We Care About People Who Identify as LGBTQ+

Pastor Robert Hammond

Long Hill Baptist Church cares about people who identify as members of the LGBTQ community.  There’s several important things that we want you to know:

  1. We love you.  And God loves you, too. If fact, Jesus proclaimed, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

  2. In love, we share that, according to the Bible, a person doesn’t belong in the LGBTQ+ community simply because they lack a natural attraction to people of the opposite biological gender. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that some people are born without a natural attraction to people of the opposite biological gender.

    See for yourself: Matthew 19:12 says,     “For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb…”

    What does that mean? Historically, a eunuch was typically a man who was castrated so that he would not be distracted by physical attraction to women. We understand that, in Matthew 19:12, the Bible uses this fact to illustrate the truth that some people are born without a natural attraction to opposite biological gender (some are born so “from their mother’s womb”). Importantly , however, that doesn’t mean that God intends for those people to identity with the LGBTQ+ community.

    Why would we say that? In the Bible, God specifically prohibits homosexual behavior. For example, in Leviticus 18:22, God commands, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” And so the Bible makes it very clear that God views practicing homosexuality as a sin. This matters because, according to the Bible, any sin will condemn us to punishment in a very real and eternal hell (Romans 6:23) — unless we find God’s forgiveness.

3. The good news is that Jesus Christ offers forgiveness of sin when turn to to him in faith.

In Romans 3:23, the Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  God's perfect holiness and justice requires that a penalty be paid for sin.  In fact, in Romans 6:23, the Bibles teaches that "the wages of sin is death."  The good news is that the son of God -- the Lord Jesus Christ -- paid that penalty for us by shedding His blood and dying upon the cross in our place.  It is only through repentance (turning to Christ from sin) and placing one's faith in Christ that our sins are forgiven.  Romans 6:23 says, "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  If you will repent and receive Christ as your savior, you can know for certain that you have been forgiven and that you have eternal life.

Thankfully, when we come to Christ with a humble, repentant faith, we find both forgiveness of all sin and strength to put off old sinful habits.

Click to learn more about knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior.