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HOMOSEXUALITY

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SUMMARY

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Same-gender sex and cross-dressing are defined as sinful practices from God’s perspective in the Bible and must be treated as such.  As with any other sins in the bible, God wants people to repent (turn away) from this behavior.  Though Christians are commanded to love their neighbors as themselves, if we encourage people to remain in their homosexuality, then we are encouraging them to remain in sin – rebellion to God.  If God then condemns them to hell for their sin, then those who encouraged them are guilty as well.  Therefore, the greatest love to show toward homosexuals is to turn them away from their sin.  Anyone who participates in homosexuality and cross-dressing must repent (turn away) from sin, believe in Jesus, and live for God in order to be saved from hell and go to heaven.

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  1. Homosexuality is a sin

    • Homosexuality falls under the sin of sexual immorality, which comes in many other forms of:  fornication (sex outside of marriage), adultery, rape, having sex with family members, animals, promiscuity, prostitution, etc. (Leviticus 18:1-30, Deuteronomy 22:13-21, 23:18)

    • Having sex with the same gender is detestable (intensely disliked or hated) to God and is therefore a sin (Leviticus 18:22)

    • Men wearing women’s clothing and women wearing men’s clothing (cross-dressing) is also detestable to God (Deuteronomy 22:5)

    • Even the New Testament of the Bible condemns homosexuality

      • In Romans 1:18-32, Paul explains how the wrath of God is being revealed against the wicked, describing how they suppress the truth and God gave them over to their sinful desires leading to same sexual relations (calling them shameful) and God gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done (wickedness). 

      • In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul reiterates that the sexually immoral (including homosexuals) will not inherit the kingdom of God.  However, it’s evident in verse 11 that ex-sinners (including ex-homosexuals) can enter God’s kingdom, as he mentions that this is what some of the believers “were” previously before being washed and sanctified in the name of the Lord.

  2. All forms of sexual immorality (including homosexuality), like other sins, can lead to hell.

    • Jesus will condemn the sexually immoral to the lake of fire (hell). (Revelation 21:8)

    • Even lust can lead to hell (Matthew 5:27-28)

  3. God commands us to repent (turn away) from all sins (including homosexuality).

    • Many believe that just because Jesus died for our sins, that it’s okay to go on sinning, but this is not true. 

      • Not everyone who calls Jesus Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do God’s will.  (Matthew 7:21-23)

      • We cannot continue to live in sin.  (1 John 3:4-12)

      • Jesus will condemn the hypocrites who backslide to eternal torment. (Matthew 24:42–51)

    • “Sin” is disobedience (rebellion) to God’s commands or will for your life.  

    • All people have sinned. (Romans 3:23) Except Jesus. (1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

    • Our sins separate us from God.  (Isaiah 59:1-2) 

    • Sin leads to death. (Romans 6:23, 7:5, James 1:15)

    • All who live sinful lives are slaves to sin (John 8:31-36, Rom. 6:16).  That’s why it’s hard to stop.

    • God wants to destroy the work of sin in your life. (1 John 3:4-12)

    • If you do right (righteousness), God will forgive you and forget your past. (Ezekiel 18:21-32)

    • There is celebration in heaven when one sinner repents. (Luke 15:8-10)

    • Jesus judged the cities where he did most of his miracles because they didn’t repent. (Matthew 11:20-24)

    • Repent or perish. (Luke 13:1-9)

    • Get baptized in water to symbolize your repentance as commanded by Jesus.  It is the pledge of a good conscience towards God and also symbolizes dying to your old sinful life. (Matthew 3:11-15, 1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:1-8)

  4. Having Homosexual thoughts does not necessarily make one guilty of sin, but committing the acts do.

    • Having sinful thoughts is not what makes homosexuals guilty, but entertaining these thoughts and carrying them out is when the “sin” is actually committed and they become guilty. 

      • But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matthew 15:18-20)

      • Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)​

    • We all have sinful thoughts.  This is called temptation.  God does not want us to give-in to our temptations, but to master (overcome) them (Matthew 6:13, Luke 22:39-46, Genesis 4:7).

      • If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”  (Genesis 4:7)

      • When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.​​ (James 1:13-15)

      • No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

      • Jesus was tempted by the devil, but he did not give-in to temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) and therefore did not sin.

  5. Loving your neighbor is not an excuse to accept homosexual behaviors

    • The greatest command is to love God 1st (Matthew 22:37-38), then your neighbor 2nd (22:39).  To love God is to keep his commands (John 14:15-24).  When you accept sinful homosexual behaviors in attempts to appease your homosexual neighbors, then you fail to love God, which is the 1st priority.  This is an example of why God had to separate these 2 greatest commands; to love God, then people.  Note that the same one (Jesus) who gave these 2 commands, also said that he came to divide people (the wicked and the righteous), because of his words (Matthew 10:28-42).  In the end, he will separate people (the evil from the good) like sheep and goats and send the good to eternal life and the bad to eternal destruction (Matthew 13:41, 25:31-46). 

    • While it is not yet time to condemn homosexuals to hell (as they still have a chance to repent), we should not encourage them to remain in their behavior either.  This is the ultimate act of love, to help them be saved from eternal torment.

  6. When you sympathize and do not condemn (or speak out against) evil practices, then you may be encouraging it.

    • You are strengthening the hands of evil-doers so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are like Sodom to God.  (Jeremiah 23:14-32)

    • You lead God’s people astray, lying to them, disheartening the righteous with your lies, and encouraging the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives.  (Ezekiel 13:10, 19, 22)

    • “You fill them with false hopes, speaking from your own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:16)

    • You promise those who despise God that they will have peace, and to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts that no harm will come to them, but have you stood in the council of the Lord? (Jeremiah 23:17-18)

    • God gets angry when we “dress the wound of his people as if it’s not serious, saying ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace.”  (Jeremiah 6:13-15, 8:10-12)

    • There is no peace for the wicked. (Isaiah 48:22, 57:20-21)

    • Rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you will not share in their guilt. (Leviticus 19:17)

    • Come out of Babylon, my people, so that you will not share in her sins (piled up to heaven) or receive her plagues.  (Revelation 18:4)

  7. In order to justify homosexuality, some people say “all sin is the same,” but that is not true.

    • Some sins in the Old Testament law  in the Bible were punishable by death, while others were not.

      • Sins punishable by death –  Murder, adultery (Deuteronomy 22:22-23), kidnapping, idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:5-18), cursing or attacking parents (Exodus 21:15), blasphemy against God’s name (Leviticus:24:10-16), false prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20-22), etc.

      • Sins not Punishable by death – Stealing, some lying, fornication, etc.

    • Some sins are unforgivable.  Jesus said blasphemy of Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven compared to other sins that can be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32).  Similarly, if we don’t forgive others who sin against us, God will not forgive our sins. (Matthew 6:14-15).

    • The reason homosexuality seems to get more attention than other sins these days is that it is one of the only sins in which people are trying to persuade the public to accept. 

      • For example, there are no campaigns that are trying to tell us to accept that lying is okay, or stealing, or adultery is okay.  Most people will generally agree that these things are wrong, even if they’ve done them themselves.  Yet today, we have people wanting us to vote to approve same-sex marriage and teach this to our children.  When someone is a liar, or thief, or murderer, or even an adulterer, people will not typically rally around them and say that it is okay and encourage them to continue doing these things.  Same-sex marriage is the equivalent of making a commitment (covenant) to remain in a life of sin, because every time these couples have sex, they are sinning against God. This is contradictory to a Christian life. Homosexuality is one of the defining issues of our time and our nation.  Will we stand on God’s Word or side with men? 

  8. No one is born gay.

    • No one is born with sexual desires.  They are developed over time.  Though many do experience tendencies of attraction toward the same sex, these must be denied as with any other sinful thoughts or tendencies listed in God's word.

      • Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.  (Matthew 16:24-27)​

    • Sexuality is a learned behavior, typically through the exposure via the following:

      • Molestation – unfortunately, many become homosexual or bisexual as a result of molestation or sexual abuse of some type

      • Friendships / Relationships

      • Television & Movies

      • Pornography

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