Biblical perspectives

Underpinning the approach of TfT is the desire that what we seek to do, in both teaching and counselling, is in accordance with Scriptural principles. In particular, we understand that although many people may be aware of homosexual or lesbian feelings, homosexual genital conduct falls short of God's plan for His creation. In other words same sex sexual activity is sinful.

Consideration of homosexuality must be framed at the outset by acknowledging the creation order. Genesis 1 and 2 are foundational texts. The importance of the divine image in both male and female, the significance of becoming one flesh in the context of a male and female monogamous marriage, and the creation of the family to enable the bearing of children are all basic building blocks of human life and society. They are supported throughout scripture, regardless of time or prevailing culture, and this foundational teaching is widely quoted in both the old and new testaments. I will mention just two texts:

Leviticus 18:22 reads "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

The debate about whether Old Testament texts have any bearing on Christians today has been raging since the time of the early church - some would argue that the eating of prawns is similarly condemned. But where a command is grounded in a creation principle and where it is taken up unequivocally in the New Testament we can be confident that this is a lasting pattern for Christians. (Paul addresses the prawn eating issue in Romans 14:17 when he says, "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking.")

Romans 1:24 reads "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."

The passage then goes on to talk about the envy, murder, strife, deceit, and gossip that followed as God gave them over to a depraved mind. It is clear from this passage that all of us have sinned. We have rejected God's self-disclosure in the creation order and turned to idols. We need to find, through repentance, the Grace and forgiveness that our loving heavenly Father has to offer us in Christ.

There are six other verses or passages in Scripture which relate to homosexual behaviour: Genesis 19:1-8 (Sodom and Gomorrah): Judges 19:22 (attempted male rape in Gibeah); Leviticus 20:13 (repeats the sentiments of the Leviticus verse above but adds the death penalty; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10 and Jude v7 (the latter two both make reference to perversion and can reasonably be interpreted as referring to homosexual behaviour). No other verses refer to the subject and no verses commend homosexual behaviour in either the Old or New Testament.

It should be noted that adultery gets many more mentions in Scripture than homosexual behaviour. The implication of all teaching of Scripture is that sexual behaviour is to be experienced within the context of a marriage between a man and a woman. Sexual interaction between people outside that relationship is sinful and damages not only the people involved but, if they are Christians, damages their relationship with God. Many parallels are drawn in Scripture between physical adultery and spiritual adultery.

It is worth noting that neither homosexuality nor heterosexuality are biblical concepts and owe more to the work of secular psychotherapists than Scripture. Similarly there are no such creatures as homosexuals or heterosexuals - just men and women made in the image of God who, as a result of the havoc sin has caused, experience fallenness in a wide variety of ways - which for some involves sexual desires and behaviours that focus around those of the same gender.

An obvious aspect of ministering to Christians who struggle with homosexual feelings is to encourage them to understand the Word of God as Truth as it relates to their own circumstances. It is clear that sexual behaviour is wrong outside marriage between a man and a woman, but neither does it rank as a sin above all others in a category of its own. Some preaching can leave those who struggle in this area feeling worse than any other sinners, and even more alienated from God and from other Christians than they feel already. An overemphasis on this subject can leave the majority of the congregation with a 'holier than thou' feeling.

A more sensitive pastoral approach is to admit that many Christians may struggle with their own sexuality, but there is help in God's Word for all of them, and God's grace can extend to all. Each individual is valuable to God.

A very common feature of men and women in these circumstances is a sense of great separation from God and other believers - a sense of not being normal and not acceptable to God. Often self-loathing can grip the person - a sense of being beyond help and unable to do anything about their circumstances. But the gospel, of course, has a great deal to offer the individual in these circumstances. At the same time there is a biblical balance to be struck. We must not offer a 'come to Jesus and all your struggles will be over' message. Relief from the struggle may not come immediately. Indeed, it may continue to be a struggle for the person's entire life. God will, however, honour the faithful believer, and as the hymn writer said 'Sanctify to thee thy deepest distress'.

In a conversation recently with someone really having a hard time, I found myself saying that had it not been for my struggle with homosexuality I would not have experienced God's grace in the way that I had. It's part of the upside down Kingdom of Grace - that what seems desperate and incredibly painful can be turned around for our benefit.