THE LEGALIZATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

What would happen if a sin you struggled with was legalized? What would happen if this sin was not only legalized, but a national movement was organized to approve and encourage others in this sin so that anyone who committed it would feel accepted, guiltless and validated? What would happen if gossip were condoned on a local, state and national level? What would happen if lying and stealing were encouraged as acceptable acts of behavior? What would happen if adultery and fornication were promoted as normal lifestyle choices? What if child or spouse abuse were legalized so those participating in such acts of violence faced no consequences?

 

For many decades now, there has been a local, state, national and worldwide effort for the sin of homosexuality to gain acceptance as an alternative lifestyle. We see this in media, as movies and TV programs promote numerous gay characters and lifestyle situations. This month legalization of homosexual marriages was condoned and legalized by the Supreme Court of our country. Leading up to this the Anglican Church has accepted gay Bishops to oversee their parishes. Various theologians called “Revisionists” are attempting to redefine scripture references to allow the approval of gay marriages and lifestyles. Many churches have been established that approve and endorse homosexuality and gay marriages, the Metropolitan Community Church to name only one. There is actually an organization of teachers, The Gay Teachers Association, that lobby to have the right to provide gay sexual counseling and instruction for students. Another group, The North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) promotes homosexuality in an attempt to promote their self-interests of abusing young boys.

 

The Bible is very clear about the fact that homosexuality is a sin. There are several instances in scripture where this particular sin is mentioned and condemned. One instance is in Genesis 19 where the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is described. Abraham pleads with God to spare the city from judgment if he can find just a few righteous men. God sends two messengers, angels dressed as men, to carry out the search. These two angels stay in Lot’s house. The inhabitants of the city hear of their arrival and surround Lot’s house with evil intent. The men of the city demand, “Where are the men that came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know them.”

 

Homosexuals twist this scripture passage to say that the crowd wanted to “get acquainted” with the angels, not have sexual relations with them. But, this statement “know them” has always been translated in this passage as “to have sexual relations with.” This is validated by the context of the scripture. Lot in reply to the lustful mob offers his own virgin daughters instead of the angels so that God’s messengers are not violated. This was not a godly thing to do, but it did prevent another horrible sinful act being committed. Jewish Hebrew scholars translate this passage as the violent crowd wanting to have homosexual relations with the messengers of God. Homosexuality was only one sin many that were prevalent in Sodom and Gomorrah. It was an ugly and sinful place to live and the rampant sin caused God to destroy it.

 

There are several passages in Leviticus that mention the sin of homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 states, “You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. It is an abomination.” And 20:13 states, “If a man lies with a man, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.” Homosexuals try and nullify these passages by stating that at this time in history God was concerned with population growth of the Jews and wanted men and women to have relationships with each other to increase the Jewish population. Homosexuals state that since we have over population in today’s world this Old Testament instruction is invalid and it is okay for men to have relations with men and women with women.

 

While as New Testament believers we are not under the Old Testament law, we have these laws of God as guidelines. Christ came to fulfill the law not to do away with it. The guidelines in the law here in Leviticus state that it is sin and abnormal for men to have sexual relations with men. The same concept applies for those practicing lesbianism. We would never condone the death penalty for those practicing homosexuality. But the truth that God is communicating to us today from the Old Testament law through the lens of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament is that the marriage bond between a man and a woman is holy sacred and God-ordained (Ephesians 5:22-33, Hebrews 13:4). God’s Word states that same sex relationships of an intimate nature are not condoned or permitted by our Heavenly Father. This truth has nothing to do with population growth of the Jews in the Old Testament. It has everything to do with purity and holiness that we are called to live and the sacredness of the marriage bonds between a man and a woman.

 

Probably the most convicting scripture passage against homosexuality is found in Romans.

 

Romans 1:20-32

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

 

It appears very clear in this passage of Romans that homosexuality is not normal. It was not normal in the Old Testament and it is not normal in the New Testament. It is not normal or natural in any context nor has it been in any time in the history of mankind. No twisting or perversion of Holy Scripture, nor any human rationalization can change the divine truth concerning men and women and how they are to relate to one another in an intimate way as God has established.

 

Even common sense tells anyone that God created man and woman to know each other intimately. Our bodies physically designed specifically to enhance our relationship with the opposite sex. Any attempts to stimulate or encourage sexual relations between same sex partners is a perversion of God’s creation and detrimental to the health and welfare not only of homosexuals but also of society in general.

 

Some frightening statistics for gay men are that they have six times the suicide rate compared to their heterosexual counterparts. 25-33% of homosexual men are alcoholics compared to the national average of 7%. While homosexuals say they want to live in monogamous relationships with their partner, and some do, statistics tell us that 33% of homosexuals have over 1,000 partners in their life and less than 10% of them are ever in any type of monogamous relationship for any length of time. Just as we would not condone legalized gossip, lying, abuse or adultery, we should not agree with legalized homosexuality in the form of same sex marriage. Despite all the news and controversy over the issue of homosexuality, recent statistics tell us that homosexuals are not amongst us in large numbers. The National Health Interview Survey, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – a highly definitive study from 2013 – found that fewer than 3 percent of respondents identified themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and only 1.6 percent self-identified as gay or lesbian. The Family Research Report says “around 2-3% of men, and 2% of women, are homosexual or bisexual.” The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force estimate 3-8% of both sexes of the general United States population are gay and lesbian. The prevalence of gays and lesbians in the American population is not as high as most Americans might think. It is not a natural alternate lifestyle; it is a perversion of what God intended.

 

As Christians we are called to hate sin, but love the sinner. But unfortunately at times our own old sinful nature can cause us to hate the sin AND the sinner as well. While we cannot agree that a homosexual lifestyle is ever appropriate, we should ALWAYS show compassion and love to individuals who are involved in this sexual lifestyle choice.

 

We need to understand that homosexuals, for whatever reason, are seeking fulfillment in life. Their sexual preference is intimately related to who they are and what they want in life. This doesn’t justify the sinfulness of their actions, but it does help us understand the intensity of their feelings about their choices. There are many reasons given for their choice in life. Some even say, “God made me this way.” But we all have orientations that can be sinful. Some of us are prone to anger, some to lying, some to coveting that leads to stealing, but we can’t say because we have an inclination towards a sin, it justifies the sin. No matter how strong our desires are for sinful behavior of any kind, we can’t justify our lifestyle of sin by pursuing it.

 

We know God’s Word condemns the same-sex type of lifestyle. Anyone caught up in this type of sin needs to hear God’s truth, but most of all they need His love if they are ever going to see the error of their ways. The question for us as followers of Christ is “What would Jesus do?” The answer is He would show compassionate love in whatever way possible without condoning the sinful behavior or lifestyle. He would go out of His way to share truth in a loving meaningful way. Jesus would confront the person with their sin and help them repent of it. Jesus’ response to sinners in the New Testament was amazing. He forgave them, loved them, ate dinner with them, spent time with them, ministered to them and gave His life for them. Not all responded with repentance, but this did not stop His ministry. We should follow in His footsteps, hating the sin and loving the sinner. We must condemn the lifestyle and minister to the person. We must vote against the promotion of homosexual same sex marriages, while praying for those attempting to legalize homosexual lifestyles. We must speak out against “Revisionist” pastors who attempt to twist scripture, while we preach and teach the correct interpretation of God’s Holy Word.

 

Now that the Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriages in the United States, we as followers of Christ, have a challenge before us. We must continue to show love to those who are seeking same-sex marriages in whatever way we can, while at the same time, sharing our deep and personal commitment to holiness and God’s Word. We must share that same-sex marriages are not condoned by God in any way, shape or form. We must warn people about twisting the Holy Scriptures to support their sinful lifestyles. We must seek to love people and hate sin. This will be no easy task, but whoever said being a Christian was easy? May we pray deeply and consistently, ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us with His love and the Holy Scriptures and seek to submit to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ as our model for how to love. Let us remain steadfast in our effort to love ALL people as Christ would, without compromising God’s Truth that is eternal and unchanging.

 

Our calling and encouragement as followers of Jesus Christ is found in 2 Peter 1:1-11;

 

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

 

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

 

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

 

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

 

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”