What Christians Can Learn from Pride Month

With Pride Month coming to an end, I’m sure you’ve noticed all the posts on social media, news outlets, advertising, and whatever other media supporting it over the past several weeks. To be honest, it’s practically impossible to avoid. My wife recently showed me one such post, which came across her Facebook, that was an argument against people–Christians–posting in opposition to pride month and essentially how it’s un-Christian and that people are being hypocrites.

This is the post:

I see everyone posting about ‘gay pride’ month and how big of a sin it is. It’s so funny that you all are posting it to show your ‘Christianity’ but let’s blast your sins next month! Let’s blast how much porn you watch or how you judge every person or how you lust or flaunt yourself to be lusted over. Let’s post how you had sex before marriage or better yet how many people you’ve slept with. Anybody want to comment their sins for me to blast next month?? Our job as Christians is to LOVE and serve but yet we are doing the opposite. We ALL sin and if being gay is a sin, let that be between God and that person because I promise you will also have a few things that you’ll have to listen to when you sit at his feet. Love everyone and worry about you and your own sins.

After reading the post a few times, on the surface the point being made seems to be valid. Yet, the post is targeting a modern idea of Christianity. The thought is that we all sin, we shouldn’t be bashing others for their sins, and we should just simply love everyone and mind our own business. I would be willing to bet that most would probably agree with this. The irony, however, is when you actually break it down, this understanding of Christianity isn’t even truly Christian.

Homosexuality is a Sin

The first part I would like to address is the line, “if being gay is a sin, let that be between God and that person.” If you are truly a Christian, then there should be no doubt in your mind that homosexuality is a sin. The Bible makes it very clear.

When man was created, God made him in His own image and likeness. From this man, God also created a woman to be his companion, and “therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24; LXXE) Even from the beginning, we were created with the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. “And God blessed them, saying, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28; LXXE) God’s original intention was that man and woman should be together, should have children, and fill the earth and care for it. This is naturally impossible in a homosexual relationship.

We also learn that homosexuality is wrong from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. When the two angels had gone into the home of Lot, we quickly learn what the intentions of the citizens are:

“But before they went to sleep, the men of the city, the Sodomites, compassed the house, both young and old, all the people together. And they called out Lot, and said to him, Where are the men that went in to thee this night? bring them out to us that we may be with them. (Genesis 19:4-5; LXXE)

The Septuagint simply says, “That we may be with them.” Other versions translate it as “we may have sex with them” or “that we may have relations with them.” The point remains that the “men of the city” were trying to bully their way into Lot’s house to get to the men that had arrived earlier so they could have homosexual relations with them. Lot even offers up his two virgin daughters for the men of the city:

And Lot went out to them to the porch, and he shut the door after him, and said to them, By no means, brethren, do not act villanously. But I have two daughters, who have not know a man. I will bring them out to you, and o ye use them as it may please you, only do not injury to these men, to avoid which they came under the shelter of my roof. (Genesis 19:6-8; LXXE)

Lot was even willing to allow them to do whatever they wanted to his two daughters if they would just leave the visitors alone, but they still desired to have relations with the men instead. As a result of their wickedness, the cities were destroyed:

As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1:7)

These things are recorded as examples for us. If we pursue wickedness, we, too, will face the reality of eternal fire.

We also have teachings in the New Testament against homosexuality. In Romans, Paul writes:

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (Romans 1:26-27)

Paul makes it very clear that the act of homosexuality is not appropriate among those who wish to be righteous. It is “shameful” and those who practice such will receive the “penalty of their error.” He also mentions it in 1 Corinthians:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Here again, homosexuals and sodomites, along with all these others, “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

For those, especially Christians, who try and wiggle their way around homosexuality not being a sin, or just something that is between God and that person, the Bible is very clear that it is unnatural, wicked, shameful, and that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So, if we desire to be truly Christian, it’s not if homosexuality is a sin but it is a sin and must, therefore, be condemned.

We Should Not Continue in Sin

The original comment seems to be directed towards “Christians” who apparently live very carnal lifestyles, those who watch porn, those who judge others (which is always taken out of context), those who lust or want to be lusted over, and those who have been very sexually active in their lives. With that being said, the second issue I have is those “Christians” who continue living sinful, carnal lives.

When we choose to place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have chosen a new life: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) And we can add to this from Peter:

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ (1 Peter 1:15-16)

By placing our faith in Jesus Christ, we are to put off our old ways, our “former lusts,” and we are to be “holy in all [our] conduct.” Many “Christians” today aren’t changing their ways after choosing to follow Christ. They believe that Christ died for their sins–past, present, and future–and that Christ has covered them with his death on the cross through imputed righteousness. This idea isn’t Biblical, and it has given Christians the OK or a “license to sin”, to continue in their sinful, carnal lifestyles.

When we look to the teachings of Christ and the apostles, they paint a completely different picture. For example, Jesus says:

If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hand or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. (Matthew 18:8-9)

We are to remove those things in our life that cause us to sin, not continue in them, “for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27) We can’t continue in willful sin if we want to obtain eternal life, and, honestly, we shouldn’t even want to continue in to make sinful choices if we truly love God and have faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth;’ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:21-24)

Christ was our perfect example. He lived a perfect, sinless life and defeated sin and death and in doing so has given us the opportunity to obtain eternal life with Him. We must, however, follow in His footsteps, follow the perfect example that He left for us.

But how are we supposed to live a perfect, sinless life? I’m glad you asked.

It starts with love. God loves us so much that He was willing to die for us, to heal us, to fix our brokenness, to offer us eternal life. It only seems logical that we would love Him in return, right? Well, Christ says:

If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)

Through our faith and love in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and gives us the power and strength to overcome our sinful, carnal desires:

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)

We “who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” If we are truly Christain, then we choose Christ over all else, and through the Holy Spirit we are able to overcome the flesh. Unfortunately, it seems that most “Christians” are more concerned with the world than with Christ. These “Christians” are what my wife calls CINOs–Christians in name only. And, sadly, it’s true. I see so many who claim to be a Christian, yet you would never be able to tell from how they live their lives. There is nothing that separates them from the rest of the world. They dress the same, they act the same, they do the same carnal activities. As true Christians, we are to put off this world:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

We can’t be part of this world and say we’re Christian at the same time. As true Christians, we are to put off this world, its desires and passions, and conform our wills to that of God. We live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. By doing so, we can put off our sinful desires and live that holy, righteous life we have been called to live. If you say you are a Christian, yet you live by the flesh and not by the Spirit, then you are Christian in name only.

Now, I’m not saying we won’t ever sin again in our lives. We’re human and we have a knack for making mistakes. The point I’m trying to make here, though, is that we shouldn’t go on willfully sinning. When we choose to repent of our former sins and follow Christ, it’s much more than just saying, “I’m sorry,” and continuing life the way we always have. Repentance (metanoia in Greek) means “a change of mind.” It’s an about-face from our former life to a new life in Christ.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

To end this section, I’ll ask you a question: Have you been “transformed by the renewing of your mind” or are you still “conformed to this world?”

We Should Help Fellow Sinners

The third and final point I would like to make about the original post is the “love everyone and worry about you and your own sins” bit. According to the author of this post, as well as many of the Christians I know, we’re not supposed to judge people in their sins. We should just “love everyone” and basically mind our own business. To this I can’t help but ask, “What, then, is love?”

If we look to the example of Christ, we can see a true picture of love because God is love. Jesus Christ became a man, lived a sinless life, was beaten and crucified, and was resurrected to defeat sin and death because He loves us. Think about His ministry while He was here. His whole gospel was teaching people how to live properly and sin no more. He condemns sinful behavior. This was all done out of love. He loves us and wants us to have communion with Him, so He taught us how with His example. Therefore, since we are to love everyone in the same manner that God loves us, shouldn’t we be helping others not sin? If we truly love someone, then we should want to help them, right?

This is one of the major current problems of modern American Christianity. We have been brainwashed on the idea of “judge not.” You can’t say that about someone! You’re judging them! This idea is completely contradictory to the teaching in the New Testament, and it is doing far more harm than good. If we want to be true Christians and follow in the footsteps of Christ, we have to call people out on their sins. To not do so is the most unloving thing we could do. As John Wesley says:

You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most. It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance; and with all your power to build them up in that holiness, without which they cannot see the Lord. (John Wesley, Minutes of Several Conversations, Between the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., and Others, From the Year 1744 to the Year 1789, pp. 17-18)

Through love, we correct people when they are in the wrong, and we teach them how to live properly. If I’m doing something I shouldn’t be, I want someone to point it out. Yeah, I may not like it and it may offend me, but I shouldn’t be offended because in the long run it’s helping me. Think about what James says:

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

Or Paul:

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

Our goal as Christians is to save souls. If we see someone straying from the proper path, it is our job to steer them back on track. And as Paul says, we’re not to count them as an enemy, but we are to admonish them as a brother. This is what true love is.

Conclusion

As the original post mentions, “Our job as Christians is to love and serve, but yet we are doing the opposite.” I agree with this statement 100 percent. We are to love and to serve, and most of us are doing the opposite. However, it’s not how the original poster believes. If we continue in sin, or allow our brethren to continue in sin, are we truly loving and serving?

As true Christians, we must first “love the LORD [our] God with all [our] heart, with all [our] soul, and with all [our] mind,” and second, we “shall love [our] neighbor as [ourselves].” If we continue in our fleshly passions and desires, then we are loving ourselves more than we love God. And if we allow our neighbors to continue in sin, then we aren’t loving them as we should. As a result, Christianity has become the watered-down mess it has because there are a bunch of people out there who are Christians in name only.

If you truly want to love and serve as a true Christian should, then you, first, have to give up your passions and sinful desires and seek to do God’s will above all else: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Secondly, by loving our neighbor, we should be helping them remove sin from their lives, not allowing them to continue in them: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Christ came as a perfect example and taught us how to live properly, teaching against sin. If we are to love others as He loves, then we should be doing the same thing. This is what being a Christian is all about.