by Catherine McDaugale | Jul 7, 2025 | Life
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NKJV)
Does God hate gay people? The short answer is no. Does God hate the sin of acting on same-sex attraction? Yes. In the Bible, it’s called an abomination (Leviticus 20:13 NKJV).
But God also hates other sins that don’t involve acting on same-sex attraction. Proverbs 6:16–17 (NKJV) says that God hates “a proud look” and “a lying tongue.” And it calls those sins an abomination, too.
God hates sin. But that doesn’t mean He hates the person who commits the sin. If that were true, we’d all be doomed. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).
The other day, I was listening to a legal argument before a court. The attorney argued:
- God hates sin.
- Homosexuality is a sin.
- Therefore, God hates gays.
It was a little surprising. How did he jump from the second to the third premise? It would be proper to infer that if God hates sin, then God hates homosexuality. So, the correct conclusion is that God hates that sin.
But the attorney had made an additional inference – that is, if God hates homosexuality, then God also hates the gay person. It was a logical fallacy, of course. But why would he go there?
And then I realized that many who self-identify as gay also believe that’s intrinsically who they are. They identify with the behavior. In essence, they believe that they are homosexuality. That’s the lie they’ve been told.
If you self-identify as someone who is gay, I want to share the truth with you.
- God created you in His image (Genesis 1:27).
- God hates the sin of acting on same-sex attraction, but He loves you (Ephesians 2:4–5).
- He loves you so much that He made a way for your sins to be forgiven by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross (John 3:16).
- And “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NKJV). (By confessing that Jesus is Lord over your life, you admit that acting on same-sex attraction is sin and that you want to stop practicing that sin.)
Before I came to God, I had committed one of those sins that are called an abomination. I had many a proud look and wasn’t concerned if I lied. Yet, God forgave me. And He’ll forgive you, too.
So, no, God doesn’t hate gay people. He doesn’t hate sinners. But He does want you to turn away from that sin so you can walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 30, 2024 | Christian Living, Life
Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves . . . . (Psalm 100:3 NKJV).
The Source of Identity
There’s a lot of talk about identity these days. People ask, “How do you self-identify?” In other words: Who do you want to be today? But regardless of what you think your identity should be, the truth remains: our identity comes from God. He’s the One who made us.
How God Made You
So, who did God make you to be? Here are a few key things that the Bible teaches us.
- He made you male or female, based on your biological sex.
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female?” (Matthew 19:4 NKJV).
- He made you in His image; you’re an image-bearer.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27 NKJV).
- He made you a steward of the things He’s entrusted to you.
“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV).
Your Identity in Christ
And when you’ve been born again, your identity is rooted in Christ. Among other things:
“But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12 NKJV).
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).
- You’re adorned in His robe of righteousness.
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10 KNJV).
- You’re an heir of God through Christ.
“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 NKJV).
Walking in Your God-given Identity
How often have you been hindered by going against your God-given identity? Doing so causes confusion, depression, and insecurity. But God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
On the other hand, walking in the identity God gave you results in a sense of belonging, confidence, and security. We can start each day knowing who we are and that God loves us. How different 2025 could be if you regularly remind yourself of these truths!
For example, you could pray something like this.
Dear God. I praise You for how You’ve made me: a woman, a bearer of Your image, a steward of all You’ve entrusted to me, and a daughter of the most-high King who is adorned in Your robe of righteousness. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
So, praise God for how He’s made you. Thank Him for who you are in Christ. Then walk in your God-given identity each day by faith with Him.
Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash
