The photos that you will see in this article are shocking, but for a reason different than you might think. I was careful not to record the wanton depravity and lewdness that was an essential part of this parade, not wanting to glorify in any way what God condemns as wickedness. But the truth must be seen… (Please start this series at part 1 by clicking here.)

A sad reality dawned on all of us as we shared the Gospel at the 39th Annual West Hollywood Gay Pride parade: God gave them over. In the first chapter of the book of Romans in the New Testament, the phrase, “God gave them over…” appears 3 times as it records the downward spiral of a life lived for sin.

And there was no church represented in this parade that could offer any hope, except in the here and now. The churches in this parade, sadly, were also “given over.”

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:24-25)

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1: 26-27)

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1: 28-32)

We were there—as Christian evangelists—because we loved these people enough to tell them the truth, the truth that their churches wouldn’t tell them, the truth their churches refused to tell them: that God has a standard by which he will judge everyone, the standard of the 10 Commandments.

If they had ever lied, stolen, misused God’s name, or even looked with lust, God would see them as lying thieves, blasphemers and adulterers-at heart. On the Day of Judgment, they would be found guilty and end up in Hell to pay for their sins. They will not go to Hell because they practiced homosexuality, but because they have sinned against God by breaking His Commandments. Homosexuality is just one sin in a long list of sins we all commit.

But we weren’t there to give them just the bad news. We weren’t there like the “Sign Guys” at the start of the parade condemning people. No we were there to proclaim in a gentle, loving way the full counsel of God, including the Good News that Jesus died for there sins. If they would repent, turn away from there sins, and put their trust in the Savior they could have everlasting life. Yes, God demonstrated His love for the gay community in this: While they were still sinners, Christ died for them.

That was the real message of hope we were bringing. 

Anything less than the full message of Christ and Luther would turn over in his grave.

“Satan, the god of all dissension stirs up daily new sects. And last of all others I should never have foreseen or once suspected, he has raised up a sect such as teach that men should not be terrified by the Law, but gently exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ.

“The first duty of the Gospel preacher is to declare God’s Law and show the nature of sin.” —Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Click here for Part 5 and read some good news!

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If all this sounds too harsh, may I suggest that you watch this video I made two years ago (in fact, this was my very first YouTube video) of a conversation I had with a young lesbian woman. You will see how respectful we can be when stating the truth.

Click here for Part 5 and read some good news!