 Can a Christian struggle with homosexual thoughts if a person is struggling with homosexual thoughts? Does that mean that person is not a Christian? I want you all to listen to a small segment of what Jackie Hill Perry is speaking about now. Jackie Hill Perry is a Christian commentator. Don't know what her role is. I think sometimes she gets some some things wrong. I haven't been a big follower of hers But I know that she's come out of a homosexual lifestyle. Now that being said, let me just say this Because she used to be Homosexual does not mean that she is an expert on it. No more than a person who has been shot is also an expert on bullets That's not what that is. Now what we can say is that she might be right She might be wrong in her assessment for what we can say is all of us can become experts in the word of guidance What he says and has he spoken on the matter? He surely has but I want to listen to what she says and compare what she says to scriptures and see Can a Christian still have these desires for a homosexual relationship? We can sometimes make the gayness the big thing that we focus on and not seeing that the sexual Practice is coming from a heart that needs to be renewed and The renewal of the heart won't necessarily mean a change in sexual preference Is that true? Well before we before we make a statement before we cast a judgment one way or the other Let's listen to some more of that I already know that there are some folks that when they hear that it's going to trigger some thoughts either in agreement or In disagreement the renewal of the heart means that this person will prefer God over everything else so I Think if you just focus on the most obvious sin Then you miss praying more specifically for the need which is that their heart would be made a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone So what do you think about that? Now we'll listen to some more of what she has to say because she's going to make an error and And I don't know how much this error that she makes is a part of her Explanation if it leads her to their conclusion or it's just something that she just used to kind of butchers up her conclusion, but What if we were to apply that to other sins and the reason why we focus sometimes too much maybe on Homosexuality because it's out there you can see it. There are those that would put it in your face We're not really worried about or talking about the folks that struggle with it and we never know it We're talking about those that want us to know it matter of fact want us to affirm that and so if a person let's say Has wanted to kill someone before Does that mean that the person if they have a changed heart that they still desire to want to kill somebody What would that say about the person? Well, we conclude the person who still struggles with wanting to kill people and I'm being facetious in this but not really but I'm actually being serious What we say about that or the person that wants to steal from someone they just they want to go and take things from Somebody or someone who is just coveting all the time. They always want what others have Does is that an indication of maybe there has not been a change in that person's heart? Could be and so that's what I would say I think another thing I would say is that pray in the direction of Paul's Council to the church in Corinth when he he talks about Fleeing sexual immorality and he says or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God Do not be deceived neither the sexually immoral nor adulterers nor adulterers nor men who practice practice practice So he's not talking about nouns. He's talking about verbs adjectives He's talking about people who are practicing the behavior not experiencing the attraction the distinction is important So now she says the distinction is important, but that's the problem She makes an erroneous distinction and this is where you have to have your Bible And this is where the language is coming so let's go to that passage 1st Corinthians 690 So do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor the effeminate nor homosexuals Nor thieves nor the coaches nor drunkards will inherit the kingdom of God now this word that we're talking about She says it's a verb and I'm not sure if she's if she's confused into it can be Malacoy or arson a coy tide the Malacoy. That's the effeminate those that that Maybe not are gay, but they act that way they carry themselves in that in that way and then the arson a coy tide This is the the two words for together man betters and so She makes a distinction said these are the verb those that practice practice practice Well, the problem is these aren't verbs arson a coy tide. This is a noun as a matter of fact It's a nominative now and then also Malacoy the same thing. It's also a nominative now And so they this cannot be a verb so it's not speaking about those that practice those things These are people that that's what they are So she's making a distinction and saying that that is what's important these nouns and verbs they mean some they're important The problem is it's just not there So if this is how she comes to her conclusion Well, then that's a faulty basis if she's just using this because it backs up her Conclusion will then even still you're using something faulty something erroneous to make a claim No thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor vialers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God and such were some of you But you were washed notice. He didn't say but you were straight Yeah, but see yeah, he didn't say but you were straight, but this is referring to all of that stuff It's not just homosexuality And so I think the problem is the issue is you focus too much on that I'll deal with this issue of how do we deal with people who are struggling with these these Temptations these thoughts in just a little bit at least what I've done in the past He didn't say but you were heterosexual, but you were married like that That's not the prayer. The prayer is that you are washed meaning pray that they'll be cleansed from their sins But you were sanctified pray that the Lord will set them apart and make them holy and then he says you were justified Pray that the Lord will make them righteous and remove their guilt and reconcile them to the father And how does this happen in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God? The simple fact that it happens by the spirit of God means that you don't have the capacity to save your child a Lot of what she says is good a lot of what she says is fine But a lot of what she says is just wrong and it just makes me wonder if she really Understands what salvation is because the person she sent pray that God would do those things This is that that person would be just to be justified is to be saved To be washed to be cleansed that's be saved and what's washed what's cleansed? Let's go to the scriptures and let's just point out some things and let's answer this question Is it possible to be saved to be a Christian and still have these? Sexual thoughts these desires these homosexual thoughts And is there a difference between having it Being saved and having homosexual thoughts or homosexual lust versus heterosexual lust meaning that if a man Who is saved if he sees a man and lust after that man Is that the same as a man who lust sees a woman and lust after her? Well Let's wait for a second. Let's go back to the scriptures though. Let's go to Romans 12 to He says Paul says do not be conformed to this world But be transformed he says by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove What the will of God is That which is good and acceptable and perfect and so this renewing this comes from this from two words This is Anna and kindness. This is kind of up and knowing the Anna is kind of upward pointing and this is not us and then this Kindness which is new so it's Kind of a weird way of putting it. This is up new now by the way, this is not a verb. This is a noun This is what's happening It's a process. It's the whole the totality of it and so that he says that be transformed by this Up newing by what God is doing what God has done the process. That's why it's a noun And so it would seem to say that there is something that is going to be changing in that person We want to bring that up because also Paul makes a statement in Titus 3 says he saved us not on the basis of these Which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy How did he do so by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit? So How new are we if we are renewed or how renewed can a person be? Well, Paul addresses in 2 Corinthians 5 17 He says therefore if anyone is in Christ so whoever happens to be in Christ if that person is indeed in Christ The Bible says he's a new create creature all things have passed away behold new things have come now What does that mean? Does that mean that a new creature in Christ a new creation in Christ? Doesn't have any of the old struggles. Well, it can't mean that because if that's the case We all have a problem because all of us at some point in time might struggle with something that we struggled with Before we came to Christ now what is going to happen is this repentant heart of ours This inward man has changed in terms of our disposition. We don't like it We do not like sin either ours or the world, but it doesn't mean that we are immune from Sending ourselves and it's but it should cause us to not want to intentionally go after sin Though there are times we will does that mean that that person has not been changed Well, again, all of us are going to have some old proclivities pop back up Could that also mean that homosexuals can have those thoughts pop back up as well? Well, we're gonna have to look at the scriptures more and see Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 1 He says and you were dead in your trespasses since all those different things you did and thought you were dead in those In which you formally walked now this we can go ahead and talk about it being an actual process But our walk was what we were as well walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of this air Of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience among them We too all look what he says formally lived in the lust of the flesh Indulging Doing this is the verb now doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature Children of rap now this seems to indicate that there was a doing of the thoughts And so there's a separation between what we did and what we thought So there seems to be this ability to think certain ways But not give it not walk according to those things not walk according to the flesh as Galatians 5 will tell us not to do Now we see in Romans 1 though This might muddied up a little bit as well in Romans 1 he talks about says therefore God gave them over in their lusts of their heart to impurity So that their bodies would be dishonored among them for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worship and serve the Creator creature Rather than the creature who is blessed for every man for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions for their women exchange naturally Function for that which is unnatural and in the same way also men abandoned the natural function of women Speaking of is this lust this passion is burning in their heart and they would actually do it and he gave them over to that fine You go ahead as God would or we would say you do you if that's what you want to be But what about the person who might have those thoughts every now and then even if it's men with women? Because clearly that's not Godly as well. What about a person who is saved a man? Who who sees a woman and things that looks nice? She looks nice and then might have some sort of lust attached to that and even if it's just fleeting if it's just passing Once she's out of sight. He doesn't think about her But what if that's a man? Same thing happens Spiritually is there a difference where there might be there might be That part is going to be a little bit difficult to say but what I can say is this what I can say is this and Paul Does makes make this distinction as well. There is a distinction between the doing and the desire That part needs to be brought because they're always going to be this sin in us until we no longer have this flesh Paul brings us up in Romans 4 18. I mean 718 he says for I know that nothing good dwells in me This is Paul making a statement that he is in my flesh according to the willing For the willing is present in me But the doing is not of the good is not there now The willing the word that she was there is the lay. Oh, which is this with this desire. I Want to do right but the doing That part is there This prosso or this play this doing the verb. I keep doing the wrong things with my mind I don't want to he says for the good that I want and there is the good that I fail. Oh, I desire But I do but I do not do this is a poyo So I I might do this but I don't desire to so and so we can kind of see the distinction But but I practice the very evil that I do not want phthalo want desire to do So Paul's point here is that there is a distinction between those that are doing it and there was a don't want to There's a desire to do and not to do and then there's a doing and not doing the person that and let's just make this Relevant to this issue of homosexuality The person that might commit it but their desires different they struggle with it That shows a person has been saved that says a person is changing Not necessarily changed totally but it's changing because a desire is not to do those sexual sexually deviant things Be they heterosexual or homosexual or other things whatever the sin is and you place in that spot Whatever sin it is if there is a desire to not do those things the desire to be holy and you still succumb now The question might be asked Well, how often are you succumbing and does the number of times that you succumb? Indicate where your heart is could be again I'm not an expert on how the heart is changed as relates to different sin nor is anyone else nor is Jackie Hill Perry or anyone else God is what we do know that is if you are a person in this particular sin and your heart and your desire is still to do those things and You want to do those things But still do those things and hope that you will be free from persecution hope that there will be no Consequence well, that's a person that has not been changed But if there's a person who may struggle but sincerely does not want to do those things That's a person that could probably state that there's an indication of their heart being changed Now I said earlier that I would share what I've done in the past when someone has struggled with different sexual sins And I've been around some of the worst because of where I've been I've been around some of the worst I've been around those who are Transgendered I've been around those who are sex offenders You know those who had these desires and so forth for smaller children for younger children teenagers Pre-pubescent all of that as well as those who are just your It's funny. We have to say it this way But now you're run of the meal your old-fashioned homosexuals who just adult males want to be with other adult males adult females want to be with other adult females and What have I what have I done and there's been success with all those groups? Well with all those people It's been the same thing. I didn't have a a transgender way of sharing the gospel or counseling and a lesbian way and a homosexual way and a Pedophile way of doing it. No, I didn't have that I'd have a sex offender way of doing things It was all the same thing The whole point was to introduce him to Christ to get a to get an encounter Because I know this that if you are in Christ and he does the changing And so your mindset is not focused on the sexual sin or whatever the sin is No, the goal is not to stop being gay The goal is not to stop being a thief the goal is not to stop being a liar Now the goal is to recognize that you are a thief a liar a homosexual. What have you that's the goal to recognize that But then the goal is after recognizing that to come to Christ to place your faith in Christ Christ is the goal not moving away from the sin recognizing the sin because you spend time on a Three-point step or 12-step process to get away from this particular sin You'll still you'll keep doing that sin But if you take a take that one step after he's made the first step to place your faith in Christ Then everything else seems to work and that seems to will work out now. How long is the process last I? Can't tell you that's that's between that person and God It also depends on the yielding of that person because there are times where you know you you do fight But this is what you do I don't care if you're if you're struggling with sexual sin if you're struggling with any other kind of lust if it's Financial if it's something other physical something with drugs or addiction The way that a person can be set free is through Christ and I'm convinced that There are many Christians as a matter of fact We know and obviously the story is very but a Christian who places his faith in Christ That person can be changed completely thoroughly without any other lingering lusts. Amen