Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted: Biblical Direction for Friends, Family Members, and Those Struggling With Homosexuality

By Ron Citlau

Helping the Same-Sex Attracted Faithfully Follow Jesus

As Christians seek to be biblically faithful on the issue of homosexuality, two fundamental questions come to mind: How can a person with same-sex attraction faithfully follow Jesus in his or her sexuality? And how can we support and encourage them in this?

With compassion and wisdom--on a topic rife with misunderstanding and hurt--author and pastor Ron Citlau will help you think deeply and clearly about every option the Bible offers, and what it clearly does not. Having personally dealt with same-sex attraction, walked with others still struggling, and pastored those with gay loved ones, he thoroughly examines all of the available options--heterosexual marriage, singleness, celibacy, and more--and considers them in light of the Scriptures.

With clarity and grace, he helps you discover the remarkable gifts God provides to the Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction and desires to faithfully follow Jesus. Here is a message of hope and practical, loving guidance for those who are same-sex attracted--and those who love them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781441230874

Ron Citlau

Ron Citlau graduated from the University of California, Riverside and Western Theological Seminary. He has served in ministry positions in Southern California and Kansas City. He is the pastor of Calvary Church in Orland Park, Illinois, part of the Reformed Church in America. Ron struggled with same-sex attraction his whole life and has worked with and walked alongside many others who have struggled with sexual brokenness, as well as equipping pastoral leaders to serve those dealing with sexual sin. He also worked with Andrew Comiskey, producing curriculum on sexual healing now used by Desert Stream Ministries in hundreds of churches throughout the country. When he isn't working, he loves to be with his wife, Amy, and their four boys: Jack, Sawyer, Eli, and Crosby.

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© 2017 by Ron Citlau

Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-3087-4

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design by LOOK Design Studio

I am deeply grateful to my friend Ron for writing this book. He reinforces Gospel hope that has been lost in too many circles, either abandoned for false teaching or set aside as wishful thinking. With selfless honesty and humility, Ron extends the healing Jesus died to make possible.

—Adam T. Barr, author, Compassion without Compromise; lead pastor, Peace Church

"Insightful and intriguing. Ron Citlau offers a compelling voice not often heard in today’s conversation surrounding this topic. Throughout God’s Kingdom Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted will prove to be helpful and inspiring."

—Bob Bouwer, senior pastor, Faith Church

Glorious. Without demonizing his opponents, Ron burns off the debris and reveals Jesus to persons impacted by same-sex attraction. That’s everyone. Read and bask in the Hope that redeems the struggle and invites us into a new way of being and loving. Best evangelical book on the subject today. Maybe ever.

—Andrew Comiskey, founder/director, Desert Stream/Living Waters Ministries

When it comes to navigating the complex topics addressed in the pages of this book, Ron Citlau is on the top of my list of people I trust to handle the conversation biblically, compassionately, and pastorally. As you read, you might find yourself agreeing strongly, disagreeing profusely, or somewhere in between. But, wherever you come from on this important and contemporary topic, you will appreciate Ron’s wisdom, grace, and honesty.

—Rev. Dr. Kevin G. Harney, pastor, author, and founder, Organic Outreach International, KevinGHarney.com

"Ron Citlau exhibits warmth, insight, and courage in Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted. I am grateful for this book!"

—Peter Hubbard, teaching pastor, North Hills Community Church

Pastor Citlau has written a helpful book for Christians struggling with homosexuality. He thoughtfully addresses some of the theological errors of our day—including the embrace of a ‘gay Christian’ identity and ‘same-sex marriage.’ He vulnerably shares his own struggle and gives realistic, biblical hope for those who forsake homosexuality and pursue Christ.

—Jeff Johnston, Issues Analyst—Marriage, Homosexuality and Gender, Focus on the Family

A must-read for pastors, counselors, lay leaders, and same-sex strugglers! Citlau addresses current popular roadblocks in Christian circles and suggests solid ways toward transformation. He highlights practical ways the body of Christ can aid the struggler in ‘straining forward to what lies ahead . . . the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:13–14).

—Anne Paulk, executive director, Restored Hope Network

Ron Citlau bravely supplies compassionate, biblical counsel on perhaps the most divisive issue of our day. He challenges same-sex-attracted Christians not to identify with their temptation, and he calls the church to be their community of love, healing, and family. This is an important book for all same-sex-attracted Christians, and for the people who love them.

—Michael Wittmer, professor of systematic theology, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Cornerstone University

To my wife, Amy.

There is no one else

that I would rather live this life with.

God has been good to me

by giving me you.

There are many people I want to thank on this project. First, Andy McGuire for his and Bethany House’s support of this book. Your team is amazing. Second, I am so thankful to Ellen Chalifoux, who was the primary editor. Her suggestions, questions, and feedback made this a better book. Finally, I want to thank Dr. Todd Billings, Dr. Brian Dennert, Andrew Comiskey, Dorothy Greco, Nate Pyle, and Troy Westercamp, who provided feedback on various chapters. Any mistakes in this book are mine, but the good was refined by these good men and women.

Contents

Cover    1

Title Page    3

Copyright Page    4

Endorsements    5

Dedication    7

Acknowledgments    9

Introduction    13

PART ONE: OBSTACLES    19

1. The Obstacle of Gay Christian Identity    21

2. The Obstacle of Gay Marriage    37

3. The Obstacle of the Spiritual Friendship Movement    55

PART TWO: GIFTS    71

4. The Gift of the Church    73

5. The Gifts of Healing Communities and Christian Therapy    89

6. The Gift of Singleness    103

7. The Gift of Marriage    117

8. The Gift of Prayerful Lament    133

PART THREE: FINAL THOUGHTS    145

9. A Note to Church Leaders    147

10. A Word of Hope to the Same-Sex-Attracted Christian    157

Notes    167

About the Author    173

Books by Ron Citlau    175

Back Ad    176

Back Cover    177

Introduction

Bob Dylan’s song got it right: The Times They Are a-Changin’. We are now witnessing the emergence of the most gay-affirming culture in human history. Our country’s view of homosexuality has changed seemingly overnight. A majority of Americans now see absolutely nothing wrong with same-sex relationships, and gay marriage is now a constitutionally protected right. Secular culture has spoken: Gay marriage provides the best relational framework for gay persons to flourish and find happiness. Sadly, even some Christians agree. Meanwhile, the rest of us struggle to explain why following Jesus is better for a same-sex-attracted person than a lifelong, love-filled, committed same-sex relationship.

Seizing on the cultural upheaval, some in the church are now asserting that the church’s current stance against homosexual activity is not just wrong, but actually detrimental to same-sex-attracted Christians. For them, such a prohibition stands in the way of gay Christians flourishing in their relational and sexual lives. They believe that for the good of same-sex strugglers, Christians need to embrace same-sex marriage. Why would the church deny gay men and women something that will make them so happy?

For them, it all seems so obvious if one is willing to consider the evidence. There are many men and women who have accepted their gay identity, are in committed same-sex relationships, and are Christians. They happily proclaim that gay marriage is a gift from God. They seem to be flourishing. And then there are stories of men and women who tried to live faithfully from a traditional perspective but only experienced pain, loneliness, and failure. If we take such stories seriously, what conclusions are we to draw? What are we to think?

All of this creates a challenge for evangelical Christianity. We must be able to give adequate and hope-filled answers to the questions of those who disagree with us and show why following Jesus can lead to a life of flourishing for the same-sex struggler. We need to be able to show same-sex-attracted Christians how they can live out their sexual and relational lives in ways that honor Jesus and fulfill the deep aches of the heart. If we believe that same-sex strugglers must refuse to act on their same-sex desires for the sake of following Jesus, then I think it is up to the church to show the ways they can find relational fulfillment in Jesus and his church. Until we do this, the good news will not be very good to the same-sex struggler.

Obstacles and Gifts

This book is an earnest attempt to biblically reflect upon the remarkable relational gifts available to a Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction and who desires to faithfully follow Jesus in his or her sexuality. It also seeks to answer the most pertinent challenges facing the evangelical church today as it relates to homosexuality and relationships. To do that, this book is divided into two parts. First, it seeks to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of God’s gifts to the same-sex struggler. From my perspective, those obstacles are gay Christian identity, gay marriage, and the spiritual friendship movement. I hope to show that these obstacles really limit the relational and sexual good that God wants to offer the same-sex struggler. Once the obstacles are cleared, this book gives five real and substantive biblical gifts that are available to the same-sex struggler: the gift of the church, the gift of therapy, the gift of singleness, the gift of marriage, and the gift of lament.

My hope in this book is to give these various gifts a fresh hearing. Please do not assume that you know everything that could be said about these various gifts, and please do not dismiss any of them without being willing to engage honestly with each one. Our goal is the same, I am sure: We want same-sex-attracted Christians to flourish in their relational lives. Let’s journey together and see if these gifts might be the means of such flourishing. I believe they are.

Compassion without Compromise

If you are looking for a book that seeks to show how the Scriptures stand against homosexual behavior, the book in your hand is the wrong book. This book assumes that the Scriptures firmly and clearly stand against same-sex activity and seeks to reveal the ways a same-sex struggler can find relational and sexual fulfillment as they live out a traditional view of Scriptures even as they refuse to act on their same-sex feelings.

For a more in-depth discussion on what the Scriptures say about homosexuality and biblical ethics, you might want to read Compassion without Compromise: How the Gospel Frees Us to Love Our Gay Friends Without Losing the Truth. Co-written by my good friend Adam Barr and me, the book seeks to clearly show what Scripture teaches about homosexuality and how to live that out winsomely in a doubting world. Compassion without Compromise looks at what Scripture teaches about homosexuality and provides practical tips for Christians who want to love same-sex strugglers well.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for pastors, church leaders, parents of a same-sex struggler, and Christians who want to work very hard to make their churches a place where same-sex strugglers can relationally flourish. With God’s help, I hope to stir your imagination and give you some tools to better serve the same-sex struggler. I want to help you see just how much is relationally available to these brothers and sisters in Christ. This way, you can help make the church the place it should be—the place God wants it to be.

This book will also be helpful to the same-sex struggler who is seeking answers to how he or she can faithfully follow Jesus and fulfill the deep relational and sexual longings of the heart. For these readers, it is my desire that you find, in a more meaningful way, the deep relational riches that are in Christ for you. I will be praying for that!

A Word to Skeptics

Maybe you are reading this book and see homosexuality as a gift from God. Or at the very least, you think God doesn’t really care as much about someone’s bedroom behavior as some in the evangelical church seem to care. The way you see it, same-sex committed relationships are God’s answer to the same-sex struggler. Period. End of story. Why stand in the way of something so good? To you, I want to say two things. First, I hear you. I have very close friends who believe as you do. I love them dearly. This book takes seriously the possibility that gay marriage might be God’s concession in a broken world. While you may not agree with my conclusions, this is my honest and sincere attempt to add meaningfully to the conversation. Maybe we will all learn something together.

The second thing I want to say is this: I might be wrong (according to my wife, it would not be the first time!). I am a faithful follower of Jesus, a student of the Scriptures, and convinced of my position, but still I accept that I might be wrong. I try to engage this topic with that in mind. I want to learn and find out what is actually true. I humbly ask the same of you. You might be wrong, too. Perhaps you have gotten caught up in the cultural whirlwind and are really lost—maybe

Reviews for Hope for the Same-Sex Attracted

[fbllasos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very nice and enlightening book. I recommend it for everyone