AP

As Christians, we need to pray for the LGBTQ+ community. Recent events around the world have reminded us that the LGBTQ+ community is no safe space—as promised—but rather a space where domestic abuse and child abuse can still occur, and where hostility and resentment can be aimed at those who question or vocally oppose their ideology and lifestyle.

Christians must pray both for their safety and repentance. We don’t wish harm on them but we are to love them and want them to know the reality of their sin in order that they repent and be saved. People who wish harm on them—in the name of Christ—are taking the Lord’s name in vain and have no right to the name of Christ. Conversely, people who wish to affirm their sin—in the name of Christ—are also taking the Lord’s name in vain and have no right to the name of Christ either. The only sin it seems is not to affirm their sin. But if we actually love those in this community, we must hate even the garment stained by flesh so that we are loving enough to tell them to flee from ‘Sodom’. Jude instructs us: ‘…have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.’ (Jude 1:22–23) Thus, we who follow Christ must pray for their safety and for their repentance.

And we must do this even more because our society is seeking to ban praying for those in this community—even those who request prayer—under the guise (e.g., false promise) of creating a safe space. Are we as Christ’s church going to hate this community by obeying those respective state governments and not praying for them? Of course not—at least if we don’t seek to take the name of Christ in vain. We can pray with them and for them. We can even pray for this community from home with our families, we can also pray in the silence of our thoughts and no government on earth can stop that. In our churches we can publicly pray for them on any given Sunday and in our corporate times of worship. In fact, we must pray for their safety and repentance.

But we don’t do this because we want to rebel against our governments. We are Christians, not revolutionaries. Our message might be revolutionary but our behaviour is not—it must be prayerful, kind, loving, courageous and gracious. Why? Because we who are Christians know that we are no better off without Christ. We too are sinners—albeit redeemed—and want other sinners to know the joy of turning from their sin and to a kindly saviour who has promised to wash them clean in his own blood. God has promised forgiveness for every LGBTQ+ member of the community who recognises their sin, repents, and trusts in Christ alone. For even the early church was made of ex-members of the then equivalent LGBTQ+ community. Paul 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 idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Corinthians 6:9–11)

Some people might react to this and say: ‘Well, the sins of the LGBTQ+ community are only some of the sins mentioned and we shouldn’t focus all our efforts on this.’ And there is some truth in this. The sins of this community are not the only sins—as noted by the Apostle Paul above. However, we do focus on this because adulterers, thieves, the greedy, and the drunkards etc., (all of which are sins too), don’t have a consolidated hostile and activist community associated with them that are presently seeking to force us (their opponents) to submit the knee and pay homage to their sinful lifestyles. Where are those who march for the adulterers demanding we affirm them? Where are the activist drunks? The greedy? These sins abound—there is no denying—but they aren’t as consolidated and as militant as the homosexual + lobbyists.

So, in love we must refuse to stop praying for the people of the LGBTQ+ community when we are at home and when we are in church. We refuse to stop loving them. We also refuse to stop repenting of our own sins—whatever they may be because we know we are sinners and no less deserve the wrath of God as much as the LGBTQ+ community deserves it. And we also will not stop declaring the gospel to ourselves and to the LGBTQ+ community because the offer of God’s promise to save sinners must be declared to all because Christ’s life and death is sufficient to forgive and declare righteous ALL who repent and put their faith in Christ.

So, noting that the LGBTQ+ community is no safer than any other community where unrepentant sinners exist, and noting that ‘such were some of you’ we must concede and boldly affirm that the only truly safe place for any member of the LGBTQ+ community is to flee in repentance to the loving arms of Christ. In fact, the only safe space for ANY sinner is in the arms of Christ—the church. Christ’s own gift of righteousness is what covers all repentant sinners from the wrath of God. Upon repentance and faith every sinner will be welcomed into the arms of Christ.

A church which merely affirms people in their sin—is no safe place at all but a white washed tomb. A church which loves and calls all sinners of all sins to repentance and faith, and declares the gospel of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of those sins—by faith alone—is the only truly safe space upon the face of this earth.  

– Nathan Runham