Thursday, June 12, 2008

What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

There are those who like to say that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Various verses are cited (out of context) and the verses that people use to show that homosexuality is wrong are explained away. The world wants to change God's words and meanings into something more suitable to its sinful desires. Nevertheless, the truth stands: The Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin. Let's look at what it says.

Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"

1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."

Homosexuality is clearly condemned by the Bible. It goes against the created order of God. He created Adam and then made a woman. This is what God has ordained and it is what is right. Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple: They are given over to their passions. That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:18ff). As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing. Without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

What should be the Christian's Response to the Homosexual?

Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.
As a Christian, you should pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same you would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, you should show him same dignity as anyone else you come in contact with. However, this does not mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don't compromise your witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness.

The above is from:
http://www.carm.org/questions/homosexuality.htm

6 comments:

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

A good Biblical review.

Jeff said...

Thanks, Russ. In some churches in the U.S., a preacher could get in big trouble for even calling homosexuality a 'sin.' This is becoming more and more the case, and I believe it is only going to get worse. America has thrown out the Ten Commandments, and has embraced and protected immorality such as abortion, adultery and homosexuality, as well as false Religions such as Islam. As a result of tossing out morality, we see things such as kids shooting other kids in schools.

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

Yes, I discuss similar in my latest.

Jeff said...

The fact that you make your residence in England, Canada and Wales allows you to give a broader, more international perspective which I appreciate, with your being outside the U.S. Other than what I read, my experiences are only in the U.S., which limits my perspective somewhat.

Anonymous said...

Jeff,
thats a very good exposition. I'm sure it is reaching out to the hearts of everyone God is speaking to. You know thw devil is attacking the church with a disguised form of sex (sexual immorality) as I can call it. I'm trying to reach out through my blog la rennaissance at :acceptedagain.blogspot.com and I'll always need your forwarding me of relevant resources if you can to reach out to the purpose.
That's great.
Andrew

Jeff said...

Jeff,
thats a very good exposition. I'm sure it is reaching out to the hearts of everyone God is speaking to. You know thw devil is attacking the church with a disguised form of sex (sexual immorality) as I can call it. I'm trying to reach out through my blog la rennaissance at :acceptedagain.blogspot.com and I'll always need your forwarding me of relevant resources if you can to reach out to the purpose.
That's great.
Andrew


Thanks, Andrew.
Gay marriage is becoming legalized one state at a time, it seems. My state, Florida, will soon vote on it. Sodom and Gomorrah are being revitalized.