Let it be known that I have a deep love for homosexuals. I care for them. I am concerned for them just like I am concerned for all of those outside the family of God. I have friends that are homosexual and care for them deeply even while disagreeing with them on Scriptural grounds. I have family and friends that think that homosexuality is perfectly fine, yet none of them could truthfully accuse me of being someone who hates homosexuals. I fully understand that some of us deal with the same issues. Mostly likely we all know and love someone who is either homosexual or who supports homosexuality. So hopefully this is helpful for you, our church and sinners who need Christ.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to take my daughter to my hometown of San Diego to visit some family and friends. During our time there a friend asked me, “Why is homosexuality a sin?” It’s a good question, isn’t it? I think it deserves some consideration if we are going to be people who can give a reasonable explanation to others. To be certain, others may not agree with us, but at least we can be faithful to what God says. When I was asked the question, my internal response was, “Uh, oh, this may not end well.” But I set my goal to share the gospel and that’s what I kept my sights on. “Just listen and understand what they are saying...and figure out how get to the gospel to them, Josh!” And that kept my heart, my words and my attitude on track. After our conversation, I asked my friend, “I hope that what I said has not come across hateful or mean-spirited. The reply: “Not at all.” I learned that it’s possible, with the help of God, to speak the truth in way that is perceived as loving. An agreement was not reached, but the lines of communication have not been shut down by knee-jerk responses, clichés, pat answers or the desire to win an argument.
Now before we look at this topic, let me first say, “Take the gloves off. Lose the temper. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger and let your speech be seasoned with salt.” Too many Christians do not know how to engage people on important issues without taking things personal, without getting noticeably irritated and verbally abusive. Let’s remember that though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage this battle with the flesh: either in physical sense or a sinful sense. So put aside the pride and desire to win arguments for the sake of feeling right and superior. People matter because they are shattered image bearers of God and our desire is for the Word of God to work by the Spirit in their lives to bring about conversion and salvation. Our spiritual conversations with unbelievers should be truthful, compassionate and full of love and I believe that this should be readily noticeable to them. Too often what is noticeable is that which is rooted in the flesh.
My conversation with my friend was counter-cultural and thoroughly Biblical, ending in the exaltation of the gospel. If our conversations with unbelievers regarding homosexuality do not end in this, then we have missed the point of sharing why homosexuality is wrong in the first place. We are aiming for them to delight in God, not their sin.
In this article I hope to share with you what the Bible says about homosexuality, same-sex marriages and how this all relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that this primer on homosexuality equips you to engage in this world with the truth, but also with action and with love. Let us not love in word only.
In this article I hope to share with you what the Bible says about homosexuality, same-sex marriages and how this all relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that this primer on homosexuality equips you to engage in this world with the truth, but also with action and with love. Let us not love in word only.
WHY IS HOMOSEXUALITY A SIN?
1. Homosexuality Is A Sin Because The Lord Has Deemed It So
I know that this goes without saying, but the reason that homosexuality is a sin is because God said so. I know that is not enough for a thinking person, but this is the place to start. Yet it’s definitely not the place to end. We must push further to see why God has deemed this a sin. As children, we all did things or refrained from things because our parents told us so. At a certain age, this is good enough, but as you age, mature and learn to think, you want to know the “why’s” behind the “what you are told to do.” I believe this is where a lot of Christians stop in their thinking of homosexuality: God said so. And worse than this, this is how we address the world who disagrees with us on this matter, as if the conversation with them should stop there.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Clearly God deems homosexuality (along with other sins) terrible enough to keep people out of the kingdom of God. It is a sin because God says so. That should be enough, but it’s often not. Now when you look at the list of sins mentioned in this passage of Scripture it’s sort of easy to see why God would deem the rest terrible, right? We know what happens when people get drunk—actions and judgments are diminished and people become a threat to themselves and others. We can see why swindling is wrong—it defrauds another person. We can see why adultery is wrong—it breaks promises and covenants and is contrary to the nature of God who keeps promises and covenants. We can see why stealing is wrong—it’s not the act of gaining by work and it violates another person’s work efforts. But what about homosexuality?
The common consensus and argument for homosexuality goes like this: If two people of the same sex love each other, what is to prevent them from doing so? They’re not hurting anyone. What two consenting adults do in the privacy of their home is between them. We’ve heard these arguments. On the surface they sure seem to hold water, but do they? Scripturally, I don’t think so, as you’ll see shortly.
But first, let’s make sure that we understand that it’s sin because our Creator has said so.
II. Homosexuality Is A Sin Because It Disobeys The Command Of God
In Genesis we learned that God created mankind in His: both male and female. There is a distinction between these two humans: one is male and one is female.
Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
God gave these distinct beings a command. They were to be fruitful and multiply. That means that naturally speaking, men and woman are complementary in their physical roles. As image bearers of God, although man and woman are created equal in personhood and worth, they have different roles. In the role of fruit-bearing and multiplying, the man provides the seed and the woman provides the eggs. Basic Anatomy and Biology 101. You can’t be fruitful alone. You can’t multiply alone. Engaging in sexual relations with another person of the same sex means that those who practice homosexuality are not able to fulfill the God-given mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Homosexuality then is in direct disobedience to God’s clear command. Never mind the adoption arguments, the arguments that the world is overpopulated or that a person may or may not want children or may not even be able to procreate. Put those arguments to the side for a moment. The command given is Scripture is for mankind to populate and reproduce within the covenant of marriage.
So when people say that homosexuality doesn’t hurt anyone, they are mistaken. What is being prevented is the increase of life on this earth which God has commanded and sees as a blessing. People were created to work and serve God by having dominion over this earth. Less people means less service which means more unmet needs through the grace of work. That hurts others. Homosexuality then is a sin against others, not just a private thing one does with another consenting adult. If homosexuality was naturally dominant then mankind would not survive and mankind would not benefit from the work of others.
III. Homosexuality Is A Sin Because It Violates The Way God Made Us
This is most likely a further expounding on the previous point, but this point focuses less on natural act of procreation and focus more on the natural act of sex—which may or may not lead to procreation.
Romans 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
By nature God designed men and woman to be compatible sexually. There isn’t much need to go into detail here because I think you get the point. A man’s sexual organs were designed by God to be paired up with the sexual organs of a female. A female’s sexual organs were designed to be paired up with the sexual organs of a male. Any observer of biology can clearly perceive this and has to willfully deny this truth in order to condone homosexuality.
This is why God calls homosexuality a passion that is dishonorable. It does not honor God. It does not honor the way that He made us. Yes, God made us sexual beings. Sex is something God made and God commanded, but it must never be used in a way that dishonors God or in a way this dishonors mankind. To be certain, a homosexual may not feel the shame or disgrace of their sin, but that is not the deciding factor of whether or not what they do is dishonorable. It is dishonorable to God and to oneself to use your body in a way that in contrary to the way God created it to be used. That is why God deems homosexuality a sin against Him. It violates the way He made us. There is a way to behave sexually that is natural and godly. There is a way to behave sexually that is unnatural and therefore ungodly.
Surely the Creator has the right to create us a certain way and to expect us to act within the confines of the way He created us. That is the Creator’s right and prerogative. Try telling the inventor of anything that he should use his product for something other than what he intended and you’ll be met with a stern look or boot to the head.
IV. Homosexual Unions Are Sinful Because They Distort The Gospel
Whenever I perform a wedding ceremony I always and without exception start with these words: “Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and instituted by God for the mutual caring of one another. Marriage was also given to us by God to help us understand the wonderful loving and everlasting union that also exists between Christ and His Church.”
Let’s first take note that we believe that marriage is not something constructed by mankind, but by mankind’s Creator. God created and instituted marriage therefore mankind does not have the right or ability to inherently change what marriage is. No law can ultimately change marriage for God has created it and defined it regardless of what our Supreme Court may say. They may call homosexual unions a marriage but they are only borrowing biblical terms and casting those terms upon a union that does not merit the use of said terminology.
That said, we must first understand that marriage is between a man and a woman. That’s the way God instituted it. To redefine marriage, one must be the Creator or else attempt to put oneself in the place of the Creator. Uh oh!
Genesis 2:24-25 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
But why does God care that marriage remain the way He instituted it? Why are we to have such a high regard for marriage as God has given it to us?
Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Why must we have such a high view of marriage? I mean, times are a-changing, right? It’s 2015, not 1915, right? Values change, don’t they? The Bible is outdated, yes? Marriage is a cultural construct, isn’t it? Well, no, yes, no, no and no. Time really aren’t changing. There’s nothing new that we’re seeing how that hasn’t already been dealt with in the past in principle. It certainly is 2015, but what’s that got to do with anything? Values that are of God don’t change because He’s immutable. We’re the ones that deviate from perfect holiness. The Bible is not outdated and neither is marriage a social or cultural construct as we’ve already mentioned.
But still the question remains: why does God care about marriage so much? Because it is a common grace given to all of humanity whereby we have a picture of the gospel. Read the passage below. It’s one that’s well-known, but pay special attention to the last few verses.
Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Notice that Paul borrows from the creation account and says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is directly taken from Genesis. Paul goes back to the creation order and recites Genesis and reaffirms some 4000 years of previous history: that marriage has always been between a man and woman. It was created by God and therefore is not a cultural or social imagination of mankind. It’s therefore timeless and good for all ages. But then Paul speaks of the mystery of marriage, the mystery of this union, the mystery of becoming one flesh is profound. This mystery was not something formerly known but is now made clear to us. The union of man and woman is meant to point toward or to refer to the union of Christ and the church. Christ left His father to cleave to His bride. This is why God created marriage—to give all of humanity the common grace union that points to the gospel. Marriage is relational language that is meant to teach us that Christ loves His bride and lays down His life for her. Marriage is covenantal in it’s nature and it’s meant to teach us that Christ has an eternal covenant with His bride in which He will never leave or forsake her for all eternity.
Husbands, that is why you should love your wife! Because you get the awesome privilege of showing in action what it looks like for Christ to lay down His life for His bride. Wives, this is why you ought to submit to your own husbands. You have the awesome privilege of being a living picture of what it’s supposed to look like for the church to love her Savior. Marriages are a living drama by which we attempt to show Christ’s union with the church. Of course, we get the benefits and blessings that come within that covenant, but only within that covenant, just as the blessings of Christ only come to us when we are in covenant with Him. This is why God hates divorce. It wrongly portrays the gospel. This is why God deems homosexual unions a sin. It wrongly portrays the gospel.
The reason we don’t approve of homosexuality is because we love God, we love sinners and we LOVE the gospel. We shouldn’t want anything to tarnish the beautiful pictures of the gospel that God has given us. That’s why we don’t mess with the communion elements or change baptism: they’re pictures of God’s gospel promises to us. To change them is to change their effectiveness in encouraging us and sustaining us in the faith. To change marriage into something other than what God intends for it to be is to remove another common grace of God that helps bring people to Christ. To be clear, it’s not an ordinance like communion and baptism, but it is a common grace that still teaches us of the gospel.
Friends, we find ourselves in the times that God has ordained for us. We’re in a time where what we believe is against the law. I know this scares some, but there’s no need to feel threatened. If God is for us, who can be against us? Do we truly believe that “greater is He who is in You than he who is in the world”? It’s true. He is greater! And because He is greater, there’s no need to attack those who are against us even when they come against us in persecution. We must speak the truth in love. We must go further than speaking and also love in deed. But let the world know that we LOVE THE GOSPEL and WE LOVE OUR SAVIOR. If they are going to know us for being against homosexuality, hopefully they will know this in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.