Why Can't a Person in a Committed Homosexual Relationship Wholeheartedly Follow Christ?

From the blog post of Tony Jones.

If you are one who thinks that homosexual sex is sinful, can you please explain to me WHY a gay or lesbian person who is in a long-term, monogamous relationship would not be able to wholeheartedly follow Christ?

My only stipulation is this: You may not quote one of the six verses in scripture that mentions homosexuality.  Instead, you must use theological and/or philosophical arguments to attempt to convince me that when you have genital contact with someone of your own gender, it somehow inhibits your relationship with Christ.

Yes, Mr. Jones, I have an answer for you.  Why can't a person in a committed homosexual relationship wholeheartedly follow Christ?  Because no one can wholeheartedly follow Christ!  No one seeks God.  (Romans 3:10-12)

Wholeheartedly following Christ (obeying God, loving God with all your heart, mind, and strength) is a law.  The Law of God demands perfection.  But, instead, all have sinned- we are all under it (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:9).  We are  children of wrath by nature (Ephesians 2:1-3) and enemies of God (Colossians 1:21). We are sons of Adam, born in sin, and sinful from conception (Romans 5:12-13, Psalm 51:5).  

Mr. Jones, have you wholeheartedly followed Christ all your life?  Do you obey the Law- always?  Again, the Law demands perfection.  And we can't do it.  So, therein enters the cross.

Jesus didn't come to teach us new laws or even how to follow the already established one.  He didn't come to teach us a 'better way to live' (which is a law).  He came to fulfill the Law.  (Matthew 5:17)  Sent by His Father (John 8:42), Jesus came to call sinners (Matthew 9:12-13), 'that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind' (John 9:39), and to die for them (John 12:23-29).  

In doing so, Jesus doesn't abolish the Law (Matthew 5:17), but He sets us free from the yolk of the Law (We are no longer slaves to it.)  (Galatians 4- Galatians 5:1)  

What does this mean?  For mankind, who has had the Law of God written on our hearts (Romans 2:14-16), we are invited to enter the rest that Jesus Christ provides from the pain and conflict of striving through works (such as wholeheartedly following Christ) (Matthew 25:30, Hebrew 4:10).  

How do we enter that rest?  

Well, the Law demands perfection, and it demands justice when it is not obeyed.  However, for His name's sake, for His glory John 12:28), and for His love of the world (John 3:16) God sent His One and Only Son to meet that demand for justice.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although, the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith.  This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who had faith in Jesus.  (Romans 3:21-26)

We enter into that rest through faith- faith in Christ and His atoning work on the Cross.  For even Abraham, his righteousness was a result of faith.  (Galatians 3:5-9)  "A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law,because by works of the law no one will be justified."  Galatians 2:16 (emphasis mine)  We are no longer imprisoned to sin, but are justified by faith in Christ.  (Galatians 3:23-26)

And, now, I would point out, Mr. Jones, that you have asked two distinct questions.  You asked why can one living in a committed homosexual relationship would not be able to wholeheartedly follow Christ.  The answer would be because no one can do that.  No one can follow the law.

And you ask for thoughts on why practicing homosexuality inhibits one's relationship with Christ.  Yet, you ask me not to use the Scriptures that reference homosexuality, only philosophical and theological arguments.  

When one understands that one's relationship with Christ is dependent on Christ and His work on the Cross, not on our work of wholeheartedly following Him, we understand that through faith in Him, the Spirit is given to us, and through the Spirit, we are given santicfication.  "...Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?... Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"  (Galatians 3:2-3)  If we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law, yet when we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of our flesh.  (Galatians 5:16-18)

If you remember, while Jesus has fulfilled and freed us from the Yolk of the Law, He has not abolished it.  He has set, clearly, His desire and commands for our sexuality.  When Scripture is read in context, we see clearly in Genesis 1 and 3 that man and woman are created in the image of God and together reflect that image.  We also see that it is not good for man to be alone, so God gives Him woman.  We see that the people that God loves, Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament, are represented as a feminine Bride that our masculine Bridegroom pursues, changes (calls to repentance), saves, and loves like a jealous lover.

That being said, I cannot completely respect your stipulation to ignore Scripture pertaining to homosexuality.  For the Bible must be read in whole and in context.  (It's interesting that you imply that a committed homosexual relationship would be more acceptable- more Biblical?- than homosexual promiscuity.  Is that assumption part of Scriptural references to sexuality taken out of context?)  As it says in 2 Timothy 3:15-17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."  

Homosexuality inhibits one's relationship with Christ because it is sin.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:9-11, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:18-27).   "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."  1 John 1:6- 10

And, yes, my answer ultimately is- because the Bible says so.  

Oh, but there's good news!  Christ died even for the sin of homosexuality.  The Spirit makes us new!  (1 Corinthians 6:11)  We still struggle with our sin, as we will until we die.  But forgiveness is promised for those who put their trust in Christ and there is hope in the change that comes from sanctification through the Spirit.

I'm Not Connecting with this Book of Connection

I was skimming Rob Bell's book Sex God at the library one day, when I came across this paragraph on page 46.

You can't be connected with God until you're at peace with who you are. If
you're still upset that God gave you this body or this life or this family or
these circumstances, you will never be able to connect with God in a healthy,
thriving, sustainable sort of way. You'll be at odds with your maker. And if you
can't come to terms with who you are and the life you've been given, you'll
never be able to accept others and how they were made and the lives they've been
given. And until you're at peace with God and those around you, you will
continue to struggle with your role on the planet, your part to play in the
ongoing creation of the universe. You will continue to struggle and resist and
fail to connect.

Notice he starts the paragraph, a paragraph which may or may not hold some truth, with "You can't be connected with God until you're at peace with who you are."

"No! No! No! No! No!", I screamed in my head at the time. My thoughts were, "The opposite is true. You can't be at peace with yourself until you are connected with God. You cannot really know who you are until you know Who God is and who you are in Him." If I'm created in the image of God, to know myself, I must know Him first. If I am to become at peace with who I am before connecting with God, I would have to create this God in my image. For, if I am at peace with who I think I am in my flesh, then the only way to connect with God is to make Him agree with who I want to be or feel I am.

Furthermore, connecting with God, in that first connection, is contingent upon God's law of grace and His act of atonement. Connection with God is His action, not mine, an action of Him reaching down to me, drawing me to Christ, kindly leading me to repentance and acceptance and faith in His work of the Cross. That is how I connect to God.

To really connect with God, in our first connection, I must not be at peace with myself. I must be frustrated with my sin and in recognition of my complete inability to save myself.

So, I've begun reading the whole book to understand what he was saying in context, because reading anything in the correct context is crucial to actual understanding. And it's only fair to the author. I need to know what led up to Bell's conclusion that one must be at peace with himself first to connect with God. However, I've got to tell ya, reading this book- I have a lot of questions. His writing is at the same time seems very deep and very vague to me.

As one who has struggled with her sexuality and discovered that indeed sexuality is about relationships and identity, not just sex, I agree with Bell's premise of the book, Sex God, that sexuality and spirituality are connected. Bell contends that sexuality is actually about connecting with God, others, and the earth. (He had me until 'the earth'.) I can see there is some truth in what Bell says. He talks about how empty and unsexual sex is when there's no connection. Deep stuff.

But I am bothered that in the first chapter, he appears to change the meaning of Jesus' words in Matthew 5:27-30, which reads,

27 You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28
But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed
adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you
to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part
of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your
hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It
is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be
thrown into hell.

That's pretty straightforward to me. Looking at a woman with lust is the same thing as committing adultery. It's better to lose your eye if lusting through it continues to be a problem, because it's better to lose an eye than to go to hell. In simpler form, sinning in your heart is sin as much as sinning in your actions. Don't sin. Hell is a consequence of sin.

However, in the context of men and women being created in the image of God, Bell twists this Bible passage to mean that when we do not treat one with respect to their image bearing selves (by lusting after a woman), "[Jesus's] point is that something serious- something hellish- happens when people are treated as objects, and we should resist it at all costs." (pg 22)

Bell makes this teaching after he redefines Heaven to mean, "where things are as God wants them, under the rule and reign of God" and Hell to mean, "a realm where things are not as God wants them to be. Where things aren't according to God's will. Where people aren't treated as fully human." (pg 21)

Redefining Biblical terms and Biblical meanings. I sense trouble.

Bell goes on to write that, based on the fact that the early Christian have all been united through the resurrected Jesus Christ, "this new commonality is simply bigger than all of the things" (like race) "that had previously kept them apart." He says the first Christians called this the "new humanity", but gives no reference for this term. (pg 24) Bell says, "The new humanity is about seeing people as God sees them." (pg 25)

I like this idea very much, "seeing others as God sees them" being a new humanity, the new standard by which we treat each other. But Bell seems to miss a couple of crucial steps here. Salvation and regeneration. How are we going to become a part of this new humanity that treats others well without becoming a new human being, one changed out of our selfish fleshly state? More thoughts on that idea, here.

In chapter two, on the subject of connection, remembering that sexuality is about connection, Bell writes about our connection the earth. He writes that from the fall, in addition to disconnection from God and each other, we are also disconnected from the earth. (pg 40) He talks about nature and how the words we use to describe moments like an experience he had with his sons swimming with dolphins "are about nearness and connection, sometimes even intimacy." (pg 41)

Until this point, I was understanding Bell's use of the word 'connection' to be about relationship. But relationship with the earth? Is that what he means?

I understand that we are to be good stewards of our planet. But connected to it? I don't understand what he means by this.

When I went to Colorado a couple of years ago with my mom, there came a point where the beauty of the mountains became so overwhelming that I had to close my eyes. I don't think that was me connecting to the mountains, though. I think it was being overwhelmed by beauty. And, perhaps, by the glory that is revealed in of our Creator in His creation.

Seeing Him revealed in His creation, I understand. Connection to nature itself, though... what does that mean?

At the end of this chapter, chapter 2, Bell makes the statement, "You can't be connected with God until you're at peace with who you are." That is as far as I've gotten so far. I hope in the next chapters Bell explains this statement and all the other ones that have left me confused and asking questions. I'm really not connecting with this book.

Jesus' Message

But what gives us the motivation to do good? They say that Jesus' message was the kingdom of God. They then explain that the kingdom of God is a just society where the poor are fed and everyone is equal. Some say that the Cross is almost a distraction from that. That we need to get back to doing all the good that Jesus talked about.

But why would we, as humans, decide to do good, even after a really good teaching about doing good? And could we on our own, do all this good?

Are we going to do good even if Jesus Christ Himself appeared on our doorstep and said, 'Feed the poor'? No. I wouldn't. I may try for a while, but I'd give up eventually, after a bout with selfishness, slothfulness, or when I'm too absorbed in seeking my own pleasure. When I'm too busy trying to meet my own needs through addictions to consider the needs of others.

Jesus came with a message that His kingdom, one that was not of this world, is at hand. I don't know if He's talking about Heaven. I don't know if He's talking about the new earth He'll create sometime after His return. I don't know if He's talking about the way to live the Christian life. Nor do I know what He means by His kingdom being 'at hand'. Does that mean it's coming soon or it's here for the taking? God hasn't given me a clear answer yet of what His kingdom actually is in my studies of the Bible.

But I do know, that there is no way that I'm going to do the good Jesus speaks of as being a part of His kingdom on my own. The message Jesus gave me a few years ago was that I needed to be saved. That I was lost in sin. I was a slave to it. I couldn't do any good even if I wanted to. I had to obey my sin and selfish desire over any desire I may have had to help others.

He kindly and mercifully, though intensely, left me in the kind of desperation that led me to repentance and agreement with Him that I needed Him. He pointed me to the work of the Cross through which He then saved me. He is changing me and making me someone brand new. He is giving me His grace and His power to do the good He has called me to. I do good not because doing good is the Gospel. I do good because I've been transformed by the Gospel into someone who can and wants to do good.

Jesus' message is that we need to be saved. (John 3:17) We need to be set free. (Galatians 3:22) It is for freedom that God has set us free. (Galatians 5:1) And we are to use that freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13) How else could we do it, serve one another, other than through the freedom of the Cross? "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." (Galatians 5:24)

I Am a Hypocritical Christian

I think there's a bit of hypocrisy in the post I just wrote. As a Christian it is much easier to speak out against the errors of the secular world. The secular world almost by definition is errant. Without the redemptive viewpoint of Christ, its morals and ideology are fallen.

But what about when those in the Church are erring? What about when, in the name of God, pastors spew false theology, thus blaspheming God, and in grandiose manner, claiming the gift of healing and prophesy, mock, abuse, and financially exploit their followers, hurting most those who are hurting most- those struggling with disabilities illnesses, and other painful life issues? Who holds them accountable?

What about those who claim a secret message of Jesus, where Christianity becomes a life of good works and relativism, where the mystery of the faith morphs into mysticism, the Word of God is questioned as the actual Word of God, and the sacrificial atonement of the cross becomes, rather, more of a generalized sacrifice for suffering?
All kinds of Christians come together to march for life, but it feels to me that we are reluctant to come together to speak for truth.

Gerri McGhee of Abiding Life Ministries wrote, "Beware that now in many churches self-appointed prophets, pretending to be sheep, are working at redefining Biblical Christianity; treating the Word of God as if it were irrelevant."

And I've been becoming aware. I don't know what to do with my awareness. Who am I to speak out against my brothers and sisters, or at least what they are doing? Who am I not to?

What, as Christians, do we do in light of false teaching in the name of our God and our faith? In this church of billions, how do we, as Biblicaly mandated, go to them in first in private, and then, if they do not respond, let the church deal with them? Who are the elders of these elders who will love them back into the faith?

We can't just stay mostly silent as we have been- can we?