We should have compassion for those who struggle with same-sex attraction and gender confusion because we all struggle with sin, but at the same time, we should not condone or excuse this type of sin any more than we condone or excuse any other sin. I’m convinced that the majority of American churches seek to please the masses rather than convict. Judgment is never mentioned, repentance is rarely sought, and sin is often excused. They want to build a church rather than break a heart, be politically correct rather than biblically correct, and coddle and comfort rather than stir and convict. This leaves people confused and deceived because they are taught to live a form of Christianity void of repentance …void of truth. 

The celebration of Pride Month in our culture has become an opportunity to attack Christianity and say that it is a religion of hate. To say that authentic Christians hate or fear homosexuals or the trans community demonstrates a gross misunderstanding of Christianity.
One of the marks of true Christianity is the ability to relate to people on their level and to show genuine love and concern for them.
Speaking the Truth in Love
I have nothing but compassion for anyone who is trapped in sexual sin. The Bible is crystal clear on sexual sin, including homosexuality. Christians who strongly believe that the Bible reveals God’s will regarding sexual behavior also strongly believe in God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. To “confront in love” simply comes from a desire to honor God by loving and caring for others.
Unfortunately, Christians who choose to uphold the Word of God are now labeled as judgmental, bigoted, and intolerant. But how can we warn if we won’t confront, correct if we won’t challenge, and contend if we won’t question?
Sexual Sin and the Moral Law
Jesus confirmed that the moral laws in the Old Testament about murder, stealing, lying, and sexual immorality are still valid. For example, Leviticus 20:13 states, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” To suggest that this verse or others like it are invalid today is to engage in the dangerous practice of redefining or deleting what God has said. Homosexuality will always be an “abomination” in God’s sight.
Jesus condemned “all” sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and woman when He said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications” (Matthew 15:19). The word “fornication” in Greek is porneia; this is where our word “pornography” comes from. Jesus was saying that all sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman is harmful and immoral.
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We see Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah standing the test of time. They are wise and godly. When they needed to stand in the face of temptation, they stood while everyone else bowed. Together they kept the faith, even in the middle of Babylon.

Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,    but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.Without counsel plans fail,    but with many counselors they succeed.(Proverbs 15:21-22)
Throughout the Proverbs, the author urges us to seek wisdom. We could even say that repeatedly wisdom “calls out” to us so that we might gain knowledge and understanding (Prov. 1:20-22).
Why do we need wisdom? Why do we need knowledge and understanding? The answer is simple: so that we might live to the glory of God. Therefore, the Proverbs speak about several practical aspects of our daily lives. They talk about the incentives of living wisely concerning wealth, power, and social status. However, at the same time, they teach us about wisdom concerning more intimate matters like familial and friendly relationships. I want to focus on this idea of friendships, especially regarding pastors and ministry leaders.
Often the temptation for ministers is to be stubbornly individualistic. We are good at keeping our heads down and our hands on the plow. We are, probably more than we like to admit, wading through rough and rugged waters while thinking, “I will do this on my own, and I will do it my way.” Besides, wasn’t this how the Apostle Paul “did” ministry? No, it was not how the Apostle planted churches, evangelized, preached powerful sermons, and the like. Paul wisely surrounded himself with godly friends. One New Testament scholar has pointed out that Paul identifies more than 65 people as friends in ministry or members throughout his letters. This can be seen in the closing remarks of his letters, as he repeatedly makes mention of men and women with whom he enjoyed gospel partnership and deeply committed friendship.
If you reread the above proverb, you will notice that it bluntly states that those who seek to go their own way, the stubborn individualistic minister, is one who “lacks sense.” However, the one who surrounds himself, like Paul, with godly counselors has understanding, walks intentionally forward, and finds success.
Why is it considered wise to have godly friends as a host of counselors in ministry? Here are three reasons:
They stand as an encouragement against temptation and sin.
Evangelical authors have spilled much ink regarding the hardships of ministry; therefore, I do not feel the need to spend much time convincing you of that truth. Nevertheless, with trials and tribulations comes overbearing temptation. Our great enemy, Satan, knows it is the opportune time to attack when we are at our lowest points. Therefore, he moves swiftly and convincingly, attempting to bring shame and despair into the minister’s life.
I think about Christ as the Spirit drives him into the wilderness. There he spends forty days and forty nights fasting and praying. Matthew 4:2 says that Jesus was “hungry.” What an understatement! Jesus was physically exhausted, and in his flesh, he was low. It was then, in this moment of weakness, that the tempter came to him.
That is the scene that I am painting for the minister, too. When we are at our lowest point, the spiritual battle rages. We must, like Christ, always be ready. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we often do not look to Christ when Satan tempts us to despair and tells us of the guilt within. Instead, we find ourselves looking to our circumstances; we look for instant gratification. In the low points of our ministry, we long to feel acceptance, success, and affection. Therefore, when temptation comes, we are often weak.
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Our idol might not be in the shape of a calf; it might be in the shape of power, or position, or money, or our children’s accomplishments, or even our ministry platform. But the whole reason that “thing”, whatever shape it takes, comes out of the fire of our lives is because we created the mold. We put in the resources. We let it bake for a while. In every choice we make, we are either choosing to glorify God and worship Him or forging the shape of an idol. 

Sometimes you read the Bible and just shake your head. Often, you shake your head in wonder as you are confronted with the power of God, the majesty of his creation, the immensity of His love and grace. We shake our heads because the truths there are too big for us; too unlike the kind of power or love that we see here on earth; too great for us to fully comprehend.
Then there are other times when we shake our heads at the people. We wonder at the hard-heartedness; the disbelief; the cycle of turning from God again and again. And then there are times we shake our heads because of the silliness.
Exodus 32 is one of those times. There is high drama in this chapter. The Israelites had been delivered from Egypt in miraculous fashion. The plagues had been called down; the sea had been parted; the people had walked through to the mountain where God had led them. And Moses had been up on that mountain for some time receiving the law that would be the cornerstone of this people for generations. But while Moses was up on the mountain, chaos was erupting in the camp below. For despite all that God had done, all the revelations of His power, all His faithful examples of provision and deliverance, the people wanted something more. Something else.

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (Ex. 32:1-4).
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