I was speaking with a chaplain today who has served the military for several decades. I asked him, given the current cultural climate, if it was more challenging now to serve as a minister of the gospel than when he began his career. He agreed, but was quick to add that in today’s environment it is more challenging to be a ministry leader of any kind not just in the chaplaincy. The issues facing the faith community are indeed complex. To help guide yourself as the leader of a ministry, I am sure you study Scripture for answers to life’s big questions. It may also seem that these questions and issues are blurrier than before. Compassion Without Compromise will assist you on your own journey wherever you find yourself on the issue of sexuality and the believer. You may or may not end up agreeing with the author’s arguments. Still, reading this book will shape your beliefs and help you articulate the language of that position which undoubtedly will be questioned and tested for years to come.

In the closing of their work, author’s Barr and Citlau write:
“Using Scripture as our basis, we have made the case that the gospel provides the way forward in a culture very confused on the issue of sexual intimacy. Our sexual sin-whether homosexual or heterosexual in nature—leads us out of the garden of God’s blessing and into a wasteland. The gospel provides a way back.

“We believe that people who receive and believe this message will be the opposite of judgmental jerks. We will be people who are acutely aware of our own need for forgiveness and gospel transformation. We will be able to have deep compassion. At the same time, we will not want to compromise with any ideology that threatens to short-circuit the gospel. To the extent that a philosophy soft-pedals our sin or tries to redefine what Scripture calls unrighteousness, that philosophy is withholding true freedom and forgiveness.”

Compassion Without Compromise is an extremely relevant resource, full of Scripture and personal insights from the coauthors. It may be the first book you read on this topic of sexuality, but it certainly will not be the last book you read. I believe this topic will be swirling around for a while; therefore, you as a student ministry leader need to be well-read, scripturally driven, and able to articulate your position. This is a very good book to help define and sharpen your thinking.