Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!
Visitor Says, "I'm Gay, Now What?
By David J. Stewart
I recently received a letter from a man asking if a homosexual can be saved...
I am gay I feel like a cant go to heaven but I feel like I cant because I am gay. It even says in the bible it is bad to be gay... please help me.
My response:
Hi ******,
Thank you for your e-mail. Please understand that the sin of homosexuality should not be categorized any differently than other sins; such as, lying, lust, murder, pride, greed, drunkenness, etc, etc, etc. So the issue is not whether one is gay or straight. The issue is that WE are sinners.
The question then is... does a person have to stop sinning to be saved? The Biblical answer is "No." If a person had to stop sinning to be saved, then who could be saved? Romans 3:23 declares all mankind sinners. We have no righteousness of our own to offer God, only our inferior self-righteousness.
You certainly may be saved without forsaking your sins. However, you cannot be saved unless you realize that your are a GUILTY sinner, under the condemnation of God's Law, deserving of Hell. All God asks is that we realize our desperate need for the Savior, Jesus Christ. We are sinners deserving of Hellfire; but God loves us and sent His Son to shed His blood for our sins. To turn to the Lord in faith to forgive our sins is repentance.
The Bible is adamant that eternal life is a FREE GIFT (Romans 5:15;6:23). A gift cannot be earned. Also, please read Ephesians 2:8,9. But you ask, does not 1st Corinthians 6:9 state that homosexuals (i.e., the effeminate) will not enter into Heaven? That is correct, because no sinner can enter Heaven. So then how can anyone go to Heaven? The Biblical answer is that we need HIS (i.e., Jesus') righteousness. Please read You Need HIS Righteousness.If you had to stop being gay to enter Heaven, then it would be YOUR own righteousness and not Christ's. Romans 10:3,4 condemns going about to establish our own righteousness. We need Jesus' precious blood to wash our sins away.
Once you become a Christian, then God will help change you (2nd Corinthians 5:17). Whether you change or not is an entirely different matter. Christians who willfully sin will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:10). Believers do sin (1st Thessalonians 4:6; Romans 12:19). Samson lived a life of sin (Judges 16:1).
Genesis 15:6 says that "Abram believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness." Your faith in Jesus Christ is equivalent to a life of righteousness. This is the gift of God, for we have no righteousness of our own (Isaiah 64:6). To teach that a man must forsake his sins to be saved, is as absurd as saying that a sick person must get well before entering the hospital.
Now, I don't believe that any person who sincerely realizes their guilt, and justly deserved place in Hellfire, is going to say "Hot dog, I can still live in sin and go to Heaven." The Bible is clear that believers will be held double accountable, i.e., judgment must begin at the house of God. We read about a fornicator in 1st Corinthians 5:5, who was a Christian, but living in horrible sin. Paul said to give him over to the Devil for the destruction of the flesh, but he will be saved in the Day of the Lord. So we see that sin still has its consequences, whether we are saved or unsaved.
Here's another Scripture that I thought to share with you, Romans 4:5..."But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
This verse says that Jesus justifies the "ungodly" (that's us). Isaiah 1:18 tells us that God will make our sins as white as wool, though they be stained with crimson (dye)... "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Yes, God is willing to forgive anybody. Please read, Dr. Curtis Hutson is 100% Correct on Repentance!
I hope I have been of help to you friend...
Kindest regards,
David J. Stewart
Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!