You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.   – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This week I’d like to pass the writing duties on to someone else and direct you to an online article that I re-read recently. I continue to receive questions from parents and students alike about a book by Matthew Vines entitled God and the Gay Christian. Many are concerned about the impact the book is having (or has had) on themselves or their children and their thinking about LGBTQ+ initiatives. It is now a somewhat dated book, but given the fact that the author is a Harvard graduate and a good writer, the questions he raises, not so much about homosexuality but concerning biblical authority and trustworthiness, have kept it in the mainstream imagination. Here is what it boils down to: If Vines is right, and the orthodox church has misread the Scriptures related to homosexuality so badly for 2000 years, what else might the church have missed? Did the winners in all the major Christological and theological debates over the past 2000 years simply get to write the history, thus subverting truth in favor of their own ideas and desire to remain in power?

Although this line of reasoning is the clarion call of so many writers today who claim to be mainstream evangelicals and Bible believers, the reality is that their “those in power made the Bible and decided what we would believe” approach is seriously flawed. Vines is a smart young guy, a winsome personality, and a vocal proclaimer of his brand of Christianity, but he is a misguided and poor theologian.

So, I direct you to this link not to hammer away one more time about homosexuality, but to allow you to hear a reasoned, balanced approach to the very same topic from another voice in the crowd. This time, a young man named Sam Allberry, a pastor in the church of England and a man who has struggled with same-sex attraction his whole life. He has an excellent booklet out entitled, Is God Anti-Gay? I recommend it (it is available in our own church library). I also recommend this short article of his. I think it will help you as you think about weighty questions like: Is the Bible outdated? Are those who are now questioning every major tenet in it smarter than all the old guys from the past? Is there really a great conspiracy linked behind the compilation of the Scriptures?

The LifePoint elders have put together a statement on marriage and sexuality that you may find helpful. You can find it on our church website here:  https://lifepointindy.com/statement-of-marriage/

And here’s the link to the Sam Allberry article:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/god-gay-christian/

There is hope for all of us friends, from every persuasion in life and from every sinful disposition. That hope lies not in chasing after the darkness but by finding life and light in Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

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Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym