When homosexuality is in the home


Next issue dealt with in Ayuda Pastoral:

How would you advise someone whose family member is in an openly homosexual relationship?

This is a very delicate matter,  and the starting point is to think about how our heavenly Father treats us all.   This involves:

Mercy and patience.   The Bible says  "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  (Rom.  3:23).   Everyone is sinful,  and the mercy and patience of God extends to each one of us to encourage our repentance  (Rom.  2:4).   Our attitude to the homosexual person should be similar,   and this may involve years of compassion .   
 
Prayer and knowledge.   Obviously we pray for the person for only God can change their heart  (Jn.  16:8;  James 5:16-20).     But also God's Spirit works through the Word (Acts 2:37) since he is the Spirit of truth (Jn.  15:26).  So it is good for the person to know what the Bible says about his or her lifestyle.    And that message is clear:   homosexual practice is offensive to God (Gen. 18:23-32;  Rom.  1:27;  1 Cor. 6:9).

Help from the family and church.   The natural starting point for help is the family.    When God created Adam and Eve they experienced mutual  support and the strength of the family unit (Gen.  2:20-22, 24;  5:3).     But God also has given people in the church the ability to help others in need:  "you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another" (Rom.  15:14).

Trusting in the God who is just and who justifies.     Each individual is accountable for his or her lifestyle before God:  "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Cor.  5:10).       This means we should not wear ourselves down trying to carry the burden of someone else's way of life.     We have the assurance that when the person does repent they are made perfect in Christ and their past is rectified:    (Rom.  3.26,  Ps.  103:12).

So in a situation which causes so much concern,  let us continue with the confidence that:  " we are more than conquerors through him who loved us"  (Rom.  8.37). 

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