Homosexuality and
Same Sex Marriage – by Mario Gonzalez, J.D.
In a
recent interview, Rev. Brian Houston, pastor of the well respected
Hillsong Church in Australia, responded to a question by Michael Paulson
of the New York Times requesting a clarification of their church’s
stance on the issue of same sex marriage by evading the question. In
summary, Brian responded by saying that is was “an ongoing conversation”
among church leaders and that they were “on a journey with it.” As
anticipated, this non-answer prompted an immediate backlash from the
conservative faith community who has been feeling almost universally
disenfranchised from society because of their perceived biblical stance
on the subject. Essentially, people holding conservative Christian views
on the issue of sexuality, marriage and family are now routinely
scorned and labeled “bigoted” and “homophobic” for nothing more than
what has been and continues to be their long-held, deeply rooted
religious convictions on the issues based on scriptural teachings.Echoing the evasive stand of pastor Houston, Pastor Carl Lentz, who pastors the local NYC chapter of the Hillsong Church, told Anderson Cooper that he apparently believes that not taking a public stand on the issue of homosexuality is behavior somehow modeled by Christ that he and the Hillsong Church leadership strive to imitate. It is apparently simply “godly” not to publically comment on the church’s theological perspective on these issues when asked, whatever they are.
With the greatest respect and deference to Pastors Houston and Lentz (which I do deeply respect), the fact that Jesus never addressed the matter of homosexuality directly in the Bible does not negate other communicative norms observed in scripture on the issue, particularly those observed by the apostle Paul. Nor does it lessen what are essentially universal scriptural teachings on the subject. The myth propagated by intolerant interest groups that holding to certain scriptural teachings on homosexuality somehow invalidates one’s ability to love people who engage in this behavior is misleading, invalid, and the height of intolerance. Just because you disagree with what your teenage child does doesn’t mean you love them any less. On the contrary, you hope to love them through whatever it is that they're experiencing. As parents we lovingly walk our children through all phases of their lives. Here’s the point: God loves us despite our inherent sinfulness. Scripture tells us “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” We are ultimately all sinners saved by grace.
That said, this does not mean that we are to refrain from identifying behavior that the Bible clearly teaches is sinful. Paul tells his spiritual son Timothy and every one of us by extension “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom [pretty strong terminology don’t you think]: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (II Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV). Sharing the truth in love, as we are commanded to do in Ephesians 4:15, inherently requires "sharing the truth" so that we as Christians, members of the body of Christ, can ultimately mature in the faith – it is how we grow. So what is the truth? Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 6, “9 or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” What “some of you were” – this is critical.
What we do once we know something we’re doing is sinful is every person’s individual choice. God must be allowed to move in our hearts in his time. Scripture requires us, however, to share what the Bible says is sinful so that a proper choice can be made in the first place. That said, we cannot treat anyone less than we do anyone else because of a particular “type” of sin. God’s grace and mercy is available to every person willing to open their hearts to him. God forgives every manner of sin if we are willing to confess them and turn to him (1 John 1:9). His love is expressed in that he loves us despite our sin (Romans 5:8). This does not mean that we simply ignore teaching about a particular sin simply because the message is unpopular or because it might make the messenger less “marketable.”
In a society overrun with political “newspeak,” this generation has grown tired of hypocrisy and double-talk. We’re getting that from our political leaders - we shouldn’t also have to deal with it in church. In summary, I would encourage every believer to be who you are and say what you believe in love and with respect (1 Pet. 3:15). I would agree with a good friend of mine and fellow minister at my church that its really come time for the people of God to rise up from the ashes of their rejection and to be strong, to be bold, and to be holy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/hillsong-church-gays_n_6002762.html
