It is a pity there isn’t an acceptable English word for such men and their female counterpart. The Greek word in the Bible has lost its meaning. But most of us all know men like this. They are often noted for their sensitivity and artistic qualities. As a father said to me recently of his son, ”he is the one most likely to remember birthdays and sense what is most appreciated in a gift.” I know of a church where two men living together non-sexually contribute much to their fellowship, but they are frequently pigeon-holed as homosexuals.

It is grossly unfair to attack these people for their celibacy whether it be natural or disciplined or both. This is a sacred thing and to sexualise such people and force the term homosexual upon them is abuse and wrong.

Our hope starved culture terminates its interests in food and sex and when that fails, drugs. Little wonder suicide is skyrocketing and sexual  connotations  forced on young people to define their beings.

Some either struggle or as Rosaria Butterfield[ii] suggests just continue in their homosexualising. But there comes a time of judgment for all of us who sin and when that time comes grateful indeed are those  who are  found by the ever- loving Saviour.

Then comes what the Bible calls “sanctifying”  the most real and significant work ever done on planet earth whereby the Holy Spirit begins the work of character transformation in us sinners, even  drawing our own cooperation into His work  enabling us to say  “such were some of us”.

All sexual perversions and inversions are forgivable and changeable in this AD(year of our Lord)  epoch.  Notice the list of the fruit of the flesh in Colossians. The first is impurity and its counter, surprisingly, is compassion. So the promise of abundant life for we sexually impure, once obsessed and possessed with our own gratification, is  a new extroversion- a holy outgoing of energy, a genuine feeling for others!

However, those who in unrepentance arrogantly and self-righteously pursue lawless living and force a re-defined law of marriage on society cut themselves off from what Scripture calls the Kingdom of God- the domain of peace, righteousness and joy.

This  was glaring in the recent SBS  coverage of the Mardi Gras. All who questioned the  rightness of homosexual marriage were raged against with depictions of brain dead  zombies, soon to be  overwhelmed by the dance routine of the ‘beautiful ones’ with the commentator lauding “good has overcome evil”.

Only Christs transforming holy love turning lust into compassion can do that.

Rev Ian Clarkson