Since Easter Sunday, I have never faced such irrational insistence that those with SSA (same-sex attraction) cannot change. The world and worldly church is diabolically united: the gay self is the true self, liberated only in active expression.
Thank God for Easter. Thank God for the season of Easter that spans far beyond its six weeks in the Church calendar; Jesus’ resurrection reminds us daily that He has trumped our old nature and activates us afresh to resume our pilgrimage. Following the Risen Christ is always a path toward maturity, with clear markers for our sexual and relational humanity. United with Him, we ascend slowly towards a horizon of boundless light.
Each morning I rejoice in these words I share with my fellow congregants: ‘Save us, Savior of the world. For by Your cross and resurrection, You have set us free.’ We are saved, and can cry out daily to be saved from the unbelieving world and worldly church.
A skeptic might say: ‘Aren’t you spiritualizing a much deeper human conflict?’ Again, I point to Jesus who always restores our weak, estranged humanity by His beautiful true humanity. Scripture abounds with references to Jesus’ many healing gifts ‘enfleshed’ in a body and a family. His skeptics discredited Him: ‘Where did He get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?’ ((Matt. 13:54, 55). Jesus the man meets us in our humanity; He meets us in all of our conflicts with wisdom and miraculous power.
In His inspired humanity, Jesus unites the divided parts of our humanity and encourages what is weak. His humanity makes ours whole.
His resurrected humanity seals our hope for freedom from homosexuality. Shaken as we may be by growing darkness on all sides, we can heed Jesus’ response to doubting Thomas:
‘Peace be with you! Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side. Stop doubting and believe.’ (Jn 20: 26, 27)
Jesus is risen from the death of sin and its many fractures and conflicts, including ours. He breathes peace on us this day. He grants us fresh access to His beautiful humanity, wounds yet visible. Behold the faithful witness of our freedom. Stop doubting and believe.
Thank you for standing true to the power of the cross! It is crucial to stand firm in love to those who have not experienced the powerful transformation that only Jesus can give and bringing us into who God created us to be. I also believe that we must not be silent, but in love declare the works of the Lord. How awesome is our God!
Andy- YOu are so right the opposition to the message of healing has been ramped up. However, the healing reality of Jesus is the only proof that we need to use and rejoice in. He has done a mighty work in me and I rejoice in the renewing of my mind and spirit on a daily basis. Your passage speaks hope and truth to the situation, “Jesus is risen from the death of sin and its many fractures and conflicts, including ours. He breathes peace on us this day. He grants us fresh access to His beautiful humanity, wounds yet visible. Behold the faithful witness of our freedom. Stop doubting and believe.” I do not doubt and I believe because of what He has done in me and in others. Praise His holy name- Blessings Don Sanders
Dear Andy,
Thank you for your post and speaking your mind. As of late the whole “Gay Christian” issue has given me a lot of stress to be honest. While I myself am not gay, for some reason this issue seems to consume a lot of me. I’ve been scouring the web for answers, and I would like to ask a few questions:
What about individuals who have clearly put up a struggle, and have yet to be delivered from SSA?
Alan Chambers of Exodus International confessed that he felt most people he met could not change their orientation.
“99.9% of the people I know have not changed their sexual orientation.”
He even states that SSA has yet to completely disappear from his life.
http://exodusinternational.org/2012/02/alan-reflects-on-gcn/
Furthermore, what about Gay Christians who feel the only viable option is celibacy? Wesley Hill comes to mind, a man who has struggled with his sexual orientation and has yet to feel any sort of healing from it. According to his book Washed and Waiting, he touches upon his experiences and struggles with his identity, which he has obviously put a lot of effort into.
I appreciate your response.
Sincerely,
Noah R.
Hi, Noah. You addressed your questions to Andy, but I thought I would chime in and share my perspective.
To address the celibacy issue, while I am not gay, I am an unmarried Christian woman who has been unable to find an appropriate Christian partner of high integrity and having seen God’s wisdom in reserving sex for marriage, I have remained celibate for 2-1/2 decades following my divorce. I can assure anyone that not having sex will not kill you. There is far more life and freedom in God’s ways in this regard. I have found the sacrifice far more than worth it. God never said I had to like it, only to be faithful. This can be true for anyone regardless of sexual orientation. This also involves placing the health and well being of others above myself, and not grasping to have my own needs met by others. This is real love in action.
If you have spent much time at all researching in both the secular as well as Christian literature regarding why and what causes SSA, you may conclude as I have that this is a deeply psychological and spiritual dilemma with often multiple causes that need healing. Many people are not overcoming SSA as you pointed out but is there some magic amount of time that this is supposed to be accomplished? This may take some a year. This may take others a decade or more.
I found this site and many others like it to learn how to pray for a friend whom I love who is homosexual. I pray for his salvation, santification and deliverance from this. I pray specifically against every ancestral curse and sins, father sins and abandonment, demonic assignments, personal masculine identity issues and sins that have attached themselves to my beloved friend. I ask the Holy Trinity to destroy every trace of these roots that feed this homosexual spirit in him and set him free to be the man God designed him to be. I pray against the problem with alcohol he struggles with as well. I pray for healing of every wound inflicted on him by others as well as by himself. I pray for his courage and ability to be forgiving. I pray that God will not abandon my friend to his enemies. I pray the word of God over him. And according to the love that bears witness in my heart for him, I will not cease covering him prayer no matter how long this takes. How many persons struggling with homosexuality even have family members praying in such faith and devotion? When I think about my friend, I do not hold condemnation in my heart towards him. Instead, my words to him in my thoughts are that I behold him with eyes of love and I rejoice in his complete healing and deliverance. How many homosexuals are attempting to be set free all my themselves with no one watching their back by praying for them? I pray that the death of Jesus on the Cross will not be in vain regarding the healing and deliverance of my friend.
Homosexuality is the manifestation of deeply unresolved emotional and spiritual issues. Just “praying away the gay” will likely not result in deliverance. I would encourage others to go after those roots in prayer and allow the Master Gardener to accomplish this in the way He knows best. Never give up. Never cease praying. Yes, change is possible no matter what the sin. There is hope in Jesus. God’s ways really are best. Always ask God for wisdom to pray according your or your loved one’s needs.
Noah,
I am someone who has struggled with SSA, and I respectfully disagree with Alan Chambers. If “99.9%” of the people he talks to claim to have entered into a relationship with the Lord and have yet to experience any change, it is likely because they have yet to leave the involvement tree that supports gay behavior. Are they being honest? Who are they hanging out with? What kind of television are they watching (honestly…”Glee?”). What is their reading material? Are they still involved with pornography? I suspect Alan is talking to people who have yet to learn how to flee temptations. Alan himself has been engaged in fruitless circular discussions with the so-called “Christian Gay Alliance”…which is not a Christian group at all. I fear he is falling under their influence…I pray not.
I don’t have cable. I am picky about what I watch on Netflix or Hulu (documentaries and dramas depicting the lives of the saints are pretty safe). I mostly read the Scriptures, and right now, I’m dabbling in the writings of the Christian mystics (Theresa of Avila and Julian of Norwich). Julian in particular speaks to my heart….her sweet intimacy with the Lord moves me.
I am celibate and happy. It doesn’t bother me, and should God send me a man who needs me in Holy Matrimony, I pray I will be up to that calling. At the moment, I am a very satisfied single woman.
Our calling is to the narrow path…and Jesus told us that perhaps 99.9% won’t get on that path, or stay there. The broad is where most people will end up. It is better to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven without the pleasures of sexual congress than to enter into hell with lots of sexual involvement. If my body will not respond to a man in marriage, I will continue to seek intimacy with my Lord, and the satisfaction only He can provide. He really does take care of me…I am not in any distress. He is faithful and never does he let me down. (I’m having a lot of fun, in fact!)
I have experienced some persecution because of my position regarding SSA. It is so in vogue to support that sin.
I rarely have feelings of SSA anymore. If I do, they are mild and easily overcome. I simply don’t involve in those fleeting feelings. I’m busy attending to my interests and my work and my parish church. I am interested in whatever God has put in front of me to accomplish at a given time. I enjoy my life. I enjoy the freedom of being single, too. There are a lot of things I can do that a married woman couldn’t do.
This is my testimony. I pray it will help someone.
“May the GLORY of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD REJOICE in His WORKS.
(men and women created, made in the
GLORIOUS IMAGE OF GOD)
I will sing to the LORD all my life<
I will sing praise to my G'D as long as I live."
Psalm 104
The voices saying that SSA cannot change are the only voices heard in the media. Any continuing struggle with SSA (but not acted upon) is cited as proof that people cannot change. Those who have changed are afraid to speak out. Even those who are brave keep silent because to protect their families.
I suggest that Desert Stream publish detailed biographies of some people who overcome SSA, but who have since died, interviewing those who knew them. Since they have died, they can’t be harassed by the media, and they can’t fall away. I remember a Joseph and his wife Mary who attended the West Hollywood Vineyard in the ’80′s. After a powerful testimony, he died of AIDS. I wish I could remember his last name . . . Believers like him need to have their stories told to spread hope to others.
People need to hear the testimonies of those who have been victorious in Christ over SSA, especially those who have been free for many years. Psychology and counseling associations have put a gag on those who want to publish or give seminars to help SSA. Churches fear lawsuits so do not reach out. No one is speaking out, and the pro-gay agenda wins. A number of journalists have said that the only ex-gays they can find to interview are those working for related organizations.
Fear is very strong, but faith in Christ is stronger. Our churches need to support and help these people if sharing their testimony means having to change jobs or going to live in hiding for awhile.
Andy, I appreciate you more than I can express. I appreciate your continued stand for the Truth. Those who want to know the Truth “shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make them Free!!” There are so many of us who truly have been set Free from SSA to live according to the wonderful design of our Creator. It saddens me to see such misdirection of the loud voices that do not believe that we can be transformed – that we CAN be changed. Let us become Resounding voices, magnifying Jesus! The ONE who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or even think according to the power that works in us. Yes – stop doubting and believe! Thank you Andy and all at DSM who continue to stand in Truth!
Thank you,Mr Comisky for being a voice of sanity in this present onslought of moral and cultural confusion. God bless you for your courageous voice!