Is Homosexuality Really Wrong?

Recently, the subject of homosexuality was brought up. The question was asked, “Is it really wrong?” Then, it was brought to my attention that in some “Christian” circles it is being taught that homosexuality was wrong in Old Testament times, but not in New Testament times. Excuse me? The New Testament has plenty to say against homo-sexuality! But before we go into that…let’s go back to the Old Testament and see what it has to say there: Homosexuality is first mentioned in Genesis 19. Since most of us know the story I won’t go into great detail here, but basically the story goes like this: When given the choice of land by his uncle in Genesis 13, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, decided to pitch “…his tent toward the city of Sodom” (verse 12). Before long (Genesis 19:1) we find that Lot has not only pitched his tent toward Sodom, but has moved his whole family into the city! In 2 Peter 2:7-8 we find that even though Lot was distressed by the filthy deeds he saw and heard, he was still willing to tolerate the wickedness of Sodom for social and material advantages. You see…like so many today in our own society…Lot’s great failure was that he loved personal gain more than he hated wickedness. If he had truly loved righteousness, instead of moving on into the city, Lot’s conviction would have caused him to remain separate from the wicked ways of sinful people. Perhaps he reasoned…as do some today…that the material advantages, culture, and pleasures of Sodom outweighed the dangers, and that he was strong enough spiritually to remain faithful to God. Thus, he exposed himself and his family to the immorality and ungodliness of Sodom, only to learn the bitter lesson that his family was NOT strong enough to resist its evil influences. (Parents! Take note! There is a lesson in this for us today as well! We must be careful not to place ourselves or our children in any “Sodom” lest we or they come to the same spiritual ruin as did the family of Lot!) In Genesis 19 we find that Lot is now living in Sodom. He is even at the gate which means that he probably had become a man of great wealth and power. One day, as he is sitting there two angels (angels that were sent there by the Lord Himself to destroy the city because of its wickedness) entered the city. Seeing them, Lot greeted them and invited them to spend the night at his home. The streets of Sodom were too dangerous for them to stay in. In verse 4 we find that after supper and before the men had even lay down for the night, the men of Sodom surrounded the house and they called out to Lot saying to him, “Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them!” (The term “know them” indicates that the men of the city wanted to sexually abuse the male strangers, thus the term “sodomy” gains its meaning.) At this point, Lot goes out into the street and begs the Sodomites not to do this evil thing that they have planned. He even offers them his two virgin daughters, but that’s not what they wanted. The story concludes, of course, with the angels striking the Sodomites blind, getting Lot and his family out of the city (they that were willing to go with him anyway…not all of them chose to), and destroying it because of its wickedness. Another example, and one of the greatest examples of corruption and depravity occurs at Gibeah in Judges 19. In this case we find a horrid example of those who were once God’s people giving themselves over to the lust of homosexuality and rape. They had become as wicked as the Sodomites! Leviticus 18:22 God’s stance on homosexuality is very clear! It says, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Okay…so…what does the New Testament have to say about all of this? Well…first of all…we are told in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus Christ is “…the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” His view of what’s right and what’s wrong does not change from one day to the next. In Galatians 3:19-29 we find the purpose of the Old Testament Law. Verse 24 tells us that the Law was given to us as a “…schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” In Matthew 5:17 Jesus tells us, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” In other words…the believer must not view the law as a system of legal commandments by which to obtain merit for forgiveness and salvation (only Jesus Christ can put away our sin), but, rather, the law must be seen as a moral code for those who are already in a saved relationship with God and who, by obeying it, express the life of Christ within themselves. Put more simply…the Law points out our sin and leads us to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ…which through Him only can we be saved. As far as I can see God’s views have not changed since the writing of the Old Testament, but…back to the question at hand…does the New Testament actually say ANYWHERE that homosexuality is wrong? The answer is…YES! It does! In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 it says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (sodomites), nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” In 1 Timothy 1:9-10 homosexuals are listed among the lawless, the disobedient, the ungodly, the unholy, and profane…namely sinners contrary to sound doctrine. Romans 1:24-32 says, “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature (lesbianism): And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman (heterosexual relations; one man for one woman; husband and wife; married sex), burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly (homosexuality), and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, mailiciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” According to Paul, in this passage, homosexual/lesbian abomination is the greatest evidence of human degeneracy resulting from immorality and abandonment by God. Any nation…ours included…that justifies homosexuality or lesbianism as an acceptable lifestyle is in its final stages of moral corruption. Paul’s last word on general human sinfulness is God’s condemnation of a condition even more damning than the practice itself and that is supporting, approving, and encouraging evil by taking pleasure in the immoral actions of others. This disposition is the ultimate in depravity…vicarious enjoyment of lust and evil. Sin becomes entertainment. In turn, those who use the immoral actions of others for entertainment and enjoyment are directly contributing to public opinion favorable to immorality and, therefore, to the corruption and eternal damnation of an indefinate number of other people. This sin is worthy of death and will be exposed and judged at the final day of judgment (2 Thes. 2:12). It is horrifying to me that mainstream denominations are teaching that homosexuality is okay. We find in the book of Jude that there will be severe judgment on teachers and preachers that teach so! It tells us that “…there are certain men (false teachers) crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude admonishes us to remember “…how that the Lord, having saved the people of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Jude goes onto to explain that these false teachers…despite the lessons that should have been learned from the past…will “…speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.” Verse 11 says , “Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.” The chapter goes on giving us example after example until finally in verses 14-16 it says, “And Enoch…prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.” Immediately, in verses 17-23, an exhortation to Christians follows. It says, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. You see…the Word is clear. Homosexuality IS wrong. False teachers…masquerading as “Christians” are teaching that it’s okay. But in reality…homosexuality is NOT okay! The good news is…there is HOPE! 1 Corinthians 6:11 says of the list we read earlier, “And such WERE some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.” Note the word “were”…PAST TENSE…”…such were some of you…” In other words…”…some of you used to be fornicators (sexually immoral)…some of you used to be idolaters…some of you used to be adulterers…some of you used to be effeminate (homosexuals)…some of you used to abuse yourselves with mankind (be sodomites)…but once you came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ…you stopped doing these vile things and now…you are free!” Bottom line is…if homosexuality is okay for us today…then God owes Sodom a huge apology. A person cannot claim to be a Christian and practice homosexuality. It is against God’s Word and it is wrong. But…praise God! Thanks to the work that Christ did on the cross for each and every one of us…deliverance from homosexuality is available.

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