SEEKING THE RIGHT PATH IN THE HOMOSEXUALITY DEBATE

A recent front-page article in the Winston-Salem Journal discussed the struggles of several churches and ministers over the questions of same sex unions and the ordination of active homosexuals.  The path to the solution of these issues is found, for the Christian, in the Bible.

The first consideration from the Bible is its teaching about sexual fulfillment.  The apostle Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote, “to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” (I Corinthians 7:2 KJV)  The Bible here clearly teaches that sexual activity is reserved for one man and one woman who are married to each other.  Any other arrangement for sexual gratification is not sanctioned by God and is therefore sinful.

Some will argue that, “The homosexual can’t help being homosexual, he is made that way.”  This is not what the scriptures teach.  Consider the following from the New King James Version in I Corinthians 6:9-11: “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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Notice Paul wrote “And such were some of you.”  Some in Corinth once practiced among other sins, homosexuality; but when they became Christians they stopped.

“Does the Bible clearly condemn homosexuality?”  Yes it does in both the Old and New Testaments.  Consider the following passages of scripture again from the New King James Version:  “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.  (Leviticus 20:13).  “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Amen.  For this reason God gave them up to vile passions.  For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due”  (Romans 1:24-27).

Does this position on homosexuality make us homophobic?  No it does not.  The Bible also condemns heterosexual conduct apart from marriage; but we do not have a phobia about it.  Why then do we bring this up?  Because the standard of morality as outlined in the Bible needs to be known and followed by all who love the Lord.  The responsibility of the church is to teach the message of Jesus (Matthew 28:8-20), in light of the coming judgment day for all humanity (Acts 17:30, 31).

—Denton Landon