope that this article has helped clarify for you what Christians believe about LGBTQ+. Though some Christians have made untasteful, and even hurtful, remarks, I believe that the general Christian consensus on this is that we should show love. However, love does not mean tolerance for what the Bible deems wrong. It is possible to love the person, but not accept the behavior. Though the person may not interpret some actions/words/behaviors as “loving,” that is a matter of perspective; sometimes we don’t think someone is “loving” us when in reality, they are doing their best to help us avoid a danger.

On the other hand, there are some so-called “Christians” who have compromised the truth by embracing unbiblical ideas about homosexuality being okay. These have betrayed what the Scriptures actually teach. They are the ones who are being inconsistent with the truth. For them, the Bible isn’t the ultimate authority–they are, the culture is. These people profess to follow Christ but in reality deny His teaching. These are not a fair representation of what most Christians believe.

I welcome all constructive comments; however, I will not accept anything that is unkind, on either side. By “unkind,” I mean making emotionally-charged remarks meant to hurt other people. Read my Comment Policy for more information on what I usually will allow. I make a difference between those seeking answers and those simply wishing to argue; I try to detect the motive. Remember, this blog’s main purpose is to support biblical womanhood. Learning what the Bible says about being male and female is an important part of that. However, I am not trying to represent all viewpoints on the subject; I am only trying to clarify the biblical viewpoint. If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine.

Thank you for reading this. May God guide you into a deeper knowledge of both His truth and His love. If you have a family member or friend who is LGBTQ+, I recommend prayer & a lot of loving patience. Ask God to open up an opportunity to share His truth — in a gentle way — with that person. Be bold, but not pushy. Let the Holy Spirit do His work.

“. . . the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

2 Tim. 3:15-17

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12

~Jessica