Peter Hubbard - Love Into Light: The Gospel, the Homosexual, and the Church

ENDORSEMENTS

For Christians struggling with a biblical grammar to shape our speech about same-sex attraction, Love into Light is a timely gift. The offerings of this book are clear yet nuanced. There is no chest-beating masculinity or homophobic anxiety fueling the argument. In fact, those in search of ammunition for such sentiments in the name of Christianity will be sorely disappointed. What one will find in these pages is the gracious and courageous voice of a pastor, a pastor who has thoughtfully engaged the Scriptures, the Christian tradition, and real people who wrestle with same-sex attraction. Love into Light is a big welcome mat at the churchs front door for people who struggle with same-sex attraction and for those who wish to love them in Christs name.

DR. MARK S. GIGNILLIAT

Associate Professor of Divinity

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

What a powerfully insightful book this is. We have needed a reliable guide to lead us discerningly to a faithful understanding of the churchs gospel-responsibilities and opportunities with respect to a cultural phenomenon we can no longer ignore. With counsel that is marked by rich pastoral experience and faithful, informed biblical application, Peter Hubbard here proves to be that guide. I am not aware of a more valuable first resource to help shape our thinking on this very contemporary issue.

DR. FRED G. ZASPEL

Reformed Baptist Church, Franconia, PA

Calvary Baptist Seminary, Lansdale, PA

Love into Light

The Gospel, the Homosexual and the Church

2013 by Peter Hubbard

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-62020-222-7

eISBN: 978-1-62020-320-0

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good New Publishers.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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To my brothers and sisters in our churches who have secretly struggled with same-sex attractionmay you be drawn out of the shadows and into the light of Jesus through the love of His people. We need each otherso we can fight sin and rejoice in Gods powerful grace together.

MORE ENDORSEMENTS

This comes at just the right time.... Those who live under Scripture are increasingly eager to put on humility, speak with and learn from those who experience same-sex attraction, and consider what all this means for life in Christs Kingdom.

DR. ED WELCH

Counselor and faculty member at CCEF

Peter Hubbard is a gifted teacher, and he wisely navigates what are uncharted waters for many Christians: How should churches relate to others with same-sex attractions?

DR. ANDY NASELLI

Assistant Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology

Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis

We live in a day where we face challenges that require Gods wisdom. These challenges are designed by God to cause us to look to Him as to how He might use them to revive His church and equip it to be humble enough to love a broken world. This book reflects the wisdom from above which is described as both gentle and full of mercy as well as pure, unwavering, and without hypocrisy (James 3:17). It is a labor of love and contains vital truths that all of us need to hear and heed.

DR. BILL THRASHER

Author and Professor

Moody Theological Seminary and Moody Bible Institute

My wife and children have been remarkably patient with me during my writing binges. Thank you. I daily experience the love of Jesus through you, and feel spoiled to come home to such a happy place.

Ed Welch, Mike Emlet, and the other CCEF/Westminster faculty have modeled and taught the truth and grace of Jesus to me. Their influence is present in any piece of wisdom in this book. (The erroneous parts originated with me.)

My North Hills Community Church family has been a consistent encouragement. I love your heart for God and His Word and your posture of humility and compassion for the hurting. Special thanks to my friend and ministry partner Ross Robinson. You have taught me what selfless friendship looks like. May God give us 20 more years of ministry together. I could not make it through a week without your assistance, Susan Wood. Thank you. And thank you, Ben Arnold, for designing the charts and offering valuable insights. Lynn Adams, I have learned so much from your understanding and experience in gospel-saturated counseling. Jim Phillips and Daniel Hindman, you were so kind to read the rough draft and recommend needed changes.

Thank you, Andy Naselli, for the countless ways you helped and encouraged me when I doubted.

The idea for this book originated with Tim Lowry. I am grateful for your sensitivity to the Spirit and your persistence.

To God be the glory!

THE FIRST TIME I COUNSELED a man struggling with same-sex attraction (SSA), I felt awkward. I didnt really know what to say. I wanted to help, but I wasnt sure how. He didnt really know what to say either. He felt defeated, yet addicted to homosexual porn and anonymous hookups. He wanted help, but he was uncomfortable talking about such a personal area of his life. We seemed so different. How could a happily married pastor help a man struggling with homosexuality? Arent we supposed to be enemies? Arent we told that my theology of sexuality is toxic to him, and that his lifestyle is destructive to everything I believe in?

So I asked him, Would you be willing to help me help you? He said, Yes. So, we began meeting for coffee or talking in my office. I asked him a lot of questions. He risked so much and shared many of his fears, joys, failures, and victories. The more I listened, the more I learned, the more I realizedwe are not different. We are the same. Our specific battles and sins may vary, but our hearts are the same. And our daily need for the grace of Jesus is the same. During our conversations, I saw my own insecurities and warped thinking more clearly. God used him in my life, and God, I believe, used me in his life.

Im not trying to scrape away the differences and paint everyone with a broad brush. Each of us experiences life differently. But when we fire our personal marketing department and peel off our masks long enough to listen and share honestly with others, a new world opens up before us. Like the born-blind man who was healed by Jesussuddenly voices have faces, and noises have authors. People cease to be shapeless labe