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Homosexuality: Identity or Choice?| | Introduction This work that I wrote this past week serves as a position paper which deals with aspects of anthropology (study of humankind) and hamartiology (study of sin) concerning how they relate in the bewildering confusion surrounding the issue of homosexuality in current culture. The purpose of this paper is to aid the reader in understanding a Biblical position regarding this topic and assist them in their articulation of the same. Misconceptions and misunderstandings abound, especially in discussions as the one you will find below. So, I encourage you to read the entire article, even though it is of considerable length. Also note: there are various references that were used to compile the information and argument of this paper. But because of the format of facebook notes, I have chosen to list citations that were only used for direct quotes. However, you can mark my words as accurate and well testified. In large part, the work below was brought together by my personal research in the primary sources of current culture.
My prayer is that God will use this article to bring insight and understanding to a very confusing and often widely skewed debate, and help us more aptly witness of the true hope and life found in Jesus Christ.
The Story of Pop Culture Never at any time in human history has the practice of homosexuality been viewed as an activity that was necessitated by one’s biological constitution. It has never been perceived to be a foundational social moor, such as the ever-traditional family unit, and never was justified by a philosophy that declares such a lifestyle or mindset is not governed by the choice of the individual or other extenuating circumstances that occur after birth (such as abuse etc…). While all kinds of sexual perversion have been practiced and promoted by various societies since the very beginning of time (Gen 18:16 – 19:29), it was not until very recent years that such a lifestyle was viewed to be more than the result of a person’s moral degradation, but an actually identity of which that individual has no control.
As the cultural fabric of our society begins to unravel through the orchestration of Satan’s deception, I believe it is imperative that we understand and properly articulate God’s message of truth. And, without exception the primary and most highly promoted lie from the enemy in our present age is that of homosexuality. The effects of this lie can be felt not only in the secular realm of art and academia but they also have matriculated into the highest courts of religion, including those who claim Christ as their Savior.
Just two years ago, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs was revealed to have been involved in homosexual behavior. News of Ted Haggard’s sin seemed to send shock-waves through the entire North American church and undoubtedly caused many to question the validity of their faith. He first denounced the charges against him saying that he “loved his wife” and thoroughly enjoyed being a father to his five children. However, after the evidence of his moral failure became insurmountable, he finally relented and confessed he had struggled with homosexual desire his entire adult life. [Ted Olsen, “'I Am Guilty of Sexual Immorality ... A Deceiver and a Liar,' Haggard Confesses,” in Christianity Today (2006).]
Just months before, Haggard had enjoyed a lengthy interview with NBC’s Tom Brokaw on the great influence of evangelical Christians in American culture, yet now it seemed he was nothing but a fraud. As his thriving mega-church scrambled to pick-up the pieces of chaos he had created, he thankfully retreated to the wise counsel of several leading Christian pastors and chose to submit himself for counseling and reconciliation to the proper design of God. However, the storm was not over…
Less than one month ago on September 12th, former Christian songwriter and artist, Ray Boltz, formally announced that he was “gay.” He is quoted as having said that he had struggled with feeling this way all his life, and finally had decided to end the fight and give in to what he believes to be the “way God made him.” He has no remorse for his decision and seems to fully believe that he has made the right choice. The divorce of his long-time wife has just been finalized and he now says that he is “living a normal gay lifestyle.” The buzz of his “coming out of the closet” again sent shock-waves throughout evangelicalism, yet it seemed that a more tolerant attitude towards his decision was more readily found amongst various internet forums and comment threads. In contrast to Haggard’s eventual confession, we now find individuals like Boltz simply stating their decision as a fact of life! In his case, there is of course no request or admission for counseling, because he firmly believes that he is finally living the way he was supposed to live all his life![Mark Moring, “Ray Boltz Comes Out,” in Christianity Today (2008).]
This kind of attitude reminds me of the words of Christ when he spoke of certain signs of his return in Matthew 24:11-12, “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” There has been an overwhelming tide by those prominent in our culture to break away from the moors of our society which were primarily founded on God’s Word. This tide demands of us to accept all beliefs, religions, and lifestyles as good and just. Such men as Ray Boltz, who are highly visible, followed leaders, have not only “come out of their closet,” but have most assuredly brought doubt and confusion to countless others.
The Deception of our Time From Ted Haggard to Ray Boltz, where has our society gone? Countless other stories could be mentioned about other secular personalities who have also given way to this lie of the enemy, but looking simply within the Christian community will aptly suffice for our argument. We as a community of faith have in great majority bought into the opinions of the culture by our very words and attitudes. You see, when you or I say that he or she “is a gay” or “is a lesbian,” we have identified that sin as a part of their being, a part of their biological constitution. This is really no different than saying “I am an adulterer” (as in that is who I am as a person), or take for instance in less innocuous terms, “he is a masturbator” (as in that is who he is as a person). If a young man were to stand up and say he was a pedophile and that was simply the way he was born and made to live, he would be rejected (though probably not for long in our society). Yet, when we use the terminology of our culture to describe a person who is repeatedly committing an errant act that is clearly against the unified authority of the Bible and God’s design, we are unconsciously labeling that sin not as an act or choice, but as an identity. As a people we have condoned and confused sin because we have minimized it into mere victimization or an “identity-crisis.”
This is the deception and this is the lie from the Evil One – that whatever sin committed is not done out of choice according to a sin nature, but out of a designed natural inclination that is irreversible and unchangeable. This deception of our time and the lies of our culture are so well articulated and promoted by the mass media, that to make any attempt to bring a counter argument to the table is largely ignored. Sin-tolerant ideals are turned into adult cartoon jokes and prime-time television for the titillation of the masses. High School and College campuses are filled with programs and events that are promoted as sharing the keys to finding your “true sexual identity.” Coffee houses and clothing stores are filled with discussion that jokingly says “that tea is just gay” or “those jeans are so gay.” The sad and confusing thing is that most of this type of propaganda and talk is performed with little acknowledgment or reference to the physical, emotional, and spiritual damage often caused by living such a lifestyle. The results of living outside of God's intended design often bring devastating consequences. This can be lucidly seen not only in those who practice homosexuality, but also in a wide variety of other vices as well. We must therefore approach our daily lives with a response mechanism of perceptive love and mercy, not one of flippancy and jocularity. If we are to truly present the powerful Gospel of our Lord to this world, we must not enjoy getting a good laugh out of their present situation. To do so most certainly grieves the One who has brought us "out of darkness and into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9), and could likely drive a greater wedge between those we intend to reach and the Gospel we convey.
What Stand should we Take? Some may be surprised by my use of terms or feel even a little dirty by reading them; however, the apostle Paul would be neither surprised nor shaken by the culture of our day. The society he ministered to was most likely just as “gay tolerant” as ours today, perhaps even more so. While living in a time such as this, he was led by the Holy Spirit to write his grand thesis of theology to the Romans. And, in this book we will find the answer to the stand we should take on the issue at hand. [Edith M. Humphrey, “What God Hath Not Joined: Why Marriage Was Designed for Male and Female,” Christianity Today, September 2006, 39.]
In Romans 1:18-32, we find the clearest Scriptural treatise on the reason for the presence of sin in all of humanity. Beginning in verses 18 and 19, Paul explains to us how the very “wrath of God” is made known against those who live in sin and “suppress the truth” through their unrighteous behavior. This is performed on account of their predisposed rejection of what is seen of God within them and all around them in creation. Someone once said, “Through the natural revelation of God shown in creation we are all condemned, and only through the special revelation of the Word Jesus Christ we are redeemed.” Because we are the very creation of God, yet born in sin through Adam’s fall (Genesis 3), we are all destined to sin and unrighteous behavior and ultimately the wrath of God, except for the saving work of God incarnate Jesus Christ. Simply, we are all born sinners. Paul declares that because of the vibrant and evident witness of God’s attributes throughout creation, all of humanity is without exception and has no excuse for their unrighteousness (v.20). We as a race have rejected God and have no other choice but to live in rebellion, or in righteousness through Jesus Christ (Rom 6:23). There are only two options.
Following Paul’s treatise to verse 21 and 22, we find reiteration that the sinful and ungodly have no excuse because we all have known of God and of his power. Yet, in prideful rebellion the unbelieving have decided in their hearts and through their lives to disregard God and extend no thanks to Him, and therefore as Paul writes, “…they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools (v.22).” Futility, darkness, and foolishness are the result of rebelling in unbelief and dishonoring the One who created us. Unfortunately many have chosen to remain in darkness, and because of this pride their end will sadly be death and everlasting destruction.
The rebelling and unbelieving (out of their inherent desire to worship something) chose then not to worship the Creator, but all ridiculous replications of the created (v.23). And, as a result of their idolatry of self and creature, and the refusal to honor the Creator, God decided to hand them over into the peril of their own devices. Paul writes, “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them (v.24).” Why did God deliver the unbelieving to the judgment of sin? Herein is the crux of the issue. Paul declares to us that an exchange happened on the greatest scale, and on one side of this scale is the weight of the deception of our time and on the other side is the grounding where we must make our stand. Here is Paul’s answer, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (v.25) The unbelieving have handed over the worship of the true God for the worship of self, and for this reason God decided to not only deliver them to their own devices (v.24), but also give them over to passions that bring degradation (v.26).
The example Paul uses for these “degrading” passions is shockingly clear to our twenty-first century eyes, “for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error (vs. 26b-27).” Verses 28 through 31 go on to list a whole variety of other acts and practices that are the result of this massive exchange of truth for self. However, the sin of homosexuality holds the clear place of prominence in this passage as the prime example of what has and will occur as a result of our rebellion against the created, orderly design and worship of God. While there are many other references in Scripture that clearly speak of man’s fallen nature, this one strikes a perfect chord with the position we need to take when understanding the depravity of man exuded in homosexual behavior.
There has been much discussion about whether people are inherently “born homosexual” or simply ascertain these attractions through abuse, childhood neglect, or through some other extenuating circumstance. While it is very likely (as data shows) that individuals may be more predisposed to this particular perversion through circumstances somewhat out of their control, I believe the central issue to the entire argument is that we have all been born into this world predisposed to sin. We all have a propensity to be in rebellion against God and his ways, and as Paul clearly declares we all face eternal judgment apart from the saving work of Christ. What we see pervading our society today is the result of man’s rejection of the Creator and the worship of self wreaking havoc on the human race.
God knew that this kind of deception of self-worship would one day reign supreme on earth and therefore he spoke of it. Once again, Paul’s words ring true to our times when he closes the first chapter of Romans with the following phrase, “…and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Rom 1:32) Do we think that those who vociferously promote the “alternative lifestyles” and homosexual behavior not know of what God has said in His Word about the subject? According to the book of Romans, they do know and are therefore guilty by their neglect of the “ordinance of God.” However, they not only disregard God’s Word on the subject, but they also continue doing the same and give everybody a high-five for joining them in the perversion!
So, is it really an identity or is it the choice of fulfilling the gratifications of the nature of sin already pre-existing in every person? I believe the fundamental answer to the question is found in the latter. Everyone on earth is born completely depraved and has every capability of the most grievous of sins (Rom 3:23). Whether or not homosexuality is on a higher scale than other sins is matter for another debate, but the most important point we cannot afford to stumble over is that all of us have an identity of sin and self-worship, unless through faith we become identified with Christ (Rom 6:4-7).
What should our Answer be? Allowing homosexuality to be seen as an irreversible identity takes the power out of Christ’s Gospel and turns the truth of God’s Word into a fraud. For just as the adulterer, fornicator, and drunkard can come to victory over sin so can the effeminate and homosexual. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, “Or 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 effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” What a wonderful hope exists for all those who call upon the name of the Lord! Even the very worst of sinners has the opportunity to be washed, sanctified, and justified through Christ. This is the power of the Gospel and we must not let anyone fog our minds with any contrary opinions of the day.
In the balance, it must be understood that claiming Christ is certainly not a quick “fix-all” for every problem, but a walk that is a daily discipline of abiding in the Spirit’s power and enablement to live a life that pleases the Lord (Gal 5:16). Throughout life this walk is matured, strengthened, and kept vital by the power of Christ’s working in our lives (2 Peter 1-3-11). And, when all this life is over we shall have the wonderful realization of the very presence of God in the glory of His perfect and holy heaven.
If one says that he was “born that way,” our answer could very well be, “yes you were born in sin, however God desires you to be forgiven and made righteous through His Son.” We were all born with the innate propensity to sin and be separated from the Holy God (Rom 3:23). However, we have the great and wonderful need to proclaim the hope and truth of God’s Word that grants forgiveness, freedom, and righteousness through the supreme work of Jesus Christ. This is the hope of our salvation and the dire need of our generation. They must hear that they do not have to stay in the heavy chains of bondage to sin, but through Christ may have life and have it more abundantly! Whatever confusion reigns in our culture we can know that to all who trust in Christ as Savior, their identity no longer has to be that of sinfulness, but one of righteousness (Rom 1:16-17). May we give all thanks to our Lord for His wonderful salvation.
Taking a Position As we seek to address the questions and confusion that permeate our culture, I believe it is absolutely essential that we take a position on the nature of sin, especially pertaining to the homosexual movement. This “position” is not meant to be one of hatred or fear, but one of true hope, freedom, and salvation. Because it is vital for us to take such a stand, you will find below a list of posits that I believe we need to make when it comes to this issue. These points may seem simple or perhaps even trite, but the reality is that they are the essentials of the Gospel and must be taken to their fullest extent in all of life. May we stake our claim on the omnipotent power of the Gospel, so that when the storms and winds of culture blow we will be firmly planted on the foundation that will never be shaken, wherein is life in all its fullness.
The Stance of the Gospel: I believe it is absolutely imperative that we…
A. …Express Christ-like love. (Rom 2:4; 3:23; 5:6-8; John 3:16)
B. …Realize the inherent need of all peoples. (1 Cor 6:9-11; Rom 1:20-27; 3:23; 6:23; Eph 2:8-9)
C. …Cut through the lies and deception of our day with the timeless truths of God’s Word. (Matt 24:11-12; Rom 1:16-17, 32; 1 Cor 2:14)
We will do so by understanding that...
1. We were all born sinners. (Rom 3:23; 5:12-13)
2. We all are depraved and prone to a wide variety of sins. (Rom 1:28; 3:23; 5:6-8, 12-13)
3. We all need freedom and forgiveness of sin. (Rom 2:11; 6:23)
4. We must not condone or accept a lifestyle that is sin and thereby deny the power of Christ’s Gospel. (Rom 6:1-2, 14-18, 22-23; 2 Peter 1:3-11; 1 Cor 6:12-20)
5. We must promote and preach that life is a battle between two forces (good and evil i.e. the natural man and the spiritual man) and only Christ gives the power to daily win that battle and bring ultimate victory. (Rom 7:14-25; 2 Peter 1:3-11 esp. v. 9; Rom 1:16-17; 1 Cor 6:12-20)
6. Christ came to forgive and grant victorious life. (Rom 8:1-2, 35-39; Col 3:5-11)
7. Only life in Christ is abundant, full, and free. (Rom 8:35-39; 1 Tim 1:13-14; John 10:9-10; Eph 3:14-20)
Conclusion As I close this discussion on such a heavy topic of sin, I find it most appropriate to remind myself, as well as you the reader of what we all have been guilty of and saved from. We all once lived and walked in our own desires and impulses, yet through the humility and mercy of Christ, He came to set each believing sinner free. In reminding ourselves of our own faults and fallacies and in humble exhortation to us all, Colossians 3:5-11 speaks to us as a wonderful conclusion to this work:
“Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him – a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”
For His Glory,
Michael Breznau | | | Posted 10/12/2008 8:23 PM - 14 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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