On Same-Sex Attraction
Someone, anyone, help me think this through.
I know that God in His Word clearly condemns homosexual sin, meaning sexual acts committed with someone of the same sex (Romans 1; 1 Corinthians 6; 1 Timothy 1), and the lustful thoughts or desires that lead to those acts (Matthew 5).
And conversely, God affirms that sex is His gift given to us to be enjoyed in a marriage relationship between a husband and a wife. And sexual desires and sexual attractions are God’s gift to us that are the catalyst that leads to marriage and enable us to enjoy sexual pleasure in marriage. And sex and our sexuality, within the boundaries God has set in place, are for our greatest good and His greatest glory, especially in pointing to Christ’s love for the ones He has saved.
So my struggle is with this... Which of these views is the biblical one?
1. Not just homosexual acts and lustful thoughts, but also same-sex attraction is a sin. To be attracted to someone of the same sex is an abomination to God. Those who have these attractions should recognize them as sinful, rebellious acts against God and repent of them whenever they experience them. Those Christians who continue to be attracted to the same sex should consider themselves either living in sin or question their salvation (because someone who is truly saved will fight sin and see a decrease in sin over time). Progressive sanctification for the believer who has “same-sex attraction” includes a decrease or removal of that “attraction,” and possibly an increase in (or complete change to) experiencing “opposite-sex” attraction.
2. Same-sex attraction is not a sin, but it is a particular type of temptation to sin. It is not “eating the fruit,” but it is the words of the serpent, enticing a person to believe that God is a liar. Christians who experience same-sex attraction should immediately flee it whenever it appears in their hearts. God’s Word does not condemn someone who is tempted by sin, but only someone who gives into the temptation; God expects Christians to fight temptations, and as they do, they grow to be more like Christ and stronger in their ability to say “no” to temptation. Someone who continually experiences same-sex attractions should not despair that he is habitually sinning, but could, perhaps, consider if there are life circumstances or habits of thinking and feeling that are causing the Christian to be tempted in this way. He will do everything in his power to fight sin, even radical “amputation” (Matthew 5) or throwing off things that are not sinful in and of themselves in order to run the race (Hebrews 12). An increase in progressive sanctification for the Christian struggling with these temptations involves continually fighting same-sex attractions whenever they come, and growing stronger in saying “no” to them, whether or not the temptations in one’s heart might decrease.
3. Same-sex attraction is not a sin, but only an expression of our sinful fallenness––similar to the propensity for some Christians (due to biology and/or upbringing) to be more prone to anger or depression or overeating or an addiction to alcohol than others. These attractions can result in temptations to sin, but they are not themselves temptations. Christians who experience same-sex attraction should recognize any attraction to someone of the same sex as a desire within them that is not sinful, but broken. Perhaps, this brokenness is caused by or exacerbated by other truly sinful desires (self-pity, an idolatrous pursuit of pleasure, setting one’s mind on worldly, ungodly things), as well as specific circumstances, life events, and inherent personality traits outside of one’s control, all of which twisted a desire that would otherwise have been “natural” and “normal” opposite-sex sexual attraction. These desires can lead to sin if one attempts to satisfy this desire. Rather than submitting to these desires, the Christian must say “no” to any same-sex attractions and fix his eyes on Christ, acknowledging that Christ is enough. In the realm of progressive sanctification, Christians who continue to feel same-sex attraction should not feel burdened by it. Attractions come and go. Christians who experience these attractions should focus on fighting actual sexual lust (which is not the same as the initial attraction; lust is willfully giving one’s heart over to a temptation) and pursuing holiness.
Is this a fair description of these views? Are there other views (that can be defended biblically and are espoused within faithful “Evangelicalism”) that I missed?
