The homosexual community has come “out of the closet” in recent years vigorously campaigning to be recognized and accepted.   In their continuing efforts they are now attempting to get same sex marriage legalized.   In response I have written three articles entitled: The Authors Behind Same Sex Marriage, Same Sex Marriage Versus God’s Design for Marriage, and The Christian Who Supports Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage.   The following is the first of those articles.

According to the Bible homosexuality is not only one of the Bible’s most grievous sins, it is also a practice strictly forbidden in any form.   Therefore the legalized union between two men or two women challenges everything the Bible teaches about marriage, which is solely to be between a man and a woman.    The Bible has much to say about the homosexual, the author of this disgraceful movement. 

What does the Old Testament say about homosexuality?  

1.   The Law from the very beginning forbade the practice of homosexuality.   It was considered a detestable act with grave consequences. 

Leviticus 20: 13 “ If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them.” 

2.  Continual acts of homosexuality were considered very wicked and a sign of a complete moral break down within a society; enough so for God to destroy a culture who accepted and practiced it.

Genesis 19: 1; 4-7; 10-13; 24 1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. 4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.”  6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway. 12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 24            Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.  

3.   God’s own people considered homosexual acts folly performed by worthless men.  The practice of homosexuality was considered a greater act of evil than the rape of a virgin daughter.

Judges 19: 22-24   22 While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him.”  23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly.  24  “Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man.”

What does the New Testament say about homosexuality?

1.   Homosexual relationships according to the New Testament are considered degrading acts.    Their very practice rejects God’s Word as presented through the Bible. 

Romans 1: 20-22; 24; 26-27   20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.            22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

2.   Homosexuals are identified with those who will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they repent and put their faith in Christ (Acts 2:38).     Their sinful practices are on the same level as idolaters, thieves, drunkards, and swindlers (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

Acts 2:38   38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I Corinthians 6: 9-11   9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 

How do we minister to the homosexual movement?   What shall we say of their efforts to legalize same sex marriage?

1.  As ministers of the Old Covenant

If we were ministers of the Old Covenant in Old Testament times our ministry would be very defined.  Homosexuality and all of its expressions (same sex marriage) would have been openly condemned and denounced.   We would have been duty-bound to execute those practicing it. 

The laws and consequences of disobedience under the Old Covenant during Old Testament times were strict and seemingly punitive, but caused knowledge and awareness of our sins.   That is the key purpose of the Old Covenant, to bring about an awareness of all of our sin, including homosexuality.   The ministry of the Old Covenant (The Law) was also a teaching tutor, which was designed to drive sinners to faith (Galatians 3:22-24). God ordained an entire era of time (Old Testament times) to teach His creation about its indwelling sin, the resulting consequences, and the eternal destiny if something was not done about it.     So as ministers of the Old Covenant our message to the homosexual would have been primarily the teaching and application of the law, which was purposed to drive him/her to faith.  The results of disobedience in this area would be execution.

Galatians 3: 22-25   22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith, which was later to be revealed.  24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

2.  As ministers of the New Covenant

We are not ministers of the Old Covenant but the New, which Christ gave to us when He came two thousand years ago.    And because of that Covenant our message to the homosexual changes.   This does not mean we totally abandon teaching the Law of the Old Covenant; it is what informs the sinner of sins and drives him/her to faith.  But our message is that of Christ who is the one who forgives the homosexual of sins; the One who is able to impart new life; the One who can empower the homosexual as well as all other sinners to walk away from a sinful lifestyle.   A homosexual who repents and puts faith in Christ will not only inherit eternal life, but will experience an abundant life, which the old sins of homosexuality could never provide.    The minute a homosexual gives his/her life to Christ is the minute he/she begins to come into a right relationship with God.  This opens the door for a right and appropriate relationship with all men and women.  This is the message we are obligated to preach to the homosexual, because we are ministers of the New Covenant.   Christ is not coming, He has come, and He has provided salvation for all, even the homosexual.   Therefore confessing Jesus as Lord (repenting and believing) and accepting His forgiveness for all of our sins, including the acts of homosexuality are the core of our message to the homosexual (Romans 10:8-11). 

Romans 10: 8-11   8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.

3. There is one major question that usually surfaces when ministering to the homosexual.  

Are homosexuals born homosexuals?

The answer is no!  There is no place in Scripture that even remotely indicates a man or woman is born to be a homosexual.    All men and women alike are born as sinners, and out of this inborn sin nature comes a variety of sinful bents (Romans 5:14-15).   Homosexuality is just one expression of this inborn sin nature.  Other men and women express their inborn sin through heterosexual promiscuity, while others through anger, drugs, gossip, or love of money (Galatians 5: 19-21).   When the homosexual receives Christ as Lord and Savior he or she will be saved from all of his/her sins, the foremost being homosexuality.   And after they have received the Lord, they may still struggle with their homosexuality, but not as before because they will have the Spirit of God, which will help them, put to death the old controlling sin of homosexuality (Romans 8:12 –13; 26-27).   

Romans 5:14-15      14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Galatians 5:19-21    19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 8:12 –13; 26-27    12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.