Born Free? - Yes! ~ Born Gay? - NO!

Today Facebook reminded me of this dialogue I posted in June 2013.  But it is even more relevant today, because of the Liberal Socialists' continued war against the Positive Moral Values of our Christian faith.    Folks, we now have a president, Donald Trump, who will work with us to keep our Christian faith from being relegated to the shadows or hidden in a closet.

I believe that God is showing us that we, all Christian believers, need to stand up and declare our God and our Christian faith to the secular world.  That is why I am reposting this 2013 dialogue.  For if it helps just one person to better understand the current task we have of bringing God's promise of eternal life to an unwilling world - then reposting has been worthwhile.

Born Free: Yes!  ~  Born Gay: NO!
Posted June 23, 2013 at 1:16 AM on Facebook Notes

In a discussion I began on the Religion Forum titled "Did Exodus International Cave To Societal Pressures?" - I opened by writing:

The Los Angeles Times, a Secular Newspaper, and Liberals cheer the closing of a Christian ministry.   Was Exodus International right in closing that ministry - or did it just cave to societal peer pressure?

And, a Religion Forum Friend who tells us he is a Christian believer, but does not believe most of what the Bible teaches, and admits that he has not been in a church in many years - yet, feels he is a good spokesman for the Christian community, tells me, "It closed because homosexuality isn't a choice.  You can't be 'cured' of it.  And even the founder (of Exodus International) admitted it didn't work.  If you believe God is behind every birth, then you also have to believe that God made them that way - and did it on purpose."

I reply to him:

Regardless of whether people are born gay (which they are NOT!) as you believe - or chooses to be gay as the Bible teaches; that is not the issue.

We all have sin in our lives, believers and non-believers.  The trick is to NOT allow that sin to become the god of your life.  And, that is exactly what happens when a person CHOOSES to live a homosexual or lesbian lifestyle.

Being homosexual or lesbian is NOT a sin.  But, living an active homosexual or lesbian lifestyle - IS a sin.   For God declared that lifestyle to be an abomination, unnatural, and against sound teaching.  In other words, God loves the homosexual/lesbian - but, God hates the sin lifestyle, any and all sin lifestyles.

Then, another Forum Friend responds, "Bill, the gay community disagrees.  But, SOME theorists feel there are three types of gays.  Of course, the rationales could cross over, so that some might have two traits, not just one.  (More) to the point, one of the reasons is a genetic propensity in males to be gay.  That doesn't mean that anyone has to act on any propensity they may have, whether to have homosexual sex, steal, or be sarcastic."

And, I tell her:
 

Not sure what you mean by "three types of gays" - but, I do believe you are right that everyone is born with some degree of feeling, curiosity, desire to experiment, or whatever one will call it - about homosexual desires.  I would probably lean more toward believing it is curiosity and a desire to experiment.  But I cannot speak for everyone.

I do not believe this occurs only in males.  I believe it is equally true in females, that desire to experiment.

And, that is why it is so important to have Traditional Marriage - so that every boy and girl has the right role models in those young years.  Same-Sex Marriages, i.e., two mommies or two daddies, cannot offer those types of role models to young children.

She responds, "Three types:  (1) Born that way,  (2) Sexually abused/molested at young age, and (3) Taunted as gay because of small stature or lack of athleticism.  Your post reminded me of an old joke, 'He could have married anyone he pleased.  He just didn't please anyone.' "

Luckily, I do not have that latter problem.  For God prepared a very special woman for me whom, despite my many faults I would please (some might say fooled) enough that she married me almost 36 years ago.  And, biggest miracle of all - she still loves me.

At this point, let's look at reasons why homosexuality is not an inherited trait, nor is anyone born gay.

In your list, items 2 and 3 have validity, and could be viewed as emotional or psychological reasons which might cause a person to have such low self-esteem that he/she would avoid relationships with people of the opposite sex.  And, as a result, some seek solace in a person of the same sex.  The reasons and understanding of all the emotions and feelings which are a part of this - are far above my intellectual knowledge and beyond my pay scale.

However, I do not believe that your item 1 has any validity.   Why would God, the God who has declared:

2 Peter 3:9 (nasb), "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for ALL to come to repentance."

Why would He create people that are condemned to hell before birth, and before they have an opportunity to choose eternal life in Christ?  That would be the highest form of cruelty.  And God is not cruel.

We know that not ALL people will accept the "free gift" of eternal life which Christ purchased with His blood on the cross.  But this Scripture verse tells us that God truly desires ALL to be saved.

Would a God who wants ALL to be saved - create some to be the abomination, the unnatural person whom He, in the Bible, has said condemns himself or herself to eternal hell?  NO!  God would not create anyone specifically to be sent to hell - in spite of the Calvinist teaching of Reprobates.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (nasb), "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."

In this Scripture passage, God has listed specific sin lifestyles, not people or sins, but sin lifestyles - which those who live them will not inherit the kingdom of God.  In other words, they will not be saved into eternal life, for they have chosen to live an active sin lifestyle, condemning themselves to eternal hell.

All of us, believers and non-believers, may commit some, or all, of those sins at times.  But, if we are believers, if we have a saving relationship with Christ - we have been forgiven.  Yes, we have to repent, ask His forgiveness, and ask His strength to help us not commit those sins again.  We do this, not so that God will know what we did (for He knows every hair on our head, every breath we take, every thought we have) - but, so that we personally recognize, understand, and accept our sins, i.e., that we own our sins - and strive, through prayer and His help, to avoid them in the future.

When Christ went to the cross, He took all the sins of all the world, the sins of all people who have been born, or will ever be born - to the cross with Him.  He took all those sins upon His perfect, sinless Self on the cross, so that we - you, me, all the world (John 3:16) - can be forgiven by grace, through faith.

Not, will be forgiven, but, can be forgiven.  If by the grace of God, through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross - a person will believe the Gospel and receive (John 1:12) His precious gift of eternal life - "paid in full" by His blood spilled on the cross - that person is saved and has eternal life in Christ.

In other words, He is our High Priest who offered the sacrificial Lamb, Himself, to be the "once for all time, for all people" blood sacrifice which would satisfy the perfect justice of God (Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 9:12, 1 Peter 3:18).

Colossians 2:14 (nasb), "Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us (sins: past, present, and future), which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

On the cross, Jesus Christ "paid in full" the sin debt for all people - so that we who believe and receive His "full pardon" - have received forgiveness for all our sins:  past, present, and future.

Does this mean that we have a "license to sin"?  Absolutely not.  For we WILL have to account for every sin, by word or deed, done by commission or omission in this life when we stand before Him in judgment - the Bema Seat Judgment of rewards or lack of rewards for believers - or the Great White Throne Judgment of punishment for all non-believers.

Do you recall, when you were a small child, having to stand before that authority figure, dad or mom, and admit your guilt for a wrong that you had done?  Do you recall how you felt?   Well, multiply that about a million times - and that is what it will feel like to stand before Jesus Christ, the Son who died a cruel death on the cross to buy your pardon - and admit that you have disobeyed Him.

No, my Friend, being a "forgiven sinner" is definitely NOT a license to sin.  But it is the blessed assurance that, one day, you WILL stand before the Jesus Christ we love and receive the great reward of being in heaven eternally with Him.

So, back to my original point:  I am sad to see Exodus International close its ministry.  For even saving one soul who had been led down the wrong path in life - is worth the effort to keep the ministry active.  I can understand how missionaries, pastors, and evangelist who have been in the service of the Lord for many years - and have not personally experienced the elation of bringing a soul to Christ - would feel. 

But, that is short sighted.  It is not the ones we can personally attest have come to the Lord through our work, that matters.  What matters is how many "salvation seeds" we have personally sown into the winds of eternity.

Some years ago, a Christian brother, Fernando, was doing the quarterly newsletter for our church.  I recall hearing him say once, after the newsletter had been distributed at worship service, and after the worship service - to see so many of them laying in the pews, laying on the floor, or thrown into the trash can, "I feel like they are throwing my baby away."

Later, I mentioned that to a Christian sister, May, the wife of my Friend, Pastor Charles Patam.  Her reply was so true that it led me to publishing my own Christian newsletter.  She told me, "But, if only one soul is touched or saved through that effort - then, all the work is worth it."

That thought resonated within me.  And, that is why, almost 25 years later, I am still doing Christian apologetic writing - even though I frequently do get stones thrown at me, i.e., name calling, accusations, untruths, misrepresentations, etc.  Each stone, each name called or derogatory comment, thrown when I share the Truth of God's Word - is a rare gem in the coming Crown of Life I will receive in heaven.  And, each one makes me smile with elated anticipation.

James 1:12 (nkjv), "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

Revelation 2:10 (nkjv), "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."

It makes me sad that this badly needed ministry, Exodus International, has been abandoned because of what appears to be our Liberal society's pressure.  Did Exodus International make mistakes?  What ministry does not, for we are only human?  But, do we quit because we have made mistakes?  No!

We adjust.  And work even more diligently to make that ministry more effective and more glorifying to our Lord, who, ". . . not wishing for any to perish but for ALL to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9) - waits patiently at the door of every heart: male or female, gay or straight - waiting to be invited in as your Best Friend (Revelation 3:20).   If you have not yet invited Him to come into your life, into your heart - why are you waiting?

For any of my Friends, or my Friends' Friends, still living in an active sin lifestyle, regardless of which sin - God has not given up on you.   So, why are you giving up on Him?

That is why He has appointed pastors, teachers, leaders - and yes, apologetic writers such as me.  He wants us to like like the blister on your buttock, not life threatening - but uncomfortable when you continue to sit and not receive His precious gift of eternal life.  God does not want you to be comfortable living a sin lifestyle.

Christ is patiently waiting at the door of your heart, waiting for YOU to open the door which He cannot (Revelation 3:20) - ready to come into your heart and be your very Best Friend.  Give Him a chance.  What do you have to lose - except an eternity in hell?

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill