Just some thoughts on homosexuality & the Bible.
Submitted by Jordan on January 24 2001 06:09:11
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There are two truths about the creation of mankind that run deep and are so much a part of our make-up that we can't extricate ourselves from them. Well, thats my opinion. 1. We are made in God's image. Being made in the image of God means that we alone, of all his creation, have the capability to know and have fellowship and relationship with God. 2. We are sexual creatures. We have been born with a body, a human sexuality, a gender, and an ensuing gender identity. We must learn to bring these under subjection and to live out our sexuality with an honor and glory due our creator. Paul states that we are not to do just anything we want with our bodies, morally speaking, that we are, "... not to handle our bodies in lustful passion like the gentiles who do not know God." These are two facts that are difficult to neglect. We can't escape the fact that we are made in God's image and we can't escape the fact that we are born with a sexuality meant to honor God. The scriptures are inspired, They are not just the words of man. They are "God breathed". Peter testified to their origin that, "men moved by the Holy Sprit spoke from God". They are the very words of God. They are also authoritative, just as applicable today as they were two thousand or more years ago. What do we find there as we consider God's heart about homosexuality? We find three things: First, when the scriptures speak of homosexuality, they speak in terms of an activity that is engaged in. They speak of something being done either as: 1. A physical activity; outward behavior involving the body of one male with another, or one female with another. 2. The mental activity capturing the thought processes and imaginations. It is interesting to note that the scriptures don't talk about homosexuality as an inclination, condition, tendency, or "orientation". It speaks of homosexuality as a state of "doing" not "being". It is if "one man lies with another man" (Lev. 20:13) or "men committing indecent acts with other men" (Rom. 1:27). I think that the mental activity of homosexual sexual lust is also a "doing" even though it obviously involves the heart and mind (as does lust in general about anything!) So when Romans 1:27 speaks of men and women "burning" or "inflamed" with lust for one another, it involves a consuming activity of a mental nature. An important to note to establish here, is that Christ clearly points out that what we do with our minds is as serious as what we do with our bodies. (Matt. 5:28) The scriptures declare that homosexual acts, involving the body or the mental processes, to be "missing the mark" and contrary to God's will for man and woman. Homosexuality is not God's intent for mankind and as such is incompatible with God's desire for His people. How do we know this? From two very explicit principles we glean from scripture. In the first place we find Scripture, in all instances, affirming the creation ordinance of one man and one woman in covenant relationship as "the" Biblical pattern for legitimate sexual expression. Heterosexual monogamy was established at creation, and is not bound by culture (Genesis 2: 21-25). As an institution established by the creation mandate it is, therefore, a permanent and binding model. It is also affirmed by Jesus' words in the New Testament (Mark 10:6-9). Sexual expression between a man and woman within marriage is the only form we find being biblically endorsed, promoted, and esteemed with positive regard. As such it is modeled as a pattern to follow. Even if there were no negative prohibitions specifically about homosexuality (and there are), we could easily derive that these models and affirmations of what God intended and approves of throughout the scriptures leave no doubt as to His heart concerning sexual expression. In the second place we find Scripture, in all instances, deeming all other forms of sexual expression as inappropriate and missing the mark. While homosexuality is not a biblical option, we must remind ourselves that neither are the other forms of sexual expression that our society has come to accept as fundamental rights and necessary for life. It's not just those who practice homosexuality that are in trouble, but ALL who seek to express their sexuality outside of God's plan (Me included). The 7 texts on homosexuality speak negatively about such behavior. Regardless of how "pro-gay" theology would attempt to reconstruct or reinterpret the texts, it is quite obvious that these texts are prohibitions against practicing such acts... for any reason at all. The way I see it, it's difficult for us to read these texts and not see that such activity is dissuaded. Some say that these scriptural prohibitions aren't prohibitions at all, because they don't take into consideration the role of "orientation" or "true" love between two gay couples. Evidently the fact that an inclination to such behavior is felt so deeply, over a long period of time, and feels so natural means that one can't help but practice it. But when we speak about other sexual sin, say, adultery, would we say that it was permissible because one felt the pull so deeply, over a long period of time, and it felt so natural. There are many sin areas that one can find himself or herself indulging in that seem so natural and feel so right. We can't escape the fact that scripture sees homosexuality as sin. Nothing more,nothing less. While scripture looks disapprovingly at homosexuality God does not put forth this issue or the homosexual person as a particular object for special ridicule or judgement, but speaks of homosexuality simply as one of many sin areas not pleasing to God which one must abandon as a Christian. Though Romans 1 does devote several verses to describing the idolatry of homosexuality. But it also goes on to list 21 other sin patterns that characterize men and women. I Corinthians 6: 9-10, in like manner, lists multiple sin areas including homosexuality. I don't think there is one of us who can not find some area of personal struggle among the sum of these temptations. I think its a fair enough statement that, God does not force a standard of living upon the homosexual person, that is not expected of all . . . namely, holiness of life. God calls those who feel pulled toward and tempted by homosexuality to that same moral and ethical standard of heart and conduct to which he calls all men and women. No one escapes! All are called to refocus their lives around the centrality of the cross and Christ's atonement for sin as it affects all of our life and calls us to daily repentance over what we find there. In other words, all lifestyles must be redefined by the gospel! |
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