THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "GAY CHRISTIANITY"Dan Long 9/07/12

Yesterday morning I stumbled across a news report that former Christan Contemporary Music singer Jennifer Knapp recently came out of the closet  admitting that she was a lesbian, http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gay-ex-christian-singer-jennifer-knapp-details-her-sexuality-why-she-tried-to-undo-her-religion/. Now, the entire "gay Christianity" movement is an oxymoron since you cannot be gay and Christian at the same time. What frustrates me most about this story, is her  shallow understanding of  the Gospel and the lack of reverence she has for the Word of God. And yet this is the way it is with most of those who call themselves "gay Christians."

The article states, "When the singer turned 18, she said she “made a concerted effort” to truly begin exploring Christianity. While she remembers being “really inspired to follow this mystery of Christ,” the singer said that it took her quite a bit of time to figure it all out."  Speaking of her conversion Knapp says, “In evangelical terms, I accepted Christ and then it was like six or eight months before I was deciding about how much I was going to engage in the church community,” My question is, if she was truly converted, why would she even have to think about how much she was going to "engage herself" in the Church.

Anyone who has truly been converted has a new heart Ezk. 36:26. With this new heart comes an automatic desire to know the God who saved them. How do we come to know Him? Well, we sit under the sound preaching and teaching of God's Word. Where do we do this? We do this in Church, where we fellowship with other Believers, and regularly take the Lords Supper. My guess is that Jennifer never heard the real Gospel. More than likely, what she heard was a watered down, man centered version of the Gospel  that takes the sting out of sin, leaves out repentance (or if repentance is mentioned makes no effort to explain what repentance is) neglects the substitution of Christ's death on our behalf, and promotes God as loving grandfatherly figure who desires to fulfill our hopes and dreams, while revealing His "wonderful plan for our lives." Unfortunately, this is how the Gospel is presented in many, if not most evangelical Churches today.

"Gay Christianity" is one of the results of compromising the Gospel. I do understand that anyone who wants to remain in their sin and still retain some form of religiosity, will twist the scriptures to their own advantage. But unless a person has truly been confronted with the fact that they are born "dead in their trespasses and sins, Ep. 2:1, slaves to their sin, Jn. 8:34, enemies of God, Rom. 5:10; James 4:4, children of the devil, Jn:8:44, and under the wrath of God, Jn. 3:36, how will they ever be able to understand what the good news of the cross is all about? To remove the offence of the Gospel is to preach another gospel, which will send people to hell rather than save them.

Knapp was interviewed by Larry King on CNN (yep, Larry King is still out there). When she was asked about what she thought of the Bible's view on homosexuality here was her answer, “There are over 34,000 denominations [and] there’s a wide variety in the way people navigate experience and scripture,” she claimed, remaining respectful of the divergent views that people have on the subject.

Scripture is black and white. It says what it says. But in order for "gay Christians" to continue in their sinful lifestyles and feel comfortable in their sin, they have to twist the clear meaning of scripture to make it fit their worldview. The Bible makes it very clear, that a person cannot continue in a habitual lifestyle of sin and and enter the kingdom of God. Whether it be homosexuality, drunkenness, greed, sexual immorality, etc, Paul makes it clear, "you cannot live like this and enter the kingdom of God," 1Cor. 10:6. Look at what the apostle John says about those who make a practice of sin:

1 John 4:4-10 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Notice what John says: No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Those who continue to practice sin has never "seen or known" God. Notice again what verse nine says  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. A person who has been born again does not, and cannot continue to live in habitual sin. Why? The answer is in the text, God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. A new nature has been given to the person who has truly been converted to Christ. Now where sin was once loved and cherished, it becomes repulsive and empty.

This does not mean that a person cannot struggle with homosexual desires. Just like those with the besetting sin of drunkenness may struggle with alcohol abuse, or one with the besetting sin of greed may struggle with materialism, a genuine Christian may struggle with homosexual desires. However, a genuine Christian will abstain from giving in to those desires and eventually get the victory over them. Not meaning to say that those desires can never resurface, but if they do the Christian who struggles with sin, whatever that sin may be, has the Holy Spirit living within him or her to help them overcome.   

Steve recently posted a link called "Gay Christianity Refuted." This will take you directly to Alpha and Omega Ministries, http://www.aomin.org/ where you can download this in MP3 format. The download is a little over 5 hours long, but is chocked full of important Biblical information on this ever increasing topic that is prevalent in the Church today. The download is free, but even if it wasn't, every Christian should listen to it. Dr. James White critiques a message given at a United Methodist Church by a young man named Matthew Vines who claims to be a gay Christian. Matthew appeals to his audience mainly by using emotion, often repeating his desire to have a family and his fear of being alone. The evidence he gives for his position is easily refuted by Dr. White. Praise God for the time and effort James White took in putting this program together, and making it available free of charge.

In conclusion, "Gay Christianity" is not Christianity at all. As Christians, we need to know what the Word of God says on the topic of homosexuality in order to answer those who oppose the truth. We need to do this  "with gentleness and respect, 1Pet. 3:15, so that our testimonies will not be tarnished, and  so that our God will be glorified. We cannot keep quiet about this. We must speak out!