Does God Love Gay People Too?

I’ve been writing and re-writing this article for a couple of months. I start and stop, then put it away, because I haven’t been sure how to address my thoughts in a clear & kind manner. I find myself frustrated over what I’ve seen and read from some of my fellow Christians concerning the gay rights movement and the Supreme Court ruling over same sex marriage.

For those refusing to create wedding cakes and flower arrangements or serve pizza to homosexual couples; to those speaking, less than Christ like, words of discontent over the same sex marriage ruling, I have some thoughts.

First, my question is simply this. Does turning away gay couples from a business or speaking unkind words about them make God proud of us? Even if we say we’re doing it in defense of Him?

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that

the world might be saved through Him.

John 3:17

Jesus was the ultimate teacher of love and forgiveness. I’m not sure if He would turn water into wine at a homosexual wedding, but I know for sure, He would put His arms around the couple and do His best to lead them to salvation. If, they were not already His disciples! Believe it or not, there are many people who find themselves attracted to their same gender that are also Christ followers.

Sexual sin has been a part of our landscape of life for as long as there has been life. In contrast, the legalization of marriage has only been around for a relatively short period of time. There are numerous publications on the web outlining the time-line of when and why the marriage union became a legal document. No time to outline it here, but look it up. You may be surprised. The legalization of marriage doesn’t have anything to do with God. Therefore, for those of you thinking you are defending God over the same sex marriage ruling, think again. You are actually defending a secular/government run institution.

Just because we have the right, does it make it right?

Yes, the first amendment gives us the right, as American’s, to speak our minds. But, at what cost? Should we, as Christians, go around condemning others for what we consider sin just because our constitution gives us the freedom to do so?

He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a

stone at her.” John 8:7b

I am appalled at the treatment the flower, cake and pizza shop owners have received. Just as the gay community does not want to be mistreated because of their lifestyle, we should not be mistreated either.

I’m sorry for the way the shop owners have been treated, but I do believe we have a responsibility as Christians, to do more to show the love of Christ.

If our defense of God turns people away from Him, how is

that a good thing?

Is freedom of speech, in the name of defending God, just a license to model un-Christlike behavior? Your sin is worse than my sin, therefore, I will not serve you? What about the other sins grouped in with homosexuality in the bible? Should we turn the obese person away? How about the women coming in gossiping about their co-workers? Or the men ogling the beautiful woman just leaving the shop? Sin is sin! If we are saying we are defending the name of God while turning a gay couple away, then shouldn’t we turn away everyone else behaving less than Godly?

Since I once was a cake decorator for a living, let’s use the cake shop as an example.

What if…

What if, instead of turning the couple away, they took that opportunity to show the love of God to them?

What if they made their cake, gladly, all the while, showing the love of God?

What if they simply made a beautiful cake and delivered it with a message of love? Would that couple be more turned off from God than they are now? Or, would they have something lovely to consider that may draw them closer to Him?

Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5

Our job as followers of Christ is to show His love to those we come in contact with. It is His job to change hearts. We are to model Christlike behavior not condemn everyone we don’t particularly agree with. Make no mistake. We are all complicit in blemishing the Holy Name of God in one way or another.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that

you will know how you should respond to each person.

Colossians 4:6

Seriously friends, there are so many more important sexual sin issues to fall on our sword over. Here are a few I’d like to address.

1. Here’s a question. Since sex outside of marriage is considered sinful to God, (it’s listed in the same passage as homosexuality, gluttony, gossip etc) then why do we not have a fit over heterosexual couples having sex outside of the bonds of marriage? I’ll tell you why… Because most of us have done exactly that! As the scripture written above tells us, we are too busy yanking the spec out of someone else’s eye to bother taking the log out of our own.

2. Adultery. Yep, that one. This is a doosey isn’t it?! Yet, we go blindly along, even in the church, ignoring the consequences of this sin. This one even made God’s top ten in the thou shall not list!

3. The last one I will address will be a lump of much of the same. Pornography, prostitution and the sex slave industries. Will someone please tell me why, seriously, WHY we are not screaming from the top of our lungs over these sexual sins???

The sex slave industry is the largest and richest industry in the world! According to Destiny Rescue, every 26 seconds a young girl or boy is sold into the sex slave industry! Why is the christian community not having a conniption about this?

What could possibly be more important than taking the sex slave industry up as a cause? People choose their sin every day. How about if we help those that have no voice or choice of their fate? How about if we get just as indignant and angry over this terrible sin being perpetrated on innocence as we have over a law prohibiting consenting adults to marry?

Destiny Rescue’s sole mission is to rescue and help heal children and young adults who have been kidnapped and sold as sex slaves. Please check out the Destiny Rescue website and get involved. Just a small donation will help rescue many children and young adults from this terrible crime.

Lest we forget the Golden Rule…

I have no idea why some people are attracted to their same gender, but they are. I have known many homosexual people in my life. Some have simply experimented sexually with same sex relations just because they wanted to see what it was like on the other side of the fence. Then there are those I know who genuinely believe they were born gay. Both Christian and non-Christian alike. Maybe they were. Maybe they were not. All I know, for sure, is it’s not up to me to make them feel ashamed. It is simply up to me to be as kind and loving to them as I hope they will be to me.

Today I challenge each of us to remember not only the sacrifice of Jesus, but also the reason for His sacrifice. He died a sinless death, while taking on the sins of the world, for all of humanity. When He died on that cross, not one of us was alive. Yet still, He died for us too. Regardless of our sin.

Does God love gay people? You bet He does. Let’s make sure they know just how much.

Thank you for reading.

In His embrace,

Toni

Subscribe for free email updates

12 comments to Does God Love Gay People Too?

  • Courtney  says:

    Thank you, Toni! This is exactly how I feel, but could not bring all my feelings to these words! This was one of the main reasons I left Facebook. I couldn’t handle the outright cruelty people had toward one another.

    • Toni  says:

      Courtney,

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate the encouragement. Your experience, like mine and many others, is why I felt I had no choice but to write the article. Maybe it will make a small difference along the way. I hope so.

      God bless you Courtney!

  • Leona Brudjar  says:

    Toni, I have read your opinions. I hope you have read God’s opinions in Rom. 1, Lev. 20: 13
    I don’t know of any Christians that hate homosexuals. I think if we really love them we should give them the truth of God’s word so they could repent and be saved. Isn’t that what God wants? That’s the greatest form of love. Isn’t that what we had to do, is to turn away from sin, and repent? Love is not showing them how sweet we are ,it’s giving them the truth. It can be done in a kind and gentle way, so that they can make a choice between their sin and a Holy God that they will face one day. I agree that all those other sins are very bad as well. The difference is their aggressive effort through the legal system to force every one else to accept their life style as good and acceptable with God. I don’t read that in the Bible. God will give them over to a reprobate mind.Rom. 1:28
    I know our country was founded on The truths of God’s Word. But this generation more or less doesn’t really study God’s Word. I fear for our country. Most pastors believe we are living in the last days and I do too. I will never accept sinful laws above God’ s Word.
    You are entitled to believe as you do but I know God wants us to be holy as He is holy.That includes caring about the eternal souls of people. What I write or what I say is not as important as what God has to say. God’s Word has a lot to say about marriage. Gen.:21-25,and Eph. 5:22-33 1Pet.3:1-7 Leona Brudjar

    • Toni  says:

      Leona,

      Thank you for your thoughtful response. I’m glad you have not encountered, as I and many others have, hateful remarks toward and about homosexual individuals. Yes, I’ve read God’s word on the subject. He, and He alone, will judge each and every one of us for our actions on this earth.

      End times? Maybe. I hope so.

      God bless you Leona

  • Sherry Wauchek  says:

    Thanks for adding me to the group. I’m sure we’ll all be encouraged. Your post is exactly what people need to hear. I remember vividly while site seeing in Salt Lake City with a Mormon friend of mine the criticism against gay people. I finally asked him, what would you do if your son came home and told you he was gay? If you love the Lord way you say you do, would you turn your son away? Well we are still friends today, though of different opinions. We all will stand before the throne.

    • Toni  says:

      Sherry,

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m sure your friend has thought of your question many times over. Yes, we will all stand before the throne.

      Many blessings friend!

  • CS  says:

    Thanks for this Toni. My son is gay. I stopped going to church altogether for a few years because of the way he was treated by some in the church.

    Too many Christians are so enthralled with protecting and advocating for their rights to disagree with the gay lifestyle that they have all but forgotten the terrible price Jesus paid for their own sins. How can anyone be of any good use for drawing people to Christ when they are so busy pushing people away from Him?

    Jesus warned the Pharisees who were so confident in their own righteousness that they were shutting the door to Heaven in people’s faces. He asked them how they planned to escape damnation. NONE of us will see Heaven through any merit of our own. The righteousness of man is filthy rags before God. ALL have sinned! All of us will be condemned before God based on our actions. Jesus is our only hope of salvation. We get to Heaven and escape judgement only because He died for us on the cross.

    • Toni  says:

      Candace,

      Thank you for responding and for sharing part of your experience. I’m sorry for the pain you and your son have suffered at the hands of those thinking they are doing what God wants them to do. Your summation is so well said. Thank you.

      God bless you and your son. May he always know the love and sacrifice of Jesus in spite of what he’s been through.

  • Spurgeon Price Locklear  says:

    Thanks for this!!

    • Toni  says:

      Thank you Spurgeon. I only hope my article became a blessing to some and a wake up call to others.

      God bless you!

  • LM  says:

    thank you Toni I appreciate what you shared. And I agree.

    My 20 something daughter asked me why Christians hate people who are gay? I asked her if she knew personally of any gays who are hated by Christians. She said no. She asked again how come they are barred from churches? Again I asked her if she knew of any of her gay friends that have been barred from church. She said no.

    I am not really sure what this tells me.

    Though I am a bit scared about what is reality and what is online very loud hatefulness on both sides of the coins.The louder you yell the more you will be heard. Just like at football games if you wear the funny hats and team colours you get your picture up on the video.

    I have seen gay parades with Christians on the sidelines with “I’m Sorry” signs. Is this what needs to be done? What if I personally have not pushed away, hurt, discriminated against someone because they are different from me? Am I responsible for the “others” who cause this pain? I do ask this thoughtfully.

    My daughter-in-law lossed her job last week. I said I am so sorry. Maybe I should have said I am saddened for her. As saying sorry is like asking for forgiveness for something I have done wrong.

    I see my daughter turning her back on her faith in God and trying all sorts of things to “find it”. This is the new world. Do what you want, when you want, and with whom you want. All you need to do is “follow your heart”. I love her dearly. Always will.

    I know my thoughts are love first. Love God. Love your neighbour. This world of strangers are my neighbours. So how can I help my neighbour?

    • Toni  says:

      I read your comment early this morning and have been thinking of you all day. Your words touch my heart. They are real and honest. Your daughter, like many of us, is searching for truth. It seems the line between right and wrong has become blurred by a society lived out loud in social media. It takes very few to get a fire burning rapidly over anything these days whether there is truth in it or not. Even as your daughter wondered if these things were happening to gay people, your questions (awesome by the way) gave her pause to consider her experiences and truth.

      We have enormous truth to hold onto in the Word of God. The bible tells us in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. None of what we are experiencing is a surprise to our God. If we keep our eyes fixed on Him, do as He asks us to do, and seek wisdom from Him, we will all make Him proud as we glorify His Holy Name.

      The good news is we can, and should, be loving to people we may mot agree with. God does not ask us to choose Him over loving others. In loving others, we automatically choose Him.

      I’m praying you will continue to be able to have these open and honest conversations with your daughter. With a Mom like you, I have no doubt, she will find her way back to the foundation you’ve helped her lay.

      God bless you always…

Leave a reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.