"It is very important to distinguish between a homosexual orientation and homosexual behavior. Orientation is who a person is; behavior is what a person does." (pg 200)Throughout the chapter Campolo continues to insist that, though homosexual behavior is wrong, homosexual desire cannot always be helped. I think Mr. Campolo is right on some things that he asserts. But I think we need to make more distinctions. First, I reject the idea that a person is anything but a creature made in the image of (and for the glory of) his Creator first and foremost. To define a person as a homosexual is to say that a person "is" what that person "does." Though it is acceptable in our culture to say "I am a lawyer" and know that the person isn't making a philosophical statement about their very essence, Campolo certainly goes too far in saying that a person is a homosexual in this way.
I do agree with Campolo on one thing, Christians must accept that, at some level, it is at least possible (if not probable) that most people currently practicing homosexuality were born with that inclination. It could even be that scientists will find this to be hereditary. My questions is, what's new about that? So many Christians seem to think that there is a difference between being born in sin and being born with an inclination to a certain sin. As if God would be unfair if He allowed a person to want to sin. We seem to think that people simply stumble into sin out of pure ignorance and then grow to like it. What does the Bible say about our inclinations from birth? "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). In fact, it seems that homosexuality is especially a sin of judgment upon humanity (seen clearly in the evil progression of our culture) for exchanging worship of God for worship of idols, "God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error" (Romans 1:26-27).
So how does this come together? How does a person's sinful inclination relate to his subjection to judgment? This is a very real situation for Christians in this country.
We need to be careful about how we approach this. There is such a thing as loving a person who is clearly living in and loving their sin while hating what they do. But we must remember that true love for a person means that you are going to do what you can to help them see the sinfulness of their sin and the wonderful grace of God. In the end all sin will be judged (Revelation 21:8). But how is that fair? How can God judge someone for an inclination they were born in to?
Consider a man standing before a judge for a possession of heroin. He was caught red handed indulging in a sin that, to the judge's knowledge, harmed nobody but himself. The man's only defense is that he can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was born with an addiction to the drug. If the judge is good and just he will still convict the man because, despite his being born with the addiction, he still knew the law and violated it. In God's case it is even more good because He has provided a Way to salvation from the sin and the eternal consequences of it and freely offered it to the whole world.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
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