I should have seen the wave coming. Like a yearly tsunami, I naively opened social media on June 1 and was hit with a wave of rainbows. Living through June forces the inevitable—our society overwhelmingly celebrates sin.
Pride Month is a yearly challenge of how Christians ought to respond to LGBTQ issues. We can’t ignore it; it’s blatantly all around us. We can’t give in to despair; God calls us to always be filled with hope. And we can’t angrily treat people unkindly; we’re called to be ambassadors of Christ. Instead of sinful responses, we would be wise to remember three biblical principles for responding to Pride Month.
1. Remember to Understand. By understanding, I don’t mean accepting, affirming, or celebrating LGBTQ. Instead, I mean to understand the biblical reality of this issue. The Bible does not whisper about human sexuality. Paul teaches us that human sexuality is a barometer of a person’s spiritual condition. Holiness in Christ produces sexual purity (1 Thess 4:3-7). However, sexual confusion bears evidence of deeply engrained sin.
Sexuality that deviates from God’s created, intended design should produce great concern. Paul warns in Rom 1:24, “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.” These impurities are identified in verses 26-27 as homosexuality and sexual indecency. Paul also diagnoses the problem—a “depraved mind” (Rom 1:28). While all sin is wicked and all people equally need saving from God’s wrath, LGBTQ sin is evidence of God giving someone over to the sinful desires of their heart.
Christian, understand reality. Those who engage in and affirm LGBTQ issues do so from a mind enslaved to sin. But be encouraged that just as our own hearts were darkened by sin (Eph 4:18), God’s grace mercifully came and set us free. So too can God set free the captives of LGBTQ sin.
2. Remember to Stand. Standing means holding strong convictions to biblical truth. Christ doesn’t call us to pursue cultural affirmation, but rather to “hold fast to the faith once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). In a cultural age where even professing Christians sit down on this issue, faithful Christians must stand for truth.
The clearest call to stand for truth is given in 1 Cor 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” These commands are vital in our day-and-time. We are to be strengthened by the Word of God and willing to stand for unpopular truths.
However, exercise caution in putting this principle into practice. Standing for truth doesn’t mean rudeness, being quarrelsome and argumentative, or becoming a keyboard warrior. Rather, standing for truth means excitedly pointing to Christ whenever possible. It means joyfully affirming freedom that comes from a new identity in Christ. It means gently showing gospel hope that comes from true repentance. Scripture calls us to stand for the truth that Christ is always the answer.
3. Remember to Love. Christian, do everything in love (1 Cor 13:4-7). After calling Christians to stand firm, Paul quickly adds, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor 16:14). Yes, there are times to tell hard truths, but only from a heart of love. Words marked by love always build up instead of tearing down. Remember that God demonstrated His love to us by saving us through Christ, who in turn calls us as instruments of that love to all people. If we are to follow Christ, then our words and actions must be marked by the love of Christ.
During Pride Month, Christians would be wise to understand reality, stand firm in the truth, and love through all we do. May our response to Pride Month be filled with so much gospel light and hope that all who see us “glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).