Do Christians who view homosexuality as a sin believe that homosexuals can be freed from their sinful condition by the power of God?

Upvote:2

This is a question of sanctification. That link quotes the Westminster Confession of Faith, which says sanctification is:

the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

Therefore I believe you are correct in your analysis, that Christians should expect to overcome sin in their lives - including sinful desires such as lust.

At the same time, there is a question - WHEN will we be sanctified?

The experience of generations of Christians is that sanctification does not occur all at once. Many Christians have lifelong battles with sin of many different kinds. In fact, this is key to the Christian life. Jesus says that the Christian life is about self-denial (Mark 8:34). We must constantly be putting to death the misdeeds of the body (Colossians 3:5).

The only thing we know for sure is that we will be transformed in the future once and for all. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

There are some people who seem to experience a change in orientation, for example some of the testimonies on Living Out. But many people do not seem to experience a change.

I believe this is consistent with a belief that we are not promised complete sanctification in this life. We may need to struggle with issues of sin for our whole lives, but that doesn't mean progress isn't possible or there is no value in the struggle.

Upvote:4

Jesus gave the only example of unforgivable sin : the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Therefore if a self-confessed Christian defines anything else (other than that specific blasphemy) as 'sin' they automatically define that behaviour, conduct or activity as 'forgivable', by very definition.

But then they also define it as something not to be continued in , for 'he that is born of God does not practice sin'.

This is all a matter, of course, of those who (primarily) define themselves as 'Christian' and who also (secondly) define (any specific) activity as 'sin'.

All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme, But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: [Mark 3:27,28 KJV]

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit [or, practice] sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. [1 John 3:9 KJV]

The question is asking about what is being defined as a 'desire' which is specifically dealt with in scripture, such as in Romans chapter 7.

But the specifics of Romans 7 require further treatment and further questions.

For 'desire' is not an outward action but an inward (and constitutional) instinct. Which Paul covers under the broad heading of 'coveting'.

In this respect it would have been more logical to have (first) asked the question as to whether self-identifying Christians perceive that 'sinful desires', generally (and indiscriminately) speaking, are 'reversed' by the influences of the Divine Spirit who is, personally, Holy.

Such as coveting other people's money, for example, something common to all humanity.

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