A gracEmail subscriber on the West Coast writes: "I'm a dedicated Christian believer who has had to face the fact that I am gay. In general, gay people are made unwelcome or are treated as second-class citizens in evangelical and conservative churches. Do you have any comments on this matter?"

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According to the Bible, God ordained and celebrates sexual intimacy between a married husband and wife. All other sexual intimacy, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is sinful and forbidden (Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). In this fallen world, we all bear signs of our present brokenness -- aspects of our inner selves which provide opportunity for temptations to do wrong in many sorts of ways (James 1:14-15). I do not believe that homosexual orientation itself constitutes sin -- though I do see it as a brokenness and a disorder of God's design. Similarly, a heterosexual person's predisposition for sexual partners other than a lawful spouse is not yet an actual sin -- though it also is a sign of brokenness and it would be wrong for that person to carry it out.

One might hope that churches (which are always composed of broken and struggling people) would graciously welcome anyone who is seeking after God. Bible-believing churches in particular should imitate Jesus Christ, who brings both grace and truth (John 1:17). In such a fellowship, heterosexual and homosexual people alike should receive biblical teaching concerning God's standards of moral purity as well as mutual encouragement to live according to those standards. It is tragic indeed that many churches today make to feel unwelcome persons of homosexual orientation, even when those persons are seeking to live holy lives. It is also tragic when churches turn a blind eye to flagrant sinful conduct of any sort as if holiness were of no real concern at all.

We do not need to minimize biblical teaching about sexuality in order to say that God is also concerned about all other aspects of our conduct and character. Jesus said far more about our attitude toward money than he did about sexual matters. Loving God with all one's heart and loving one's neighbor topped Jesus' list of the Father's most important commands (Matt. 22:36-40). God's plan is to transform us by his Spirit into the likeness of his Son -- an all-encompassing endeavor that includes all that we think, say and do (Rom. 8:29).

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