It is no secret that most of the discussion of homosexuality in the media, in personal conversations and even in the church, takes place within a negative framework. What I mean by this, is that those who believe homosexuality is wrong, are cast as haters who are causing great harm as they discriminate against homosexuals by withholding marriage rights, limiting job opportunities in certain fields, and adding emotional stress by suggesting their lifestyles are wrong.
Biblically, the only form of sexual behavior that is approved by God and therefore safe for mankind, is that which takes place between one man and one woman within their marriage:
Gen. 2:18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
This passage from Genesis is affirmed by Jesus in Matt. 19:4-6, but also consider His words on heterosexual lust:
Matt. 5:18 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
What is my point? Simply to remind us that the only sexual activity that God approves of, and is therefore safe and good for us, is that which takes place between one man and one woman within their marriage. We are quick to condemn homosexuality as sin and maybe heterosexual adultery as well, but are we as quick to condemn the heterosexual lust we may have for those we are not married to?
What stance should the church take toward those who experience heterosexual lust for someone they are not married to? We should acknowledge that it is sin and encourage them to engage the help of God and others to fight this fleshly desire, even though it seems so natural. If someone is unrepentant and unwilling to take their sin serious, we should take those steps Jesus spelled out for helping keep the church pure and encourage repentance as found in Matt. 18:15-18, and in Paul's letter to the Galatians in Gal. 6:1-5.
OK, what about the person who engages in a heterosexual adulteress relationship? Well, we should call their actions sin and lovingly call them to stop the behavior, because it is a sin against God and by definition bad for them, society and the church. If they refuse to repent, we should again take the steps outlined above, because we love them enough to want to help them, and love the church enough to fight for its purity.
Finally, what about the same kinds of sexual thoughts and activities within the framework of homosexuality? Well, it seams plain that we should have the same attitude and take the same kinds of actions!
Am I saying that someone who has sexual thoughts about those of the same sex could join and remain a member of the church? Yes, just as much a someone who has lustful heterosexual thoughts for those who they are not married to, as long as they are believing it to be sin and fighting the battle God calls each of to wage against sin in the power of the Spirit. It is a biblical truth that allowing sinful thoughts to reign will often lead to sinful actions:
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Scripture further describes the necessity of and ability to fight sin, along with the blessings of doing so:
Gal. 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
OK, I see one argument coming that must be addressed. What about homosexual activity within a marriage, assuming it is legal? Is that kind of homosexual behavior OK, because it takes place within a marriage? If not, is this not terribly unfair, or even cruel, as it withholds sexual pleasure completely from those who are naturally attracted to those of the same sex?
This is a painful truth for many to accept, but we must get our information on what is OK, good for society and beneficial to us from God's word. His word is clear, homosexual behavior is sin, is bad for society and is harmful to those who engage in it. This argument all comes down to whether we believe God's word is accurate and authoritative. Does this mean those who practice homosexuality within or outside of a legally recognized marriage will have a worse life, by human standards, simply because they do these things? No, but we can't always see the spiritual consequences of our actions. Just like a child often can't see the love in the rules set forth by their parents, we can't always see the purpose behind God's loving commands for us (See a previous blog illustration of this here). However, if we believe God is all wise and that He loves us, then we can stop debating the rightness of homosexuality and other things God calls sin, and get down to the all important work of trusting Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross to save all who believe upon Him from the consequences of our sin, and depending on the power of the Spirit and the church to help us fight the good fight against sin!
Someone who fights against sexual sin, heterosexual or homosexual, can find love, joy and peace from God, even as they deny themselves these fleshly desires (see Gal. 5:22 above). Also, there are many who formerly practiced homosexuality, but eventually repented and found, by Gods grace, the desire for a heterosexual relationship and ended up in a heterosexual marriage. However, our refusal to call these things sin, can only serve to cut us off from the power and purposes of God!
I know they often mean well, but those who refuse to condemn sexual sin, as defined by God's word, are putting themselves at odds with God and doing great harm to others as they encourage them to disobey Him!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
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