Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Have there been “gay Christians” in the history of the church? Or is this strictly a 21st-century thing? History shows us that homosexuality is not new (go all the way back to Sodom and Gomorrah and Leviticus 18 as evidence), and homosexual people have been coming to faith for a long time. So, I would say the issue of “gay Christianity” is not a new phenomenon. The question is, how does the Scripture deal with “gay Christianity”1? I will add that I believe this subject is broader than a strictly defined homosexual category. The key term in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is the one word translated in the ESV as “sexual immorality.” The Greek word porneia is a general term applied to illicit sexual intercourse, including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals, etc. Sexual intercourse with a close relative (Lev. 18). Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman (Mark 10:11-13). 2 So, Paul’s exhortation doesn’t exclusively refer to homosexual acts; it could refer to all of the various applications of porneia. What is new to the late 20th and 21st centuries is the existence of multiple congregations who are affirming of “gay Christianity.”
It is obvious that the folks in Thessalonica had problems with proper sexual conduct. Otherwise, Paul wouldn’t have taken the time and space to write to them about it. Exactly what their concerns were in terms of sexual behavior isn’t stated explicitly. But we can extrapolate from the principles Paul lays out how we ought to conduct ourselves in this world. Paul begins with, “…we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God…that you do so more and more.” Paul isn’t laying out theoretical doctrine; he is writing about conduct. Being a disciple of Christ involves obeying the teaching rather than enlarging our brains with great theoretical doctrines. Discipleship has to do with obedience.
Probably our greatest area of bondage to the world is in the area of sexual relationships. My wife and I were just commenting this week that it seems that every new television show and movie has to have its token scene of gay lovers. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with advancing the storyline. It is just the token hat tip to the gods of this world, and it continues the normalization of perversion.
Paul’s call to the Thesalonian saints is to purity and holiness. He specifically calls out sexual immorality as the sin to be mortified. For those who name the name of Jesus and claim to be his followers, you are obligated to repent of sexual sin and live a life of purity, as am I. There is no room for rationalizing the gay lifestyle and claiming “love is love.” No, it isn’t. Biblical love loves God first and foremost, and the expression of that love is obedience to his commands. As I stated earlier, this call to sanctification applies not only to homosexual sin but to all sexual immorality; the LGBTQ+ agenda has to be abandoned to walk with Jesus in sanctification.
Walk as “we ought to walk.”
Is this really that serious? Paul writes, “Therefore whoever disregards this disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” And “the Lord is an avenger in all these things.” There is no sin that is too powerful to overcome. Since we have become followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the one who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in you and will apply the power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to your newborn life, and through that power, you are qualified to overcome any and every sin that has held you bondage. I don’t care what it is. Jesus’ work is ultimate.
This is all good news. God’s word identifies our sin, in this case, sexual immorality. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the power to overcome and live a life of freedom and joy. Paul leaves us the evidence in I Corinthians chapter 6.
Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9b-11
