Sex | Church | Culture

Below is a transcript from the recent Global Homecoming online gathering by TrueLove.is

First, I want to thank TrueLove.is and their team for inviting me and CHANGED’s other co-founder Ken Williams to join you for this Global Homecoming. What an honor to be able to be with you and take part in what God is doing today! And also, Merry Christmas from California! It’s a special honor to be able to join everyone during this season as we celebrate the birth of Christ together.

Let’s look at sex, church and culture. What is happening right now?

I am really pleased to have been given that theme to speak to you all. You see, we are living in one of the most challenging and exciting times to be alive considering our testimonies. As we watch this near tidal wave of LGBTQ impact wash over nations, our experiences of God and his love could never be more pertinent and pivotal for our generation. Truly, we are able to say that God is on the move on behalf of LGBTQ identifying people, but there certainly is a battle over what is true and vital for anyone with the LGBTQ experience.

I want to begin by talking about how culture is influencing the broader church.

The impact that the sexual revolution is having on Christianity is making it more and more challenging for any of us to find orthodox biblical teaching on sexuality. Many Christians have never been taught Jesus’ perspective on sexuality. How will any LGBTQ identifying person hear the whole gospel if the church is unwilling to firmly embrace what the Bible teaches? There is wholeness and thriving only through God’s ways. Every effort to subvert the truth about human sexuality only causes more and more people to be trapped in a worldview that distorts our identities and blocks us from experiencing God’s best.

I’m privileged to speak and teach regularly at the Bethel School of Ministry here in California. I enjoy interacting with students and hearing their perspectives. As you can imagine, the LGBTQ topic is a frequent conversation that we have. We are all concerned about loving well and bringing people to Christ. So many Christians are confused about how to reach the gay community with the gospel. And there is significant confusion over how gay sexuality should be understood in the context of the gospel.

In the midst of those conversations, I often feel like I am contending for human dignity and human identity measured against LGBTQ identity. You see, I believe that full embrace of LGBTQ identity forces us into a posture that separates us from the rest of humanity. I feel LGBTQ identity is dehumanizing and exclusionary, particularly when we are left grappling with what it means to be male or female and whether we actually are either of those. Instead, Jesus invites us into his family as brothers and sisters who are able to relate to one another with the full privilege of redemption in God’s kingdom. Through Christ we are able to access God’s vision for our personal lives. Only God knows our true identity and the way forward in our lives. Every day we grow more mature and discover more of our new identity in Christ as God leads.

For me, there’s no more powerful revelation of the kingdom of God than that we are new creations in Christ. My new life in Jesus enables me to walk away from all of my past into the hope of glory in Christ. Any moral objection to this transition from lost to found, from gay to oncegay, surely misses the dramatic promise of being born again into the family of God.

The mantra “Love is Love” has caused people to accommodate social norms for the sake of not offending non-Christians. And, in an effort to care for people who identify as LGBTQ, Christians are sometimes unwittingly trapping people in an ideology where the fullness of God’s love and power can’t be found. When we stray from a biblical sexual ethic, we lose spiritual authority.

Let me say that a different way. When we choose culture’s preferences for sexual expression, such as sex before marriage, or use of porn for sexual gratification, we deny Christ.

As a result, Christianity has lost its authority in the realm of sexual morality, which means we no longer have the moral high ground to influence culture. Our light is growing dim and we are seeing people across the world suffer because of it.

But, secular humanism is failing our generation! You can see it in the high rates of suicide, divorce, abandonment, abortion, murder... Our world is desperate for hope! And, so, we all have an amazing opportunity to shine the light of Christ for all to see. We carry the most counter-cultural message of our generation. Now, it’s up to us to show the world Jesus’ true love.

I think it’s helpful to reflect on the growth of the early church, particularly through Paul’s teaching. He took very strict positions on sexual behavior and made it a priority in his preaching. As a result, Christian congregations acted very different from the Greco Roman religions of the time. The early church’s sexual ethic was a factor that set Christianity apart. Among Christians, people were no longer objectified or used for pleasure. Our bodies took on new meaning as “temples of God” rather than tools for the worship of idols.

A strong Christian sexual ethic gives dignity to men and women by cherishing their unique value and complementarity within the community. Jesus cared for the weak, the broken, those who could be marginalized, and demanded that those with privilege or power have deep concern for the greater community. Secular culture objectifies men and women through sexualizing them. Christ never does.

How can we influence culture?

I think we all have a strong desire to spread the gospel and to see the world turn to the Truth. But, as I’ve said, we have lost some ground by the influences that culture has made on many Christians. Historically, it’s nothing new for culture to influence believers. The Bible clearly describes the drama as new leaders and outside influencers negatively impacted Israel throughout the Old Testament. So, how are we to respond today? In the Old Testament there are examples of renewal through leaders like Josiah who restored repentance to Israel and turned their hearts once again to God.

I believe WE are being called today to draw the broader church to this place of humility. All of us who have left the LGBTQ world to follow Christ have a particular calling with grace to draw Christianity into holiness. We have a unique perspective on the sacrifice that is required to follow Christ. And, many of us have overcome barriers to enter churches. Today we are helping leaders better understand the LGBTQ experience and how gender trauma or same sex attraction can be overcome as a follower of Jesus. As we do, our common humanity is being restored. No longer LGBTQ outsiders, we are now brothers and sisters in Christ together as His family.

Friends, Jesus is calling all of us to release a fresh message of the compassion of Christ for the marginalized that does not compromise the potency of the Gospel.

I believe God has rescued all of us who have left LGBTQ in order to present a unique testimony to the world. It is a declaration both of the truth of Jesus as well as his power to restore and redeem. Jesus has rescued us so that we may carry his truth and excellence. We all have such provocative testimonies of his goodness and power. Many of us have said we are living in a Revelation 12:11 season:

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

When Ken Williams and I stood on the steps of the California capital along with our friends who now are part of a movement we’ve called CHANGED, the power of God connected hearts in California. Despite great odds to the contrary, our voices were heard. LGBTQ-identifying political leaders in California sought dialogue with Christian leaders in our state. We watched Christians come together in unity through the courage of men and women like you who are willing to speak out. I believe God continues to invite all of us to have courage to stand publicly as Christians. Not only is the name of Jesus at stake, but more and more people are hearing our message. Closeted Christians are finding fresh hope and a place to belong as sons and daughters of God.

Many of us from CHANGED are now married and some even have children. How like the Lord to use our unlikely testimonies to bring to light the beauty of Christian family and Christian marriage? As many of us contend for the promises of God in our relationships, we are leading the way in declaring the beauty of God’s design for family. As we reach for something that before seemed beyond our grasp, people are recognizing that biblical marriage and family are worth fighting for.

And finally, we are bringing what is beautiful of LGBTQ experience into churches. What do I mean by that? Well, those of us who once found belonging within the LGBTQ community are now bringing this value for authenticity to our congregations. We have known what it is like to be marginalized, or to feel unsafe and so to search for solace among like-minded peers. It turns out, that is a real gift to many churches that have lost a sense of fellowship and family. Churches are becoming once again places of refuge, safety and belonging. And, we are bringing our creativity and unique perspectives to congregations. God is refreshing Christian artistic expression through us while breaking down barriers to empathy and connection.

It might be easy to see a bleak picture of the state of Christianity right now as secular culture maligns the name of Jesus. However, we are part of a powerful God-ordained silver lining to this dark cloud. We are holding the line and breaking down barriers for future generations to find and follow Jesus. It is the biggest adventure we may ever know— with Jesus.

Truly, God is on the move in a divine rescue mission for people lost in LGBTQ identity. He is restoring us and countering Pride with humility. A revival, even for a remnant, is underway. Join me in thanking God for all He is doing!