The Public-Schooled Christian

When I’m around classmates who identify as LGBTQ at school, I sometimes don’t feel as comfortable talking to them. They just seem different. Do you ever struggle with that?

The Bible tells us that a LGBTQ lifestyle is wrong, but how are we supposed to address it when people are struggling with this sin? Are we supposed to address it at all? When we see people straying from God’s design in an obvious way, many of us naturally want to correct them or talk about it with them. But that can make us seem judgemental, so we stay away from it. 

If we go the opposite way and wholeheartedly support those living an LGBTQ lifestyle, we can get caught in the trap of affirming their sin and calling it love. It’s hard to strike the right balance. How do we love people while not approving of what they do? Better yet, how do we show someone they are loved without approving of their sin?

I believe that understanding why an LGBTQ lifestyle is wrong, relating to those who identify as gay or transgender, and recognizing the solution we both need can help. 

Why an LGBTQ Lifestyle is Wrong

Romans 1:26-27 says, “For this reason [serving the creature rather than their Creator] God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” 

It is clear that God disapproves of homosexuality in those verses. Paul describes homosexual relationships as relationships that are “contrary to nature.” 

God’s original design was shown in Genesis 2:18-25, when He created woman for man. He said that what He created was good and that woman was a helper fit for man. 

In addition, there were only two genders God created in Genesis: male and female. Before sin entered the world, the world God created was perfect. And if He created humans to be women and men, each made to suit the other, that design must be perfect because God doesn’t make mistakes. 

The natural design that God created may seem restrictive, but it is good—like how our need for sleep and rest may seem to restrict us but actually frees us to rest in God’s presence. When people have romantic relationships with others of the same gender or identify as a different gender, it goes against God’s design. But following God’s design is more freeing than it might seem. 

Homosexuality is a Sin—Like Lying is a Sin

Though the Bible verses that speak of homosexuality condemn it because it is sin, they don’t portray homosexuality as worse than any other sin. In Romans, after saying that same-sex romantic relationships are dishonorable passions, Paul writes, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on one another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things” (Romans 2:1). We sin just like those in same-sex relationships sin!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, “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 theives, 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” (emphasis added). The reason Christians are different from non-Christians is not because we sin less, but because our sin is covered.

In 1 Timothy 1:8-10, homosexuality is spoken against, but is listed among other sins such as lying. I’ve lied before—does that make me just as broken as people who are gay or lesbian?

Yes, it does. The reason homosexuality is a sin is because those who practice it are disobeying God and straying from His original design—just like we are if we lie, cheat, or idolize something. Heterosexual people have sinned just as much as homosexual or transgender people have sinned. So why do we treat LGBTQ sins differently?

I think being gay or transgender seems more foreign to us than other sins. Things like cheating on tests or gossiping are common, and therefore, in a way, are viewed as more “acceptable” sins. 

Sins that are less common, like murder or identifying as LGBTQ are viewed as worse. But in Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” “Lesser” sins like anger are just as serious to God as “greater” sins like murder. 

LGBTQ sins are less common, and it’s a good thing to want to help people stop sinning. But because we sometimes see the sin differently, we can fall into the trap of helping someone fix their sin instead of looking to the root of the problem: a sinful and broken heart.

All Have Sinned

When we understand that acting on same-sex attraction or identifying as a different gender is no bigger sin than the sins we have struggled with, we are able to better identify with people who struggle with these sins—or who willingly sin in these ways. When we understand that all sins are on the same playing field, we are able to better know that what all people need is Jesus. 

Someone doesn’t need to change before coming to Jesus, but because of Him and through Him. It is after someone meets Jesus that they can begin to overcome their sin.

In Luke 5:32, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Representing Jesus well to those who struggle with LGBTQ sins means representing the fact that all are sinners in need of a savior. 

I confess that I am a sinner in need of a savior. I mess up all the time. I miss opportunities God has given me, think too much of myself, and do selfish things. But because of Jesus, I am no longer a slave to my sin.

Homosexual and transgender people are sinners in need of a savior. Through Jesus, they can overcome their struggles just like you and I are overcoming our struggle with sin because of the gospel. 

Our classmates need us to share the gospel with them. They need us to make friends with them and love them well. They don’t need condemnation from people, because it is not our job to judge, but God’s. 

If someone asks about our opinion on LGBTQ sins, we should stand firm in our belief. Being homosexual or transgender is a sin because it goes against God’s design. But that doesn’t change the way we love those who struggle with it. 

Be a Godly Influence

So, though our LGBTQ classmates may seem different from us in many ways, we are on common ground because we have all disobeyed God. They are in the same place we were in once, and we should treat them with sympathy and respect that stems from that. We should share the gospel with them because if it is healing us, it can heal them too.

Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that Jesus came not to save the righteous, but sinners. 

Imagine a world where every one of us recognized this. We would be motivated to love people better because we relate to them. We would better understand the severity of sin. LGBTQ people might not feel as condemned by Christians, though we still wouldn’t affirm their sin. 

So many people would be led to Christ because we wouldn’t just focus on telling them how bad their sin is or how loving God is, but find a balance between telling them the severity of sin and the goodness of God. 

When we see friends at school struggling with same-sex attraction or gender confusion, we need to remember that we were once in a place when we were stuck in sin, too (before we knew Jesus). What would you have needed then?

I think what I needed the most before I knew Jesus was a godly example in my life. Both of my parents were Christians, but a lot of my role models were still from school and YouTube. I strayed for a while because of that. 

Still, I had enough Christ-following people pouring into me that in middle school, I understood the seriousness of my faith. Even one Christian can make a difference in someone’s life. I heard it said once that non-Christians don’t read the Bible, they read Christians. We are their example of what God is like.

What example are you setting?