Moody Bible Institute professor and author Christopher Yuan, who formerly identified as homosexual, cautioned that same-sex attraction is sinful even when not acted upon.
In a recent episode of Jason Jimenez’s “Challenging Conversations” podcast, Yuan refuted the belief that only acting on same-sex attraction is a sin, saying that “all same-sex desires are sexual and romantic desires are sinful.”
Yuan told listeners that the view that only the act of homosexuality is sinful “denies what Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount [in Matthew 5:27-29] where He says: ‘If a man looks lustfully after a woman, he’s committed adultery.’”
The professor explained that although years ago he believed that “just the behavior is sin,” he has since concluded otherwise after reading and studying the Bible more.
“I had thought that a desire turns into lust, so as long as you don’t lust, then that’s OK. But then I realized that, actually, wrongly ordered desire is lust. It is sin,” Yuan said. “It’s not just sexual, it is also romantic. So sometimes when people limit sin to be just sexual in the act, well then, they’re not talking about the desires in their heart.”
In the podcast,Yuan further addressed his viewpoint that it’s “unfortunate” that many people believe that only acting upon same-sex attractions is a sin. Yuan asserted that “biblical sexuality is black and white,” adding that it’s clearly outlined in the Bible, pointing listeners to the Song of Solomon 8:4: “Don’t awaken love until it’s time.”
He noted that the writer of the verse was having romantic desires that were both physical and sexual. The verse warned not to awaken physical and sexual feelings until the right time. In the same way, reasoned Yuan, people need to be careful about their thoughts and desires for someone who is not their spouse.