Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5 (RBK)
This chapter is based on 46 verses in 11 passages of Scripture
Note: All Scriptures in parenthesis appear in my book, Revealing God’s Design with Love, or can be looked up in any Bible.
Can a person be born or destined by God to be homosexual? No, not really, according to the Scriptures. No one, no matter what they believe about themselves or others, is designed or intended by God to be anything but a man or a woman He created with the normal desires of a man or woman. To think or live otherwise is to be in rebellion against His will and purpose. There are no exceptions with the God of the Bible: a man is to live his life as a man in all respects, and a woman is to do the same with her life. This not only applies to those who claim homosexuality, but also to those who try and change their gender.
To be made in the image of God, which we are according to God’s written revelation, includes acknowledging and respecting the sexual identity He gave to each one of us at birth. (Genesis 1:27) The Lord did not make any mistakes when He created us. What He did was well thought out and planned from the very beginning of man’s creation even before we were born. (Psalm 139:15)
If there is confusion on the matter, it comes from the distortions and ideologies of culture, and the sin nature we all inherited at birth. This sin nature, His Word tells us, can express itself in many different ways; homosexuality and gender change are simply two of those. (See I Corinthians 6:9-11 and I Timothy 1:8-10 references at the end of this chapter).
The following are some Scriptures that tell us of the birth and continuing presence of our sin nature.
We were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Ephesians 2:3
For the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Genesis 8:20
Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6:6
In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:22-24
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:18-25
Those who believe they are born gay or with a desire to change their gender are both deceived and wrong. Everyone is born with a sin nature and from that nature comes a variety of sins. One set of sins may tempt and take down one person, but not another. We often cringe at those who commit acts of homosexuality or gender change while being just as guilty of sins considered more acceptable. The good news is that all sin, no matter what it is, can be erased if we repent and ask Christ into our hearts. After doing this, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these sins including homosexuality.
Therefore, to say we were born gay or of the wrong gender is like saying, “we were born to be an adulterer, murderer, thief, or swindler” because these offenses all run together with homosexuality in the same Scriptural grouping. In fact, according to I Corinthians 6 and I Timothy 1, mentioned in Chapter 1, homosexuality and effeminacy [forerunner to gender change) both fall right in the middle of the pact of these wrongdoings.
Homosexuality or changing one’s gender is therefore not a gray area in the Bible or on the proverbial bubble, so to speak. With God, these are hardcore sins that He has rejected from the beginning of time. They are distortions of God’s design and will keep us from having a relationship with Him, for His Word says they are detestable. (See Leviticus 20:13 at the end of this chapter)
Last Thoughts
With the truth in view about being born with a sin nature, rather than a homosexual or gender changing nature, how should we treat those who still believe this about themselves?
The short answer is we must love and seek them out as Jesus did with sinners of His day. Jesus did not hesitate to spend time with sinners. He talked and ate with them, and even healed some on occasion to bring about faith. (Mark 5:2-8) Yet, amid Jesus building relationships with those who were sinning, He also was forthright in telling them the truth about their sins. He never played down their transgressions, nor indicated what they did was right. He did not hesitate to bring up past sins as with the woman at the well, but He gave hope of forgiveness and transformation. (John 4:10, 13-18, 25-26, 28-30, 39-42)
As we minister to those who are committing sins like homosexuality or who have changed their sex, we must treat them as Jesus did: spend time, care for them, lead them to Him for salvation, and teach them the truth about what they are doing. They may hate us at first for questioning their practices and lifestyles, but to truly love them as Christ did means we must be open and honest with them about everything.
Scriptural References for Homosexuality and Gender Change
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 [a forerunner to gender change], nor homosexuals, ten 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.
I Timothy 1:8-11 8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for the murderers 10and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
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.