Can you be a Christian and a practising homosexual and still be saved?

[harvester77]

And why do so many Christians disagree with this one? Why is it not straight forward? I struggle with this sin but I know deep down it is not a natural act. I have always known this since a child without anyone telling me otherwise? Is it morally wrong to be in a relationship with same sex if you are not having sex?

How do change your feelings? It is not easy done. It is like asking a heterosexual to change their attraction, try doing that..

 

[Living in the Light]

Dear Harvester, can you sense the loving, welcoming presence of God and his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ? For all of humanity, it is a lifetime struggle to become pleasing to our Lord. I don't think any of us can say, "I have it all down perfectly now, please take me into your kingdom, Lord."

I am constantly trying to take a look at myself and forge the baser metal or self into gold. We all lose ground from time to time. Do you help others without judging? Do you love others without judgment? The godly life is not necessarily the easy life, but it IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We are all God's children and Jesus died for all not a specific group of people.

 

[PaladinValer]

Not God. Therefore, I cannot make such a judgment.

Those who try to are playing God, which is blasphemous. And Jesus warned us about judging others wrongly; we'll end up judging ourselves.

...or in other words, by judging others to hell when God decides otherwise, we'll have bought ourselves a one-way trip to experience hell for the rest of eternity post-Second Advent.

Not my cup o' tea personally.

 

[Yarddog]

Can you be a Christian and a practising homosexual and still be saved?

We cannot judge you so try to maintain your faith in Christ and trust in the will of God.

We are all weak individuals who desire a loving companionship. Try to lead a loving life, free of bitterness to those who may try to oppress you. We have a loving and merciful God whose Son died for our sin.

God bless,
YD

 

[revhewett]

No. Please feel free to message me for my answer why.

 

[Cocoafrost]

If not, then the scripture is misleading.

1Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

 

[branchofthevine]

I'll be the contraversal one here and say yes, as well as no.

Let me explain my unhelpful answer.
I heard ti said that Christianity is a "come as you are" party, but not a "stay as you are" party.

Honestly, Christians sin. Christians sin a lot, we mess up and fail all the time. But that I think isn't all that bad, because Christians get up and keep trying, and keep running. Here's the thing, and let's be honest about this, everyone struggles with different sins. Some people struggle with telling and facing the truth, others it might be swearing, for others yet homosexuality.


We also know that God sanctifies some parts of us at conversion but not all of us at once.

So hypothetical situation: A gay person comes to Christ but is not convicted or sanctified in that area yet and continues to live a gay lifestyle, and is not convicted. For some time that Chrsitian does not see anything wrong with his/her lifestyle with the Cross.

Now, at some later point (+1 for vagueness?) Christ comes and says "this lifestyle is not how I want you to live", and convicts this person. How should they respond?

The important point I think is how does one answer conviction. What attitude is necessary? methinks that the attitude is one of surrender. The gay person must be willing to say in this scenario "I will stop this lifestyle for You, Jesus, for Your glory, so help me".

The willingness to surrender being gay even if you see or think that is impossible is the key methinks. The attitude of "I will try, so please help me and guide me through" is the most important.

I say the same for every sin like lying or stealing or slandering or gossip. Sometimes I think we make too big of a deal of homosexuality.

 

[Cocoafrost]

One thing here. Gay is not a lifestyle.
If it is then so too is straight.

Neither is true however.

 

[Yarddog]

One thing here. Gay is not a lifestyle.
If it is then so too is straight.

Neither is true however.

Not sure what your definition of lifestyle is but here is the English one: "A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group."

So the way that the prior poster used it, fits into that definition. The vast majority of people do not choose which sex they are attracted to but we all choose to engage in a relationship with another person which reflects our way of life. So in this sense, either gay or straight can be a lifestyle depending on how it is used in a post.

 

[mohmann]

And why do so many Christians disagree with this one? Why is it not straight forward? I struggle with this sin but I know deep down it is not a natural act. I have always known this since a child without anyone telling me otherwise? Is it morally wrong to be in a relationship with same sex if you are not having sex?

How do change your feelings? It is not easy done. It is like asking a heterosexual to change their attraction, try doing that..

Homosexual sex is a sin. To remove our cultural bias, let's ask the same question but replace the sin with the sin of murder, lying, stealing or idolatry. As a Christian, I occasionally catch myself lying. But I never plan to lie -- the lies just occasionally slip out and I hate it when it happens. I confess and forsake my sin and my sin is covered by Jesus's shed blood. I never wake up in the morning and plan to lie. I do not seek out the sin although it is obviously a part of my sinful nature. I am soundly saved by God's grace. I could say the exact same thing for my idolatry of self (pride), my idolatry of my family and marriage, my coveting, and on and on. All of these are sins I fight against regularly. I don't seek them out and when the Spirit convicts me of them, I thank God for saving a miserable wretch like me.

I think that biblically you could be a practicing homosexual and still be saved. But I think the Spirit working in you would be convicting you of that sin and over time you would be freed of it completely or at least doing less and less of it. I do not believe you could be saved and at the same time celebrating your sin or willfully seeking it out.

 

[Cuddles333]

It is very important that we study 'to show ourselves approved' especially when it comes to this subject and the Bible:



http://www.clgs.org/arsenokoités-and-malakos-meanings-and-consequences

 

[football5680]

No. When you accept Jesus you must also accept his teachings or else he will deny you like he said (Matthew 7:21). You may slip up a couple times but if you ask for forgiveness then God will forgive you. You must make an effort to change your ways and do not expect to be forgiven if you continue to do this sin knowingly. Having a same sex attraction is not a sin because we cannot control that, but we can control whether we have sex or not.

 

[ebia]

No. When you accept Jesus you must also accept his teachings or else he will deny you like he said (Matthew 7:21)./QUOTE]
Then pretty much all Christians better prepare for an unpleasantly warm future b

 

[ebia]

Homosexual sex is a sin. To remove our cultural bias, let's ask the same question but replace the sin with the sin of murder, lying, stealing or idolatry. As a Christian, I occasionally catch myself lying. But I never plan to lie -- the lies just occasionally slip out and I hate it when it happens. I confess and forsake my sin and my sin is covered by Jesus's shed blood. I never wake up in the morning and plan to lie. I do not seek out the sin although it is obviously a part of my sinful nature. I am soundly saved by God's grace. I could say the exact same thing for my idolatry of self (pride), my idolatry of my family and marriage, my coveting, and on and on. All of these are sins I fight against regularly. I don't seek them out and when the Spirit convicts me of them, I thank God for saving a miserable wretch like me.

I think that biblically you could be a practicing homosexual and still be saved. But I think the Spirit working in you would be convicting you of that sin and over time you would be freed of it completely or at least doing less and less of it. I do not believe you could be saved and at the same time celebrating your sin or willfully seeking it out.

What you are doing is comparing sins you are winning, or at least struggling with, to one someone else is not.
What you need to do is compare a sin you are flagrantly ignoring, or one you haven't recognised as sinful at all.

 

[Santiago1975]

This issue has hit close to home for me and has encouraged me to ponder this very question very deliberately. My own observations (which, admittedly, lack a full perspective) suggest that true Christians who ask this question already know the answer- although it seems to be a very tough answer indeed. I no longer believe that those with same-sex attraction (SSA) necessarily "choose" it. We are, after all, conceived in sin and all is not yet according to God's original design. Yet it is difficult to dismiss passages such as Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. "So were some of you..."

I am glad you are able to express your frustration regarding the expectation of resisting the appetites that you feel from the core of your being. So many Christian teachers do damage by saying that homosexuals are to turn to Christ, be healed, and then embrace a healthy, vibrant heterosexual marriage. That seems to be a very "Pollyanna" way of viewing the issue and not one often grounded in reality. I have had verses such as 1 Corinthians 7:9 pointed out to me: "But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." People with SSA don't seem to have the outlet married heterosexuals do. If many heterosexual Christians cannot handle this "passion" if they remain single, is it fair to expect those with SSA to pull it off?
The only answer I can think of is to lean on God's understanding and not our own. Hold tight to God's promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13, walk in the power of the Spirit (John 14:15-16), and set your mind on God (Colossians 3:2). Nothing can compromise His love for you, yet He loves you too much to give you peace if He is convicting you of life choices that are contrary to His Word. I personally believe that on that great and glorious day there will be many brothers and sisters who have successfully fought SSA who will receive far more crowns to lay at His feet than people like me. Whatever you sacrifice for His sake in this life He will pay back with infinite interest in the eternal life to come. Please don't become too focused on the here and now. God will bless you beyond your wildest imagination if you choose to live for Him now, even if the price right now seems very high.

Harvester77, I am praying for you right now and my heart breaks for you. Please don't ever let the enemy separate you from the Body of Christ. We love you unconditionally and want God's best for you!

Un abrazo grande,
Santiago

 

[mohmann]

What you are doing is comparing sins you are winning, or at least struggling with, to one someone else is not.
What you need to do is compare a sin you are flagrantly ignoring, or one you haven't recognised as sinful at all.

Your reply made absolutely no sense to me and I don't see your point. I'm not even sure you meant to quote my post as your comment seems completely OT

I struggle with all kinds of sin daily and I try my best to not give in to any of them. The Spirit reveals new sin in my life constantly. Old sins I thought were dealt with come back to haunt me. The difference is that I fight them and don't give in to them because I know they are not who I am amymore. It is summer time here and the women walk around in incredibly revealing clothes -- I am constantly tempted. I force myself to look away and I confess my lust to the Lord and ask him for strength and I thank Him for the grace He has extended to me. This is far different than giving yourself over to a sin and not fighting it.

When I first responded to this post I considered the addicts I know who are Christians and yet they struggle with their addictions. Some where cleansed of the addiction the moment the were saved. Some have frequent relapses and have more of a struggle. But none of them give in to the sin and consider themselves a "Drug using Christian." Instead they fight the sin and consider themselves a Christian fighting drug addiction. Identifying as a "practicing homosexual" seems to say the sin has won. To say you are a "Christian fighting homosexual attraction" says to me your sanctification is winning. Even if sanctification isn't winning in results immediately, it is winning over your perspective of the sin in that the sin is to be fought against and there is hope. And the Lord is faithful to stand beside you in the battle.

 

[harvester77]

This issue has hit close to home for me and has encouraged me to ponder this very question very deliberately. My own observations (which, admittedly, lack a full perspective) suggest that true Christians who ask this question already know the answer- although it seems to be a very tough answer indeed. I no longer believe that those with same-sex attraction (SSA) necessarily "choose" it. We are, after all, conceived in sin and all is not yet according to God's original design. Yet it is difficult to dismiss passages such as Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. "So were some of you..."

I am glad you are able to express your frustration regarding the expectation of resisting the appetites that you feel from the core of your being. So many Christian teachers do damage by saying that homosexuals are to turn to Christ, be healed, and then embrace a healthy, vibrant heterosexual marriage. That seems to be a very "Pollyanna" way of viewing the issue and not one often grounded in reality. I have had verses such as 1 Corinthians 7:9 pointed out to me: "But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." People with SSA don't seem to have the outlet married heterosexuals do. If many heterosexual Christians cannot handle this "passion" if they remain single, is it fair to expect those with SSA to pull it off?
The only answer I can think of is to lean on God's understanding and not our own. Hold tight to God's promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13, walk in the power of the Spirit (John 14:15-16), and set your mind on God (Colossians 3:2). Nothing can compromise His love for you, yet He loves you too much to give you peace if He is convicting you of life choices that are contrary to His Word. I personally believe that on that great and glorious day there will be many brothers and sisters who have successfully fought SSA who will receive far more crowns to lay at His feet than people like me. Whatever you sacrifice for His sake in this life He will pay back with infinite interest in the eternal life to come. Please don't become too focused on the here and now. God will bless you beyond your wildest imagination if you choose to live for Him now, even if the price right now seems very high.

Harvester77, I am praying for you right now and my heart breaks for you. Please don't ever let the enemy separate you from the Body of Christ. We love you unconditionally and want God's best for you!

Un abrazo grande,
Santiago

Thank You. I struggle with many things but we all do in our own way I guess. I thank you truly for this. God bless

 

[ebia]

Your reply made absolutely no sense to me and I don't see your point. I'm not even sure you meant to quote my post as your comment seems completely OT

I struggle with all kinds of sin daily and I try my best to not give in to any of them. The Spirit reveals new sin in my life constantly.

Right. So that means that at any given point in time there are sins you haven't (yet) recognised as such.

 

[Trailltrader]

And why do so many Christians disagree with this one? Why is it not straight forward? I struggle with this sin but I know deep down it is not a natural act. I have always known this since a child without anyone telling me otherwise? Is it morally wrong to be in a relationship with same sex if you are not having sex?

How do change your feelings? It is not easy done. It is like asking a heterosexual to change their attraction, try doing that..

This is a very hard question. One of the bravest men I know of crossed into China back in the 1980's and tapped into their military communication lines. He's now a nurse for the Veterans Administration and when I was a young buck and I'd hook him up with a little sweetheart,,,he'd screw it up! Fast forward 20+ years and I found out he's gay.

True, its not a natural act. Some have said that David and Jonathan in the Old Testament were gay- and examining the writing I can see their point but I'd like to use the term "bromance".

Lets raise the stakes a bit shall we? What if homosexuality is a biological source as a way of preventing overpopulation with such examples as the Behavioral Sink of John Calhoun? Or how all wolves and coyotes are gay except for the alpha male who's allowed to mate with the females?

I can't see the Lord G-d Almighty making men or women gay and then forcing them to carry that as a burden for their whole lives. That would be too much of a load for any one to carry wouldn't it since it would affect their basic identity as a human?

So I say- that and $5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee at a coffee shop- is to pray for them for G-ds guidance and let his will be done. What else can you do?

 

[Girder of Loins]

"In no way am I supporting homosexuality with this next word"

Yes. Can you be a Christian and watch porn? Can you be a Christian and still be involved in a Ponzi scheme?

Of course, my convictions place homosexuality in a righteous area, but I'm not allowed to advocate that.