How to Share Christ With Your Gay Neighbors Without Affirming Their Lifestyle
How well do you know your neighbors? Are you on a first name basis with the family next door? How about the people across the street? Or the lady from the end of the block who walks her two dogs past your house in the evenings? How well do you know them? As followers of Jesus, we're commanded to love our neighbors. And the most loving thing we can do is to evangelize them—to tell them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So who are these neighbors we should we love through evangelism? How about your actual neighbors? The family nextdoor, or across the street? The lady with the dogs. God has specifically placed these people in proximity to you and your family. It's time to take the opportunity he's given you. And as a father, this is a chance for you to model loving your neighbor, through evangelism, for your kiddos too.
So far, so good. But this is all easier said than done. Because our neighbors are complex people with their own stories, and their own sins. So how do we preach the Gospel, in a way that is biblically faithful and doesn't affirm them in their sin, while still doing it in a loving way?
Today, we're going to talk about how to share the Gospel with your gay neighbors, in a Christlike and loving way, without affirming them in their lifestyle. To do this, we're going to need help.
This is why I've brought on Sam Allberry for today's episode.
Sam is a pastor, apologist, and public speaker who has done extensive work in the subject area of same sex attraction and the church. His books include Why Bother With Church?, 7 Myths About Singleness, What God Has to say about our Bodies, and Is God Anti-Gay?. It was that one that put Sam on my radar, when I read it years ago. And while I appreciated it, I wasn't quite sure what to make of Sam the man himself. With so much confusion in this area of theology and ministry, was Sam solid… or not? Well, I mentioned this question to my friend K. J. Johnson, the Chicago Director of the C. S. Lewis Institute awhile back, and he answered in no uncertain terms. Not only was Sam an excellent thinker on this subject, he was indeed a godly, orthodox follower of the Lord Jesus. I knew he'd be the perfect guest for an episode like this.
I'm convinced you'll be convinced of this too, as you listen. My conversation with Sam helped me better understand how to evangelize same-sex attracted and gay neighbors (and that distinction is important—listen for how Sam explains that later), and as you seek to lead your family in defending the Christian message, I think it will help you too.
Questions Sam Answers:
What project is Sam most excited about now? (Get his exciting new book, and many others, here).
What terminology is most biblical and helpful to use for our gay neighbors?
How can we share the Gospel with our gay neighbors without seeming like we’re affirming their lifestyle?
What’s the best way to get started in evangelizing our same sex attracted neighbors?
What happens when one or both partners in a “gay marriage” becomes a Christian? What if there are children involved? What happens to them?
What practical advice does Sam have for fathers who want to lead their families well in this?
Is same-sex attraction sinful?
Is same-sex attraction or temptation more like sinful (hetero)sexual temptation or is it different and worse?
Does God heal, end, and change homosexual desires and replace them with heterosexual desires?
Does Sam identify as a gay Christian?
What does Sam think of the org he co-founded, Living Out, and their “inclusivity” survey they created for churches?
What does Sam think about the term “sexual orientation?”
If “sexual orientation” shouldn’t prohibit a person from exercising his spiritual gifts in the church, does that mean a pedophile should be able to serve in the children’s ministry—and why not?
Sam recommends resources for further study.
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