Homosexuality
There is an
attitude, unfortunately, which many Christians hold towards certain kinds of
immorality, which would indicate that they have a scale by which they can
actually measure sin. They identify some sins as Very Bad, and some as
just Bad, then down the scale they go to Not-so-bad, and finally Rather
Trivial. Just how they arrive at this evaluation is beyond me, because as I
understand it all sin is equal in God’s sight as sin, just as all cracks
in a window are cracks regardless of their size, and one sin is all one needs
to disqualify one’s self from heaven. It is not as if God allows a certain
number of sins through and then decides on a cut-off point, when the sins reach
a certain level. It is not as if He has a ‘celestial seismograph’ which swings
wildly when certain sins show up, but hardly moves at all for others.
But some Christians
overlook the absolute holiness of God, and place homosexuality at the Very Bad
end of the scale, and there they keep it, as if there is hardly another sin
which can compete with it. They then use God’s Word to justify their prejudice,
and ignore many far more obvious sins in their attempt to oppose this one sin.
Lesbianism, by the way, usually comes a close second.
Another difficulty
I have with the anti-homosexual view is its tendency to label this sin as
particularly “immoral” because it is “of the flesh”, that is ‘tactile’ or
‘skin-to-skin’, whereas the truth is, a sin does not need to be physical to be
immoral. An equally “immoral” sin is thievery, despite its many non-physical
forms. (Credit card abuse, stealing off the Internet, greedy thoughts). The
Bible labels all sins as immoral – pride, jealousy, theft, violence, cursing,
laziness . . . there is no particular distinction made between any of them. All
immorality is sin, and all sin is immorality, therefore “all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God”.
So we must start
with a level playing field when we deal with this subject, partly because it is
the best way to start, and partly because there have been many homosexuals and
lesbians who have been emotionally wounded by the over-zealous attacks made on
them by some Christians, who single them out for broadsides of criticism. Let
us be fair and just here. There is no point in stomping on those we wish to see
saved.
The Bible and
homosexuality.
The subject of
homosexuality starts in Genesis, where it describes how God made Adam and then
had to find a suitable ‘helpmeet for him. He created a woman and brought her to
the man. Male met female and the beginning of the human race was founded
on the male/female bond. Obviously, a primary reason for this dual-unit was to
produce offspring, but there was a deeper reason – that of a full presentation
of the Godhead.
Without wanting to
make too much of this, it is very important to realise that God can best reveal
Himself through both the male and female sides of His creation. This is
emphasised billions and billions of times in the world of Nature. Nearly all
plants and animals present male and female aspects, and usually they need each
other in order to propagate themselves. Even on this basic biological level it
is obvious that homosexuality is an aberration from the divine pattern.
A second important
aspect is the fact that males and females in marriage represent in some
mysterious way the union between Christ and his Church. One man for one woman
for life. A holy union with both parties working together to create a small
patch of heaven for their children.
To most homosexuals
(and lesbians – please add them at most points in this article) the above would
probably be quite irrelevant, because most homosexuals are not committed
Christians, so they would not be interested in knowing about Christ and his
Church. If they were Christians, they would not be homosexuals, because
homosexuality is totally incompatible with Christianity.
Now I would like to
present simply and briefly what the Bible says about homosexuality (and its
related practises). My intention is to present just what the Bible says, no
more no less, and allow the Reader to make up his or her own mind.
Gen.19:4,5. In this chapter we find the people
of
So we see that it
was partly because of the sexual immorality in
“The men of
There were no
righteous people in
They committed
adultery, walked in lies, and strengthened the hands of evildoers – Jer. 23:14
They were hard, or
stubborn, or defiant people – Is.3:9
The most explicit reason for the destruction
of
What does God
think of sexual immorality?
“You shall not lie
with a male as with a female. It is an abomination” – Lev.18:22. The word
“abomination” means ‘something to be abhorred’. Perhaps a good illustration of
this word would be the bride to be, walking up the isle, dressed all in pure
white with a brand new, very expensive silk gown, when suddenly a dirty, muddy
child comes running towards her. She would not want any of that mud to attach
itself to her dress – her wedding would be ruined. She would abhor that mud.
As I was saying
before, the sin of homosexuality is really just one of many similar sins, yet
it seems that the focus is frequently on this one alone. If one reads the whole
of Leviticus 18, one finds a long list of sexual sins. Incest is the
main one, but there is also adultery, child sacrifice, sex with animals, and
sex with close relatives. God did not intend the gift of sex to be used in a
wide variety of contexts, but rather in the narrow confines of a ‘heterosexual’
relationship.
The name
Another case of
homosexuals turning to violence to gratify their desires is found in Jud.
19:22: “Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold the men of the
city, certain sons of Belial (the name means ‘worthless scoundrels, or, sons of
the devil) beset the house round about and beat on the door . . . saying ‘Bring
out the man that came into your house, that we may know him’”. From this
example we can see that when a person turns from God’s Law, and follows their
sinful nature, they allow the devil to have control, ending with their own
destruction – as the account shows. Galatians 6:7 and 8 also warn us of this
process with its inevitable conclusion.
Again, in 1Kings
14:24 we find people who are similar to those we read about in
The word ‘Sodomite’
comes from the Hebrew word ‘quadesh’ and means ‘consecrated’, or ‘devoted’. The
original Sodomites were not inhabitants of
There are some who
say that homosexuality is not mentioned in the New Testament, and that the
whole issue as to whether it is right or wrong, is an ‘Old Testament’ thing.
There are even Christians who claim that because they are no longer ‘under the
Law’, they are now free to do whatever they like. Paul, of course, anticipated
this idea and quickly knocked it down “Shall we continue in sin that grace may
abound? God forbid!” And just in case there are still those who say “It says
nothing against homosexuality in the New Testament”, here are some references
which make it quite clear that it is still a sin.
Rom.1:24-32
Paul explains here that people have a choice. They can either choose to
obey God or they can go the other way, but Paul also points out that for every
choice people make, there is a consequence. If people choose to turn away from
God Paul sets out the steps which will normally follow.
“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 . . .”
Paul uses curiously
veiled words here, speaking of the this ‘penalty of their error’ or, as the
King James puts it “the recompense of their error which was meet”. What Paul is
saying is that for this kind of sexual sin there is a recompense, or suitable
retribution waiting to be released. The error which homosexuals and lesbians
commit is really their own wandering from God’s ways. It is their personal
choice to take a wrong action, against the counsel of their conscience. The
Amplified New Testament finishes the verse off with “Suffering in their own
bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences.”
Just what exactly
this means is the subject of another study, but there are some statistics
coming in today which suggest that (comparatively) homosexuals and lesbians do
not usually enjoy a strong, or lasting bond, nor do they have much security, or
happiness, nor do they raise children very well as the statistics suggest that
children are in more danger from abuse or neglect in a homosexual or lesbian
home, than in a home where they have a mother and a father. There is also the
problem of role models. But even if
these results were the other way round it would still be wrong. What God
requires of us is obedience, not experiments or variations.
Christians are
commanded to avoid all fellowship ties with unbelievers, where the relationship
is ‘incongruous’ – 2Cor.6:11-18. This means that a Christian must not be in a
relationship or fellowship with a practising homosexual or lesbian, or, for
that matter, any of the other forms of sexual aberration.
Eph.5:1-12
shows how Christians ought to react towards certain kinds of person. The list
is extensive but it includes sexual uncleanness.
Titus 2:12
“For God’s mercy has appeared with salvation for all men, teaching us to
renounce godless ways and worldly passions, and live serious, upright, and
godly lives in this world.”
The occasion may
arise when some person who practices some sexual immorality may wish to become
a Christian, yet not renounce his or her sin. The Church is instructed to
reject such a person from full, free fellowship – 1Cor.5:9-13, yet not to spurn
and hate that person.
1Cor.5:1-8. then see 2 Cor. 7:11. Paul has
previously condemned fornication, and then, in his next letter to the
Corinthians he says “For (you can look back now and) observe what this same
godly sorrow has done for you and has produced in you: what eagerness and
earnest care to explain and clear yourselves (of all complicity in the
condoning of incest); what indignation
(at the sin), what alarm, what yearning, what zeal (to do justice to all
concerned), what readiness to mete out punishment (to the offender)!” –
Amplified new Testament
1Tim.1:10.
In this passage Timothy lists a number of sins. He includes lawlessness,
insubordination, murder of family or others, fornication, sodomy,
kidnapping, lying, perjury and other unspecified sins. Note how Timothy places
sodomy beside kidnapping. The King James, for ‘sodomy’ says “them that defile
themselves with mankind”.
1Cor. 6:9,10. In
this list of sins, Paul includes “the effeminate, adulterers, idolaters” and so
on, and adds that people who persist on practicing these sins will never get
into God’s kingdom. This should be a severe warning to those who think they can
continue to sin and yet still be ‘saved’.
Looking back into
the Old Testament again, it is interesting to see how God used the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah as a sort of pattern, to explain His dealings with Israel
– Deut.29:23, and Babylon – Is.13:19, and Edom – Jer.49:18, and Moab and Ammon
– Zeph.2:9, and also for our own admonition, because we are reminded to
“remember Lot’s wife” – Luke 17:32. On the one hand the wicked are told to turn
from wickedness and flee without looking back – and on the other hand, the
righteous are also told to turn and flee from wickedness and not look back –
Ez.3:18-21.
Skeptics have
questioned not only the whole story of
The word Pillar”
actually means “a memorial”. The lesson seems to be that if Christians stop and
gaze longingly back at their old life, they may become spiritually frozen, and
turn into memorials to failure.
Further notes on
the subject, gathered from MacDonald’s ‘Believer’s Bible Commentary’:
There is a difference
between being a practicing homosexual and having a tendency to be one. It is
the practice which the Bible defines as sinful, not the orientation. There are
many men who have a natural attraction to other men, and women who are
attracted to other women, but such attractions are not to be followed. By the
power of the Spirit, and by simple obedience to God’s Word, people can refuse
the temptation and free themselves from the consequences.
Why do some people
sometimes feel attracted to the same sex? If it is the way God made them, why
should they resist it? The fact is, God never made humans that way. In the
beginning God created the woman for the man, but over time the human race has
degenerated. Many of the pure blessings which Man began with are now mixed with
the impurities of sin.
God has given
Mankind basically four kinds of love. C.S.Lewis has written a wonderful book
about these “The Four Loves” and explained how they work. When these four kinds
of love are allowed to operate in the right context and at the right time, full
and rich relationships can be obtained, without any need to resort to sexual
sin. Perhaps one of the reasons why people take up aberrant relationships is
because they are ignorant of what God has already provided? As God said “It is not
good that man should be alone” Gen.2:18, so God made a woman for the
man.
By deciding to do
this God indicated what was best for the man, and also indicated both to
homosexuals and to lesbians that they have chosen second best.