What Does Exodus Believe About Homosexuality, the Church & the Bible?
Image via WikipediaExodus International believes… that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the source for all truth — educating us on how we are to live our lives as physical, spiritual, emotional and sexual beings. Exodus believes that the only biblically sanctioned form of sexual expression is between a man and woman married to one another. Any other sexual expression is biblically defined as sinful and outside God’s intent for human relationships and sexuality. We believe that it is the role of the global Christian church to equip and encourage individuals to live God-honoring lives and to proclaim the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ to the world.
Is homosexuality a sin?
The Bible is clear that any sexual expression outside of marriage is. Many within Exodus International came to the personal conclusion that homosexuality was incompatible with the life they wanted to live pursuing God’s design as articulated in Scripture and chose instead to reposition their lives around what the Bible says, not around their personal feelings or attractions. While not everyone chooses this path, many have and along the way have experienced peace and contentment.
Scriptural Backup – Multiple verses in both testaments of the Bible clearly show God’s disapproval of homosexual behavior (Genesis 19:4-11, Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, Judges 19:22, Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9 & I Timothy 1:10). We also see that God’s created intent and design for a sexual relationship is recognized exclusively between a man and a woman and is the only approved sexual union in the Bible.
Can you be gay and be a Christian?
That obviously depends upon what the definition of a “Christian” is. Many at Exodus wrestled with that question and decided that if they were going to “follow Christ,” they had to find out whether God cared about the way they lived their lives. The Bible clearly shows that He does. If the question is, “Can you commit a sin and continue to be a Christian and/or still go to heaven?” then that is a separate issue. It’s certainly true that being a Christian doesn’t inoculate you from sinning and doesn’t negate salvation. We do, however, as Christians, have to reconcile the fact that God does care about the way we live our lives here on earth.
Scriptural Backup – Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” The rest of the chapter goes on to define what God considers “godless” and “wicked” and includes homosexuality along with many other sins. Several other passages in the Bible (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10) confirm this — communicating that homosexuality is not God’s design for humanity.
Do gays go to hell?
Homosexuality isn’t the issue that determines where a person spends eternity. One of the greatest misconceptions about the Bible is that people go to hell because they sin, but the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ alone paid for our sin when He died on the cross. It’s whether or not a person accepts God’s atoning and sufficient sacrifice that determines where you spend eternity. Obviously, only God knows who has made this decision and who hasn’t.
Of course, we all make decisions about how our beliefs play out in the real world so if the question is, “Does God care about the way we choose to live our lives?’” — the answer is — yes, because He cares about us. He designed us to be in life-giving relationships with others and with Him. Homosexuality is simply incompatible with His intended design.
Scriptural Backup – The Bible is clear that our salvation does not depend on our works but on our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved . . .. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:1-9).”
But Jesus never said anything about homosexuality . . .
Jesus didn’t have a stenographer following Him around 24/7 so we don’t have a record of everything He said on every issue, but we can look at the whole Bible to understand His mindset on this one. We do know three major things by looking at other passages in the Bible.
- Jesus may not have said anything about homosexuality, but His Father sure did. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). We know from Jesus that His mindset on this issue is the same as His
Father’s as stated in the Old Testament. - The Bible says that Jesus kept and affirmed the Law and all that the Prophets before Him had taught (Matt. 5:17-19) so this would have meant that Jesus affirmed heterosexual marriage and considered homosexual behavior a sin as they taught.
- When Jesus did speak of sexuality, he spoke of heterosexuality as the standard (Mark 10:6-9). In so doing, He reiterated God’s design for humanity from the beginning when He created a “suitable” mate
for man — a woman. It was the male/female relationship that God deemed “very good” and no other.
Scriptural Backup – The Bible says, “ALL Scripture is God-breathed” and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, Jesus’ literal words recorded in the gospels are equally authoritative on this matter and cannot be discounted for semantics.
Are you saying people can just “pray the gay away”?
Prayer is certainly an important part of a Christian’s life, but it’s not a magic formula. This phrase ignorantly dismisses a very complicated issue that often underlies a person’s same-sex attraction. Many who come to Exodus for help have a need to deal with substantive, underlying issues surrounding their same-sex attraction. While Jesus certainly changes lives, He doesn’t always change desires or erase problems, but uses them to help us grow and mature. Certainly, talking to God about these things is part of a dynamic relationship with Him — it doesn’t always change the fact that there it there is a lot of hard work involved in dealing with them.
Scriptural Backup – Living with conflicting desires is very different from living a life dominated by them. This is the essence of Christianity — to bring our humanity in line with what we believe to be God’s plan for our lives. The Apostle Paul best proves this point when he mentions that he prayed three times for God to remove an unspecified affliction (II Corinthians 12:7-10) and mentions his own internal war with sin (Romans 8). While Paul’s affliction was never healed, that certainly does not disqualify the fact that his life was changed from murdering Christians to becoming a preacher of the Gospel!
Should churches be allowed to discriminate against gays?
Churches should be open to everyone because there is no one for whom the compassionate truth and mercy of Jesus Christ does not apply, but churches must also be able to teach and implement the whole truth of the Bible when it comes to moral issues.
God expects churches to exemplify both His mercy and His holiness, which means compassionately upholding His design for sexuality and relationships among its leaders and members. In regards to the church and state relationship, it is clear that the government must uphold the religious freedoms of assembly, speech and conscience afforded all individuals and churches by the Constitution.
Scriptural Backup – The Bible says that homosexual behavior is sin (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10) and that unrepentent sin is rebellion against God. While the Church must uphold God’s moral code, it must also promote God’s plan for sexuality — a glorious gift meant to be offered back to Him either in marriage for procreation, union and mutual delight or in celibacy for undivided devotion to Christ and to the Church.
To Dig Deeper
Check out www.Exodusbooks.org to find many of these titles and other great resources.
God’s Grace & the Homosexual Next DoorBy: Alan Chambers & the Exodus Leadership Team, Published by: Harvest House Publishers
Book Review: “One of the great movements in our time is that of the ex-homosexuals and ex-lesbians. These are broken people who have admitted their brokenness and found true happiness—not in the so- called ‘gay’ lifestyle, but by living for Jesus Christ. One such man is Alan Chambers, currently president of the largest umbrella organization of ex-homosexuals, Exodus International. Alan Chamber’s book provides believers with Christian and loving but uncompromising) answers to this controversial issue.” –D. James Kennedy
The Gay Gospel?
By: Joe Dallas, Published by: Harvest House Publishers
Book Summary: In this updated edition of A Strong Delusion, author and counselor Joe Dallas helps readers understand what pro–gay theology is and how to confront it. In a biblical manner, Dallas examines believers’ personal responses and the need for bold love and commitment as they become familiar with the movement’s background and beliefs, study a clear, scriptural response to each belief and extend Christ’s love to those living the homosexual lifestyle. This resource is an important one for those who have been unsure how to respond to the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the evangelical community. It offers the balance between conviction and compassion and a practical guide to communicating with those who have embraced the pro–gay Christian movement.
By: Joe Dallas, Published by: Harvest House Publishers
Book Summary: In this updated edition of A Strong Delusion, author and counselor Joe Dallas helps readers understand what pro–gay theology is and how to confront it. In a biblical manner, Dallas examines believers’ personal responses and the need for bold love and commitment as they become familiar with the movement’s background and beliefs, study a clear, scriptural response to each belief and extend Christ’s love to those living the homosexual lifestyle. This resource is an important one for those who have been unsure how to respond to the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the evangelical community. It offers the balance between conviction and compassion and a practical guide to communicating with those who have embraced the pro–gay Christian movement.
Resource Review: Mutiple resources for pastors looking to reach out to the gay community as well as educate themselves and their congregations on this important topic. This kit includes 1 copy of each: The Gay Gospel?, God’s Grace and the Homosexual Next Door, 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality, Homosexuality 101 DVD, The Love Won Out booklet series (7 booklets), A Parent’s Guide To Preventing Homosexuality, and When homosexuality Hits Home.
Information on the Webwww.joedallas.com: Practical resources for pastors under the “Pastors’ Tools” section
