There are a lot of misconceptions and opinions out there about homosexuality and Christianity. Are they compatible or are they not? Everyone has an opinion - as do I. But I'm going to try to avoid opinion and stick with Scripture. Now if you don't believe in the Bible as the Word of God, then this article won't really matter much. But if you do claim to be a Christian and believe that the Bible is the inerrant and true Word of God, then I hope this gives you some insight into this often difficult subject.
First, God loves everyone. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) This applies to everyone no matter their sexual orientation. We have all sinned and we all fall short of who God wants us to be. "But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us." (Rom 5:8) You can measure love many ways and to many degrees. But I think we can all agree that to give one's life for another is the ultimate expression of the deepest love. So, yes, God loves homosexuals, heterosexuals, trans-sexuals, etc. He loves us all equally.
Second, God dislikes sin. To rid of us of sin is why He died. It was important enough for Him to give His life in order to give us a path to freedom from sin, so He does not take it lightly. He tells us to "hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (Rom 12:9) So what things, then, does God define as evil?
Well, for one, pretty much anything that doesn't glorify God could be counted as evil. Because "they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.... God gave them over to shameful lusts.... Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.... the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men...." (Rom 1:21-27) People made a choice to go their own way, so God let them, and gave them over to the consequences of their decisions, just as parents sometimes, reluctantly do. This passage hits all sexual immorality - heterosexual and homosexual - one is no worse than the other. They are both unnatural and indecent based upon God's plan for us. So what else does God define as evil? "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful... they disobey their parents." (Rom 1:29-30) So - if you're one of those who is adamant and vocal about your opposition to homosexuality - take a look at the above characteristics. Do any of those fit you? Perhaps you're a bit arrogant in your judgment of homosexuals? Then you're no different. It's all wicked, evil, greedy (because it's what WE want to do, rather than what GOD wants us to do) and depraved.
But wait - there's more. God encourages us to "put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently.... not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension or jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Rom 13:13-14) Homosexuality was not specifically mentioned there - but sexual immorality is. And that's a blanket statement - any sexual immorality - homo- or heterosexual. But it is specifically mentioned elsewhere. "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral 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." (1 Cor 6:9-10) So, yes, the Bible is specific about homosexuality being wrong. But it's also specific about adultery, theft, greed, drunkenness and slander. All in the same sentence. No one sin distinguished or set apart from the other.
What, then, do we say to those who believe that homosexuals are born that way? While we may not know for certain that this IS the case, we are also not certain that this is NOT the case. So let's assume that it is something that many or all homosexuals are born with. Then what?
First, from a non-biblical perspective, there is evidence that some, for example, can be born with a predisposition to alcoholism. Does this then make alcoholism justified and excused? Or does it simply make it harder for those individuals to resist the physical urges within their bodies? Is it okay and justified because it's what we want to do - because it's what we feel compelled to do? Based upon the above verses - and many I did not mention - the Bible is clear that homosexuality (a form of sexual immorality) is a sin. So does this then excuse the sin? Not at all. The Bible addresses this as well.
So what does the Bible say about resisting natural urges, desires or predispositions? "If we have been united with Him like this in His death (if we have been saved).... we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Rom 6:5-7) "Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness.... For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom 6:12-14) "I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness." (Rom 6:19-20) "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (Rom 8:5) "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Rom 13:14) What all this means is simply this - just because it's a natural desire or predisposition doesn't make it right. We are all predisposed to sin. It's how we are born. If we focus on and seek to gratify our natural (sinful) desires, then we sin and "the wages of sin is death." (Rom 6:23) But by the grace given through Christ, we can be freed from those sins - whether it be homosexual sin, heterosexual sin, or any other behavior mentioned previously. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:23)
Based upon all of this, it is my confident and firm belief that homosexuality is not of God. It does not glorify God. It is of the sinful nature and therefore not compatible with godliness. So then what is a Christian to do with this knowledge?
"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Rom 15:7) He doesn't say to accept sin. He says to accept each other. Because we are all sinners - equally wicked in the sight of God. So what does God have to say to those who judge homosexuals? "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself because you who pass judgment do the same thing. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same thing, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Rom 2:1-4)
Homosexuality is a sin. Sexual immorality is a sin. Adultery is a sin. Drunkenness is a sin. Greed is a sin. Gossiping and slander is a sin. Envy is a sin. Arrogance is a sin. Being judgmental is a sin. We are all born with it. Yet none of us are excused from it as a result. "God's kindness leads you toward repentance."
The death of Christ on the cross gives us freedom from sin. We just have to choose to accept it.
No comments:
Post a Comment