June 2019 is Pride Month, a time American culture dedicates to celebrating and promoting the many lifestyles and ideas related to gender identity and sexual preference. The month is marked especially by parades and parties featuring rainbow colored flags and clothing, a use of the rainbow to reflect the many different ways of being human which are represented by this group. With celebrities, and even royalty, showing strong support for the LGBTQ+ community, a Christian finds himself/herself in a difficult place, having to consider the Scriptures (which speak concerning God’s standards for sex, marriage, and the necessary, distinctive presentation of both sexes by their outward appearance) and respond in a Christlike way to those who demand no objection to their sexual and gender identity.
To be clear, a Christian cannot remain faithful to God and support the sexual immorality which is present and promoted by these lifestyles. The rainbow is an innocent symbol, but it is being used to cover what is clearly sinful in the eyes of God (Matt. 5:27-30; Matt. 19:4-5; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Cor. 11:14-16; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5; Col. 3:5-6; 1 Thess. 4:2-5; Heb. 13:4). The difficulty for a Christian is not found in the identification of sin, but in making the appropriate and godly response to those who practice and encourage it.
Jesus has taught His followers to love all people, regardless of their treatment in response (Matt. 5:43-48). Jesus followed His own teaching when He gave Himself to die for the very ones who killed Him (Luke 23:34). Jesus was full of love for all, and was willing to forgive all, no matter what sins they had been practicing (Luke 7:36-50). The attentive reader will also recognize, however, that Jesus did not consider those practicing sin to be in no need of help. Jesus kept company with those who practiced sin, and when religious people were appalled, He responded, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13, NASB95). In these sentences Jesus sets forth the dual nature of the relationship He had with these outcasts: compassion and correction. He recognized the necessity of correction, communicated through the imagery of a physician caring for the sick, but also knew that before a physician could care for a patient, the patient had to come to the office, so to speak.
Jesus voiced no support for any sinful behavior, but also displayed compassion and care for every person He met, hoping to influence them toward the saving of their soul through repentance and submission to God’s will (Luke 13:3). A Christian who melds these two ideas into their approach and treatment of those in the LGBTQ+ community will find they are walking in the steps of the Savior and are imitating His lifestyle. This month holds many opportunities for the compassionate treatment of those who are sick with these sins. Christians, be good doctors, providing the truth to these souls in a manner that also communicates the love of God and the forgiveness provided through the blood of Jesus for all who will come to Him.