The Bible alone – the only ‘gay conversion therapy’ required

The politically correct brigade have been getting awfully worked up over an event held in a Belfast Church of Ireland fellowship dealing with so-called ‘gay Christians’.

Of course, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) rights are all the rage at the moment, so any voice of dissent from the accepted wisdom, no matter how low or squeaky, will be howled down instantly by a chorus of intolerant ‘liberals’.

Willowfield Parish Church ran an event yesterday called ‘Is Your Church Biblically Inclusive?’ It is part of what is called the Living Out Course and is “designed for those who are, or want to be, a committed Christian but identify as homosexual”. It is operated with the support of the Evangelical Alliance, which took a rather foolish viewpoint on Billy Graham two weeks ago.

The church’s minister, Rev David McClay (pictured), said this was not tantamount to a ‘gay cure therapy’ session, and claimed that his congregation contains homosexuals every week.

It is good that Rev McClay is at least acknowledging that the homosexual lifestyle is far from desirable and is incompatible with God’s Word.

However, it is most odd that any professing Christian should consider it appropriate for other Christians to identify themselves as a ‘gay Christian’. And it is stranger still that anyone should consider themselves a ‘gay Christian’.

When a person is saved, they publicly reject and repudiate sin in all its forms and strive each day to become more Christ like. They don’t continue to identify themselves with a vile sin such as homosexuality. Would anyone identify themselves as an ‘adulterer Christian’ or a ‘thieving Christian’? We would think not.

The most important comments to be made on the matter are, as always, to be found in the Bible.

Leviticus 18:22: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Romans 1:22-27: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

These verses clearly establish the natural order set by God and leaves no room for same-sex relationships, never mind same-sex marriage.

Why would a professing Christian want to associate themselves with something so profoundly contrary to God’s will? God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sin of homosexuality and God is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8), so why should anyone think God actually doesn’t mind it now?

There is a cure for homosexual urges, just like there is a cure for any other sinful desire, and that is the Word of God, where God’s great Salvation is revealed to us.

In the Corinthian church, we are told that some of the Christians there had previously practiced homosexuality, but had been gloriously converted.

It says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Some of the Corinthians had been “effeminate” and “abusers of themselves with mankind” but they had been wonderfully saved through the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood on Calvary to wash away our sins.

This clearly states such as those listed, including the homosexuals, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Why, again, would professing Christians then want to associate themselves with this practice?

We are told in the Bible of God’s transformative power, how when we are saved then we become a new person. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

If this should happen to be read by any who are experiencing issues over sexuality and Christianity and are afraid to get saved as they are unsure whether they can remain faithful to God, the Bible reminds us it is He who, once He transforms us, then preserves us. It is our natural disposition to sin in so many different ways since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, but, if we are saved, God will strengthen us.

1 Peter 1:3-5 says: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Perhaps Rev McClay and the Evangelical Alliance would do well to stress these things with any homosexuals professing to be Christians they encounter from here on.