“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” -1 Corinthians 6:9-11

We are now in the midst of June. Not long ago June began to be recognized as gay pride month, but has now been expanded to pride month for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transsexual, queer, + (+ being any other sexual combination that can be imagined in the future). This group, which loves to paint itself as an oppressed minority, now sits in a place of unprecedented power. They have used the force of shame and unrelenting power politics to come into a place of controlling the national conversation on sexual ethics. In a short period of time, these sexual acts have moved from being understood as sinful, to being passionately advocated for across every spectrum of our country.

It is very important in our thinking to separate allowance and advocacy. In America we are thankful for the freedom of personal expression and freedom of religious practice. However, with the issue of LGBTQ+ practice, we have a collision of sexual practice and Christian belief. We have two camps that oppose each other. A position of allowance says that each has the right to do as they please, peaceably. For the most part, Christians can, and have been, tolerant of a serious change in sexual ethics in this country. However, though the LGBTQ+ community constantly preaches tolerance, this is not what they practice. The leaders of the LGBTQ+ community demand advocacy. It is not enough for them to be free to act as they choose, they demand that Christians everywhere support and affirm what they are doing as right before God. They demand that we advocate their position.

From this position, leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement have made advocacy for this new sexual ethic the official position of the US federal government. The LGBTQ flag is flown publicly around the world at our embassies under the US flag. Every federal agency has special programs within each agency to advocate the moral goodness of LGBTQ+ sexual choices. Across the country in every state that receives federal funding, for any law enforcement, school, child protective service, or any other partially federally funded initiative, there is attached to it a mandatory and forceful block of re-education. Every employee or person in contact with that department will feel the direct pressure. This re-education is not for freedom of practice, but forced support and affirmation of every possible LGBTQ+ sexual act or expression.

The power of the federal government and public shaming has now also influenced nearly every private business as well. If a private company does not in some way publicly support and affirm all LGBTQ+ sexual expression, without reservation, that company is openly attacked and shamed until they are brought into submission. Due to this aggressive, offensive campaign, only the most openly Christian companies have withstood this pressure. It is now the exception to find a business that does not somehow acknowledge and celebrate LGBTQ+ pride month.

As Christians, we cannot support or advocate actions that God has clearly forbidden as sinful. The Bible is not unclear on sexual morality, and we must have the courage to live out God’s will. From the first pages of Genesis, to the words of the Old Testament prophets, to the teaching of Jesus, to the letters of Paul, to the final pages of Revelation – the Bible clearly sets forward mandatory boundaries for our sexual expression. This is a Christian sexual ethic. Despite what is being shouted from every corner in our day, what you do sexually IS a moral act and DOES have consequences in your relationship to God and others. There is only one God-ordained, or God blessed, sexual expression – which is sex between a biological man and a biological woman inside of marriage. In our day, even this needs to be further clarified. The Bible uses the word “fornication” to condemn sex between people before marriage. The Bible uses the word “adultery” to condemn sex between people that are married, but not to each other. The Bible clearly condemns sex between two people of the same sex (homosexuality), and the Bible clearly establishes gender as a fixed object (established by God). This is a biblical sexual ethic.

Christians are not against sex – they are for Christian marriage. Christians are not closed-minded for maintaining virginity until marriage – they advocate this as a virtue. Christians are not afraid of (phobic of) homosexuals – they condemn their actions as morally wrong. Christians are not hateful for recognizing the birth gender of a person – they are helping that person understand and accept who God made them to be. As followers of Christ, we cannot and must not give up ground on sexual ethics. We have no right to declare as good what God has declared evil. However, I do not expect the tide of LGBTQ+ pressure to change anytime soon. In fact, I believe the opposite. I believe that most of us will have to pay a personal price to maintain our biblical Christian morality. It almost certainly will mean losing friends, could mean losing customers, and may mean losing a long-time job.

I write these words with all seriousness and sobriety. Everyone of us needs to clarify in our minds, and in your personal situation, lines that you know you cannot cross without personally entering into affirming and advocating what is sinful. This should include, at a minimum, not signing a statement pushed on you at the end of a re-training session that you will affirm and support all things LGBTQ+. It should include not wearing on your person, or on your work uniform, some advocacy for LGBTQ+ sexuality. It must include continuing to uphold a Christian sexual morality even if a close friend, family member, or child chooses to enter into LGBTQ+ sexuality or gender transformation.

It’s important to consider the example of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts. He was a Roman citizen, and as such, often asserted His rights (Acts 16:37-38, 22:25-29, 23:26-27). Because of this, he was freed from prison and persecution on a number of occasions. We have a constitutional right to the free practice of our Christian faith. I urge you to draw your boundary lines, pray for wisdom, pray for courage, pray for Christian love and grace, and then stand without compromise for what God has declared to be morally right and good. When it comes down to it, assert your right to practice the most long-standing religion in this country – biblical Christianity.

I began this article with clarifying our position and pressing for you to hold that position, but we must end with the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance and faith. If there is no recognition of sin, then there is no humility, and there is no need for a Savior. With no preaching of sin we end up exactly where we find ourselves today – passionately and proudly advocating for the affirmation of sin. Jesus taught that God hates pride and that our sexual sins will keep us from ever entering the kingdom of God. It is never unloving to tell someone the truth, when you are telling them the truth for the purpose of their redemption. Awareness of sin always comes before salvation, but our co-workers, neighbors, and family members will never be aware of their sin if we affirm them in it.

Jesus, the apostles, and Paul went from town to town proclaiming sin and the open door of forgiveness by grace through Jesus Christ. The reaction was always the same. Some openly hated and mocked them. Some plotted against them murder and prison. Some didn’t care and just walked away. Some came back again to consider what they had to say. But everywhere they went – SOME BELIEVED.

This month as we are surrounded by a rising storm of ungodliness, set your foot upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord (Matthew 7:24-27). Consider Him who endured such persecution from evil men and stand firm (Hebrews 12:1-4)!

Let us live as a holy people set apart from the world,

Pastor Vic