What is Wrong with this Picture

I was recently directed to read an article posted by Christianity Today linked here. From there, there was a link to a better researched and presented article, linked here which I would recommend in spite of the web site's clear bias.

Before commenting on what went wrong, I would like to make a simple statement. I refuse to spread hate against the gay community, for I am wholly convinced this is a wrong approach to dealing with the problem. While I believe homosexual practice is sin, I do not believe our hating on them and ostracizing them is the way of Christ either. Instead, Christ has called us to love, and we are to leave judgment to the only one who can judge justly. However, I do believe it is also important to recognize where error occurs, and lay a defense against it, so as to hopefully save some from being led astray by false teaching.

That said, I did notice at least a couple problems in Boltz's statements.

1. He alludes to the idea that he was fighting under his own strength, and when he realized he wasn't winning the battle, he decided to give in, searching for a way to rationalize the problem (which will be discussed in #2).

The issue here is simple. Christ does not promise us victory from any sinful struggle in this life. He only promises the grace we need each day to fight against sin. Victory will not be fully experienced until the resurrection when our salvation is made complete. Paul talks of a struggle he had which he desperately sought for Christ to remove. What was Christ's response? My grace is sufficient. Latter, Paul tells Timothy, not that he found victory, or that he gave up, but that throughout his life, he pressed on toward the goal. He did not say he arrived, but only that he pressed on, continually running the race, fighting the good fight. This is the example that was set for us. Not that we should give up, give in, rationalize our sin away, but continue to press on. Again, there is no promise that it will be easy, but God does promise he will walk with us in the struggle.

2. Boltz states; “This is what it really comes down to; if this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.”

Did God create us as sinners, or did we fall into sin on our own? God created us as heterosexual beings. Romans 1 clearly shows that it was man who sought to pervert this and began desiring same sex relationships. God did not create us sinners, that was our own doing. But if we do rationalize our sin in this way, then it no longer becomes sin, but who determines what is sin and what is not? We must go according to Scripture.

What Ray Boltz is going through is not easy. And I'm sure he will have to endure much more. But hopefully, in our consideration of what he stated, we will all grow in our own understanding of our faith and the difficulty of sin, and we will continue to show Christ's love to this man and pray for him as he must endure this struggle.