A young man who has been saved for two years recently generated a firestorm on Twitter after he posted with the hashtag #PrideMonth that Jesus had delivered him from homosexuality and urged readers not to let the world cheat them out of the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus.
“Jesus brought me out of homosexuality,” wrote the 23-year-old Derrick on June 4.
“There is no gay gene, and gays being born that way is only half true, as EVERYONE is born into sin and iniquity,” he explained. “Don’t let this world cheat you out of the free gift of salvation Christ died for. Jesus is the only love that’s true.”
The tweet generated hundreds of comments, both applause and disagreement, with some claiming that mankind does not have a sin nature, that homosexuality is not sinful, and that Derrick has been “indoctrinated.” Derrick responded to a number of remarks by explaining his background and the message of the gospel.
“It’s very sad for me to see people succumb to indoctrination and shame of who they are in such a manner. I hope you may find the real help you need,” one commenter wrote.
“It’s not indoctrination. Nobody forced me to turn to Jesus, and my family is largely agnostic. I didn’t grow up in church. The reason I turned to Jesus is Jesus,” Derrick replied.
“People are not born into sin or iniquity,” one man asserted. “I hope you eventually learn — it says in the Bible and people who are fanatical don’t seem to understand, ‘The kingdom of Heaven lies within.’ I hope that’s what you’ve found. If you don’t follow your own natural inclinations, you’ll end up really mentally troubled.”
“That’s the opposite of what the Bible teaches,” Derrick explained. “The Bible teaches that the inclination of every man is towards sin. That’s why we have to be born again with a new nature made to be like Christ.”
“Lame! You just don’t get it. Conversion therapy is the true sin,” a third commenter stated.
“I didn’t go through conversion therapy,” advised Derrick, who shared that he was also involved in witchcraft and “all of his sin led to death’s door.” “I just let God’s word and Spirit renew my mind.”
Others encouraged Derrick or testified of Christ’s saving power themselves.
“Amen! Jesus delivered me from bisexuality after I got saved and without me asking. He also delivered me from alcoholism, depression and anxiety,” one woman wrote.
“I just gave my testimony tonight at Celebrate Recovery on how God brought me out of drugs, prostitution, and homosexuality,” a man shared. “Jesus is the only way. Jesus is the only One Who can set us free.”
“God bless you brother!” a third exclaimed. “He delivered me from pornography. God is still in the deliverance business!”
As previously reported, the Bible teaches that all men are born with the Adamic sin nature, having various inherent inclinations that are contrary to the law of God and being “by nature, the children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) as the enemies of God (Romans 5:10).
Jesus outlined in John 3:5-7 that men — innately loving their sin and being in indwelling bondage to it — must be regenerated by the second birth, and be transformed from being in Adam to being in Christ, or they cannot see the kingdom of Heaven.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’
Nicodemus saith unto him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’
Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ‘Ye must be born again.’”
The late Anglican preacher J.C. Ryle also once explained of Christ’s doctrine of regeneration, “Without conversion, there is no salvation. We all need an entire change of nature. Left to ourselves, we have neither faith, nor fear, nor love towards God. We must be born again. Left to ourselves we are utterly unfit for dwelling in God’s presence.
Heaven would be no heaven to us if we were not converted. It is true of all ranks, classes, and orders of mankind. All are born in sin and children of wrath, and all, without exception, need to be born again and made new creatures. A new heart must be given to us, and a new spirit put within us. Old things must pass away, and all things must become new.”
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