Part 7: Today's Questions and Problems
Bible-believing Christians must examine what the Word of God tells about:
(1)
The individual homosexual and
(2)
The practice of homosexuality.
There is great difference between the two and they must be considered carefully. But let us briefly examine what the Bible tells us about itself. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 15 through 17 (NIV) reads:
. . .you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Only the Bible can define moral right or wrong. The wisdom or wiles of mankind cannot determine the thoughts of God. The Word of God must be learned and followed even though its directions might seem contrary to what we believe or what is culturally acceptable.
Let us examine the attitude Christians should have regarding homosexuals. Jesus said in Mark 12, Verse 31 that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. He continued saying “There is no commandment greater than these.”
Clearly, as followers of the Christ who died to save all of mankind, Christians must not hate or discriminate against homosexuals. It is a self-evident truth that Christians must love the sinner even though they might hate the sin.
But, does God consider the practice of homosexuality to be a sin? The answer is found in the book of Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 24-27:
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
It is obvious that God disapproves of homosexuality. But he does not necessarily disapprove of the individual who is homosexual. The penalty for the individual who continues this violation of scripture is found in Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 19--21:
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery...factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like . . . those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Christians should never hate the individual homosexual. But they should dislike the practice of homosexuality and know that it is sinful. This is not an irrational phobia on the part of Christians; it is a logical conclusion based on the Word of God, the Bible. Christians should lovingly confront practicing homosexuals with Biblical truths so that they, too, may inherit the Kingdom of God.
But, can homosexuals ever please God? If so it cannot be by ignoring the scriptures which condemn homosexual practice. Neither can it be by legitimizing homosexual practices. These will not please God for His word is clear and unchanging. Let us review First Corinthians, Chapter 6, Verses 9-11 for an answer:
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
The scripture speaks to those whose sinful practices made them unworthy of the kingdom of God. But they were sanctified through Christ and became justified by their obedience to the will of God. One step toward full obedience is to repent and follow the sinful ways no longer. They must leave the sinful life. Repentance includes both the homosexual and those who discriminate or deride the homosexual. Truly, both need to change their attitudes and practices.
A discriminatory attitude toward homosexuality deeply pervades our culture. Christians, however, should be repentant and end their discriminations toward those who are homosexual. It is, however, a two-way street: Homosexuals should, after their repentance, patiently forgive those who cannot find a way to accept them. However, teachers and counselors of the church are available to help and advise as might be required. Later, through one's obedience to God, the repentant homosexual will soon find that the church membership will judge him on the sincerity of his repentance, obedience to God and his good works and not on the nature of his past.
But many say that homosexuality is inborn, a result of genetics. They say it cannot be helped. But, the proofs of this are weak. Alcoholism is also thought to be a genetically determined disease. Genetically acquired or not, the scriptures teach that the practice must be eliminated from one's life. Alcoholics can do this, why not homosexuals?
The scriptures show us that homosexuality is displeasing to God and can result in eternal condemnation. Clearly homosexuals must eliminate homosexuality from their lives and obey the gospel of Christ to become pleasing to God. Even should the genetic disorder theory be true, repentant homosexuals must live according to God’s rules. They must please God through their lives of sexual purity. God’s power is available to help those who call on Him. First Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verse 13 tells us that:
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it