At the root of Jesus' many miracles was His compassion for people. Psalm 145:8 in The Amplified Bible says, "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness."

Jesus is your example, and like Him, you must have compassion for others. Jesus never discriminated against anyone because of the sin that entangled his or her life, and neither should you.

God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). His love and compassion are not limited to those who obey His commandments. He loves the good, the bad and the ugly!

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines the word compassion as "to bear or to suffer; a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress, together with a desire to alleviate it." Jesus' compassion is the result of His capacity to suffer with others.

Matthew 9:36 says, "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them...." In other words, when He saw the multitudes, He suffered with their sufferings.

Do you have compassion for those caught up in homosexuality? How do you relate to them? Mature Christians will relate in the same way that God does. God loves them unconditionally, and so must you. You cannot condemn them because it appears that they are not trying hard enough to come out of that lifestyle.

There may be times when it seems as though they are losing the fight. This is not the time to shun them or point an accusatory finger. You must remember that there is no "quick fix" to overcoming sexual sin. It will take time, patience, and a lot of prayer for complete deliverance.

Be A Friend, Not An Enemy
Additionally, these men and women are wounded in their souls and need someone in whom they can confide. It is important that they feel like they matter and that you won't stomp on their feelings or share with others what they tell you.

A "holier than thou" attitude never helps anyone! Although you should make it clear that you do not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, you must not act as though you've been appointed judge and jury in the matter.

Matthew 7:1 (AMP) says, "Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves."

God has not called you to change people. However, He has called you to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). If you have brothers and sisters in your church who are trying to overcome sexual sin, don't ostracize them!

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be a source of loving, firm support as these men and women fight to obtain their freedom.

If you consistently show your love through acts of kindness, they will be drawn to Christ like flies to honey. Be sure to only speak faith-based confessions over their lives. Never refer to them as gays or homosexuals. Instead, call them what they are: set free in the name of Jesus!

First published in the April 2004 issue of
Changing Your World Magazine
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