I’m doing some research around the web and came across Rachel Held’s Evans post on God and the Gay Christian. In there she tells us that she has another post that is in the works about why she changed her mind on God and the gay Christian. Gee, can’t wait. Her testimony and preface for this upcoming post is simply that she has struggled over the issue, she has had many sleepless nights.

She has really wrestles with it… therefore, her conclusions must be sound. Here are her words:

Certainly there are many other Christians struggling to make sense of what Scripture says about gender and sexuality and who long to do the right thing on behalf of the LGBT people in the Church and in the world. Contrary to popular belief, those journeys are rarely easy or straightforward. Like so many other people, I didn’t arrive at my own conclusions easily or carelessly, but only after many sleepless nights, hours of study, and lots and lots of listening. 

The emphasis is hers. She wants us to know that she has really, really given this topic some deep thought, and struggled and, more importantly, listened to others. It wasn’t easy for the conclusion she is about to make. But by golly, since she struggled with the issue, she must be right about her conclusions.

That is how shallow we have become in the church these days. We think if someone really gives something a lot of thought, then it must be correct. It must be right. Especially if the person has contacted others who have the position she is moving toward in order to come to that conclusion. Did she actually speak to anyone who holds to what Scripture says about homosexuality? Probably not. After all, we are led to believe that she already had this position, and now that she is evolving in her thought, she sees it for the archaic narrow belief that the world has proclaimed it to be.

It really doesn’t matter how much she has struggled with the issue of homosexuality. If her conclusion is contrary to the word of God, then it is wrong, and it is a sinful position to espouse. God doesn’t care that we struggle with something before denying His word. He is not interested in our sleepless nights as we contemplate heading off into sin. It doesn’t matter how many people we consulted in our plunge into depravity. If we don’t consult with God, and His word, and accept it for what it says, then we are nothing more than those wicked people Paul describes in Romans 1:18-33, who have the wrath of God being poured out onto them. Remember, if we choose to plunge into sin, God will let us. In the process, we will become more and more sinful because HE gives the sinner, especially those who have the truth but deny it and suppress it, over to more and more sin.

As for the book she is commenting on in the above post, here is Albert Mohler’sresponse to Matthew Vine’s book. Also read Neil’s piece on the Problems With Pro-Gay Theology, in which he points out the following biblical facts concerning homosexuality:

• 100% of the verses addressing homosexual behavior denounce it as sin in the strongest possible terms.
• 100% of the verses referencing God’s ideal for marriage involve one man and one woman.
• 100% of the verses referencing parenting involve moms and dads with unique roles (or at least a set of male and female parents guiding the children).
• 0% of 31,173 Bible verses refer to homosexual behavior in a positive or even benign way or even hint at the acceptability of homosexual unions.

Timothy Hammons is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. This article appeared on his blog and is used with permission.