Standing Firm in Faith

On October 28th I was serving with Chi Alpha at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. We were inside the student center telling people about Chi Alpha and just having an awesome time talking with the students. 

News came that there was a preacher along with some of his crew speaking openly about Jesus. However this did not go over well with most students. I wanted to go see this for myself, so I stepped outside and listened to what was being said. From my observations I noticed several things.

• The preacher was speaking about repentance and pointing out the sin of the students which made many upset.
• The majority of the students who counteracted his speaking with their own signs and speech where knew "some" of the Bible.
• If I was an unbeliever I would think the message the preacher was speaking, was out of anger.
• There were many students, who were Christians, struggling with homosexuality. 

I silently prayed for my brothers who was speaking and then turned my attention to a hill, where many students were sitting. I went up to them and asked them what were their thoughts. The overall answer I got was "dislike." However there was one student named John who I began talking to.

John is a believer, but he began to question his faith once he took biology class. Later on he believed in God again because there was just too much evidence to deny Him. John told me he grew up in church and was apart of many Bible studies, and he believes in Jesus Christ, but he's not sure if Jesus Christ is God and if He's the only way. My friend John is a mathematician who wants absolutes, and because there's no way for a absolute in his eyes, it's hard for him to see Jesus as God. John then revealed to me that he was gay and his first feeling was that it was not right. He startled me when he said, even now, he doesn't want to feel that way. After he spoke, he looked at me and said "What is your rebuttle to everything I said?"

At this moment, I silently cried out to God for help! Immediately the Holy Spirit brought back to my remembrance, do not worry about how or what you are to speak for the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say (Luke 12:11-12).


With that in mind, I opened my mouth . I told John that I believe everything in the Bible and that Jesus Christ is God and the only way. Looking at him in the eye I said the greatest risk you can take is believing in Jesus Christ as the absolute God. (There was much more that was said, but I don't remember all of it).


John then asked me, "If I'm gay am I going to hell?"


Only by God's grace was I able to answer him. I said, "The issue is not weather you will go to hell because of being gay, the issue is you're not being honest with yourself and knowing what your true desire is. God said in the last days men will become lovers of their own-selves, rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:2-3). Men become lovers of men and other unnatural affections we our eyes are not on Jesus Christ. When we focus on God, desiring God, He fills us with His love, which enable us to love Him back and others. So the true question is do you want to fulfill your own pleasure or seek God?"


John looked at me and said: "Wow, that is profound"


I smiled at Him and said God is awesomenes!! Afterward I gave him a hug and went back to the Chi Alpha table.


Please keep John in your prayers as well as many other Christians like John, who are struggling with homosexuality. God is our deliverer, redeemer, and there's not one person God can not redeem!!