THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF HOMOSEXUALITY - Part II

(This article was originally printed in February, 2008.)

Over the years we have received many e-mails, letters, phone calls, etc. from former homosexuals, fornicators, gamblers, drug addicts, and many others who have been in bondage to just about every sin you can imagine.  Praise the Lord, the majority of them have been saved!  However, there are always those who do not want to change and do not see their need for a Savior.  Yes, we are taking a very strong stand against homosexuality, but I want to make it clear that we also take exactly the same stand against any and all lifestyles of sin.  We do not just single out the homosexual.  Unfortunately though, our society has seemingly embarked upon an all-out attempt to make homosexuality acceptable, and so we are compelled as watchmen to address its dangers.  There were, in fact, many sins besides homosexuality going on in Sodom and Gomorrah, which contributed to the downfall of these cities, but it was the very nature of the particular sin we are addressing now that ultimately destroyed the life of this entire civilization.

SCRIPTURAL INSIGHT

In order to gain further insight into why this is so, let’s look again at Romans 1:26-32:  “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:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense 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, maliciousness; 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.”  You see, homosexuality goes against God’s Law of nature and, therefore, has exceptionally disastrous consequences.  As flawed human-beings we always seem to make the mistake of thinking that truth is relative to our own experience, and thereby, elevating our own ideas and philosophies above Biblical Truth.  For instance, the homosexual might say, “Well, I’ve always felt this way, so it must be normal/natural.”  But, God’s natural design is quite different.  Every person should strive to know His order instead of their own “personal preferences.”

PERVERSION

In the above verse of Scripture, the word “natural” in the Greek is “phusis,” and means “the nature of things, the force, laws, order of nature, as opposed to that which is monstrous, abnormal, perverse.”  The word “unseemly” in the Greek is “aschemosune,” and means “want of form, disfigurement, deformed, one’s nakedness, shame.”  The word “vile” is “atimia,” meaning a “dishonor, ignominy, and disgrace.”  The word “error” is “plane,” and means “a wandering, roving, or wrong action.”  It carries the idea of an individual forcing his natural instincts, which were created by God, into perversion.  Sadly, many homosexuals and lesbians have experienced change in emotional, mental, and even physical appearances for the worse.  In other words, their homosexuality shows in their mannerisms, which are repulsive because they go against natural/normal design.  The word “women,” as used in the above verse, is not the same word used, such as, in John 4:9.  The Greek word used is “thelus,” which means “a female,” a word which points more specifically to the gender role.  The women were not trying so much to change the gender, but rather its purpose respecting the sexual sense.  Trying to “change” the purpose is the reason that Paul used the Greek word for “female.”  In the most rebellious and disgraceful way, these women were altering what God had designed for their gender, and in so doing, they took their role from a far higher purpose down to a far lower and degrading use.  And, as we have seen, sin is never without its consequences.  “Recompence” in the Greek is “antimisthian,” and means “a reward given in compensation, requital, recompense.”  This word used in the above Scripture from Romans refers to the natural result of their sin as ordained by Divine Law, as it essentially pays them back for what they have done.

Many times people try to tell us that there is nothing in the Bible which speaks against homosexuality (which we have more than disproven in this and the previous article), or they only point to the Old Testament, excluding the teachings of the New Testament, such as in the example given below.  This is an example of the kind of e-mails I have recently received:

E-MAILS

“Dear God Fearing Souls,

If you are going to use God’s word to attack, condemn and hurt people, then at least be complete in Your ‘Call to Duty.’  I give you the following ammunition to assist you in your Task.  Deuteronomy 22:5(‘. . . woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man . . .’); Deuteronomy 22:22 (‘If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die . . .’); Exodus 21:15 (‘And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death’); Exodus 21:17 (‘And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death’); Exodus 35:2 (‘. . . on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD . . .’); Leviticus 20:13 (‘If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination . . .’); Leviticus 24:16 (‘And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him . . .’); and, Deuteronomy 21:18-2 (‘. . . our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.  And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die . . .’).  I will help you further and sum it up for you.  I expect you to show the same hatred and fear that you show homosexuals to children that ‘smiteth’ their parent, children that curseth their parents, adulterers, those that ‘worketh’ on the Sabbath, those wearing clothing of the opposite sex, and those that take the Lord’s name in vain.  All are abominations to God and punishable by death (usually stoning).  I expect to see preachers teaching those women wearing pants ‘should be stoned to death.’  I expect people to stand outside of the homes of children ‘who rebelleth against thy parent’ or ‘curseth’ their parents with signs stating they are ‘abominations’ and ‘should be stoned to death.’  I expect God fearing people to come together and ‘stone to death’ those that work on the Sabbath Day.  I expect people to tell those committing any of these ‘abominations’ that God hates them and that they are going to Hell.  When I see this come to fruition, then I will know ‘You’ are truly following God’s commands completely, as clearly laid out in the Bible.  But until then, I choose to love my neighbor as myself and to know that we are all human, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, or not ,and all have done something to be ‘stoned to death’ for.  I choose to believe in a God that loves instead of hates.  You choose your own path and leave me to mine.  And, if along the way we should meet, I will gladly offer you a hand if you need it.  I pray you might do the same.  Amen.”

In response to this e-mail, I first want to say that The Old Testament Law, which you referred to, was completely fulfilled by Jesus Christ when He shed His Precious Blood at Calvary, so punishments like “stoning” are no longer in effect.  The old Law of Moses and its penalties were all done away with in Christ.  Even the old dietary laws were done away with.  Paul said that we are free to eat and partake of these things.  It was only the moral law, the sins of the flesh, which carried on to the New Testament including the Ten Commandments.  The only one of the Ten Commandments which was not carried over was the law regarding the Sabbath because the Sabbath Day of Rest was a type of the Rest that was fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah.  In other words, Jesus is “the Day of Rest.”  Now, you mentioned Deuteronomy 22:5 which says, “The woman shall not wear that which pertains unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do are an abomination unto the Lord.”  This does not mean that a woman is not supposed to wear pants.  Men didn’t even wear pants in those days like they do today.  They wore robes like a lot of Middle Eastern men still do presently.  This verse was simply a statement against cross-dressing in general.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

It is, furthermore, a widely held misconception in the world today that homosexuality is only mentioned and dealt with in the Old Testament.  This is a false and outright disregard for God’s Word.  Homosexuality has been condemned in the New Testament under the New Covenant as well as under the old Levitical Law.  Here are some more examples besides the ones already mentioned in the beginning of this article.  “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” (Rom. 1:31-32). “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good” (II Tim. 3:3).  “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 Vs. 7).  All of this evidence cannot be overlooked nor misunderstood.  God still considers homosexuality a sin.  And, while God is a God of Love, He is also a God of Judgment.  Yes, He has given mankind the dispensation of Grace under which to live in for the time being, but that does not mean He will not judge sin. It is just that, under Grace, His Judgment will come after death to those who continued in their life of sin.  “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived . . .” (I Cor. 6:9).

THE LOVE OF GOD!

You also addressed the Love of God in your e-mail.  God demonstrated the greatest act of Love ever known when He sent His only Son down to Earth to die for all sinners so that we might be Saved.  However, God saves man from sin, not in sin.  There is no such thing as a homosexual coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and then continuing in his former lifestyle.  That is not possible.  The harsh truth is that homosexuality is a sin against God, against society, against nature, and against the human body, which should be a temple of the Holy Spirit.  The Lord, however, is not a respecter of persons.  In other words, no particular sin makes one sinner any worse than another sinner.  He hates all sin, and the wage of every sin is death.  Ultimately, though, God loves the sinner!  He hates alcohol, but He loves the alcoholic.  He hates murder, but He loves the murderer.  And God hates homosexuality, but He loves the homosexual.  The answer to homosexuality is not its legalization or public acceptance any more than such absurdity is the answer for the murderer.  There is no profit in saying, “I have no choice in the matter,” “Society just has to accept me as I am,” or “God made me this way.”  The answer lies not in trying to justify the sin; the answer is deliverance from this humiliating and corrosive bondage.  And, yes, praise God, there is no bondage that Jesus Christ cannot break!  When Jesus hung on the Cross at Calvary, he died not only for the heterosexual sinner, but for the homosexual as well.  The Blood He shed on Calvary’s Cross was for everyone!  So yes, there is help and hope for the homosexual, but it is not through science, education, or liberalization of laws.  It comes only through the repentance of sin and the recognition of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!  This is the only answer there will ever be, and the only way positive change can ever occur!  Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is the Only Way!

TRUE LOVE NEVER LIES

So, why, one might ask, are many religious organizations and/or “churches” so tolerant and accepting, refusing to tell homosexuals the Truth?  Why are many hiding what the Bible truly teaches?  What do they have to gain by insisting that God will accept homosexuals “just as they are”?  The answer is actually quite frightening, the bottom line being that they have a hidden agenda.  Now, while the average layman in these churches may not be aware of the plan, those higher in the ranks of leadership know exactly what they are doing.  Sinner, please understand that such a leader’s seemingly remarkable reception of you is not because they love you.  Remember, love never lies.  Don’t let them fool you with the promise of God’s favor; they know what the Bible says!  What these religious elite are actually doing is working with governmental authorities to establish their own “kingdom” on Earth, in which they may rule the masses.  You see, it is the ultimate goal of any evil dictatorship to combine church and state.  Why? — because nothing can control people better than religion.  It is far more binding than secular socialism or communism, and they know that the homosexual (or sinner of any stripe) will not come to the church if he will be confronted regarding his sin.  They cannot easily gain your trust, cooperation, and submission if they offend you, can they?  Listen to Aldous Huxley, member of the Fabian Society which sought the gradual worldwide spread of socialism by peaceful means:  “As political and economic freedom diminishes, sexual freedom tends compensatingly [sic] to increase.  And the dictator . . . will do well to encourage that freedom.  In conjunction with the freedom to daydream [shifting focus from reality to fantasy or imagination] under the influence of dope, movies and the radio, it will help to reconcile his subjects to the servitude which is their fate.”^v.1

THE TRUTH!

People who want control will always try to seduce with illusions of acceptance in order to “compensate for the loss of freedom and privacy in the collective or ‘healthy’ community.”^v.2  Indeed we are now seeing some of America’s most popular politicians and “pastors” working together, supposedly to solve society’s ills and/or manage the crisis events of the nation such as the AIDS crisis, poverty, or terrorism.  These leaders understand that people today are often educated enough to know better than to depend on their government, but many are not quite as reluctant to place trust in a “church.”  In fact, part of the plan is to make the local church a sort-of community center, where all the basic needs of life can be met, including health care.  Listen to Rick Warren’s statement posted on the advertisement for his 2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church:  “Just being tested for HIV/AIDS has proven to promote healthier behavior.  And in many communities, churches are the most trusted organizations ­— where people would be willing to go for testing and counseling.”^v.3  Yes, they even plan on testing for AIDS, the most dreaded and incurable disease facing the world today.  But, what other motives could these men have for gathering and data-banking such information?  Do you really trust religious organizations enough to protect your personal health record, especially one that does not clearly tell you what their most Holy Book really teaches?  Even if you do not agree that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, wouldn’t you at least rather listen to the people who will honestly tell you what it says?  Would you not rather trust someone who openly disagrees with your chosen path of life than one who will lie to you?  The Truth is, God does love you and is reaching out to you through His genuine servants who are telling you the Truth, even if it means losing your friendship.

1 (Brave New World, Aldous Huxley.  New York:  HarperCollins, 1932. xvii.)

2 (Berit Kjos, Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan and UN Goals – Part 3. September 2005) (http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/peace-un-3.htm

3 (http://www.purposedriven.com/..../..../..../Rainey_Ortberg_Blake_to_help_churches_at_upcoming_summit.htm)

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