THE WAY OUT OF GAY

By: Frank Worthen

Homosexuality is overcome by building a relationship with Jesus Christ and letting Him heal the underlying root issues.

Our deliverance comes from a person, rather than from a method. Therefore, it is important that we build a relationship with God, our Deliverer. We must know Him better than we know those around us.

Jesus Christ Himself had some very strong words concerning our relationship with Him: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

It is of first importance that Christ means more to us than friends, relatives, or even life itself. Yet how can someone take on such importance in our lives if we do not know them intimately? How can we come to know Christ?

Agreement with God

The first message Christ gave was one of repentance. Through the Holy Spirit, we have been given an awareness that the homosexual lifestyle is not pleasing to God (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). So the first step out is to agree with God that homosexual activities are sin.

Total Surrender

Acts 2:38 gives us the next step: “Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

In order for Jesus to work in our lives, we must belong to Him. He has promised to reveal Himself to those who are His. His sheep know His voice.

So after receiving His Spirit, we no longer have to worry and wonder how we are going to know Him – He reveals Himself to us daily in many ways.

But once we are His, He requires much of us. He is to become our Lord and our Master. No longer do we belong to ourselves. We become His property to do with as He pleases.

From this point on, our own plans and desires must come second to His plans and desires for us. There is no way that I can say this strongly enough. You cannot come out of homosexuality without being totally submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ! The depth of submission equals the height of victory.

Continued Submission

Many people, after a length of time, believe that they are sufficiently out of homosexuality to once again take control of their lives. This is a bad mistake – the commitment we make to Christ is for life.

When we take back control of our lives, we are asking for trouble. Satan is waiting on the sidelines for just such an opportunity. The result is disaster.

Role of the Church

Once we have received the Holy Ghost, we must also become part of His body, the church. I know that many have had painful experiences with the church, yet this is still what we have to do in order to grow.

This is very important and cannot be dismissed. No body of believers is going to be perfect and there will be things that you don’t like. Still, you must become part of a church and become a productive part of the body.

Our Lord speaks to us in many ways, including through His Word (the Bible) and through other Christians. If we are not part of the church, we will be missing many messages that He has for us.

Welcoming Christ

It is not an easy thing to leave the gay life behind. Depending on your depth of involvement, the way out can be difficult. We have not been promised a “rose garden” by our Lord or by the world.

The most treasured things of life seldom come easy. But there are many ways to lighten the load.

Perhaps the one thing that will make the way out the easiest is to welcome Jesus into your life. Your attitude is very important.

If you do not really want to come out of homosexuality and are doing it only to please the Lord, your attitude is wrong and you will have a difficult time.

We must be in agreement with God that homosexuality is a destroyer of life and leads only to death, both physical and eternal. We must be happy and thankful that there is someone who cares enough for us to want to lift us up out of that lifestyle.

The Bible says, “To as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the power and right to become the children of God” (John 1:12, Ampl.)

Many times, we are told to be “cheerful” for God loves those who cheerfully love and obey Him. Yes, our attitude is extremely important: it can boost us to victory or bring us the defeat.

Giving Thanks

Along with welcoming Christ, we must develop a thankful nature. God did not have to call you. Christ did not have to die for you, but He did. He did so out of love. He did so out of love. He has called you, but He has not forced you to come to Him.

He will not enter and control your life unless you invite Him in. Be thankful that he is there, ready to rescue you from a life torment and eternal death.

A New Life

The life that He wants to give you, here and now, is a life of peace. Although we will pass through many struggles and the change may come painfully at times, we are not struggling alone. In the midst of our troubles, we have the peace of Christ in our hearts.

This peace is something the world knows nothing about – only someone who has God’s Spirit can know the comfort of His peace. With Christ living within us, we become adequate for any trial.

Christ has extended Himself for us. We must be thankful that He has thought enough of us to do so. We must reach out to Him – we can do this through prayer.

Talking With God

If you don’t know how to talk with God, follow the concept of the Lord’s prayer. Praise God for His goodness, for His mercy; praise Him because He is worthy of praise.

Ask that His will be done in your life. Ask Him for your needs, and ask Him for forgiveness for your going astray and not listening to Him. Ask forgiveness for your treatment of others.

Ask for His protection against temptations and whatever the devil may throw at you. Close your prayer again with praise and thankfulness.

The Word of God

Learn how to become obedient to God. Jesus has said, “The sheep that are My own hear and listen to My voice, I know them and they follow Me… No-one is able to snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27,28).

To find out how we are to be obedient to our Lord, we must read His Word. For learning personal conduct, read the book of Ephesians. As you study each Scripture, ask yourself how you measure up to what you are reading.

The Bible will be your road-map to a new life. Use it and study it. Set aside time every day for prayer and Bible study. God is faithful. Do your part, and He will do His.

(The above material was published by Love in Action, San Rafael, CA.)

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