“Who said you were gay?”
With the egregious, ungodly SCOTUS decision legalizing same-sex marriage came a barrage of liberal and conservative articles, publications, posts, blogs, and opinions, the majority of which completely and ignorantly neglected addressing the core question. “Is homosexuality a sin?”
A little while back, I was on an ARMS Medical Mission to the Philippines. At one of our sites I saw a group of teenage Filipinos – four girls and one guy. They were just sitting on a wall in the middle of our circuit and observing all the activity. The young man was obviously a homosexual and I felt strongly to engage them in conversation.
I discovered that they were all seventeen and classmates. I asked them if they were Christians and they all said yes. I asked why they were Christians and they gave the old, generic, religious answer, “Because Jesus is my Savior.” I pressed them. “Savior from what?” They went completely silent. I took the next few moments to help them “connect the dots.” I told them, “Jesus saved us from our sins. All of us have sinned. If Jesus doesn’t pay for your sins, then you have to pay for them.” (Five light-bulbs came on.)
About this time, Dexter (an ARMS Team member) walked up. I immediately told him to start praying. He stood off to my left and began praying. The young Filipino man was named Rex. Again, I knew he was gay, but to broach the topic I asked him if he had a girlfriend. All five of the youths burst into laughter. Through giggles Rex said, “No, I have a boyfriend.” Then he quickly added, “And, one day I want to have a baby.” More snickers from the young girls. Acting somewhat surprised, I asked, “Oh, so you’re gay???” Rex just nodded his head. I looked him square in the eye and bluntly asked him, “Who said you were gay?”
The smiles and giggles immediately stopped. The question was like a dart that directly penetrated the childish banter and struck his core. I told him, “I don’t know you and I love you, but who said you were gay?” He stared at me intently, as if looking for condemnation or hostility. There was neither. For his sake, I asked again because he needed to reply in his own words. Tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes and he shyly admitted, “My friends.” About this time, his female friends tried to come to his defense. They said, “Leave him alone. It’s okay. We accept him this way.” I looked right at them, pointed my finger at them, and told them, “Be quiet! I’ll deal with you in a minute!” They all went silent.
Tears were now visibly falling from Rex’s eyes and he was turning his head, trying to avoid eye contact with his friends because of embarrassment or shame. At this point, I recognized that his girlfriends were somewhat of a distraction to Rex, so I placed my body, as much as I could, between him and the girls. I told Rex, “Your friends may say you’re gay, but did God say you were gay?” I asked, “Whose words are you going believe, God’s or your friends?”
Rex was still fighting back his tears, wiping the ones that occasionally got away. He was trying to avoid eye contact with me also but I told him, “Look at me.” He focused on me and I told him, “God never said you were gay.” Right there, on the spot, Rex’s heart began to melt and his tears began to flow freely. I told him, “Stop saying you’re gay! You are not gay! God never said you were gay. Whose words are you going to listen to more, God’s or your friends?” He said, “God’s words.”
I asked him if he wanted to pray and he nodded his head. I told him I would pray a little but that he had to talk to God with his own words from his heart. When Rex prayed he said things like, “God, I am sorry. Please forgive me. I don’t want to be gay. You didn’t make me gay. God, I know this is a fight for me. I’m going to need your help. Please help me to change and honor you with my life. Amen.” It was a humbling, powerful moment.
When we finished praying, I hugged him tightly and just held him for a few moments. I then turned to his girlfriends and asked them, “What kind of friends let another friend live in sin?” They were all silent. About ten or fifteen minutes later, I saw Rex walking alone down a path. There was a peace about him and he seemed to be doing some reflecting.
The moral of the story here is, “What does God say?” Now, more than ever, we have an obligation to restore God’s word in the hearts of all mankind. We have an opportunity for revival by putting God first in all matters. We have an opportunity to present repentance towards God, or rejection of God. Today, our task is to present God and His word to all people, for the time is rapidly approaching when all people will be presented before God for judgment. Don’t waste your time with secondary, insignificant debate. (See Col 2:8 & 1Tim 6:20-21) Primarily, you are to share the love of God, the truth of God, and the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. You can stay focused and bottom-line these conversations with these questions:
a. Is homosexuality a sin?
b. Who said gay is okay?
Demand answers to these questions. Don’t let anyone — Christians and non-Christians alike — off the hook. Every answer is quite revealing. So many people today (especially young people) are standing up to defend homosexuality in the name of freedom, equality, and love. These people have a juvenile understanding of freedom. Never forget, freedom is NOT the ability to do what I want, whenever I want. True freedom is the ability to do the right thing. (Selah!) God is the only one qualified to declare what is right! (See Isaiah 45:19) What the SCOTUS did was godless and there will be a reckoning!