Navigating issues of sexual identity is difficult for anyone in our society today. Yet, how should Christians handle this situation from a Scriptural standpoint? How do we speak the truth in love and point those around us to Jesus? In this video, Christopher Yuan provides tangible ways in which the Church can best support those questioning their sexual identity. Christopher Yuan discusses the importance of Christian community and accountability as we walk out our faith. As we are encouraged by other believers, we will be able to better minister to people wrestling with issues of sexual identity.
- A Community of Transparency
- A Community of Accountability
- Singleness as a Gift
How Can the Church Support Those with Sexual Identity Questions?
The Christian navigating issues of sexual identity. They need the church, period, just like everyone else. But I think especially because they don’t feel like they fit in. They feel like they’re just an anomaly and that no one would accept them. So we need to be a place. The church has to be a community where it does not matter what is your issue, and you feel freedom to be open about that, whether it’s a drug addiction, whether it’s a pornography addiction, whether it’s an eating disorder, whether it’s cheating on your wife, whether it’s homosexual sex.
We need to a place where people, when they want to repent, that they can come and open up because it’s only in the church that true healing comes. So we have to have a community, the body of Christ, where transparency is really fostered.
But we also need to be a community that is not afraid of speaking truth in love, holding each other accountable, asking the tough questions and pointing people not to a false gospel, pointing people not to kind of this false idea of healing, of orientation change or heterosexuality, but pointing people to, it’s going to cost you to follow Jesus.
It’s going to cost you to daily deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him. So I don’t see how we can do that, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him without having each other. So I think the best thing is having that community there, and we need to be able to encourage, also, singleness needs to be something that is not just a viable option, but something that is a true gift. Not something that is second best, but something that is God’s best for you now.
Supporting those Struggling with Sexual Identity
Too many of our singles don’t believe that, and this greatly impacts the way that we minister to people who are wrestling through these issues. Because if we’re telling them, “Resist those feelings,” if we’re telling people in the gay community, “Leave your partner,” well, that means be single. And in their mind, for the rest of my life, I need to be lonely, and we need to communicate that singleness does not mean loneliness.
How the Church Supports
Singleness is not God’s no, but it’s God’s yes. So I think that’s another key component kind of in the mix as we want to minister to those people. I want to encourage the person struggling with same sex attractions. Don’t do this alone. Yes, seek God. And yes, God is able, but He’s also given us the church. Continue to pursue personal revival. That’s our vertical. But you need to be in community and open up to two or three trusted friends, your pastor, your accountability partner, maybe a mentor, and be able to have people walk with you on this journey. Sanctification, I think, is best done in the community. So I think that’s really a key aspect.
