God's Solution to Pride Month

A few days ago, Tuesday, June 1, 2021, you probably noticed that we had begun a new month and that it was not just June but it was “Pride Month.” When I lived in New York City, I knew it was Pride Month because rainbow flags would fly in every direction I looked. Now that I live in a small town in the Midwest, I recognized Pride Month for two reasons: my iPhone calendar displayed “First Day of LGBTQ+ Pride Month” as a holiday and my kids mentioned that at least one friend at school was decked out in rainbow attire. 

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Our family took the time that evening to review what the Bible says about such matters. We emphasized two primary ideas: as Christians, we are to love our neighbors (that’s everyone) as ourselves; and the rise in deviant sexuality is a direct result of our nation turning away from God, based on Romans 1:18-32 (selections below).

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
— Romans 1:24-28

So, how should we pray for these kinds of people and for our nation? I believe we should pray for the new birth. 

Paul goes on in Romans 2–3:20 to explain that all the world is condemned because of sin (Romans 3:19). But, that God’s solution to sin – including wayward sexuality – is acknowledging His Son (Romans 3:21-26). We need to pray for conversion, for salvation, within the LGBT community as well as for everyone outside of Christ in America. We should not merely pray that they would change their behavior or something superficial like that. We must pray for a return to God through Jesus Christ and a brand new heart for God and His ways. Only the miracle of regeneration will change the hardness of a human heart, just like it did ours, no matter how far one seems to be from God. 

Father, I didn’t deserve Your mercy, but You came after me, called my name, changed my heart, and gave me forgiveness and a new life. Not one of us can boast as if we merited Your salvation. We pray now, Father, through tears that You would not keep giving America up to immorality of every different kind. We beg You to storm our nation with Your undeserved kindness. Raise us up as Your people to preach the gospel with our words and deeds, even if it seems that no one wants to hear or even if we get ostracized because of it. How will they be saved unless they hear? And how will they hear unless we speak? Help us, Father. We are in increasingly desperate need of You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

With you in Christ,
Chuck Hetzler, PhD
Director, Christian Union Day and Night