I'd like to ask you to take your Bible this morning to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Well, this morning I have been asked to address an issue that is very real in the church. It's very relevant to all of us who claim to know and follow Christ. And it is excruciatingly painful to some of us in very deep and personal ways. All of these realities coming together make this a very difficult issue to tackle in a chapel message, but a necessary one. So this morning, I want to speak on the topic, the gospel, the Christian, and same-sex attraction. As you can imagine, this is an awkward topic and a difficult topic to preach about, and it is going to be a difficult message for all of us to hear. I, more than anything today, I want to be biblically faithful to the text of Scripture. I want to be personally helpful and relevant and accurate and gracious. But most of all, I want the answers that we give today and that we look at today to rise up out of the Scriptures. Due to the nature of this topic and the constraints of time, we have one chapel time together to do this, I want to ask your indulgence and your understanding with regard to two things. First, I want to let you know that I'm going to depart from our usual practice of using the King James and all of our public preaching. This morning the Scriptures I will be using and quoting and reading will come out of the ESV because I think this is going to help us to grasp what the Scripture says more quickly and more clearly than if we take the time to explain some of the language and terminology. And then secondly, I want to ask you to pray for me. Because of the nature of this, I'm going to be sticking very closely to my printed manuscript. I don't usually like to come up and just read a sermon to you, and I don't intend to do that today, but I am going to stick very closely to what I've written down because I want to be very careful to speak thoughtfully, intentionally, and accurately to you and to me and to all of us as we take our time together. So, let's have a word of prayer. I'm going to ask you to pray for me. And I'm gonna pray for all of us as we come to this topic together this morning. Father, you know every one of us in this room. You know our deepest struggles. You know the things that go on in our hearts and in our minds. Lord, you know every question that we have in our hearts. And so Lord, as we come to this topic, we're thankful that your word does address it, that it does speak to it. And Lord, I pray for strength and I pray for grace as I preach your word this morning and as we talk about this topic. And then Lord, I pray for help in all of our lives to hear correctly and accurately and to apply personally to each of our lives in each of our cases. And we'll pray these things in Jesus' name, amen. So what does God have to say about the issue of same-sex attraction? Let me begin by pointing out that God actually has quite a lot to say about our sexuality and about our sexual activity. For example, we can start here. The Bible reveals that sexuality, our human sexuality, is a good and gracious gift from God. God created us as sexual beings. He established clear boundaries where our sexuality can be expressed in ways that glorify Him and that are pleasing and beneficial to us. So human sexuality is a good and gracious gift from God. Here's the second thing we can add to our understanding. The Scriptures also teach that sexual activity of any kind is actually prescribed by God. God has clearly stated that all sexuality and all sexual activity is to be expressed between a man and a woman, and we can read this in the pattern that is set forth both in Genesis 1 and in Genesis 2 and in Romans 1, and it is to happen within the boundaries of a covenanted relationship. And that relationship is defined as marriage. And you can see Paul's statement about that in the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 4. So God has spoken clearly about the design of human sexuality and has defined what is morally acceptable and sexually permissible. And the Apostle Paul appeals to this foundational truth when he instructs us in 1 Thessalonians 4 to do several things. I want to begin reading with you in verse 3. Paul says, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. And then he's going to talk a little bit about what that looks like, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, and then he's going to contrast it. in verse 5, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. So believers are instructed by Paul to abstain from all immorality, to control their bodies in holiness, and to carry out any sexual activity in honorable ways. Now that seems to be fairly clear and straightforward in Scripture. However, a growing number of genuine believers. And I want to make sure we catch that. A growing number of genuine believers. These are people who have embraced the gospel and who love Christ, struggle to live within the boundaries of biblical sexuality because they find themselves with strong, undeniable, and persistent sexual attraction to people of their own sex. We call this same sex attraction. This is not a hypothetical problem. This is not an abstract problem. Many of us in this room are touched in some way by the reality of this problem and this issue as it comes up in the life of a family member, a relative, a close friend, somebody in our circle of acquaintances who struggles deeply with same sex attraction. In a crowd this size, there are brothers and sisters among us. We have fellow pilgrims on the way of life who love Christ, who desire to live faithfully to his word, but who struggle with same-sex attraction. And in my limited conversations with people who struggle with this, they have two basic questions. And here they are, can a person who struggles with same-sex attraction be a genuine and obedient Christian? Is it possible? And if it is, here's the second question, how can a person like this live to the glory of God when their same-sex attraction does not go away? These are not minor questions. These are questions that strike to the very core of who a person is in terms of what their desires are. And so when we provide answers to questions like this, our answers must be gracious, they must be thoughtful, they must be accurate. And more than anything else, they must be faithful to the Scriptures if they are going to be of any help at all. So let's begin this morning with this question. What exactly is same-sex attraction? This is a term that has become very familiar to our culture, in our own generation. So what is same-sex attraction? What do we mean when we use this term? And here's what I would say in answer to that. It is more than strong friendship and deep affection for someone of the same sex. All of us have deep relationships, deep emotional connections with, and deep friendships with people who are of our same sex. For example, we have this with our parents and our siblings. who are of our same sex. This is natural, this is normal, and this is biblical. And beyond this, we have strong friendships with people who are of our same gender. In fact, I would suggest that the vast majority of the friendships that you have, the deep, meaningful, lasting friendships that you have are with people of your gender. We have this in the Bible. You have David and Jonathan, for example. You have Ruth and Naomi as another example of this. You have Paul and Timothy and Paul and Titus and Paul and Luke. You have James and John. And so you have these sorts of deep, strong friendships that involves deep affection and emotional connection with someone of the same sex. So, same-sex attraction is more than strong friendship and deep affection. It is inappropriate emotional attachment and sexual attraction for someone of the same sex. So when we're talking about same-sex attraction, in the context of this discussion, we are talking about an inappropriate emotional attachment and or sexual attraction for someone of the same sex, and this desire is inordinate, which means it is out of order. Now let me read you a difficult text. Romans chapter one, Verse 24 through 27 is one of the places where Paul immediately begins to talk about inordinate desires. You can read this together. Notice in verse 24, therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their heart, and that's the idea of desires, to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. Why? Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. And then he describes that this way, their women exchanged natural or physical, normal, natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Now we're not talking this morning in our message about homosexuality. But in the heart of homosexual behavior, at the heart of homosexual behavior is this inordinate desire for same-sex activity. And they are attracted in this way. And what I want you to pick up in verse 26 and in verse 27 is that this desire is not following the course of nature. It is an out-of-order desire. Now, I want you to notice that this is not the only sin in Romans chapter 1 that is mentioned. And I want to be very clear this morning that this sin is not more heinous and it is not more worthy of condemnation than any other sin. And the reason that Paul is bringing it forth in Romans chapter one is not to elevate it above any other sin as though this is the unforgivable sin and this is the one you really want to make sure you stay away from because this is why God is bringing judgment upon men. The point he is making is that the reason the judgment is coming is because of idolatry. And idolatry has to do with the deep desires of our heart that are out of order, that replace who God is and what God has ordained. And that brings us really to the second question this morning, and that is this, where does this desire come from? Where does this desire come from? So if it's an inordinate desire, if it's a contrary to nature desire, if it goes against the way God made natural sexual orientation to be, then where did it come from? And many individuals who struggle with same-sex attraction will tell you this, they did not make a willful, intentional choice about this. I think if you sat across the table from a brother or sister in Christ who's really struggling with this, and you listened to them, and you really listened, they would tell you, we didn't choose this, this is not something that we wanted, we have struggled deeply against this, we have suffered immense pain and immense anguish because of this. But they have come to believe that this is who they are, And this desire that is so strong and so persistent and so present becomes their identity. So what do you do if you are a person like this? I've struggled to change, but it continues to be present. It appears to define me. Where did this come from? And there are two common answers to that question. People will say, well, this comes out of nature. I was born this way. I was wired this way. And there's a second answer that goes like this, it comes out of nurture. Something happened to me, my environment, my circumstances, my past, things that went on in my life, all of this came together and influenced and shaped me in this way. And I would say to you that before you just dismiss those as sort of, well, that's really not how it happens, That we actually take the time to consider that there in fact may be factors like this that come into a person's life that are very real and very present. But the Bible actually gives a third answer, and that's the answer I want you to see this morning. Where does same-sex attraction come from? It comes from the same place that all of our desires and strong passions originate. It comes from our heart. our inner man. Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 tells us to guard our heart, to keep our heart with all diligence. Why? Because out of our heart flow all the springs, the issues of life. Everything about us. Every desire that is in us, every objective that is before us, every part of us, everything that is true about us comes out of our heart. And so our heart is the origin, the fountain, the source of all of our desires. So what do we know about desires? Some desires are natural and necessary for life. They're part of the natural order. You hunger, you thirst, you breathe, and these are all desires that you don't have to think about. They just happen because they're natural and necessary components of life. Human sexuality, to some degree, is like this. It's hardwired into you. Some desires are instilled in us by our upbringing or our background and our like or dislike for certain things, for example, certain kinds of foods that we eat. Some desires are intentionally chosen for us, but all of our desires are affected by original sin. Think about the fact that you live in a broken world, a world that has been radically impacted in very dark and very broken ways by original sin. Original sin didn't just impact the world around you, original sin impacted you internally. You were born in sin. That's the whole point to Psalm 51 verse 5. And you have been thoroughly affected in your entire nature by sin. We call this total depravity. Everything about you, everything around you, and everything in you has been touched by sin. And that's why Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1, 2, and 3 describe us as people that are wholly inclined to evil. Some of our desires are inordinate and broken. and our flesh seizes on those desires and uses them against us. In fact, this is James' whole point, that each person is tempted, in James chapter 1, when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. So there are desires that are unique to you. We all have desires, but our desires are tailor-made to our personality. They're tailor-made by who we are and what we are and where we are. So our own desires lure us and tempt us into sin. And that brings us then to the third question that we want to ask this morning. And that is, if this is true, Why does same-sex attraction to continue to exist in the life of a genuine believer who's been born again? I mean, if this is true, if it comes out of our heart and it's been affected by sin externally, internally, and thoroughly, then why does it continue in the life of a believer after salvation? And there are two texts, I think, that help us with that this morning. One is Romans chapter 7, verses 14 through 18, and the other is Galatians chapter 5, verse 17. And you'll notice as you look at the Romans 7 passage that indwelling sin, your flesh, does not go away at salvation. You and I still have the flesh dwelling in us. In verse 14, Paul says, I am of the flesh sold under sin. And then when you go to the Galatians passage, in Galatians chapter five, verse 17, you find there is no question about the identity of the person in Galatians chapter five. That person is clearly a believer. And Paul says about him, your flesh is at war with the spirit. What is my flesh like? Romans chapter 8 verse 7 tells me that my flesh is unredeemable. It will never be redeemed. It will not and cannot submit to the law of God. And we mentioned earlier in James chapter 1 that my sin nature and your sin nature is personalized. It's uniquely tailored to your unique tastes and desires, and from those desires form strong temptations to particular sins. and uses those desires against you. And Romans chapter eight verse 12 tells you that your flesh will not go away, but that does not mean you have to be a slave to those desires. Listen to Paul when he says, so then brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. So the battle against my flesh is a battle that I can win with the Spirit's help. Therefore, the battle against my flesh may be an occasion to sin, or it may be the context in which God brings about a greater good. My humility and my dependence so that His grace may be magnified in the midst of my weakness." And you'll remember Paul saying something like this in 2 Corinthians 12 when he talks about this thorn in his flesh that he begs God to remove three different times. And God said, this thorn did not come from me. It came from Satan. and it is very difficult for you and it is very painful for you, but I am going to leave it there because it is how you are going to remain humble and dependent on me and it is how my grace is going to be magnified in your weakness. The struggle between my flesh and God's Spirit is the particular arena in which I give God honor and glory through yielding to Him my physical body and its desires. That's the point of Romans chapter 12. So we can say it plainly this morning, a believer can struggle with strong, ongoing, same-sex attraction because that person, like all believers, has a flesh that produces all kinds of sinful desires. And one sin is not better than another sin. Will that struggle ever go away? And the answer to that, in the big picture, is yes. but not necessarily in this life. What God does do is He promised to strengthen. Sometimes God removes a temptation or an inordinate desire entirely, and all of us have heard stories of this, but there are times where God doesn't. And it's not because he loves that believer less, or it's not because that believer didn't struggle enough, or doesn't have enough faith, or doesn't pray enough. I mean, Paul prayed three times for God to take his thorn away, and God said to him, stop asking me about this. I'm not going to take this away. So when you see a believer with this struggle going on in his life, don't assume that it's because that believer doesn't have enough faith, or that believer's not walking obediently, or that person doesn't really understand, or they're not asking God enough. God doesn't take all of our sinful desires away after salvation. Which brings us to the fourth question, and that is this, is same-sex attraction inherently sinful? Is the attraction itself sinful? And I would suggest to you as we explore this answer that we must see a difference between desire and temptation. Paul has talked about desire in Romans chapter one. James talks about desire in chapter one of the book of James. Desires may be ordinate. In other words, they may be natural desires that follow God's order, or they may be inordinate. And we saw what an inordinate desire looked like in Romans chapter one, verse 24, 25, and 26. Inordinate desires come out of our sin nature, but their presence does not automatically mean we have committed sin. The presence of an inordinate desire in you is not the same as you committing a sin. Temptation uses all of our desires, ordinate and inordinate, to get us to sin. And so we know this about temptation. It is never good, it never comes from God, and it leads to sinful action if not resistance. So we need to make sure we understand there's a difference between desire and temptation. And then secondly, there's a distance between temptation and actual sinning. Being tempted and sinning are not the same thing. Jesus was tempted and didn't sin. Believers are never told to repent of temptation. They are told to resist it, to flee from it, to make no provision for it. We are told to repent from sin. So when does temptation turn to sin? And the answer is when you stop resisting and you start entertaining it. When you stop fighting, and you start justifying it. When you give mental assent to it, and you start imagining it, and eventually yielding to it. And that brings us to the final question this morning, and that is this. So if I struggle with same sex attraction, or if I know someone that is struggling, what help and what hope does God extend? And I would suggest that God does a number of things. Number one, he tells them the truth about their identity. And this is a big thing. Their identity is not wrapped up in their desires, including their sexual ones. Our identity is in Christ. Colossians 3, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. And God regularly speaks to us and reminds us that we belong to Him, that we have been given His name, that our identity is new and it's in Christ. You are an image bearer. You are a forgiven sinner. You are a beloved child of God. You are a member of God's family. You are a new creation. That's who you are. You may struggle with different desires and different sins in that identity, but that's actually who you are. Can a person who is committed to practicing homosexuality as a lifestyle go to heaven? That's a very different question than can a believer with a lifelong struggle with same-sex attraction and at times fail repeatedly be genuine. The answer to the first question is this. I mean, this is the plain speech of Scripture. A person who willfully chooses and joyfully celebrates an identity and a lifestyle practice that God condemns, has rejected God and His Word, and God is very direct and clear about the eternal destiny of such a person. And that is the same for any unrighteous person who willfully and joyfully embraces any other sin as a celebrated way of life. 1 Corinthians 6, 9 through 10 is very clear. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. So where does that leave me if I struggle with same-sex attraction? And Paul's answer to that is this, if you humbly embrace and thankfully celebrate the identity, the real identity that God has given you in Christ, then as you struggle and sometimes fall into sexual activity, there is abundant grace and abundant mercy because God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Listen to Paul continue in verse 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. Then God gives clarity, not just about identity, but He gives clarity about our options with regard to sexual activity. And it doesn't matter who you are, there is no biblical ground for exercising any prohibited sexual activity. We are to resist it, flee from it, and make no provision to fulfill it. What if I fall? Repent. What if I fall again? Repent again. and turn from it. For how long? All of your life if necessary. What if I can't resist? Then you have one biblical option and that is to marry in God's design for marriage. What if my desires are not oriented that way? You can ask God to change your perspective or you can embrace the possibility that God may have called you like He did Paul and many others in the church to a life of consecrated celibacy. like that of Jesus or Paul. And then thirdly, God gives grace and strength for weakness. And we saw that in Paul's prayer and God's answer. My strength is made great in your weakness. And finally, there is hope for the future. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness. And then we're told in verse 11 that God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. And He who raised Christ from the dead will also give you life to your own mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. And I want to end this morning with this. There is an incredible verse that I have found helpful in my own life because at the end of the day, all of us, all of us struggle with sexual desires that are prohibited. in some way or another. And for some, it becomes a massive battle. Not just same-sex attraction, but any prohibited sexual desire becomes a massive battleground for us. And here's an incredible text. Jesus said, these words, come unto me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Run to Jesus. Trust Jesus. Rest in Jesus. and remember that he is running this race with you. Father, as we close our time together, as we think about what we have talked about, Lord, this has been a very quick overview and there are so many points and places in this message where there's more that could have been said or should have been said or clarifications that should have boundary the edges of all of this. But Lord, we just take this moment to ask you to help us to hear carefully what your word actually says, to embrace the identity that you've given to us in Christ, and to recognize that the presence of sinful desire in us is the common experience of every human who follows you. And so, Lord, we come to you for grace and strength. In Jesus' name, amen.