A watered down gospel?

My morning devotional concluded with a number of questions.  One that jumped out at me asked this, “when I share the gospel, do I change the message in anyway?

This is a thought provoking question, especially when barraged by many from the LGBTQ+ community who are seeking a god who accepts them, just as they are.  Is the temptation for us to try and lead them into a relationship with Jesus so great that we adapt the gospel, or present it in such a way as to be inoffensive?

Paul said, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

How do we get to a point of them not receiving our words as the ramblings of a “foolish” Christian, to the point where they receive the words as the “power of God?”  On reflection, I don’t think that our role is to make anyone receive the gospel, we are simply called to share the gospel as we have received it, trusting that the Holy Spirit is alive and active and doing the work he has always done.

When presented with someone whose main objective is to make God into their own god, a god who accepts their sexual and gender identity with no requirement to change, we must be wise, yet unafraid. As we present the gospel, we don’t need to do so by homing in on the obvious sin, but by homing in on the unrelenting love of God and his desire for relationship. Sharing about a God who offers us new life requires us to demonstrate that new life within ourselves.  Testimony is a weapon of war that we have to be unafraid to use; how has God changed you?  What addictions or behaviours has he challenged you over, and how has he journeyed with you as you have broken away from the “old you?”

God wants us to come as we are but not stay as we are.  When we share the gospel, we must be prepared to share the truth of the consequences of sin (Romans 6:23) and the requirement to take up our cross every day (Luke 9:23) as we become followers of Jesus.

My experience of seekers from the LGBTQ+ community typically goes one of two ways.

• Firstly, they are desperate to find a god who affirms them just as they are, and this will be their main focus almost to the exclusion of any other message.  Indeed, this was my own experience, searching daily for answers to whether I could be a “gay Christian.”   They want to stay that way because they believe this is how God made them to be, and/or because they are so embroiled within the LGBTQ+ community that they see no way of leaving it (or have no desire to do so.)
  
  
• Or there are many who are confused about what their sexuality means for their faith journey, yet afraid to ask.  It will often be the “elephant in the room,” with the potential of it becoming so great a stumbling block that those who are discipling the seeker are fearful of talking about it for fear of scaring that person away, or the seeker falls away because they are scared of the answers they may receive.
  
  

How do we overcome these obstacles?

We must trust God and not get in the way of the work the Holy Spirit is already doing.  Ask God how he is working, ask God for wisdom in all your conversations and ask God to help you share truth in a way that is loving, yet thought provoking. Never water down the gospel, sin separates us from God.  Be thoughtful about how you present that message, there are many areas of sin in our lives, don’t focus solely on identity but try and share how all our behaviours affect our relationship with a loving and sinless God.  Fostering healthy relationships around our faith presents us with a firm foundation from which to explore the more difficult questions together.

When asked directly, because there is always going to be a time for straightforward conversations, know how you will present your message.  What does God’s word say?  How does our sexual or gender identity cloud our relationship with God, what impact does unrepented sin have on our ability to have a relationship with Jesus?

Watering down the gospel does not lead people to relationship with Christ.  We don’t have to lead with references to people’s identity (which can be an issue with some contentious street preachers), but we must be prepared to address identity as people start to show interest in pursuing relationship with Jesus.  Of course, how we do this is the key, but let’s not shy away from a gospel that asks us whether we are prepared to lay down our lives for the sake of Jesus; a gospel that helps us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

If you are reading this as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and want relationship with Jesus, let me reassure you that Jesus also wants relationship with you.  We are told in Romans 5:6 that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, that means he died for you.  If you want to receive his forgiveness and start a relationship with him, you simply need to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 10:9-10).  

Believing he is Lord leads to changed behaviours, repentance of sin and new ways of living.  Trust me, he will be with you through all of the changes you will make in your life as a result of making a commitment to him.  But part of receiving Jesus will be a laying down of self and many of the beliefs we have grown up with.  The bible is clear that our identity is in Christ alone; in receiving that message there is a challenge to lay down your own ideas about your lifestyle, ditch the labels that you have put on yourself and allow Jesus to show you who you really are.

If you make a step of faith and ask Jesus into your life, please contact us as we would love to disciple you or connect you to a local group where you can be with other followers of Jesus who have walked this road before you.