Made In God's Image - Is God anti-gay?

And so we're going to be looking at some big subjects that's in the media, in the news a lot, in our discussions about our sexual identity, things about life, the sanctity of life, abortion and euthanasia.

So these are some of the topics, issues that we'll be looking at under this title, Made in God's Image.

And the first one that we're looking at today is asking the question, simply, is God anti-gay?

What does the Bible have to teach about that?

Now, the title, I've stolen, and it comes from this little book by a guy called Sam Allerby, who's a pastor in an Anglican church in England.

And the subtitle is, Is God Anti-gay? And Other Questions About Homosexuality, the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction.

So I recommend it as a great little book.

Sam is somebody who struggles, he would say, he struggles with same-sex attraction.

That's how he would describe himself.

And I have a number of these copies available this morning, not enough for everybody, but if you would like one, you can buy it off me for a couple of euro if you like.

Also, by way of resources, if you're taking notes this morning, there's been sheets passed around with headings.

You can write this down, but two websites that you might like to look up.

One is truefreedomtrust.co.uk.

We had the director of that, Jonathan Berry, here a few years ago.

You can listen to his talk on our church website.

But there's a magazine called Ascend, which I get every month or two.

It's excellent.

Really helpful just in how we understand ourselves as human beings and how we relate to each other.

So I recommend that.

So that's True Freedom Trust.

And the other website is simply called Living Out.

All one word, livingout.org.

So have a look at them in your spare time.

You'll find some great stories, testimonies, and helpful things there.

So, with all of that said, we're going to pray and then look at God's word together.

We thank you that we come to a God who loves us, who made us, and who cares for us.

A God who understands us better than we could ever know ourselves.

A God who knows what's best for us.

And so we pray that you would give us hearts today that are open to you and to your truth, to your word.

So that we will understand ourselves better and how we should relate to one another.

Help us then, we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

So the question we're looking at this morning is, is God anti-gay?

Now, sadly, many have the impression that God is against gay people.

And that's not surprising when you consider the attitude of the church.

The message the world has heard from the church is that being gay is detestable and unforgivable.

Gay people are unwelcome.

Caleb Kaltenbach, who wrote a book, which is also very good, called Messy Grace,

is now a pastor of a church, and he grew up with parents who were both gay.

And growing up as a child within the gay community, he attended gay pride marches.

And he describes one experience as a young person.

He says this,

He continues,

Now, these attitudes are extremely difficult.

They are wrong.

And they need to be repented of.

We all need to repent.

God is not anti-gay any more than God is anti-straight.

Looking back on his experience,

Caleb, who I just quoted, writes this,

Jesus' command to love your neighbour as yourself

does not have an exception clause for a gay neighbour,

or for that matter, any other neighbour we might find it hard to relate to.

To be anti-gay is unloving and ungracious

and does not represent the God of the Bible.

So, four things we're going to discover or look at together this morning.

And I want us to be all-inclusive.

So, there's an emphasis this morning on the word all.

Okay?

So, first, we are all uniquely created.

The story opens with this wonderful account of a loving God

who creates a good and beautiful world.

And the pinnacle of God's creation is the creation of human beings,

people like you and me.

We are first made in God's image.

Look at verse 26, chapter 1, Genesis, if you have it open there.

Then God said,

Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,

so that they may rule over the fish of the sea,

the birds of the air, over the livestock and all the wild animals

and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

Now, to be made in God's image

means we are uniquely different from the rest of creation.

We're all uniquely different in terms of how we look

and our personalities and characters.

But as a race, as a human being,

we are different from the rest of creation.

We've been made differently to the animals and the plants.

For example, God has given us a command to rule over the animals

as an expression of God's rule over us.

But also, to be made in God's image

means we're not gods,

but that we are like God.

We're not the same as God,

but we're similar to God.

That means we have the capacity to relate to God.

God talks to us,

and, well, we can talk to Him.

God doesn't speak to the animals like He speaks to us.

God treats us differently to the rest of creation.

And God made us in this unique way

so that we could be in relationship with Him,

we could enjoy Him,

and know Him.

So we're uniquely created,

made in God's image,

and made male and female.

Look at verse 27.

So God created mankind in His own image.

In the image of God,

He created them.

Male and female,

He created them.

God made us different to each other.

Different in terms of our sex.

We are either male or we're female.

As male and female,

we're equal in value and worth in God's sight.

But we're different biologically.

And the primary point of our sexual difference

is reproduction.

So look at verse 28.

This is the first command God gives.

God blessed them and said to them,

Be fruitful and increase in number.

Have children.

Fill the earth and subdue it and rule over it.

So as a man and woman engage in sexual intercourse,

they produce either a baby male or a baby female.

And of course there's a context for this sexual union.

It is to be within an exclusive relationship,

what we call marriage,

between one man and one woman.

Verse, chapter 2, verse 24.

Chapter 2, verse 24.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother

and is united to his wife.

And they become one flesh.

So one flesh is that union,

that intimacy that they enjoy together.

So this is how God has made us and designed us.

And when God had finished all of creation,

back in chapter 1, verse 31,

God looked at his creation.

It's like he stepped back

and looked at all that he made

and he said it was very good.

Each one of us is God's unique creation.

Each person a representation,

a reflection of who God is.

We are wonderfully made.

So first, we are all uniquely created by God.

Second, we are all sexually flawed.

We are all sexually flawed.

You see, while God made a beautiful and good world,

it's no longer all good and beautiful.

The world and its people were all broken in different ways.

And Romans, the book of Romans,

explains to us what happened.

It kind of fleshes out a little bit more

what Genesis 3 would have to say.

So let's go to Romans chapter 1.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

Romans 1, verse 21.

Romans 1:21

So what has happened?

Well, it explains verse 21.

For although they knew God,

so it's talking about all people,

although they knew God,

they neither glorified him as God

nor gave thanks to him.

But their thinking became futile

and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Although they claimed to be wise,

they became fools

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God

for images made to look like mortal human beings

and birds and animals and reptiles.

You see, just like the first man and woman,

Adam and Eve,

that we just read about in Genesis,

we're people who have pushed God out.

pushed God out from the centre

and put ourselves in the centre.

Rather than God tell us how we should live,

we decide how we should live.

It's a little bit like what happens

when I get something from Ikea.

It's an exciting thing for me.

Not many things excite me,

but something from Ikea.

Wow.

I open it up and there's a box full of goodies,

bits of wood,

bags of screws,

all kinds of little things,

and an instruction book.

But why would you ever read the instructions

when you can do it yourself?

Of course, sooner or later,

it has to be taken apart if I can

and read the instructions.

Well, in a sense,

that's what we've done.

We've ignored the creator,

the designer of our lives.

We've pushed him to one side.

We have tried to live life without God.

We think we're being wise,

but we're foolish, verse 22.

Sooner or later,

things become disastrous.

And it has.

The image that we were created in,

the image of God,

made to reflect him,

made to represent him,

has now been distorted.

It's broken.

We no longer reflect God

as we should.

Now, one of the consequences

of this brokenness is,

and there are many,

is that we are all now sexually flawed.

We no longer relate to each other

as human beings as we should.

We're all born where we are,

where our sexuality is confused

and mixed up.

All of us,

whoever we are,

experience fallen sexual desires,

whether those desires are heterosexual

or homosexual.

Very simply,

men and women,

we don't relate to each other

as we're meant to relate to each other.

Now, before we move on,

I think it would be good

just to define

a couple of terms.

Sometimes you hear the expression

homosexual or gay orientation.

That simply means

you are attracted to

someone of the same sex,

a gay or homosexual orientation.

The other is

a heterosexual orientation.

That simply means

you are attracted to someone

of the opposite sex.

Now,

I want to be very clear about this.

Neither orientation

is sinful

in itself.

If my orientation

is that I'm attracted

to the same sex

or the opposite sex,

that's not in itself

sinful.

It's what we do

with our attractions.

That's what's wrong.

It's the behaviour

that matters.

It's how we live our lives.

So, look at Romans 1,

Romans 1:24

verse 24.

Because we are fallen people,

it says,

God gave them over to,

in their sinful desires

of their hearts,

to sexual impurity.

for the degrading

of their bodies

with one another.

It's talking about

all of us,

whoever we are.

This is what happens.

Verse 25.

They exchanged the truth

about God for a lie

and worshipped

and served created things

rather than the Creator

who is forever praised.

Amen.

Rather than looking

to Christ

or to God

for fulfilment

and satisfaction,

we look to each other,

to relationships

with each other

and in all kinds

of different ways,

distorted relationships.

Because we have turned away

from God's design,

we now live

according to our

fallen sexual desires.

That's why some

with a homosexual orientation

engage in same-sex relationships.

And it's why those

with a homosexual orientation

engage in multiple

sexual relationships.

And even those

who seek to live

within God's design,

that is,

a lifelong marriage

between one man

and one woman,

even they don't relate

to each other

as they should.

We have all failed

and we all fall

in this area.

Now,

living according

to our fallen

sexual desire

is not just simply

a choice

that we make,

something that I

decide to do.

It's actually

judgment

from God.

Look at verse 24.

Look at the words

carefully.

You see,

we think at times

that we're

making all the choices,

but verse 24,

God gave them

over to the

sinful desires

of their hearts

to sexual impurity.

It's like God

removes his hand,

removes his hand

of restraint,

and says,

well, live however

you want,

do whatever

you like.

Verse 26,

because of this,

God gave them

over to shameful

lusts.

Even the women

exchanged natural

sexual relations

for unnatural ones.

In the same way,

the men also

abandoned natural

relations with women

and were inflamed

with lust for one

another.

You see,

God's judgment

is giving to us

what we want.

It's letting us

live without

any kind of

restriction,

any kind of

restraint.

And rather than

bring blessing,

it leads to

brokenness

and distorted

lives.

It leads to

an eternity

without God

and without

his good gifts.

And in case

anyone is reading

and thinking,

well, you know what,

I'm not like that.

I'm not twisted.

I'm not distorted.

I don't have

anything wrong.

I'm sexually

pure.

We'll have a look

at chapter 2,

verse 1.

You,

therefore,

have no excuse,

you who pass

judgment on

someone else.

For at whatever

point you judge

another,

you are condemning

yourself,

because you who

pass judgment

do the same

things.

let not one

of us go

pointing fingers

at other people

and saying

what an awful

life someone

may live.

All of us

are sexually

flawed,

men and

women,

whatever our

orientation may

be.

No one lives

according to

God's good

design.

So we are

all uniquely

created.

We are all

sexually flawed.

God.

Third,

but we are

all equally

loved.

We are all

equally loved.

God is our

loving creator.

He loves us

immensely.

And in fact,

the picture of the

Bible all the way

through is this,

that the more

human beings

turn away from

God,

the more we

rebel against

him,

the more he

pursues us

in love.

Have a look at

Romans chapter 5,

Romans 5:6

verse 6.

It's a wonderful

description of

God's love

for us.

Romans 5,

Romans 5:6

verse 6.

You see,

at just the

right time,

when we were

still powerless,

when we were

still powerless,

when we were

still living

according to our

sinful nature,

when we were

still acting out

our fallen

sexual desires,

when we were

unable to change

our behaviour

or attitudes

towards each

other,

at just the

right time,

when we were

still powerless,

Christ died

for the

ungodly.

God had

every right,

and he has

every right.

He would be

perfectly just

to condemn us,

but instead,

verse 7,

he dies

for us.

very rarely

will anyone

die for a

righteous person,

those who do

good,

though for a

good person,

someone might

possibly dare

to die.

It's possible

that someone

would die

for a good

person.

But,

verse 8,

God demonstrates

his own love

for us in this,

while we were

still sinners,

enemies,

rebels,

walking away

from God,

ignoring him,

pushing him

out.

Christ died

for us.

This is the

beauty of

God's love.

He doesn't

say,

now look,

stop behaving

like that,

and then I

will love you.

God doesn't

say,

change how you

think or how

you feel

towards other

people,

and then I

will love you.

No,

God sees us

in our sexually

flawed,

sinful mess,

and he says,

I love you.

In fact,

he doesn't

just say it,

he demonstrates

it,

verse 8.

He demonstrated,

he took action,

he came into

the world,

the God-man

came to us,

and he died

for us.

That is the

love of God

for all people.

And this love

can be experienced.

You see,

when Christ

died,

something wonderful

happened.

Look at just

the last few

words of

verse 8.

It said,

Christ died

for us.

That's in

our place.

That's the

meaning,

in our place.

Jesus Christ

came as

someone who

is absolutely

pure,

and he

came to

take all

our sin,

all our

flawed sexuality

on himself,

all our

past,

all our

struggles,

so that

we might be

forgiven,

and so that

we might be

treated

as a

sexually

pure

child of

God.

He takes

our sexually

flawed sin

and treats

us as

God's

sexually

pure

son.

Jesus is

condemned

in our

place.

He sets

us free

from our

past.

He sets

us free

from our

sin.

He takes

my life so

that I can

receive his

good and

perfect life.

You see,

one of the

things about

our sexual

immorality,

whether

homosexual

or heterosexual,

is it can

leave us

feeling unclean

and unacceptable.

We can engage

in a relationship

that's wrong.

We can act

out an image

or a thought

and we feel

dirty inside.

Well,

the good news

is that Jesus

has come to

take our

uncleanness

and to give

us his

cleanness.

Nothing that

we can do

can ever make

God unclean.

He comes to

us to make

us perfectly

clean.

Now,

if we're to

experience this

love,

it does require

a response.

We were singing

about it earlier.

It requires

repentance.

A turning

around from

going the way

we go to

turning towards

God.

Entrusting

our life to

him.

He owns

our life.

He made

us.

He creates

us.

He knows

what's best

for us.

And the

only right

thing to do

is to submit

to him

and to

follow him

as the

God who

loves us

more than

we could

ever imagine.

So,

we are all

uniquely

created.

We are all

sexually

flawed.

We are all

equally loved.

and we

can all

be

graciously

changed.

You see,

God loves

us so much

that he not

only just

dies for

us,

he loves

us enough

to change

us.

You see,

the image

that we

were made,

created in

the beginning,

made in

God's image,

has now

been broken

but can

once again

be restored.

You see,

when we

entrust our

life,

here's the

promise,

if I

entrust my

life to

God,

I can be

graciously

changed.

What will

that change

look like?

Well,

three things.

First,

I am

changed.

Look at

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:17

chapter 5

verse 17,

so just

go forward

a little

bit.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:17

chapter 5

verse 17.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:17

5 verse 17.

We read it

at the very

beginning.

Therefore,

if anyone

is in

Christ,

if anyone

has entrusted

their life

to Christ,

the new

creation

has come

or they

are a

new

creation,

the old

is gone,

the new

is here.

It's a

wonderful

picture of

what God

has done

for us.

We are

new

creations.

Just think

of that

image from

creation

itself,

that dirty

little

caterpillar

grub

that forms

into a

chrysalis

and then

all of a

sudden it

bursts from

its shell

into a

beautiful

colourful

butterfly.

The old

is gone,

the new

has come.

God now

looks at

us,

when we

trust in

him,

as a

new

creation.

He

transforms

us into

new

people.

He gives

us a

fresh start,

a new

beginning.

He gives

us new

desires to

live his

way.

He gives

us his

Holy Spirit

so that we

can live

and obey

him.

You see,

God now

sees us

differently

to how we

see ourselves.

We often

view each

other in

terms of

our

sexuality,

that person's

gay,

that person's

straight.

God

doesn't do

that.

He either

sees us as

one that

you are a

new

creation,

or he

looks at

people and

says,

you are a

potential new

creation.

Now,

wouldn't that

transform our

whole view

of one

another if

we could

see each

other in

that way?

We are

either a

new

creation,

or someone's

a potential

new

creation.

When we

entrust our

life to

Christ,

I am

changed.

I am a

brand new

person.

Second,

I am

being

changed.

Now,

just as

we receive

or are

given this

new

creation,

that does

not mean

perfection.

We will

continue to

struggle with

our sexual

desires.

We still

will face

temptation.

We will

fail and

we will

fall.

All these

things will

go on

through our

life.

But there

is a

process of

change going

on through

our life at

the same

time.

if you

just go

back a

page or

two or

a chapter

or two

to 2

2 Corinthians 3:18

Corinthians

chapter 3

verse 18.

2

2 Corinthians 3:18

Corinthians

3

verse 18.

It says

there,

because of

the change

God has

brought

about,

well,

let's

read verse

17,

actually.

Now,

the Lord

is the

Spirit,

and where

the Spirit

of the

Lord is,

there is

freedom.

So we

can come

to him,

and we

and we

all who

with unveiled

faces

contemplate

or reflect

the Lord's

glory,

so as we've

received this

new creation,

as we are

new people,

we are being

transformed

into his

image

with ever

increasing

glory,

which comes

from the

Lord who

is the

Spirit.

Did you

get that?

We are

being

transformed

into his

image.

God,

by his

Holy Spirit,

is changing

us and

transforming

us into

his image.

God's

desire

is to

make us

more like

the Lord

Jesus.

That's what

he's seeking

to do

in us

all.

You see,

we think

it's all

about changing

behaviours,

about changing

how I

feel.

Well,

the change

that God

is interested

in is

transforming

us into

the image

of Jesus.

The question

is not

what is my

orientation

and should

my orientation

change,

but am I

becoming more

like Jesus?

That's what

he's changing

us into.

So I am

a new

creation,

I am

being transformed

and changed

into the

image of

Jesus,

and third,

I will

be changed.

We need

to go

back a

couple more

pages to

the end

of 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:49

chapter 15

verse 49.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:49

15

verse 49.

Here's a

wonderful

verse

about

who we

are

or rather

what we

will

become.

Verse 49,

and just

as we

have borne

the image

of the

earthly

man,

so just

as we

have been

like our

ancestor

Adam in

our fallen

nature,

broken

image,

so shall

we bear

the image

of the

heavenly

man,

talking about

Christ.

One day

we will

be like

Jesus.

We were

made in

the image

of God,

but that image

has been

broken and

distorted.

We are

in the

process of

being

transformed

bit by

bit,

shaped and

conformed

to be

more like

Christ each

and every

day,

but we

can also

look forward

to that

image being

completely

restored and

made right.

We will

bear the

image of

the heavenly

man,

the Lord

Jesus.

One day

we will

experience our

full and

final transformation

no more

sin,

no more

temptation,

no more

struggles,

no more

confused

sexual desires.

The broken

image will

be fully

restored and

we will

be like

Jesus.

You see,

the point

is,

God is

not

anti

any one

of us.

He longs

that people

like us

would run

to him

just as

we are,

however we

feel,

whatever we

have done,

that we

would run

to him

so that

we can

become

more like

Jesus,

forgiven

people,

that we

could be

changed to

be more

like him

bit by

bit,

with the

future hope

and the

assurance

of one

day,

I will

see him

and I

will be

like him.

That is

God's

plan for

every human

being.

That is

his desire.

Uniquely

created,

but sexually

flawed,

wonderfully,

equally loved,

and by

trusting in

him,

we can all

be graciously

changed.

let's pray

together.

Father,

thank you

for your

word,

for its

truth,

for its

clarity,

helping us

to see

that we

have been

made by

you.

Yes,

we confess

that we

have pushed

you out

and we

are sorry,

we repent

of that.

Thank you

that you

love us.

You love

us enough

to die

for us,

but love

us enough

to go

on changing

us.

And we

pray that

by your

Holy Spirit

that you

would continually

transform us

to be made

more like

the Lord

Jesus.

Do your

work.

and help

us to

have that

vision

before us

that one

day we

will see

Jesus

and we

will be

like him.

Thank you

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're going

to sing

as we

reflect on

what we've

been

through.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.