‘Evangelical’ is a term used to describe a person or church committed to proclaiming and upholding the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the United Kingdom, the trajectory of the broadly speaking Evangelical Church is becoming an increasing concern. This article examines how the Evangelical Church responds to the contemporary issue of same-sex attraction.
In response to this issue, the Church has promptly identified and emphasised the dignity of every individual, citing texts such as Genesis 1:26-27 and Galatians 3:28. Truths from Scripture about God, men and women, sexuality, and marriage are also highlighted. So far, so good. However, we need to carefully examine what is being communicated.
In the case of same-sex attraction, the Evangelical Church in the UK has aligned itself with statements by groups like the Evangelical Alliance and campaigns such as Living Out. This approach highlights a significant problem: the Evangelical Church lacks a biblical framework for confronting sin. When someone is attracted to a person of the same sex, this is treated with a worldly therapeutic approach that centres upon understanding the sinner [1]. The issue is not merely whether someone is attracted to a person of their own sex, or even if this is something they were born with; the problem is the lack of a biblical diagnosis of this sin. We are born as totally depraved sinners, alienated from the Living God in a fallen and broken world (cf. Jer 17:9 & Rom 3:10). A consequence of living in this fallen world without due regard to God is that men and women desire sinful and abominable things, and we even seek to justify them (cf. Judges 17:6). On all accounts, sex outside marriage is a wicked act. And since marriage has been historically defined as a covenantal union between a man and a woman, same-sex sexual activity, even amongst the community that has accepted the redefinition of marriage, is at war with what God has revealed. Biblically speaking, those acts are unnatural perversions and abominations in the sight of God (Cf. Lev 18:22, 20:13, Rom 1:26-28 & 1 Cor 6:9).
We need to identify and tackle two obvious problems with how the Evangelical Church has been approaching this issue.
The first is that many within the evangelical world fear man more than God. This must be addressed, and evangelical leaders who have succumbed to that need to repent before God and their congregations. Pastors should not view socially accepted sins in any other light, nor fear speaking about what God has made plain in His Word. We know from the Word of Christ that such sin distorts the created order and the dignity of those who partake in such acts.
The second issue is that many within the evangelical world now genuinely believe that this sort of approach is the ‘orthodox’ position. The standard of Biblical teaching and general education has plummeted, and so increasing numbers cannot see or diagnose these issues. The Word of God must unwaveringly govern what the church does, and a good knowledge of Church history is also a significant help here. There are many creeds formulated by the church fathers, along with more recent Catechisms and Confessions of Faith. These are documents aimed at establishing biblical truth and orthodoxy in response to error and apostasy. However, what we observe today in the Evangelical Church is certainly not this!
We often hear the phrase, ‘speak the truth in love’. In evangelical circles, we are witnessing a trend toward being pragmatic with the truth in love. The truth penetrates the heart of the sinner by the grace of God (cf. Acts 2:37). The Church must uphold the truth, even if it offends, and we must be prepared to face any growing persecution that results.
A sinner who is attracted to someone of the same sex needs to hear the Bible’s diagnosis in all its fullness and needs to be called to repent. True faith in the Gospel of our Jesus Christ means a change of heart and our very nature (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). And a life lived in submission to God’s Word are essential for overcoming sinful, fleshly desires through the grace of God. This is the loving thing to do, and this is how we faithfully glorify God and honour His Word. Evangelicals must heed the warning in Revelation 2:4-5,
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
This is what it means to be evangelical, and I pray that the Evangelical Church will embrace it again.
[1] Evangelical Alliance Relationship Matter Affirmation 2: We affirm God’s love and concern for all human beings, whatever their sexuality, and so reject and condemn all attitudes and actions which victimise or vilify those whose affections are directed towards people of the same sex. We are encouraged that many Christians now recognise and deeply regret the hurt caused by past and present failures in their responses to those who experience same-sex attraction.
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