I recently read a story of an ex-gay man who had grown up in the Church, yet had been acutely aware of his same sex attraction since he was 5 years old. He'd always felt different, but he continued to say how this destroyed him on the inside, too. He felt like God hated him. Like because of this difference, he was such an outsider, not even God could love him.
This story has a happy ending, but it does concern me. This guy spent so long feeling like God hated him because of his same sex attraction. I wonder, how many people grow up in a Christian background feeling the same? If this is a common occurrence... and I know it is... we are failing as a Church as much as the West is failing as a culture.
These days, homosexuality is treated as if it is special. The world treats it as if it is especially beautiful, to be protected above all other things. You can promote abstinence all you want, you can speak against greed, you can oppose gluttony, you can condemn theft, but don't you dare criticise homosexuality you filthy bigots! Why? What is so special about homosexuality that it is considered so evil to even quote the Bible about it? Even as I myself have struggled against homosexuality, I will never understand the depths to which it is worshiped in our culture. I will never understand how even many fellow Christians have become so besotted with it, they will ignore the very words of Scripture.
But on the flip side, the Church is responding in kind, and we are forgetting that "whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). We downplay so many sins, yet elevate homosexuality as if it is the only sin God really hates. Yet, gay people are no worse off than we are. They are no less loved by God, no more outside of His grace! And we need to make that as clear, both in the world and in the Church, as our stance on the sin itself. Yes, homosexuality is wrong. But is it any more evil than the straight, unmarried couple sitting on the back row who did not wait until marriage to open the gift of sex? Or the single man in the middle there, struggling to overcome his porn addiction? Or... Rahab the prostitute? Christ charges them all "go and sin no more", but John tells us "...these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1).
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father. And my Christian brethren, don't you dare pretend you don't sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. How do I know? Because not three verses earlier, this same John tells us "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8). Is the truth in you? Then you know, and must confess: you are a sinner. I am a sinner. Is a gay man a sinner? Whether 10 years old or 100, the answer is yes, but the same God who looked upon John the Baptist, among whom no one greater has arisen born of women (Matthew 11:11) and said "I will shed my very blood for his salvation" also looked upon every gay person on this planet and said "if they confess their sins, I am faithful and just to forgive them, and cleanse them from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
So what are we to make of this? Let's go with the bad news - good news approach. The bad news is if you ever feel like you're not worthy of God, that you don't deserve to be saved, that you can't do anything to fix this, you're right. But the good news is
God.
Doesn't.
Care.
All one has to do to receive mercy from the Lord is to ask for it. It's as simple as coming to Him in humility, and asking "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner", and poof, you are justified! (Luke 18:9-14). After this, no Christian, no man, not even the devil himself, will be able to bring a charge against you (Romans 8:33). Your debt is settled. Your slate is wiped clean. There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus (Romans 8:1)!
And so you are the son or daughter of the King of kings! No sin is so great that it would deny you that, except of course to deny Him. If you will not humble yourself, if you will not confess Him as Lord, if you stand so proudly in your sin that you reject Him, a child of Hell you are, and in Hell you will forever live. But to all who receive Christ, all who will receive Him, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).