In response to a discussion thread re: how would Jesus respond to the homosexual?
Jesus would respond to the homosexual as He responds to all of us. He loves that person. However, He would call that person out of sinful behavior into repentance and into His Fellowship. Homosexuality begins as with every other sin, in the mind. I have met several people who were in the "homosexual lifestyle" and came out of it through repentance and turning to God, with God's help. I think that the Bible refers to homosexuality as an abomination because it is sin, not because it is worse than any other sin.
This is what the Bible says:Romans 1:26-29 (New King James Version)
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,[a] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness;"
We are all tempted in some form or other and we choose to turn away from our sin, confessing it and turning to Jesus. I was involved in helping with a group of former homosexuals as an outreach to AIDS victims(there were only 2 in the group though), and heard such horror stories. I believe that these people started out very sensitive (Can't you see the artists and other creative people who are sensitive to the artistic side of things that are "homosexual")and have either been abused or rejected and have turned to this lifestyle to escape, searching for love in the wong places. But Jesus has the greatest Love and they can run to Him. One of the guys I met in that group said he would rather have the temptations to fight the thoughts and have Jesus than to not have the thoughts and not have Jesus.
By the way, I believe from those I have seen and heard from, there is no "gene for homosexuality". As a general rule, these people are sensitive as creative people are. These people as all want love and acceptance, but they turn to the wrong places for it. I have gotten to know several people who were in the homosexual lifestyle. They were either abused by men and saw it as "love" or had distant fathers- one guy was even sort of a male prostitute.
I believe that people that are in the homosexual lifestyle should be shown a better way, through Jesus and His people what love is really. And we in the Church should be showing that love. Not condoning the sin, but loving the sinner out of his sin.
