Jesus Loves LGBTQ People Too!

Throughout his ministry, Jesus focused on everyone.

In a time when most women were considered property like livestock or slaves, Jesus treated women with tremendous respect. He ministered directly to women and treated each one as a person, which was unheard of during this time period.

He did the same thing with tax collectors, who were despised by most everyone. They were considered treacherous, corrupt, and deceitful people, and were shunned. But Jesus would connect with them, have dinner with them, and in some cases even stay in their homes.

Jesus regularly broke society’s “rules” such as this, and looked beyond culture to people’s hearts. He met people where they were, not where everyone else thought they should have been. Jesus chose to be with all people, because everyone needed to know that repentance and forgiveness were available for all people. Jesus came to seek and to save the hurting and the lost. (Luke 19:10, ESV)

When confronted about this by the Pharisees (the Jewish religious leaders) he responded that he was here to minister to and help everyone. He came to heal those that are broken and hurting. Everyday people like you and me.

¹⁷ It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

Mark 2:17, ESV

Jesus Loves You, Even If He Doesn’t Like What You Do

Jesus loves everyone deeply. No Exceptions. But just because He loves someone doesn’t mean He agrees with what that person is doing, and His forgiveness does not mean we can continue to do whatever we want. After showing grace and love to people, He would also tell them to “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:3–11) He warns us not to continue with our sinful lifestyle choices. Even though He offers forgiveness, He does not condone our sins and He does not want us to continue committing the sins, but He does love each person regardless.

Jesus Commanded Us To Love One Another

Jesus instructs us as his followers to love each other unconditionally. He met people where they were, and accepted them. He didn’t shun them because of the life they were living. And he expects us to do the same.

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35, ESV

Christianity Is About Love

A distinguishing characteristic of Christians should be their love for others. That is what we should be known for. Christian churches have support groups for those suffering from addiction, and have counseling to help reconcile the marriages of those that have been unfaithful. We send ministry groups into prisons, and missionaries to care for orphans all over the world. Christians are called to love and help all people, and have even been credited with founding the first hospitals.

So why does the LGBTQ+ community feel shunned by Christians?

Because in many cases, they are.  While it’s true that many of those in the LGBTQ+ community have no desire to set foot in a Christian church, those that may want to will often feel unwelcome.  They are often attacked, criticized, and ridiculed by Christians, and in some cases have even been turned away or asked to leave the church, simply because of their sin.  But every person has sin in their life, so why is this different?

Part of the problem is that we have allowed our politics to interfere with our faith.  It seems that once something becomes politicized, such as the LGBTQ+ topic, the zealots from both sides of the political spectrum take a hard stance on it and it becomes almost impossible to have a reasonable, rational conversation about it.  Once something becomes a political topic, it loses its humanity and it is no longer about the people behind it.  Politics, at least here in America, seems to have become a system of division and hatred, and we have allowed that to influence our viewpoints as Christians. It has created an “Us vs. Them” mindset.

Christ made the church to change the world, not to conform to it. At church we shouldn’t be Democrats or Republicans, black or white, gay or straight. There should just be “Us”, not “Us vs. Them”.

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Christians should be the opposite. Christ made the church to change the world, not to conform to it. At church we shouldn’t be Democrats or Republicans, black or white, gay or straight. There should just be “Us”, not “Us vs. Them”. We should all be Christians, each with our own personal problems and battles that we are bringing to Jesus.  The Bible tells us that every person is a sinner, and every person needs Jesus:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 3:23 ESV

Our job as Christians is not to judge people, but to meet people where they are and show love and friendship to everyone in the church, making it a welcome and safe place for all people, and let God handle the rest.

As Christians, we won’t save someone by attacking them or turning them away.
But we can save someone by welcoming them to the church and showing them that If we turn to Jesus in faith, all of our sins will be forgiven, no matter what those sins are.

Jesus loves everyone. No exceptions.

Jesus came for the forgiveness of all sins and the redemption of all sinners.

Even the ones you don’t agree with.