More living proof that the Truth can set you free.

Thousands of former homosexuals are involved in ex-gay ministries throughout the nation, further proving that hope for change is possible for those still struggling with homosexuality. The people in this picture can celebrate a new life because someone cared enough to share the truth of God’s healing love with them, too.

If you love someone, you’ll tell them the truth.

You might be shocked to know that most Christians who speak against homosexual behavior are motivated more by love than hate. Of course, “hate” gets all the headlines, but the truth still remains…Every human being is precious to God and is entitled to respect. But when there is such great suffering among homosexuals, it’s an inherent Christian calling to show compassion and concern. The truth is that God abhors any form of sexual sin, be it premarital sex, adultery, prostitution, or homosexuality. And if you were trapped in some kind of self-destructive behavior, wouldn’t you want someone to care enough to compel you to stop?

Calling homosexual behavior sin is a courageous way to say you care.

We’ve seen the statistics…and they don’t lie. Homosexual behavior is not healthy behavior when it accounts for a disproportionate number of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) such as Gonorrhea, and Hepatitis A and B;1 when approximately 65% of all reported AIDS cases among males since 1981 have been men engaged in homosexual behavior;2 and when homosexual youth are twenty-three times more likely to contract STD’s than heterosexuals.3 The cultural answer? More condoms! Yet its been proved that condoms don’t protect against all contact STD’s. In fact, they often fail…and they’re also not designed to protect against the emotional damage done to the human heart.

Homosexuality is not a sex issue…it’s a heart issue.

There are problems for homosexuals even condoms can’t fix. Studies also show a high degree of destructive behavior among homosexuals, including alcohol, drug abuse and emotional and physical violence.4 And it occurs even in homosexual-affirming cities like San Francisco. So, it’s not lack of acceptance… it’s behavior, the visible response to a broken heart.

The truth may hurt before it can heal. But change is possible.

Thousands of stories from “ex-gays” (like those pictured above) confirm what counselors and pastors see every day. Homosexuals routinely describe deep-seated, almost unconscious desires that drive a same-sex urge. They also tell of rejection from early childhood and lack of bonding to same-sex parents, sexual violence and rape, or mental and emotional abuse as critical elements in the formation of their gender-identity. But these life situations don’t deny the choice each makes in yielding to temptation, no matter how strong the urge. Still, many have walked out of homosexuality…into sexual celibacy or even marriage. How? Often because someone cared enough to love them, despite where they were, and to confront the truth of their sexual sin. That love comes in the person of Jesus Christ and motivates the commitment many Christians have made to fight for the Truth to prevail in your heart, too.

We don’t need to be perfect to talk about sin.

Quite the contrary. The fact is that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Some, though, recognize their sin and repent; but others don’t. Rejecting forgiveness is an individual’s own business, but another indivudual sharing the Truth of forgiveness shouldn’t be considered an offense.

Taking a stand. Extending a hand.

For years, Christians have taken a stand in the public square against aggressive homosexual activism. They’ve been described in hateful terms like “bigots,” and “homophobes.” But all along they’ve extended a hand, something largely unreported in the media…an open hand to offer the same healing for homosexuals that they’ve found themselves. Why not move beyond the rhetoric to see the hope in Christ that others want you to know, and give your heart to the One who can love you like no one else. Then let the healing begin.

Endnotes

(1) Mireya Navarro,”Federal Officials See Sharp Rise of Hepatitis Among Gay Men,” The New York Times, March 6, 1992
(2) Centers for Disease Control, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Vol.9, No.2, May, 1998
(3) American Adolescents: How Healthy Are They?, p. 31, American Medical Association, 1990
(4) Robert Garofalo and others, “The Association Between Health Risk Behaviors and Sexual Orientation Among a School-based Sample of Adolescents,” Pediatrics, 101 pp 895-902, (1998).

If someone really loves you, they’ll tell you the truth.

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