Grace-Filled Wisdom for Church Leaders Navigating LGBTQ+ Realities Part 3

Isaiah 28:29, "All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent."   

True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it (Job 28:12–28; Prov. 3:13–18; Rom. 1:22; 16:27; 1 Cor. 1:17–21; 2:6–8; James 1:5). [1] 

Confession

This can be a painful process, but it is necessary for healing, like opening the wound and cleaning out the infection. As I look back over my sexual history, I regret things I did as a teenager.

Your sexual history likely contains sin over which you feel horrible. And it’s crucial to face what’s going on with you sexually right now. If you are in any role of spiritual leadership, your responsibility before God is more significant (James 3:1). So, if you are in a sexual addiction or immoral relationship, repent and take decisive action to kill (mortify) that sin. Are you watching pornography? Since it’s almost impossible to break sexual sin by yourself, you will likely need to get professional help.

You know what to do with your sexual sin, but have you done it? When you live in sexual shame and guilt, you cripple your spiritual influence for Christ.

Do what you tell others to do: repent and receive God’s amazing grace. Let me remind you of what you know already. The Father loves you unconditionally, unfailingly. Jesus Christ died for you not because you are a good person or a spiritual leader but because he died for you when you were a sinner and because you were a sinner, including being a sexual sinner. The Father offers to forgive you and cleanse you of all your sexual sins.

While I’ve known God loves me since I was a little boy and sang the song, “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so,” later in life, I experienced the Father’s love in a supernatural special time that I will never forget.

I want you to experience his love for you again; the precious love that you already know is real. When you experience the Father’s love for you freshly, you want to shower it on others.