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Q. Does God love homosexuals? A. Absolutely. He loves all people. The Bible teaches that God is love: "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." (1John 4:16) "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:38-39) Throughout the Bible God states over and over how much He loves us and how much He wants us to love Him. It is why He created us. Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that God is holy and perfect and that homosexuality is sinful and that the consequence of sin, any sin, is separation from God. The Bible says "all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." (Rom.3:23) Therefore there is no hope and no way for people to be made right with a holy and perfect God save One. The only provision God ever made is in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. He paid the penalty for our sin and made reconciliation possible. |
Q. Are you saying that homosexuals are destined to hell? A. No. The Bible teaches that all people, whether gay or straight, can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, thereby escaping eternal separation and be assured of spending eternity with God. "... If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom.10:9) The time that we have in this life is the "proving ground" for a decision, whether we will accept or reject the God who has revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ -- the living Word. The real question is, Will you trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and for eternal life? |
| Q. Are there such persons as "ex-gays?" A. Yes. Many people have chosen to abandon homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ. See our Testimonies page. |
| Q. Can I be instantly cured of homosexuality? A. "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" (Matt. 19:28) This has occurred in a few lives, but it is rare. Homosexuality, as with any addictive behavior, is overcome primarily by the "renewing of the mind," often one day at a time. God's forgiveness, unconditional love and acceptance makes all this possible. His grace releases a person from the bondage of sin and gives him the strength to make and follow moral choices each day which lead to wholeness. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) |
| Q. Are "ex-gays" just repressing their true feelings? A. Homosexual recovery is a process which takes time, patience and perseverance. Overcoming homosexuality doesn't mean that our desires or tendencies toward the behavior immediately cease. Therefore "ex-gays" will have to deal properly with their same-sex attractions. However, as the foundational causes of those attractions are discovered and resolved, these feelings tend to decrease in frequency and intensity. |
| Q. So you're admitting that people just change their behavior -- not their orientation? A. Change goes far deeper than just behavior. Change at a deep level takes time. There are numerous men and women, formerly gay, who have forsaken that behavior for so long that they are not only parents but grandparents and their same-sex attractions are totally gone. Others, especially those just beginning the recovery process, continue to have same-sex attractions, but they see them as undesirable and they are working to eliminate them from their lives. |
| Q. How can I talk to someone who has overcome homosexuality in his or her own life? A. Visit our Contact Us page or our Resources page to find a group near you. When contacting a ministry, ask to talk to someone who has dealt with same-sex attractions in his or her life. Most of these ministries will have staff members with a homosexual past who would be open to share more with you about what God has done in their lives. |
| Q. Can a person be gay and Christian at the same time? A. Those who are Christians, who profess a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, may continue to struggle with all sorts of feelings and memories because of their previous lifestyles. The Bible teaches that being drawn (tempted) toward immoral behavior is not sin, but yielding to it in thought and deed is. The Bible clearly states that all homosexual behavior is sinful and must be forsaken in the life of a Christian believer. Oftentimes a Christian may yield to sin, but when this occurs he can ask for God's forgiveness and keep moving forward with a clean heart. "Jesus said to him, 'He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean..." (John 13:10) The Christian life is one of love and obedience to God. "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment.'" (Matt.22:37-38) |
| Q. Your site implies that there is something wrong with homosexuality. Isn't that being judgmental? A. "Judge not, that you be not judged." (Matt.7:1) There are consequences for our decisions in life, right or wrong. Our position on homosexuality is based on the truths of God's Word and He reserves the right to judge as well as forgive. If God is speaking to your heart and you have come to the same conclusions as we have and are looking for a way out, then we gladly and lovingly provide help for those who choose to leave homosexuality. There is no coercion; anyone is free to come to his own conclusions and follow his heart. |
| Q. Is it really possible to "love the sinner but not the sin? " A. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us". (Rom.5:8) This is the model we profess: love for people for who they are, not what they do. Everyone has inherent value because he is a creation of God. We do not condemn anyone; however, we are witnesses for God's truth and that is what we profess. |
| Q. Isn't your site persecuting homosexuals? A. Persecution, (Random House Dictionary) means "persistently to harass, oppress, injure, or punish an individual or group of people, usually with the intention of driving them away, subjugating them, or exterminating them." These are the intentions and actions of Satan. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) Persecution is not God's way nor ours! We don't want to drive away people, but rather to bring them into the family of God. |
| Q. Haven't some Christians, though, persecuted homosexuals? A. Sadly, some immature Christians or those who have made a false claim of Christianity, have engaged in persecution. "Therefore by their fruits you will know them." (Matt. 7:20) We reject such behavior as un-Christlike. The religious philosopher Pascal said so well, "It is false piety to preserve peace at the expense of truth. It is also false zeal to preserve truth at the expense of charity." True Christianity is becoming Christ-like in love, truth and compassion, not persecution. Love and truth must go hand in hand; one without the other benefits no one. |
| Q. Isn't your site being intolerant? A. Not at all. Intolerance, (Random House Dictionary) refers to "an active refusal to allow others to have or put into practice beliefs different from one's own." Everyone is free to believe and act as he chooses, although actions have consequences. In keeping with that freedom, we offer an alternative not because we are intolerant but because we want everyone to know God's truth. We respect people who want to remain homosexual; however, that doesn't mean we will remain silent to those who don't. Disagreement is not intolerance. We are simply trying to present God's way for all to consider: freedom from homosexuality is possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ. |
| Q. If two people really love each other, why does it matter what sex they are? A. Love is best defined as a desire for the well-being of another even at one's expense. This is the higher kind of love that God demonstrated toward us and that He wants us to develop. Obviously this is different from sexual involvement. The Bible never prohibits love between any two individuals. In fact, it commands us to be loving toward all people; but the Bible is also clear that sexual intimacy is only appropriate in the context of a monogamous heterosexual marriage. |
| Q. How can homosexuality be wrong when it is biologically based? Everyone knows it's genetic. A. Contrary to popular opinion, there hasn't been any conclusive or compelling empirical data showing an absolute biological, genetic or hormonal causation for homosexuality. A study of identical twins separated at birth showed that if one twin became homosexual, the other had only a 50% chance of doing the same. If sexual orientation were determined exclusively by genetics, then all separated twins would share the same orientation. There is a growing body of empirical data supporting the environment as the greatest influence over sexual orientation. Homosexuals are frequently found to have troubled relationships with parents or to be victims of sexual abuse. |
| The entire content of this page is used with the kind permission of: www.clm.org Christian Leadership Ministries. 4901 Keller Springs Rd., Addison, TX 75001 Additionally, Christian Leadership Ministries has further granted us permission to edit the original content to meet our needs. They have our deepest gratitude. |
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