Let me be honest with you; I'm not entirely comfortable with how the church, or rather, I'm not entirely comfortable with how regular Christians, like you and I, can sometimes respond to the topic of homosexuality. I feel like the NLB saga has brought out the worst in some of us, polarising individual's thoughts, and making us feel like there's this aspect of "them: the terrible homosexual people who want to normalise sin" versus. "us: God's holy and righteous people".
Even regular folks have come up to me and told me, "Hey, you need to take a stance on this issue!"
Oh really? I need to take a stance on this issue? Even though I'm no expert in the bible, in old testament law, or in human sexuality, I must take a stance on the issue? Okay. Well then simply said, I will follow God's stance. This almost is a cue for other Christians, (who with totally pure and good intentions) rushing up to me with anti-gay verses in the bible, and it sometimes feel like they are forcing their views on me.
So anyway, that's the context. I finally decided to put everything aside and ask God, what he thought about the issue.
The Law
Both times I prayed about this, God led me back to His Law.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:8-13 ESV)
With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119:13-16 ESV)So then, the question is, what in God's law is He referring to? I was brought back to the basics: the Ten Commandments of which all of the old laws hang on, Exodus 20!
- You shall have no other gods before me.
- You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.
Interestingly, commandments one to four (highlighted in orange) are laws governing our relationship with God, while commandments five to ten (highlighted in purple) are laws which governs our relationship with other people. It was on this basis that Jesus very aptly summarised all the old testament laws into two basic commandments.
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40 ESV)
If I were to classify sins against each commandment, it would pretty much look like this:
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
- Forgetting about God
- Placing an overt importance on secular wealth and career success
- Saying words like "OH MY GOD", and "GOD DAMN IT!" without actually meaning it
- Forgetting to rest
- Forgetting to pray
- You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
- Adultery
- Stealing
- Lying
- Cheating
Now, if I were to classify homosexuality under one of these two categories, which do you think it will go under? Perhaps your instinctive response is Commandment 2, but this is where I think you are wrong. Homosexuality is not always sin against loving your neighbour! In fact, well adjusted and functioning homosexual couples love and care for each other effectively! Sometimes, even more effectively than heterosexual couples. That is why the arguments that we as Christians try to force upon homosexuals can seem invalid, outdated and distasteful. It is simply not an educated response to what homosexuality means today.
In fact, if a Christian were to make an argument that homosexuality is a sin, it is because it is a breach of first commandment. As Christians, we believe that your body is a temple of God (1 Cor 6:18). Defilement of your body, is therefore a sin under the first commandment.
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
- Forgetting about God
- Placing an overt importance on secular wealth and career success
- Saying words like "OH MY GOD", and "GOD DAMN IT!" without actually meaning it
- Forgetting to rest
- Forgetting to pray
- Defilement of your body
- You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
- Adultery
- Stealing
- Lying
- Cheating
Now that that's established, let's park it aside for awhile and explore the topic of sexuality.
Your sexuality is sacred; So is theirs.
Your sexuality is sacred. Just like your name, and your body. If someone insults your name, or touches your body, you get offended. In the same way, its possible to get offended when someone makes fun of your sexuality. As parents, we want to protect the sexuality of our children as well, until the day they can protect themselves.
It is because a person's sexuality is sacred, as Christians, we MUST RECOGNISE that you cannot tell someone else what their sexuality should be! Whether you are right or wrong, telling someone what their sexuality should be is ineffective! Why? Because any normal human being will instinctively protect what is sacred. This is true for gay people as well. How can you tell them what their sexuality should be? Have you examined their body? Have you examined their DNA and studied their medical report and therefore concluded that he/she is Male/Female with a sexual attraction for Male/Female individuals?
No! You haven't! You didn't create them, you didn't build them, perhaps you have nothing to do with them. In fact, you probably haven't even dealt with their sins, their temptations and their struggles before in their life. What their sexuality should be, is between them and God, not them and you!
If you are Christian and homosexual, I beg you, out of love, to speak to God, and ask Him what He thinks your sexuality should be. Read the bible, and ask for His guidance. If you don't feel right with God, I urge you to set things right with Him.
If you haven't met God, perhaps this is not the article for you. But God loves you, and I really hope that you find a chance to quieten your heart and meet God.
If you don't understand where I'm coming from, think about it this way; Would you sign an online petition to require non-Christians to observe the Sabbath? Or requiring non-Christians to pray?
If Jesus were around, would he be advocating for a law requiring people to go to church? Would he be making it a criminal offence when you didn't observe the sabbath? In the same way, I don't think Jesus would ever make a law that criminalises a consensual homosexual relationship. I'm not a legal expert, neither am I a politician, or a parliamentarian. God never removes a person's ability to sin against Him. God never even made it difficult! God left the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). God seeks to bring out love and obedience from man, and it is only when we make the choice to choose God's will over our own that we are pleasing to God.
So then, what should we be doing in this situation
I know this might sound cliched, but what would Jesus do?
In my mind's eye, I imagine Jesus sitting down at Hong Lim park at Pink Dot, ministering to individuals, healing the sick, forgiving sins, casting out demons. Just being there, and letting His people come to Him. I honestly doubt Jesus would be signing online petitions advocating homosexuality laws, or demanding for children's books to be removed from shelves, or writing long articles on Facebook about why homosexuality is bad.
The time for physical warfare is over. Jesus told Peter to put his sword back in its place, and told him that "all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). Put down your pickets, don't show up in numbers to try to make a stand. Understand that after Jesus had come, the warfare that Christians are called to is spiritual.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:12-18 ESV)
Therefore, put down your pickets, stop clicking on silly online petitions, but instead, take up your spiritual weapons, of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, Salvation and Spirit, and obey God. Focus on your mission, love God, and love your neighbour; Love God, love others, and serve all.
