This past month news broke about a popular secular singer who “came out of the closet” and announced that he was gay. We have also recently heard news that a prominent Christian singer has also “come out of the closet” and has announced that he too is gay. In fact, in his interview he commented that God made him with this sexual preference which, in his mind, makes everything okay spiritually. But is it possible to believe in the inspiration and authority of Scripture and hold to the view that God makes people homosexuals and condones such behavior?
Please understand that the purpose of this blog today and tomorrow is not to attack those who are gay. I would not attack them anymore than I would attack any other sinner. I believe God loves all sinners and that Jesus died for all sinners. It is my prayer that God would use Grace Church as a place where all sinners (yes, including homosexuals) can discover God’s forgiveness and freedom through a real, genuine personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The purpose of this blog is simply to spell out for the people of Grace Church what the Bible really teaches about homosexuality.
In Genesis 13:13, the Bible describes the men of the city of Sodom as “wicked exceedingly and sinners against God.” In Genesis 18:20 the Lord describes the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as “exceedingly grave.” What immoral actions were the men of the city participating in that caused such descriptions? We find the answer in Genesis 19:1-7 when God sends two angels in the form of two human men to Sodom who were welcomed by Lot, the nephew of Abraham, into his home. When the men of the city heard that these two male visitors were staying with lot, they surrounded the house and demanded that Lot bring them out so that they could have sexual relations with them. It is obvious that it was the sin of homosexuality that God described in Geneses 13 and 18 as “wicked exceedingly” and “exceedingly grave.”
Those who support the gay lifestyle as being Biblical will say that Sodom’s sin was that of violent homosexual rape, not simply homosexuality out of a loving relationship. This is nowhere indicated in the text. In fact, Lot even offers his own virgin daughters to the men of Sodom who refuse due to their desire for the male visitors. The New Testament confirms this in Jude 1:7-8 where the men of Sodom and Gomorrah are described as those who, “engaged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh.”
When God gave the Law to Israel he specifically commanded in Leviticus 18:22 that a man should not lie with a male in the same way he lies with a female because to do so would be an abomination. Some would argue that Hebrew laws against homosexuality such as these were part of the ceremonial law and are no longer to be kept today. However, nine of the Ten Commandments, and much of the rest of the law dealing with moral issues, are repeated in the New Testament. If this line of thinking were true, then other acts such as adultery (Leviticus 20:10); incest (Leviticus 18:6-8); beastiality (Leviticus 18:23); and child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21) would also be acceptable today.
Please understand that the purpose of this blog today and tomorrow is not to attack those who are gay. I would not attack them anymore than I would attack any other sinner. I believe God loves all sinners and that Jesus died for all sinners. It is my prayer that God would use Grace Church as a place where all sinners (yes, including homosexuals) can discover God’s forgiveness and freedom through a real, genuine personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The purpose of this blog is simply to spell out for the people of Grace Church what the Bible really teaches about homosexuality.
In Genesis 13:13, the Bible describes the men of the city of Sodom as “wicked exceedingly and sinners against God.” In Genesis 18:20 the Lord describes the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as “exceedingly grave.” What immoral actions were the men of the city participating in that caused such descriptions? We find the answer in Genesis 19:1-7 when God sends two angels in the form of two human men to Sodom who were welcomed by Lot, the nephew of Abraham, into his home. When the men of the city heard that these two male visitors were staying with lot, they surrounded the house and demanded that Lot bring them out so that they could have sexual relations with them. It is obvious that it was the sin of homosexuality that God described in Geneses 13 and 18 as “wicked exceedingly” and “exceedingly grave.”
Those who support the gay lifestyle as being Biblical will say that Sodom’s sin was that of violent homosexual rape, not simply homosexuality out of a loving relationship. This is nowhere indicated in the text. In fact, Lot even offers his own virgin daughters to the men of Sodom who refuse due to their desire for the male visitors. The New Testament confirms this in Jude 1:7-8 where the men of Sodom and Gomorrah are described as those who, “engaged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh.”
When God gave the Law to Israel he specifically commanded in Leviticus 18:22 that a man should not lie with a male in the same way he lies with a female because to do so would be an abomination. Some would argue that Hebrew laws against homosexuality such as these were part of the ceremonial law and are no longer to be kept today. However, nine of the Ten Commandments, and much of the rest of the law dealing with moral issues, are repeated in the New Testament. If this line of thinking were true, then other acts such as adultery (Leviticus 20:10); incest (Leviticus 18:6-8); beastiality (Leviticus 18:23); and child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21) would also be acceptable today.
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