Jesus Is The Source
by Joshua Tyra
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Recently I received an e-mail from a man named Bob*, who expressed interest in The Source program, but also wrote:
"My friends and family tell me to embrace being gay. They will not help with my program fees. They will not help me to become an ex-gay."
I think Bob hit on a fundamental question about LIA’s purpose and identity, which I addressed in my response to him:
"Dear Bob,
"We would never want you to exchange one label for another, like 'ex-gay.' That’s not the point of the program, and neither is eliminating same-sex attraction. The point of The Source program is to connect you with the ultimate source of power, Jesus Christ. If you have hope in him, you can face anything that comes your way, including ongoing temptations.
"Bob, let me tell you why we are here doing what we do. Whether you come to this program or not, we are here because we want you to know something: God loves you very much, so much in fact that he gave his only son Jesus to die on the cross, taking the punishment for your (and all of our) sins. To prove that this wasn’t just one more everyday execution, God raised Jesus from the dead, and he is alive today! If you believe in Jesus and ask him to come into your heart, you can know for sure that God has forgiven all of your sins, and you can also know for sure that you have eternal life in heaven with him, starting right now, and ending… never! In Christ you can have real hope, peace, and joy. That doesn’t mean your problems will melt away… to the contrary, you will experience suffering. But everyone on earth suffers. Suffering outside of Christ is meaningless and hopeless, ending only in despair. Suffering in Christ is meaningful, and we have God’s wonderful promise that 'for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28, ESV). In Christ we know that the trials, temptations, and sufferings we experience are being used by God to shape and grow us into people who are more like Jesus (that is what Christians call 'sanctification'), and that he will give us the strength and support we need to face such challenges. These things that I have just told you are called the Gospel, which means 'good news.' There could be no better news than that found in the famous verse, John 3:16, which is the Gospel in a nutshell: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.'
"So that’s why we’re here. We don’t want people to become 'ex-gays.' We want them to become followers of Christ! That’s the most important thing in the world. If you start following Christ, then God will empower you to live for him, whatever that entails, and whether you happen to be attracted to men, women, or space aliens. It may be hard at first, but you will see progress over time, so you mustn’t give up. And as a Christian you will have a built in family of supporters… the Bible calls all Christ-followers as a group 'the Body of Christ.' They aren’t perfect, and they need God’s forgiveness just as much as you or I do. But if you accept Christ and start following him, you will find that God works in your life often through other believers, as you get more connected with them in community.
In His Grip,
"
* Name changed for confidentiality.
© 2008 Love In Action International, Inc.
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