Born Again Christian Who Turned From Homosexuality
Years ago, while living as a gay man (before my radical conversion to Christianity), I briefly dated an exceptionally talented and prolific Hollywood producer. He recently fabricated a deal with a major Hollywood studio worth an boggling amount of coin. When asked by a announcer what he planned on doing with all that money, he responded that he would use information technology to promote LGBTQ heroes and heroines. His efforts volition, of course, further blind and misfile not merely the general public, but as well the church on one of the nigh challenging bug of our time. And that's only 1 person.
Rachel Gilson, however, will non be i of the heroines he champions.
In her debut book, Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next , Gilson explores the culturally contentious subject of homosexuality through a Christian lens. Given the excessive numbers of stories that cover and celebrate homosexuality, Gilson's story occupies an of import place, offering clear truths in a confused globe.
Born Once again This Way
Rachel Gilson
Born Again This Fashion
Rachel Gilson
In this powerful and personal volume, writer Rachel Gilson describes her own unexpected journey of coming out and coming to religion . . . and what came next. As she does and so, she addresses many of the questions that Christians living with same-sexual practice attraction are wrestling with: Am I consigned to a life of loneliness? How do I navigate my friendships? Will my desires ever modify? Is at that place some greater purpose to all this?
Drawing on insights from the Bible and the experiences of others,Born Again This Way provides balls and encouragement for Christians with aforementioned-sex attraction, and paints a compelling moving picture of discipleship for every laic.
Countercultural Testimony
Gilson'due south story runs counter to the dominant cultural narrative that homosexual behavior is righteous and good. As someone who experiences same-sexual activity attraction, she fell into a romantic human relationship with another daughter while in high school. At the fourth dimension, she idea Christianity was stupid and brutal. Subsequently all, didn't Christians hate gay people?
Things shifted dramatically during her freshman yr at Yale, though, when that human relationship abruptly ended and left Gilson devastated. Through an unlikely source—a lecture on René Descartes —Gilson began her search for the truth. While secretly reading a (stolen) copy of C. Due south. Lewis'due south Mere Christianity , she repented and came to Christ. Though her aforementioned-sex attraction hasn't vanished, she believes Jesus is worthy of obedient trust. She'south willing to take upwardly her cross and follow his teaching on sexuality.
Though Gilson's same-sex attraction hasn't vanished, she believes Jesus is worthy of obedient trust. She's willing to take up her cross and follow his teaching on sexuality.
In the first chapter, "Unexpected Nativity" (all nine begin with the word "Unexpected"), Gilson uses the story of Eve in the garden, and God's prohibition regarding that famous tree, to cracking consequence. She helps u.s. sympathise why she knew immediately at her new birth that homosexual behavior is sinful—even though this prohibition seems arbitrary or unfair to many today.
Gilson'south honesty well-nigh her setbacks and failures will exist a balm to weary Christians who fall into sin and are consumed with condemnation. She offers practical communication on sin through an insightful look at James 1:12–18. She stresses the need for Christian community when ane falls because, every bit she puts it, "sin loves to abound in secrecy." I couldn't concur more. Whenever I speak at churches or universities, I always encourage believers to share their burdens, specially the burden of same-sex attraction, with a trusted friend or pastor in the church. This is vital. Satan loves to work in the dark because he's the Prince of Darkness.
Beauty of Singleness . . . and Marriage
While taking a serious await at singleness, Gilson addresses the idolization of marriage in some churches. When a gay person is built-in again, Scripture doesn't just mandate that he replace homosexual desires with heterosexual desires, but that he resist each and every sinful desire. She rejects so-called reparative therapy—which often equates sexual holiness with heterosexuality—equally a fake gospel, though Gilson herself married a man at a relatively young age.
Gilson brings fresh insight and balance to how we should think virtually singleness and marriage. She never minimizes the dazzler of marriage. In fact, the style she unpacks Ephesians 5:22–33 illustrates its beauty nicely. She also brilliantly connects the mandate of Genesis 1 ("be fruitful and multiply") both to i's new nascence into the permanent church building family and to the ultimate reality of the new heavens and new earth.
Rebuking the Revisionists
Gilson as well strikes a deadly blow to revisionist readings of Scripture that merits homosexual behavior is not a sin. She emphasizes the validity of God'southward Word over our feelings: "The Bible's words on life and sexuality have offended every culture in every age, as people have risen upwardly to attempt to save God from his own bad image." God doesn't demand saving—we practise! She besides deftly answers the objection that the Bible's sexual ethic seems capricious and cruel, effectively debunking the "dear is love" mantra of our culture.
Gilson does, all the same, assert the goodness of same-sex friendship among brothers and sisters in Christ. Friendship is a lifeline to those who struggle with same-sex attraction. She rightly opposes the electric current trend among some celibate Christians to affirm "romantic" same-sex relationships, which she sees equally dangerous. She also opposes believers calling themselves "gay" or "queer" Christians, given the way labels shape our identities.
Gilson writes with straightforward and clear prose, balancing grace and truth. Her articulate-eyed, nuanced approach and wise insights will help anyone in the church to meet more than of the goodness of God in the sexual ethic of Scripture. Born Again This Way will also help ordinary Christians gain a improve agreement of this complicated subject.
Ultimately, Gilson'due south book is such a blessing, considering her story corresponds to every Christian's story. Our culture defines usa by how we're born; Gilson shows u.s. what actually matters is being reborn.
Source: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/yale-came-christ/
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