I saw an advertisement recently for a local church that read “Gay Friendly”. All churches centered on Christ should have an open door policy to anyone who may care to enter, no matter what their choices or circumstances in life may be. A litmus test is not just that God’s people love you when you come as you are, it is that they love you enough to help you fulfill your purpose, destiny, who you are created and called to be!
If, within the church you attend, you are the exact same person today as you were a year ago, a month ago, or even last week, question this! As a child of God and believer in Jesus Christ, you are on an ever evolving journey to reflect the image of Christ being formed within you.
Is Homosexuality a Sin?
It is a fair question. Especially to someone who truly believes they were born as such and have no choice in the matter. I believe to understand the basis of this question is to understand the answer.
To do this, I would first recommend that you set aside your thoughts or presuppositions about “sin” – all of it, no matter what it is or what category society or religion may place it within. Next, ask yourself, who is God? Do you believe in Him? Do you see him as the One, True, Almighty, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God? If yes, do you recognize yourself for who you are, a created being, and God as your Creator? Do you recognize that you are not God?
Anyone who is not afraid to answer these questions truthfully will come to the realization that we ARE created beings, and we are NOT God nor can we ever become God. Without that realization, the question of sin, any sin no matter what it is, will for you always remain subjective. Why? Because whether you believe or not, God is the one who defines sin, and He has defined it as anything that separates us from Him, and that includes homosexuality. That is why He sent His Son, our Savior and Creator, Jesus Christ, who is defined as love, light, and all that is pure and good. If I refuse to recognize Jesus for who He is, then I will never see sin for what it is, and am doomed to continue to be a slave to it and so am willingly choosing to separate myself from Him.
Anyone who does not see Christ first for who He is will never fully be willing to align with biblical principles, no matter what they are. They may be willing to follow Him to a certain point, as far as it agrees with their current philosophy and ever changing culture, or as long as it is a benefit to them personally. The first sign of conflict will bring about a point of decision where they must choose the approval of man verses the approval of God. If they do not truly see Christ, they will yield to the approval of man every time.
Who is Christ the Messiah? He is Jesus!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome (or understood) it.” John 1:1-5 NIV
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17 NIV
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NASB
“He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:13-16 NASB
The choice is yours. Discovering who He is, this is the first step in understanding what He has created you for, and is the only way you will discover and fulfill your purpose and destiny.
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:17-21 NASB
Where does God say homosexuality is a sin?
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Romans 1:18-32 NASB
Alabastersky 