Gay Christians who choose celibacy.....

[GoldenEagle]

 

 

 

Sigh GE, while I will answer your questions this is not about what I believe, but what those that are struggling with this beleive.  More specifically those that believe that the attraction itself isn't sinful, but that living out the lifestyle is.  How is this dealt with. Do you as was said say that they are not Christians, or do we honor that they are, and trust that God will bring them freedom in the struggle with the attraction? 

Now my answer Yes.

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I'm not sure if the answer is clear cut personally. Who can know the heart of a man or woman but the Lord? Yet what is the fruit of the person's life? Is that measurable? 

I can tell you my experience though. I had a friend through Celebrate Recovery who was what he called a "recovering" homosexual - he was practicing abstinence. Eventually he went back to the lifestyle. Was he sincere in his desire to reject his sin, ask Christ for forgiveness, and confess Jesus as Lord of his life? I don't know. What is the evidence?

 

On the other hand I had a friend at church who had been a homosexual. He gave up that lifestyle and allowed God to heal his heart. He eventually got married and had children with his wife later on in his years. Was he sincere in his desire to reject his sin, ask Christ for forgiveness, and confess Jesus as Lord of his life? I don't know. What is the evidence?

 

Not sure if that clarifies my thoughts on the matter.

 

God bless,

GE

[JTC]

I didn't read this entire thread because it's too long for me.  But I will side with those of you who say a gay person who has chosen celibacy, because he/she knows homosexuality is a sin, can be a Christian upon accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

 

What about an unmarried person who is heterosexual and celibate, this person is in a very similar position to the gay person remaining celibate. I'm unmarried and I'm now celibate. I still admire female beauty and probably always will. I would love it if God takes this away from me, but I don't think He does things like that. If He wanted robots, I'm sure He would have created robots. God wants people with free will who will live by His rules because we love Him, we know He's right, and we want to spend eternity with Him. Homosexuality is just another sin to be overcome.

 

The problem is our society has us thinking that if we aren't engaging in sex with someone that then there is something wrong with us. But this isn't true. And I can also testify that a Platonic Love affair is both real and possible. I know this because for about 10 years I had one with a woman I loved dearly. I was even raising her 2 little daughters with her. Those years were some of the best days of my life. We did all kinds of things together, except sex. So this too is possible. We don't need sex, we want sex. But we don't need it to live.

 

So if a person is gay and chooses to remain without sex, that person commits no sin. Paul chose to remain without sex, and he said he wished everyone could be like him.  So to live without sex is as much inline with the Bible as is marriage between a man and a woman.

[Guest ninhao]

Can we please just stay with the OP on this topic?  That would be Christians who are gay but do not act upon their desire for the same sex.  All of this arguing over intent/repent/not repent is OT and irrelevant.  My original intent was to get opinions on whether God recognizes their efforts to remain His followers. 

 

Yes of course in the same manner as God also recognizes my attempts to walk into His ways. I pray.

[Guest shiloh357]

Can we please just stay with the OP on this topic?  That would be Christians who are gay but do not act upon their desire for the same sex.  All of this arguing over intent/repent/not repent is OT and irrelevant.  My original intent was to get opinions on whether God recognizes their efforts to remain His followers. 

 

 

They are not His followers.  No one can be gay AND be a Christian.   That is the problem with your premise.   You keep trying to paint them as repentant and they are not repentant at all. There is NO context in which someone can be gay AND be a genuine follower of Jesus.

[revolutionist90]

What is the difference between abstinence and celibacy? Can anyone provide scripture as to which one is actually something God endorses?

[missmuffet]

What is the difference between abstinence and celibacy? Can anyone provide scripture as to which one is actually something God endorses?

Isn't celibacy referring more to a priest or religious figure and abstinence a lay person?

[Guest man]

This is a side of the faith/homeosexual see-saw that isn't given much press. I admire these people for their tough choice and I pray that God will reward them for their faithfulness. Opinions?

http://news.yahoo.com/celibate-gay-christians-deal-desire-115103611.html

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Matthew 19

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

 

 

 

Get it?  

[Guest Butero]

One cannot be living the homosexual lifestyle and be a Christian, but I do believe that if someone has been living that lifestyle, and they come to Jesus, and truly repent, they can be saved.  I believe they can struggle with temptation in that area for a time after they get saved, and still be a Christian, so long as they have turned away from acts of sodomy.  I also believe Jesus can take away those unclean desires.  I don't know how sincere those discussed in the article are?  My impression was that they struggled with unclean desires, but knew that acting upon them was sin, so they were living a celebate lifestyle.  I can't say that these people absolutely cannot be saved.  There is no difference between this and the person who claims to be an alcoholic, and fights the urge to get drunk.  Can they be saved?  I believe they can, even while they wait on Jesus to deliver them from the sinful desires.  If someone goes back into the lifestyle, of course they are not saved. 

[Guest shiloh357]

Ok, this is what is bothering me.  You said I as well as others were framing what you were saying incorrectly. But then you restate plain as day in the statement above, exactly what I have been questioning you on the whole time.  Like I said before it seems you are saying two different things.  These ones that struggle with the attraction and don't view that as sinful, but do believe that the lifestyle is, you are saying that they are not repentant.  Yet out of the same mouth you say that those that struggle with the desire can still love God.  Shiloh, this is why we are going in circles, you are saying two different things but then you blame others for not reading correctly. So what it boils down to is that you don't believe that these ones spoken of in this article, the ones that are not living out the homosexual lifestyle, but do not think the attraction is sinful are not repentant and therefore not Christians.  I think you have made yourself crystal clear now.

 

 

 

 

 

I am not saying two different things.   As I have said repeatedly,  When I say you cannot be gay and a Christian, I am not talking about ex-gays who struggle with the temptation in a sincere attempt to serve God.  They have repented and are living for the Lord.

 

What I have repeatedly stated is that the people in the OP don't see their homosexual desires as sinful and they continue in them and do not repent of them because they incorrectly believe that God made them that way.   Those people cannot be Christians AND yet continue in their identity as a gay people and presenting their homosexual desires as completely consistent with a Christian world-view.    They are calling God a liar and rejecting what His word says about thier sin.   You cannot be a Christian and continue in that sin and in that kind of inpenitence.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Butero]

 

 

Ok, this is what is bothering me.  You said I as well as others were framing what you were saying incorrectly. But then you restate plain as day in the statement above, exactly what I have been questioning you on the whole time.  Like I said before it seems you are saying two different things.  These ones that struggle with the attraction and don't view that as sinful, but do believe that the lifestyle is, you are saying that they are not repentant.  Yet out of the same mouth you say that those that struggle with the desire can still love God.  Shiloh, this is why we are going in circles, you are saying two different things but then you blame others for not reading correctly. So what it boils down to is that you don't believe that these ones spoken of in this article, the ones that are not living out the homosexual lifestyle, but do not think the attraction is sinful are not repentant and therefore not Christians.  I think you have made yourself crystal clear now.

 

 

 

 

 

I am not saying two different things.   As I have said repeatedly,  When I say you cannot be gay and a Christian, I am not talking about ex-gays who struggle with the temptation in a sincere attempt to serve God.  They have repented and are living for the Lord.

 

What I have repeatedly stated is that the people in the OP don't see their homosexual desires as sinful and they continue in them and do not repent of them because they incorrectly believe that God made them that way.   Those people cannot be Christians AND yet continue in their identity as a gay people and presenting their homosexual desires as completely consistent with a Christian world-view.    They are calling God a liar and rejecting what His word says about thier sin.   You cannot be a Christian and continue in that sin and in that kind of inpenitence.

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Not saying you are wrong, but this does lead me to ask a follow-up.  Can someone be an alcoholic and a Christian if they stopped drinking?