I have just finished Neil Anderson’s book “Set Free”. He claims that he has seen hundreds of people set free instantly from sexual bondage through right believing followed by a vigorous repentance and commitment to God. Here is a summary of his relevant theology.

Presuppositions.

1. No one is born homosexual. People can have genetic predispositions that may set them up for environmental triggers towards homosexual tendencies. For example, a boy with lower than average testosterone may get ridiculed by his father for being less aggressive or athletic than his brothers.

2. There is no such thing as ‘being’ homosexual. There are only homosexual tendencies that lead to homosexual behaviour. All such tendencies are a result of environmental factors, spiritual attacks, or exposure to homosexual acts or thinking. The usual examples are put forward (domineering mother, early sexual activity with other boys/men, absent father) but he also includes dabbling in the occult, the sins of our ancestors and other spiritual activity.

3. The only biblically ordained purpose for sexuality is that a man can enter into a loving relationship with a female wife. Such that Godly offspring may be produced and that the couple may be a living testimony of the love of Christ for his church thereby glorifying God.

4. Any sexual activity outside of marriage is sin. He suggests that masturbation per se in not necessarily sinful but if (for example) it is accompanied by sexual fantasy that is not focused on your wife or is replacing your wife then that would be sinful.

5. God does not ask Christians to do something they cannot do.

6. Jesus took all our sins on the cross. We are dead to sin, sin no longer has control over us. We need to believe this to be true. (see Romans 6:1-11).

7. Having believed we are dead to sin we need to take every though captive to Christ, present our members as instruments of righteousness to God and put to death the old passions and put on the new man in Christ. Ie: we can choose not to sin.

Conclusions.

1. Having homosexual tendencies is a spiritual stronghold in our minds. [He quotes Ed Silvoso’s definition of a stronghold: “a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes one to accept as unchangeable something known to be contrary to the will of God”.] The reality is we are new creatures in Christ, our sinful passions have been nailed to the cross and no longer have dominion/power over us. If we believe correctly, regardless of how we may be tempted, we can resist the devil and he will flee from us and we will be free to love a woman as we were created to do.

2. Correct believing must be followed by correct behaving. We must fully repent of all our sexual misconduct and desire to continue in it. Clean out of our lives all materials that are ungodly or temptations to us. Choose to take a stand and say ‘no’ in the power of the Holy Spirit to temptation. Fill our minds and lives with the word of God and prayer and fellowship instead of sinful fantasy and behaviour. And finally confess that we are the ‘men’ God created us to be - free to love a woman if we choose.

My Thoughts

I find that Anderson’s theology seems to fit within the Biblical framework quite well, but it all hinges on the presupposition that our non-hetero sexuality is a lie rather than a physiological reality.
This is why I think his theology fits within the Biblical framework: Scripture gives us who are same gender attracted no options for how to deal with our sexuality. The only possible exception is the thorn in the flesh passage which says “I pleaded with the Lord three times that he take this from me and He replied ‘My Grace is sufficient for you, My strength is made perfect in your weakness’”. This absence of alternatives makes me wonder if perhaps hetero-marriage is the answer for us as well and Anderson’s theology is the only one that makes this reasonably workable.

Let me expand on this.

I agree with Anderson that the only biblically given option for sexual expression is heterosexual marriage. Other things may be taken on by implication or apparent lack of censure but they are not givens and they raise some objections (eg: masturbation, same sex marriages).

1 Corinthians 7 teaches that the single state is an ideal option for Christians, but that being single is a gift from God and not all posses it. There are people who cannot exercise self control over their sexual desires. God’s provision for them is to get married (to a person of the opposite sex). Even within the marriage, the couples are told to make sure to engage in regular sexual activity so that they are not tempted by their lack of self control.

So what happens if you long for a partner but are not attracted to the opposite sex? You don’t have any biblically given options. This leaves you with several logical options within the biblical framework.

1. Accept that you are gifted with singleness... go and live an abstinent life.

2. Deal with your sexual ‘needs’ using masturbation... assuming that you can do so without fantasy (or can accept that sexual fantasy is not sin) and assuming that masturbation will be sufficient of itself and won’t lead to other things. Develop non-sexual attachments/relationships to people you love or are in love with.

3. Try to abstain, fail regularly, get in bondage to porn or other sexual misconduct, repent and repeat and trust that God’s grace will get you through.

4. Accept that God wants you this way and embrace it as an acceptable way to be and live (since you are now moving beyond the scope of Scripture you must set your own boundaries on how this works... ie: do you seek a monogamous life partner or is any ‘loving’ relationship acceptable?)

5. Get married and use your wife as a surrogate boy/man. With or without your wife’s knowledge or consent.

6. Get married and attempt to develop a ‘secondary’ sexuality (to quote Blackstone) such as those gained by men in prison populations.

7. Accept that your non-hetero orientation is a lie. That as a new creature in Christ you can break the stronghold in your mind by believing that you are dead to sin and able to overcome through faith, repentance and holy living. Then be free to live as a heterosexual.

Have I left anything out?

Surely option 7 sounds most appealing to those of us in failed or failing marriages. But is it really possible? Could it be so simple?

Some of us have begged the Lord to ‘heal’ us for a very long time and have found no deliverance, but what Anderson is suggesting puts the onus on us to believe, renounce and behave in order to take hold of a freedom he suggest that Scripture says is already ours. I suppose it’s the renouncing thing that makes his approach so different to what I’ve encountered in the “I’ve tried to overcome” testimonies I’ve heard around here and experienced myself.

He suggests that we need to renounce our involvement in every sexual misconduct throughout our lives, to forgive all those who have offended us, and to completely submit every area of our lives to loyalty to Christ alone. Again I ask, could it really be so simple?

Of course my wife and church completely see this is how it is.

My wife said to me today, “I can’t believe that you can’t see that it is a lie”.

Me? Having tragically visited options 5, 6 and 3, I’m trying to find a place to live in option 2. God have mercy on us all.

Blessings
Cat.

PS: on renouncing.
I have loved deeply a number of boys in my life time. None of these relationships were sexual. I don’t believe that I am willing to renounce the love I feel/felt for those boys. It was romantic love no doubt about it. I longed to be more intimate with them; I’d have married anyone of them if it were possible. In every case I chose to NOT make the relationships sexual out of the love I felt. Is this really an abomination? Is this something to be renounced? I really don’t know if I’m willing to deny the love that has been my greatest joy in life.