Questions about homosexuality are always difficult because it can be very easy to simplify the question, or the answer. Unfortunately, I think Christians are often too quick to throw down an answer to questions about sexuality without realising that there are fewer topics in existence that are as personally sensitive and relevant as questions about sexuality. Questions about homosexuality are certainly no exception! We need to deal with these questions with grace and sensitivity, not harsh comments and a 'holier than thou' attitude.

So with that said, let's get a few things clear about what the Bible says about sexuality. The following three points aren't all encompassing, but I hope they help set up a foundation for the question.

1. First, sex is good (I Corinthians 7:3-5)! God made it and he placed sexual desires within us, but sin has corrupted those desires and has pulled us away from what God wants for us. It's not politically correct to say it but too bad, God's plan for sex is clear - it is to be between one man and one woman and only in the context of marriage. Scripture is extremely clear about this and anyone who chooses to twist and distort what scripture says about sex and marriage is treading on very dangerous ground. As much as I'd love to point the finger at other people, I've been guilty of trying to twist scripture to fit what I want it to say, not what it actually does say. This only reinforces my need for a Saviour!
2. Second, Jesus came to rescue all sinners. This means gay sinners and straight sinners. Jesus doesn't have a preference towards saving only straight people even if many churches do. Romans 3:23 is a reminder that we have all sinned and fall short of God's glory. But we need to remember that we aren't sinners because we have sinned, because that would imply that at some point in our lives we were perfect. We aren't, and we never have been. We have all been born into sin. It has been passed down from Adam who first sinned. We sin because we are born sinners. The fact that we sin is evidence that we are indeed imperfect and we are very different from God who is perfect. Jesus came to bridge this gap, between us as imperfect people and God who is perfect. So when it comes to homosexuality, which is not a part of God's plan for sexuality, Jesus came to redeem those in homosexuality just as much as he came to redeem those who think they are more 'holy' than practicing homosexuals. Both are guilty of sin before God.
3. Third, homosexual sin is no more offensive to God that heterosexual sin. Now be careful here, I'm not saying that because it's no more offensive, we shouldn't care about it and we should just turn a blind eye. Not at all! God's plan for sexuality is that sex should be between one man and one woman and it should be celebrated in marriage. So a man who is sexually active with multiple women (Proverbs 6:32-33) is no more guilty than a man who is sexually active with multiple men. Both have gone against God's perfect plan for sexuality. Remember, God created sex and he wants it to be celebrated! But only has he intended it because that is when it is best. When we try to decide what is best, we end up cheapening it (pornography is an example of this) and we place ourselves in situations where we are never satisfied. I get very frustrated when Christians go out of their way to say how 'evil' homosexuals are when they refuse to acknowledge the massive problem of heterosexual sin that is right in front of them. Homosexual sin doesn't count as a double sin. Sin is sin! We are all guilty of it, whether we are gay or straight.

Okay, now let’s get to the question - Can I believe that homosexuality is not a sin and still be a Christian? For the sake of the question, I’m going to assume that by homosexuality you mean actually committing homosexual acts - ie, sex and sexual relations between two or more people of the same sex.

Whether you are or are not a Christian is not defined by what you believe about homosexuality, it is define by what you believe about Jesus. Jesus believed the scriptures. He knew them inside and out (Matthew 7:29). As I wrote above, scripture is clear about homosexual practices - they are outside God’s plan for sex and they are sinful.

This question, and it’s a good one, is ultimately asking whether we can disagree with a part of the bible and still be a Christian. If I’m being honest, I believe the answer is yes but I don’t believe that disagreeing with scripture is right or wise. If someone says they are a Christian, but denies that practicing homosexuality is a sin, they are compromising on what the truth of scripture says.  This doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t a Christian, but it does mean they are a Christian who is out of touch with the truth of scripture.

Yes, the Bible is offensive. Yes, scripture says that homosexual acts are sinful. Yes, that is a tough line to take in today’s culture, but scripture has always been offensive because it shows us how separate we are from God! Many of us would like to think we are really ‘good’ people. Scripture shows us that we aren’t ‘good’ because it shows us Jesus who truly was good, perfect and holy. Never in my life have I heard anyone, Christian or not, say that they thought they were just like Jesus. Anyone who does say this is likely on the steps of a psychiatric ward.

Practicing homosexuality is a sin. Being adulterous (cheating on your spouse) in a heterosexual marriage in a sin. Believing or teaching anything to the contrary is simply denying the truth of scripture.

But God, by his grace and his love for us, has made a way that we can have this sin removed from us. Whether our sexual sins are homosexual or heterosexual, God has made a way for us to avoid the punishment we deserve. Jesus, God’s only son, took upon himself all of the sin of homosexuals and heterosexuals everywhere. On the cross, he became those sins and took the punishment for them, so you and I wouldn’t have to.