Having looked at the Christian’s relationship with non-Christian homosexual and advocates of homosexuality, we need to consider the Christians’ response to those who claim to be Christians but are either practising homosexuals or proponents of homosexuality.
Who might be in the church?
Practising homosexuals who do not claim to be Christians
Christians will welcome them but recognise the need for them to repent and so will treat them as we have described in the previous section.
Homosexuals who are choosing celibacy
Christians will honour them for their faithfulness and sacrifice. There is no reason why they should not exercise a ministry or be leaders.
The families and friends of homosexuals
Some Christian family and friends will be grieved by their loved one’s sin. It can be absolutely heart-breaking and they should receive extraordinary love and support from the church.
Unfortunately, many who know homosexuals change their convictions and become defenders of homosexuality or promoters of it. The remainder of this section should give some guidelines in knowing how Christians should respond.
There’s a number of issues here.
Judging those within the church. How does the church deal with people who claim to be Christians but who are living in sin?
What might a church restrict practising homosexuals from?