Our class was very excited when we heard that Katie McCoy and Jonathan Morrow would be speaking to us about gender and sexuality through a Christian lens. Many of us have friends, family, and coworkers who identify as LGBTQ+. However, that did not necessarily mean that we knew how to approach them with the question, “Is living in this lifestyle a sin?” Good thing for us, they were prepared to help us understand how to do just that.
As we listened to Katie McCoy’s lecture, she walked us through Genesis 1–2, specifically verse seven, which states, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Although this verse appears to be a simple picture of God’s creation of man, it signifies the importance of mankind, that God would breathe His own life into him. In addition, she pointed to verse 27, which states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This shows how God’s design for two distinct roles and genders was created in God’s image for a reason, which we find in verse 22 when it commands us to “be fruitful and multiply.”
By hearing this, we gained a clearer understanding of the holiness of sexuality and how it is honorable only in the ways God intended for it to be expressed. Anything beyond that would be sinful, and the only way for us to properly live as bearers of the image God gave us is to remain within the framework He set before us. Our identity is found in Christ, who offers us salvation and welcomes us into a perfect eternity with open arms, just as He created us—male or female.
Although this topic can be challenging to those who do not have a solid foundation on the Bible’s take on gender and sexuality, we are continuing to gain a deeper knowledge of grace and truth through our one-on-one experiences with people within the LGBTQ+ community. Without those experiences, it is sometimes easy to forget how someone may feel when their sexuality is being addressed.
However, it is crucial to remember that truth is as important as grace, but without grace, we may find it difficult to communicate truth to our peers who are living a LGBTQ+ lifestyle.
We hope that during our time at Impact 360, we can expand our understanding of how people living in this lifestyle feel and the acceptance they seek, so that we are able to grow our love for others who may find themselves in similar struggles with their identity. We know that the gospel invites us to find our true identity in Christ as His image bearers, and that in every aspect of life, we must live in the roles God has given us. It is a gift to be who we are made to be, and a joy to find the fulfillment that comes with living in Imago Dei.
Ivy Hall, Class XX Fellow