Christian with gay friends
How Do I Support My Gay Friend?
by D’Ann Davis
“How accomplish I help my gay friend?” This is a doubt we hear constantly in the Living Hope office, when out speaking at events, or from friends and church members from around the world. Twenty years ago scant Christians asked this question, for rare knew any identical gender attracted people, or if they did know them, they were oblivious to their friend’s struggles. Today almost everyone knows of someone who identifies as gay or deals with a measure of equal gender attractions. Even if a Christian finds himself in a season of life where he does not personally know of a same gender attracted (SGA) person in his sphere of influence, this doubt is of utmost importance in soft of the alter of our tradition and the growing willingness of Christians dealing with SGA to openly discuss about their issues. So how does one help a gay-identified friend or SGA friend?
The first response I typically give to this question is actually another question. “Does your friend comprehend Jesus?” This is a vital first question any believer must tackle before attem
Should a Christian have male lover friends?
Answer
In considering whether a Christian should have queer friends, we need to ask ourselves whether Jesus would have gay friends. The New Testament nowhere identifies any specific individuals as homosexuals. So, there are no records of Jesus interacting with a homosexual. We know from the gospels, however, that Jesus loved everyone He encountered. He did not consider one group of people less deserving of the gospel than any other. In fact, He went out of His way to deliver a demon-possessed man (Mark –20) and bring hope to an immoral woman from a despised ethnic background (John 4). He healed lepers (Luke –19), pardoned an adulteress (John –11), and ate with tax collectors (Mark )—all of whom were considered unfit for the company of righteous people. We can assume Jesus would contain spent time with homosexuals as well.
Homosexuality was a sin in Jesus’ night, and it is a sin now. God’s standards of human sexuality possess not changed. However, Jesus came to seek and to save the confused (Luke ). We grasp from the gentle way H
How Should Christians Respond to Gay Friends or Family Members?
Caleb Kaltenbach (M.A. ’07) is an alumnus of Biola’s Talbot School of Theology, lead pastor of a large church in Simi Valley, Calif., and a married father of two. He’s also an emerging voice in the discussion of how Christians should engage the LGBT community. That’s because Kaltenbach has an insider perspective, having been raised by a dad and mom who divorced and independently came out of the closet as a homosexual man and a female homosexual. Raised in the midst of LGBT parties and pride parades, Kaltenbach became a Christian and a pastor as a fresh adult. Today, he manages the tension of holding to the traditional biblical teaching on sexuality while loving his gay parents.
Kaltenbach’s unique story is detailed in his new manual Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction and landed him on the front page of the New York Times in June. Biola Magazine reached out to him to talk about his guide and his perspective on how Christians can finer navigate the complexities of this
The Gospel for a Gay Friend
Josh had always known he was different. From his earliest memories, he looked at some boys as more than just peers. His parents knew he was “special,” but they loved him for it. He learned to wear a mask and participate the part of a “normal” kid until he graduated from high school.
In college, Josh decided it was time to be who he really was. He made friends with other lgbtq+ people and set out on sexual explorations. Josh found a refuge in his gay society and developed bonds that ran much deeper than sexual flings. Though his parents distanced themselves and old friends turned a cold shoulder, Josh felt that he was finally free in his new identity as a gay man.
Josh is no caricature. His experiences and story are true, and they are common.
What if Josh were your neighbor or your co-worker or your son? How would you provide the gospel to him? How would you tell him about the forgiveness of sins, the community of believers, and genuine identity in Jesus?
In one meaning, there is no difference in the way we’d share the good news with Josh compared to any other pers