Written by Evi Idoghor
One cold morning, as I awoke, my eyes remained in a constant state of heaviness due to sleep—I desired more sleep. In an attempt to rid my eyes of said sleep, I took a trip down the streets of Instagram (it works all the time! That or turning off the air conditioner). Straight away, I was met with a post where a Christian tried to defend her viewpoint on Homosexuality.
That immediately seized my attention, leading me to listen more closely. Those on her side, applauded her for her audaciousness, whilst the opposing side shared the belief that it was time for the church to put their archaic viewpoints aside, and become progressive with their teachings; which they advised should be more accepting of the view that homosexuality is not a sin. I am always one who is up for a good discourse, so I shared my opinion on the matter and decided to talk more about it through this platform.
Today, I find that one of the greatest divides that exist is between the church and the LGBTQ+ community. The church in 2021, struggles to find the right balance between expressing the love of God, and still upholding biblical standards. The community, that is, those of them who identify as Christians, also struggle to find a balance between who they believe themselves to be, and what God says in His word about homosexuality.
Whilst some might agree that homosexuality isn’t compatible with the Christian faith, as well as a plethora of sins, others, well the ones we often hear about in the media, somehow expect the church to cower in its beliefs to fit their narrative. This can be likened to a person wanting to be in a relationship with someone who they do not share the same value system with, but somehow, requires them to adjust their values, to accommodate the relationship. If you are friends with the one who wants the other person to change their values, wouldn’t you advise them to move on from such a fantasy?
God forbid that the church stands its grounds on this matter, thus, they quickly come under fire for being bigoted in their viewpoint, archaic in their mentality, and judgmental in the way they interact with members of the LGBTQ+ community. Whilst I am not negating the fact that some Christians tend to be judgmental and unloving, forgetting the fact that they too were once sinners (Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 2:7), and perhaps, still sin, the church’s stance on homosexuality and (or) sin, cannot change.
I think the issue here is people working ever so hard to separate the church from the word of God—the debate therein is no longer about the “separation of church and state,” rather it’s about the separation of church and the Bible. The Bible, which is the word of God, is clear on its stance about this issue from Genesis (2:24) where marriage is defined as between one man and a woman, to the book of Revelation where the final marriage will take place, between Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Generally speaking, if there is an issue with the church’s stance on certain practices, beliefs, lifestyles, and sin, that is if the church is taking its stance from within the boundaries of the Bible, then it is safe to say that the overarching problem is with God since the church didn’t write or inspire the Bible, God did. If then, the church is compelled towards becoming progressive with its ways, thoughts, and teachings, that pathway will be fraught with deception, as such, leading many to destruction.
In conclusion, if you identify as a Christian, that should mean that you believe the Bible is the infallible word of God, that is, it doesn’t change with time. Just as Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)—James 1:17 puts it this way, “…the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” So, this shows us that even if we are in 2021, or 2100 (if Christ tarries) the same message that the Bible carried 2000 years ago and even before that, is the same message that will still be preached and (or) taught—now, and in the years to come.
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