God's View of Homosexuality
The One Opinion That Counts…
In recent years there has been a growing confusion about homosexuality, not only within our culture, but also within the Church. We know that the Lord is a God of love, but we also know he is a God of holiness, meaning without sin. Is homosexuality sin? What does the Bible say?
Some of the main passages about homosexuality are copied straight out of the Bible and inserted into this article. It is God's Word. It is not this author’s, yours, nor any other man's opinion that matters, for God speaks his own truth. Following God's Word, there are a few words of explanation from this author to help you, the reader, to understand the truths.
Is Homosexuality a sin?
Genesis 13:13 - But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.
Genesis 18:16-2 - Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
Genesis 19:4-5 - Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
Genesis 19:12-13 - Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
By recording this event, God defines homosexuality as a sin, and at the same time links a city’s name forever with the act: sodomy. We cannot avoid the truth that the result of this sin was so serious in God’s sight that he literally destroyed two cities from the face of the earth in judgment because of it.
God honors the marriage of one man and one woman. He honors their sexual relations within the bonds of their marriage. Homosexuality, though, is the practice of having sexual relations not between husband and wife, but between two men or two women (lesbianism). The words “know them” in 19:5 should be understood to be the same as in Genesis 4:1 where Adam “knew” (had sexual relations with) his wife and thereby had two sons. Here in Sodom, the men of the city wanted to have that same relation with Lot’s visitors, God’s angels in disguise.
How does it start?
Ezekiel 16:49-50 - Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.
God tells us here, that homosexuality is a sin of progression, meaning there are other sins that often lead up to this “abominable” practice. It starts with pride - pride in thinking we don’t need to obey God’s commandments, or pride in thinking we know better than God what should be right and wrong. Having “fulness of food” is a good thing, unless we forget that we are dependent on God. Then we become lazy about obeying his Word. We may give the “poor and needy” some money, food, or help, but not what they need most… help with living right with God, because we, ourselves, have started disobeying him. Instead of seeking God’s desires, we turn towards satisfying our own desires, wherever that may lead. We begin corrupting God’s good gifts, such as sexual relations within marriage. We allow our appetites to go in directions that God says are abominable. This same, slow corruption can be seen in the passage below.
Romans1:20-27 - For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
The Bible here clearly states that regardless of culture, religion, or generation, all people know that the Lord is really the only true God. What begins as a lack of thankfulness leads to rebellion against his commandments. Some people would rather deceive themselves and worship false gods than submit to the Lord, and as a result, God gives them up (he does work to restrain evil in the world) and lets them loose to sin as they will, such as sexual sins.
As they resist God’s rule in their hearts, he also “gives them up” to their rebellious lusts, and so they begin to stray into sexual practices such as homosexuality and lesbianism. Because they see themselves as wiser than God, denying what his Bible says about their lifestyle, they will argue that the sin of homosexuality is natural.
People can become deceived and say that the homosexuality is not a sin, but "the way they were born.” However, look at verse 27. They were not created that way at all. In truth, they are “leaving” the natural way in which they were born. We are all born with a natural desire towards the opposite sex, and we are commanded to practice sexual acts only within the bonds of marriage between a man and woman. Homosexuality is not a “natural” condition. It is a series of choices. It is “forsaking the natural use” in which God made mankind, for an “unnatural” way that leads to “shame” and judgment.
Gay pride
Isaiah 3:8-9 - For Jerusalem stumbled, And Judah is fallen, Because their tongue and their doings Are against the LORD, To provoke the eyes of His glory. The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.
In these verses, we see that Jerusalem at that time was blatant and unashamed in their sin. Therefore they were likened to the city of Sodom which was bold in its homosexuality. This seems to be a characteristic of those who practice homosexuality. They want to “declare” their lifestyle. It is not enough to sin in secret. There is something about this sin that makes them want to display it, to parade their lifestyle. Part of the LGBT movement is to push our culture into accepting the lifestyle as a respectable choice instead of sin.
Gay Christians?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (see also Ephesians
Some people argue that they can practice homosexuality and still follow God. The truth is that they “cannot inherit his kingdom”. They cannot walk with God, do his work, nor enjoy his blessings until they repent. The good news is that they can be saved from the lifestyle of homosexuality as some people in the Corinthian church had been. “Such were some of you”. They can be freed from this sinful lust and made clean in Jesus Christ. They have a choice. It may be hard, but in Christ is our hope and victory. The Holy Spirit has the power to change our lives.
God Judges ALL sin. This one also.
For those who choose to not repent of this lifestyle and behavior, they are condemned by the Law of God (I Timothy 1:9-10). They are in danger of everlasting fire (Jude 1:7), and are reserved for punishment with the unjust on the day of judgment (II Peter 2:6-10).
Can a homosexual change? YES!
1 Corinthians 6:11 There were former homosexuals in the Corinthian church. They turned to God through his Son, Jesus, and were freed and made right with God.
1 John 1:8-10 If we confess to God our sin, he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us.
Ephesians 4:17-32 Sinful lifestyles are like old clothes. God makes it possible in Jesus to put on new, right ways of living. Piece by piece, we put off the old, and put on the new.
Romans 6:8-14 If we die to ourselves, and let Jesus Christ live in us, we can die to sinful lusts that once controlled us. We are able to give our bodies to righteousness and sinful lusts will no longer dominate over us.
Kings 15:19-13 God even expects nations to change. He wants them to pass laws in agreement with his laws about homosexuality.
Hope
As was stated at the beginning of the paper, the Lord is a God of love. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). This should determine how we relate to all people. None of us are without sin. We all want mercy.
However, do not confuse mercy with approval. Work to bring all people, including homosexuals, to the Lord’s repentance. Refuse to agree with those in our culture who promote homosexuality as natural and acceptable. Speak the truth in love.
Call sin what it is. Agree with God and his Word.
- Bob Wilson (This article may be copied freely.)
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