“Earlier this week, the California Senate passed a resolution calling upon all Californians—despite religious beliefs—to embrace LGBTQ lifestyles.” As I read this first sentence of an article on the Christian Headlines website, I paused to reflect on what was being said here. What does it mean for me as a Christian?
I read through the rest of the article to understand more of what was behind this opening sentence. The article goes on to explain;
The resolution calls upon “all Californians to embrace the individual and social benefits of family and community acceptance, upon religious leaders to counsel on LGBTQ matters from a place of love, compassion, and knowledge of the psychological and other harms of conversion therapy…”
The bill also called out “therapists and religious groups” for creating “disproportionately high rates of suicide, attempted suicide, depression, rejection, and isolation amongst LGBTQ and questioning individuals.” (Mikaela Mathews | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Tuesday, September 17, 2019)
As Christians, we know that Jesus came to redeem, rescue, and reconcile sinful man to Himself. As we also know, the good news of the gospel of grace IS the power of God to do just that. For those of us who are now “in Christ,” this great salvation has been to us, as Peter says, a “living hope!” For this we are eternally grateful! Simply said, God sent Jesus because He loved us too much to leave us in our hopeless sinful state. 
So many things went through my mind as I read this article. Yes, there was a call for love and compassion. But there was one word in the article that I could not reconcile with.
That word was “embrace.” In context, “embrace LGBTQ lifestyles.” It left me uncomfortable. I resolved that what the word was directing me to do was ‘accept, support’ the LGBTQ lifestyles. Deeper still, I knew that this implies ‘approval, being okay with’ the lifestyles, thus the internal conflict that was going on inside me. True, I do not live in California, so this doesn’t directly affect me. But its implication caused me to think deeply.
As a child of God, we are called to love. We are, like Christ, to have compassion for others. Why? Because of the great love He has shown to us. Romans 5:8 (ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus loved the sinner.
But what else is the challenge here? Jesus loved the sinner, but not the sin. He came to save us from sin and its consequences. He did not embrace or accept our sin when He came. He did not say “You are good the way you are. I approve of and support who you have chosen to be.” No, He (being the Creator) knew what we were created to be. He knew we were made for something greater – the glory of God!
Embracing the LGBTQ lifestyles are impossible for the born again, child of God. We learn from God’s Word who God created us to be and what we are to live for. Any diversion from that is rebellion – sin. If God sent His Son, to redeem, rescue, and reconcile man to Himself, that means He has something better intended for man. It also means we don’t have to stay in our sin. He can deliver us and transform us into a new creation! Because of this, it also means we can have compassion and love for others because we have experienced the redemption and rescue of God! We can’t “embrace” sin, but we can embrace the sinner. Why? Because we know God has something more, something better! Why would we not want someone to know this? Why would we not want them to know Jesus, who loves them too much to leave us the way we are? We want them to know this gospel CAN change their lives!
Pastor Brian