Is God Anti-Gay?

   Is God anti-Gay? I saw this as the title of a book and was intrigued by the question. To be fair in answering this question, you will have to ask a variety of other questions. One way to look at this is, God is anti-sin, and being Gay is a sin, so therefore God is anti-Gay. But the answer is more complex than that.

  For example, if a legalist were to ask that question, he would look for a certain answer, but the answer he is looking for would exclude other possibilities. His motive would be to use the status of the Gay person in comparison with his own standard (which he thinks he has reached). He would say that God is anti-Gay primarily because he is not Gay, and his conclusion would make him look more righteous. But let’s make this question a little broader.

   Is God only ‘anti-Gay’ or is He anti anything else, and if so, what else is He against? God is set against sin, whatever that sin might be. The Gay person will face God on Judgment Day, but, so will everyone else who sins. Being Gay is not the only sin, and if we made a list of things that are considered sinful, the list would be endless and we all would have several things from that list that are in our own lives.

  The whole crux of the answer to this problem comes from a misunderstanding of the nature of sin. Is sin what we do, or is sin what we are? Can we control our sinful desires or are we under their control? If we are under the control of sin, is there any hope for freedom from sin?

  Some Christians believe people can turn sin on or off at will. These are the people who hold up signs saying ‘Repent, stop sinning’. They believe that every human being does not ever have to sin. If you take this belief further, it comes from the belief that human beings are not born with a sinful nature. The sinful nature is called, ‘Inherent sin’. Sin comes from sinful hearts, which are the results of the fall of mankind as recorded in Genesis 3. Since the time Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, every person has been born with a heart that is inclined to sin. People cannot stop sinning, but, because of Jesus’ death, now human beings can have power over sin in their lives. When a person turns from his sins, and trusts in the death of Jesus Christ, he  receives power to ‘say no to sin’ and to ‘say yes to righteousness’. What happens after salvation is called the process of sanctification. People are going to slip and fall, but, God will help them up again, and they will continue on their journey in sanctification. If we think sin is something we can turn on or off at will, we are sadly mistaken and will lead many into a wrong understanding of their Christian experience.

   Yes, we are born with sinful hearts. Gay or straight, we are all sinful, with all kinds of varieties of sins that need to be dealt with. So to answer the question fairly and objectively, yes, God is anti-Gay. There’s more though. God is anti-porn, God is anti-hate, God is anti-laziness, God is anti-irresponsiblity, God is anti-selfishness, God is anti-angry, God is anti-greedy, God is anti-promiscuis, God is anti-prideful, God is anti-prejudicial, God is anti-filthy language, and so on. That is the bad news. We are all in danger before God. No one is exempt.

   So, if that is true, God is anti-you and anti-me. Where is the hope then? Can we pull ourselves up by our boot straps and quit sinning so God will not be opposed to us? The Bible says that God showed His love for us in that even while we were still sinners, He sent His Son to die and take the punishment for our sins. God can forgive Gay people. God can forgive liars. Not only can God forgive them, but God will give them new life. Those who turn from their sins and trust in Christ will receive a new heart with new desires. They will receive power to break off from sin. The best news is, God will not be anti-them anymore. God and the sinner will be reconciled. For more information on this go to http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com