Homosexuality and all its host of friends are enmities against God. The Bible clearly teaches that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9).
In this post, I will share how we can help homosexuals in love to help them move from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13).
Research shows that in the USA alone, there are an estimated 3.5% of adults identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and an estimated 0.3% of adults are transgender. This translates into approximately 9 million LGBT Americans. This is very alarming.
In my article, 10 Biblical Reasons Why Ghana Must Not Allow LGBTQ Operate, I expounded passages of the Scriptures and landed on the major point that this unrighteous act will lead people to hell if they don’t repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ. Satan, the God of this world, has blinded people to love sin and hate righteousness.
Below are five ways we can help homosexuals spiritually to be reconciled with God:
#1. Beware of Their Tactics
The first thing we can do for homosexuals is to be knowledgeable about their devices. Sin has various ways of being coloured to appear as good. But woe to us if we take what is bad as good.
James 4:17 says that “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
The first step to helping people who are trapped in the act of homosexuality is to search the Scriptures and know the devices of such sins. You cannot deal with an enemy we do not know. We must be aware that they propagate their agenda through education, movies, music, research, articles, books, debates, etc.
In whatever they do to humanely advance their cause, spot the real agenda and arm yourself adequately to help them. If we lack knowledge about this, we cannot adequately help those in need.
#2. Preach the Gospel to Them
The second major way we can help homosexuals is to share Christ with them. Indeed, before God, all men appear in two broad groups: the righteous and the unrighteous (Psalm 1:4-5). But all of us have one common history: we were all once unrighteous. Then the gospel came to us, we repented and turned to Christ for the hope of heaven and living holy before Him. (1 Corinthians 6:11)
“Women or men caught in homosexuality cannot change on their own; they need the power of Jesus Christ working in their lives before the change will occur.”
— Jeff Johnston, “9 Ways To Reach Out To A Gay-Identified Friend”
Our duty then is to preach Christ to the unsaved. We are not supposed to hate them or insult them but rather to preach the love of Christ to them. It is the preaching of the cross that saves people. Paul said in Romans 1:16-17 that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. We can help homosexuals by preaching Christ to them.
#3. Live the Gospel Before Them
The third thing we can do to help homosexuals is to live like Christ before them in our day-to-day lives. It is one thing to preach the gospel and another thing to live the same gospel before unbelievers. It is even easier to preach than live it. Living a transformed life before sinners is judgment unto them.
Acts 4:13 tells us about the portrait of a transformed life:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
The gospel must not only be preached but lived. Proclamation of our faith must be backed with our sanctification. If sinners will see us live the gospel, it makes it real before them and clears many doubts in their minds. One way to help homosexuals is to live like Christ boldly before them to see the testimony of the gospel.
#4. Speak Against Their Sin
The fourth way to help homosexuals is to speak the truth of the gospel against their sins. Many people will claim to speak love without condemning sin. I am wondering how that’s possible when Scripture commands us to rebuke and correct.
Imagine going to the hospital with an injury and the doctor doesn’t treat the wound but sends you home. It will not help because to treat the wound, it must be exposed and really treated with medication. Before homosexuals can be helped, the bad news of what will happen to them if they fail to repent must be biblically explained to them.
Then, the good news of the gospel must be shared with them. Truth hurts. Truth divides. Truth exposes falsehood and heals our sins. One way to help homosexuals is not to sugarcoat their sins but to speak the truth of the gospel against them.
#5. Pray For Them
The fifth way we can help homosexuals is to pray for them. Intercession is calling on God to do what we cannot humanly do. Before we even meet homosexuals face to face, we must pray incessantly for them to be saved. God hears and answers prayers.
Paul commanded Timothy to pray for men to be saved. He said,
“1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2)
Pray for homosexuals that God will take out the heart of stone and give them a softer one (Ezekiel 36:26). Pray for repentance for them. Pray for healing for their soul. Pray for the scales to be taken off their eyes. Pray that the Lord will have mercy on them (Luke 18:38).
So, there you go with the 5 ways we can help homosexuals spiritually. Just like God told Jeremiah to continually preach the gospel in spite of the people’s faces and stubbornness. Our duty is to preach the gospel to save men. By doing this, we will save some.
Columnist: Eric Otchere