Homophobia, Does it Interfere with Evangelism?

Season's Greetings to all my Brothers and Sisters in the Faith

Grace and Peace to You in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

You may have heard it on the news, but for those of you who haven't I shall fill you in. The information I have was taken from an AP article, so I'm not sure how reliable it is, but all the same, according to them, a southern Cal. Lesbian couple is suing A Bed and Breakfast in Hawai'i Kai, because the owner denied them a room due to their orientation. They did find a room in a bed and breakfast in Waikiki, but the experience "Soured their trip." When the Hawai'i Civil Rights Commission investigated the report, they stated that the owner said that Homosexuality is "detestable," and that is "defiles our land," and promptly notified the couple of their right to sue. According to the people commenting on the article, mainstream Christian churches and the Mormon church are to blame for corrupting the Hawaiians' "laid back and tolerant culture."

What has been said deeply saddens me. No, I do not support homosexuality, it is a vile and detestable sin, but so is premarital sex, stealing, coveting, bearing false witness, having Gods before YHWH, and not honoring your father and mother. In fact, I would go so far as to say that all sin is just as vile and detestable as the others, and that all sins deserve the shunning and fear that we Christians seem to give to those of the Homosexual orientation. The apostle James tells us in James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails at one point has become accountable for all of it." Therefore, the answer to the question in the title of this post is, yes. Homophobia interferes with evangelism, and you know it! Instead of banning the homosexual couple from her bed and breakfast, perhaps the woman should have done as Gimli in the Two Towers film said when the Uruk-Hai began their attack on Helm's Deep and said, "Send them to me!" Settling into a battle stance and gripping her Bible with two hands, preparing to share the gospel with them and sow the seeds for the Holy Spirit to drive a cross-shaped wooden stake through the heart of their sin (how's that for mixing of metaphors?).  Perhaps we, as Christians, should overcome our homophobia and share the gospel with them at all cost and at every opportunity, knowing that they only have one life to be saved, and hoping that perhaps they will accept the all-sufficient sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved by the grace of God.

Of course, there are times when we need to take a hard stance against homosexuality and blatantly point out that it is wrong, instead of trying to share the gospel and let the words of Jesus Christ and the Apostles do the rest. Examples of these circumstances are the Gay Christian Network (with new tools to help you as a christian parent understand your homosexual children (not help them come to the realization and repentance of their sins)), or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (which ordains homosexual pastors). In these instances, the people in question should know better than to smile upon Christians who continue in their homosexual ways after they are saved. There are numerous plain, unambiguous texts that show us that continuing in the sin of homosexuality after being saved is wrong, dangerous, and proves that you probably weren't saved in the first place. The teaching of the apostle Paul in Romans 1:18-27 could be made no clearer when he says "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them... 20b So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools... 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations with those that are contrary to nature; 27 and their men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error" (emphasis added by myself). With christian lesbians, we must do several things. First, open the Bible, and share with them this passage, and any others like it. Second, pray that they may come to the realization of their sins and repent. Begging God to forgive them for defiling the faith and spurning the Word of God with their beliefs that it was ok for them to continue in their sins after being saved. 

With any group of homosexuals, either Christian or non-Christian, we must remember that it is not the person that God hates, but the sin. God may hate all sin, but he loves all the people, and he sent his son to die for homosexuals just as much as the rest of this murderous, covetous, lying, stealing people who have accepted the gift of God and turned our back on our former ways, daily striving to put a stake through the heart of our sin. If we see a brother or sister who is struggling with homosexuality, we must come alongside them and help them to overcome their struggling by teaching them the true Word of God and reminding them that Christ died to forgive them of their sins and that he defeated sin once and for all on the cross, that we may be saved from our sins and daily bear fruit in keeping with this repentance. 

So, what would you do if A) you owned a bed and breakfast, and B) you had a homosexual couple asking you for a room. Post your thoughts in a comment.

Finally, what did you think of this post? I'd love to hear your feedback.

Your Brother in Christ,

Joe

John 8:7-11 "And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 11 She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"

"Christianity is not about doing, but being." Pastor John Danganan

Christianity is not a set of rules and regulations that you must follow, but is about striving to be more like Christ.

p.s. if you want to read the full article, you can find it here