Today’s discussion, the third and last article on same sex marriage and homosexuality, will examine Christians who condone homosexuality and support same sex marriage.  

1.   How do religious leaders and other Christians rationalize their support of a homosexual lifestyle when the Scripture rejects it throughout the Old and New Testaments? (Leviticus 20: 1, Genesis 19: 1; 4-7; 10-13; 24, Judges 19: 22-24, Romans 1: 20-22; 24; 26-27, I Corinthians 6: 9-11)  

Here is one response from a gal who sent me an email after receiving the first article I wrote in this series on same sex marriage

“Hi Kent, I am your token Episcopalian, responding to your wonderful message on Same Sex Marriage.”   I was one of the 400 delegates who voted against the consecration of the active homosexual as our bishop.   I also voted against forming a liturgy to bless these relationships.   According to the views held by many liberal theologians in my church denomination, many of the Scriptures you mentioned in your first article on Same Sex Marriage condemning homosexuality would not hold water with them.”  

The following are three views that liberal theologians hold concerning homosexuality.   Each one addresses one of the Biblically based statements I made concerning homosexuality and same sex marriage.   This Episcopalian delegate, along with several others who are acquainted with the current liberal thinking infecting the church today, shared these liberal views with me.   

Statement 1

According to God’s Word 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 the entire culture (Sodom and Gomorrah) who accepted and practiced it (Genesis 19: 1; 4-7; 10-13; 24)?

The liberal theologian would say that homosexuality was not God’s reason for destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.   

My rebuttal - Gross sin is what caused God to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Homosexuality was highlighted in this passage because it was the best representative sin describing the grossness of these two cities. 

Statement 2

According to the God’s Word, His 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).

The liberal theologian would say that this passage was not about homosexuality but about rape.

My rebuttal- This passage deals with the sins of homosexually and rape.   Both were considered gross transgressions in God’s Word.

Statement 3

According to the New Testament, homosexual relationships were degrading acts as described in the book of Romans (Romans 1:20-22; 24; 26-27). 

The liberal theologian would say that this passage speaks of heterosexual people turning away from what came naturally to them…namely heterosexual intercourse…to that which is unnatural to them…homosexuality.   According to liberal litigators, this passage doesn’t apply to those to whom homosexuality comes naturally.          

My rebuttal- This passage speaks of gross sin that will condemn a person to hell if it is not dealt with through repentance and belief in Christ (Luke 13:3).  It is irrelevant whether the practice of homosexuality is thought to be a natural part of one’s make up or an acquired conduct; it condemns the one who refuses repentance in either case (I Cor. 6:9-11).

Luke 13: 3  “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

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. 

2.   How should you respond to religious leaders who support homosexuality and same sex marriage?

You need to totally reject their wisdom and leadership in these matters.   Jesus did this often with the religious leaders of His day who veered off course (Matthew 23:27-28). 

I also suggest that you leave a church whose leaders advocate and support such a sin.  If they are going to “blow it” with such an obvious sin as homosexuality then they will most likely continue to pervert other church doctrines in the years to come.

Matthew 23:27-28  27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 

3. Are religious leaders who support the sin of homosexuality Christians?  

I cannot make that judgment (Matthew 7:1).  However a believer who has truly made a commitment to Christ cannot live contently in a sinful state again.   Once a person repents and believes in Christ as Savior, the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to him or her upon belief (John 14:16-17, 21,26).  From there on the presence of the Holy Spirit does not allow any true believer to be at ease with sin.   So if a religious leader does not have any conviction against or guilt about the sin of homosexuality, then he or she most likely does not have the presence of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-11).  Therefore the faith claimed would be false.    

Matthew 7:1          “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

John 14: 16-17; 21 26   16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 21  “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 26  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Romans 8:5-11 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

4.  How do you address Christians living in a state of homosexuality?

If you know of a born again Christian (John3: 3-6,16) practicing homosexuality then you need to confront and discipline him or her according to guidelines outlined by Christ in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18: 15-18). This begins with a personal confrontation, a subsequent rebuke with the aid of other Christians, and finally an official separation if there is no resulting repentance.  

If you are not sure if they are Christians, ask them how they came to know Christ as Lord and Savior.   And if they did, then they should be reeling in guilt, because the Spirit that indwells them will convict them until they repent (I Cor. 6: 18-20).  If they are not believers then begin the process of sharing the Gospel with them.

John 3:3-6; 16  3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 16  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Matthew 18:15-17   15  “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.  16  “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be CONFIRMED 17  “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

I Cor. 6: 18-20 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.  19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  20  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.