Praise God that John MacArthur never shies away from an attack on God’s Word! In support of Canadian Christians who now face criminal penalties for upholding the Biblical model for gender and sexual identity, MacArthur is calling for American pastors to preach on Biblical sexuality this coming Sunday (January 16). You can read the details here.

Although I am certainly not a pastor and you are certainly not my congregation, I want to support faithful men who will stand in their pulpits and boldly proclaim the truth about sexuality this weekend. Several pastors in Canada know that they will probably be arrested for preaching the truth, and I applaud them for obeying God rather than the unjust laws of their secular government. American pastors won’t face the same repercussions, of course, but I admire their solidarity with their Canadian counterparts. I’m writing this post simply to add my Amen.

The topic of helping men and women out of homosexuality has been near and dear to me for the better part of my adult life, resulting from my first serious romantic disappointment. Even though I now question some of the methods we used in ex-gay ministry, I’ll never regret telling anyone that Jesus could deliver them from homosexual sin. Paul told the Corinthian church that homosexuality was among the sins that Jesus Christ overcame in them.

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. ~~1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB95)

Note verse 11, please. When the Corinthian Christians turned from the sinful practices listed in this passage, they no longer accepted those sins as their identities. They had become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), having the power to resist old temptations (Romans 6:12-14). The Lord Jesus Christ had cleansed them as faithful men preached the Gospel to them without compromise. Homosexuals in the 21st Century can experience that same freedom as faithful men preach the Gospel to them.

As of January 8, 2022, Canadian law forbids anyone from telling people that Jesus can free them from homosexual sin, transsexual sin or any other sin under the LBGTQ+ umbrella. Among other things, that law constitutes cruelty toward those who don’t want those identities. People with homosexual temptations often long for help in controlling their desires; taking away Biblical counseling that would provide such help only locks them into suffering and deprives them of the joy that personal holiness brings.

Alas, the tragedy of this new law isn’t simply a Canadian problem. Even if it was limited to Canada, Christians everywhere should be heartbroken enough to pray for the Canadian pastors, Biblical counselors and parents courageous enough to proclaim Biblical truth about sexuality. We should be compassionate enough to pray for people who are trapped in sexual perversion and no longer allowed to seek the help they desperately need.

We must also realize that the United States typically follows Canada’s progressive laws all too quickly. We dare not assume that the First Amendment means anything to those who push the LBGTQ+ agenda. Actually, I began The Outspoken TULIP precisely because I understood that the 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same sex marriage would eventually lead to censorship of Christians who stand for Biblical sexuality. Since Canada legalized it mere years before we did, it’s really not that much of a stretch to believe that our pastors will face similar censorship very soon. in fact, all of us face censorship if we dare to uphold God’s Word on this matter. As a blogger, I’m getting nervous.

LBGTQ feelings have tremendous power to deceive those who experience them. I’ve watched dear friends who once led ex-gay ministries knuckle under to homosexual passions rather than standing on Scripture and practicing self-denial. In the spirit of compassion, we shouldn’t minimize their pain. But that same spirit of compassion should compel us to pray for their release from bondage, and to pray for courage to tell them how Jesus can supply that release.

The unjust law that hobbles Canadian pastors and Christians won’t remain in Canada. Just as Canadian Christians must now obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19-20), so Christians elsewhere must have a similar resolve. Praise God that men like John MacArthur are willing to stand for God’s Word.