Is that an oxymoron? Is it self-contradictory?
It is instructive that Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5 (quoted in the last topic) refers to those who “claim to be fellow believers” but are involved in sin. He could have simply referred to ‘fellow believers’ but he consciously doesn’t call them believers. They merely claim to be believers; they are ‘pretenders’.
There is very good reason for that. Believers believe. Believers believe what God says and live by it. Believers have repented; have turned from their old way of life and have chosen to live a new life under the lordship of Jesus.
We have already looked at this in some details in the section on The Gospel and Homosexuality. See in particular, the topics:
However, our concern here is those who continue in sin. It is hugely important that we recognise that one can be same-sex attracted and very much a Christian. In fact, many people are. They have the desire but they recognise that that is an aspect of their fallenness – their sinful nature – and they choose (by God’s grace) to not engage in sinful acts.
Some may even fail at times. Even that does not disqualify them as Christians if they hate their sin and seek to live in a God-honouring way. All Christians sin. Paul lamented his propensity for doing what he didn’t want to do and not doing what he wanted to do (Romans 7:18-20). We certainly do not condone sin but we recognise its reality, our own frailty and God’s unbelievable mercy. The fact that the failing homosexual repents before God is a sign of the reality of his/her genuine faith. Those who are gay but genuinely seeking to live a life of obedience can rightly be called “gay Christians”.
However, to claim to be a Christian but purposely continue in sin, is self-contradictory. In that sense, there is no such thing as a gay Christian.
The difference is between those who hate their sin and those who are OK with it; between those who have repented of their sin and those who continue in it; those who call sin ‘sin” and those who call sin “good”.