The following are some helpful thoughts about dealing with members who are bound by homosexuality:
1. Expect the presence of homosexuality to be in the church. It was in the church at Corinth. (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
2. Express the pure love of God toward the homosexual in the church. (Matt. 22:39).
We must love the homosexual more than they love their homosexuality. Remember, “you can dot every I and cross every T and still misspell the Word”. Many of us are misspelling the “Word” in our preaching because we are preaching deliverance without the process of transformation. Transformation is a process. We are transformed to the image of Christ. Salvation is step one and transformation is step 2. Deliverance from the penalty of sin takes place at salvation (Rom. 6:23) but the deliverance from the power of sin takes place daily (Rom. 7:15-25).
3. Examine your purpose for addressing the homosexual in the church.
What do you want to happen in the lives of these individuals? The homosexuality should not be the focus; the state of the soul should be the focus as it should be with any person living in sin.
(Rom. 6:23, 2 Pet. 3:9, John 3:16)
4. Expound upon the principles of God on God’s creative plan for human sexuality between male and female because the creative plan for human sexuality is to procreate within the context of marriage. Homosexual behavior violates God’s original plan for heterosexual monogamy. (Gen. 1:27-28, 2:18-24, Mark 10:9-9, Eph. 5:31)
5. Expound upon the principles of God on healthy same-sex relationships such as David and Jonathan, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and the beloved disciple John-to name a few. These individuals did not hide their affection for same-sex companionship. They expressed it within the context of God’s divine plan for true friendship. (1 Samuel 18:3, 2 Cor. 2:12, 13)
6. Expound upon the principles of God on unhealthy same-sex relationships such as the men in Sodom and Gomorrah, members of the church at Corinth. Homosexuality is a consequence of rejecting the created order of God. Homosexuality is a sin that results in the judgment of God. (Lev. 18:1, 22, 20:13, Gen. 19, 2 Pet. 2:6, 7, Jude 7)
7. Expect resistance from without and within the church after taking a stance against homosexuality. Continue to preach the unashamed gospel of Jesus Christ with love. (2 Tim. 4:1-5)