Both the Old and New Testaments clearly teach that the gay lifestyle is sinful and detestable, but transformation is possible through repentant faith in Jesus. The church should be kind and helpful to those trying to forsake this lifestyle, but those who refuse to turn away from it will not inherit the kingdom of God. We totally reject the claims of psychiatrists who say that homosexual orientation and sex are healthy, natural things. While original sin inclines the human body to sinful desires, it does not mean that homosexual orientation is a part of God’s creation. Scripture even suggests that diseases such as HIV and AIDS are divine punishment for gay sex (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:24-27; 7:14-25; 1 Timothy 1:8-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Jude 1:7; Galatians 6:1; 1 John 1:9).

Retractions: I would just like to mention that it has come to my attention that Steve Harper (The Way to Heaven) affirms same-sex marriage, as of 2018. This book has had a tremendous impact on my view of the Gospel and spiritual life and helped me to formulate my views in my book The Gospel of Jesus Christ (2015). God has used this book in an amazing way, but sadly I will have to part ways with Harper, even as Wesley had to part with Count Zinzendorf, although he was influenced by his theology. “The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails.” I used to believe that Harper was part of an evangelical renewal movement in the UMC called the Confessing Movement. At the very least, it looks like Harper is not confessing evangelicalism anymore. Remaining influences from that book would be Kenneth Collins’ Wesley on Salvation and The Scripture Way of Salvation, Harold Lindstrom’s Wesley and Sanctification (1946), which was written before the UMC was founded in 1968: and is favorably quoted by Vinson Synan in The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition (p. 5), and Thomas C. Oden’s John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity. Oden was interviewed by Al Mohler in 2016 and affirmed the UMC stance against gay marriage. So Harper has fallen. So sad, he also had a good presentation of the “Wesleyan Arminian” view of conditional security in Four Views on Eternal Security. As a replacement, I would suggest Life in the Son by Robert Shank.