“Homophobia is Heresy” (A Response to Brandan Robertson)
“…yet we live in a world where such love is lacking from communities of faith. They
continue to exclude queer people from the faith community. They continue to support laws that
legitimize discrimination against us, and they seek to take away our equal rights.
In many parts of this world today, people of faith are the very ones supporting
the death penalty for queer people. For far too long, we’ve allowed xenophobic,
transphobic, homophobic religious leaders to have the upper hand. We’ve allowed them to preach a
false narrative that they are the faithful ones who actually represent the teachings of our faith.
But based on my study, my tradition, nothing could be further from the truth.
Friends…homophobia is heresy! Transphobia is a transgression against God! There is no
justification in our faith traditions for treating LGBT people as less than children of God.”
I’ve said before that certain topics are like an onion in that they have many layers. I believe
what Reverend Robertson is speaking of in this clip is one of them. In offering my response, I am
challenged to navigate these layers biblically and I hope to do so with a spirit of grace & truth.
Let me begin by saying that I actually agree with Brandan said – I also believe that homophobia
is heresy. It is the consistent testimony of the Bible that followers of Christ are to love
all people: family & strangers; friends & enemies; righteous & sinners. (Matt. 5:43-45).
The reason that Christians are called to love all people is threefold…
Such love models the love for people that Jesus exhibited during His life & ministry
(Matt. 9:10-13; Luke 5:29-32) Those people who have found
fellowship with Christ in His Church come from all types of cultural, ethnic and
sinful backgrounds (Rom. 9:25-26; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 2:11-22; Gal. 3:6-9) and, most importantly…
Unconditional love is the love which God has shown toward His people
in saving them from their sin (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-11, 8:31-32, 35-38; Eph. 2:1-9)
Any disposition a person can hold that fosters hatred,
prejudice or animosity towards another is sin, as such a disposition is disobedient towards God.
It is for this reason why attitudes such as racism and sexism are sinful. Along these same lines,
genuine homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia (in other words, legitimate hatred of homosexual,
transgender and foreign individuals) and other like attitudes are also sinful. Thus, Christians
who hold to such positions are in heresy and need to repent for harboring such a position.
Christians need to love any and all people that they may encounter,
irrespective of their cultural differences or the sins they struggle with. We are to maintain
a disposition of prayer for Christ to intercede in any given person’s life so that they may find
forgiveness, repentance, hope, fellowship and newness of life in Him and with His Church.
It is at this point though that I need to state my disagreement with Reverend Robertson
in that his teaching is confusing love with affirmation. To love someone means that you
are willing to treat them as you want to be treated (Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31). Part
of this is telling people the truth. From the Christian perspective, telling people the truth
is to tell people about their sin and the judgment of God that sin provokes.
Jesus, though He was known for loving sinners and other societal outcasts,
He never once affirmed that their sins were ok. Rather, His call was continually, “go and sin no
more.” (John 5:14, 8:11). This is the consistent testimony of the apostles as well (Acts 15:19-20;
Rom. 3:5-8, 6:1-14). Jesus loves people in spite of their sin, not because of it and He
calls people to come out of their darkness into the light of His life (John 3:19-21).
To love a homosexual or transgender person means that you do not put unnecessary obstacles
in they way of their coming to faith in Christ. At the same time, to love a homosexual or transgender
person is to also warn them of the judgment coming for those who do not turn away from their sin.
I realize that this statement begs the question as to whether homosexual or transgender behaviors
are sinful. I argue that the Bible’s testimony is that they are. I realize also, in making such a
statement, that Reverend Robertson would disagree with me. A detailed examination of the Biblical
position on homosexuality and transgenderism will be reserved for a future video. For our purposes
here, my aim is to call attention to two types of error that we can be guilty of as followers of
Christ: 1) that, in the name of, “love,” we affirm things that are contrary to God’s will or 2) that,
in the name of, “truth,” we fail to love and intercede for those who are in need of Christ.
Reverend Robertson, I know that I have presented challenges to your teachings in this series of
videos. In spite of how this may be interpreted by some, I want you to know that I love you and
pray for you through whatever disagreements we may have. You would be more than welcome to
break bread with me and to ask me for help in any time of need you might have. The thing I can’t do
though is abandon the convictions of what God has revealed in His word – both for you and for me.
Any disagreements of interpretation withstanding, I ask that you would please recognize my
disposition (and those of others like me who may be trying to speak to you). I desire that
Christ would grant you freedom and forgiveness in areas where you need it, as He has done and
continues to do with me. My disagreements are not based on hatred of you, your lifestyle or your
teachings. My disagreements come from a genuine fear that you are distorting the gospel for those
under your influence – either intentionally or unintentionally. Please take your assumptions back
into scripture and allow your own ideas to be surrendered to God’s good & holy revelation.