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Abomination, Biblical Authority, Death, Disobedience, eternity, God's Word, Hell, Last Days, Lies, Overcoming, Sin, Truth, Word of God
We have briefly considered the biblical view of homosexuality in the Old Testament. Here, we consider the what the Bible says concerning homosexuality in the New Testament. Rather than beginning with the love of God, Paul begins with the reality that sinful man is under the wrath of God. Specifically, He is clear that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (Romans 1:18). Because man rejects the love of God in Christ Jesus, and mocks the sacrifice of Christ, he suppresses what he knows to be true about God and His salvation. Knowingly, forcefully, and repeatedly, man rejects clear truth and revelation concerning God and begins the descent into idolatry. Specifically, man’s rejection of God and descent into vain worship of idols and self, causes God to give him over to a useless mind. This mind begins to participate in vile sins without restraint. Paul addresses what has occurred in the Romans world and is true in the present world:
Romans 1:26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 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.
When the mind becomes hostile and uncontrollably useless toward God, one of its expressions is sexual perversion. Sexual perversion and its desecration of the body is not a mark of man’s liberation. Fornication, adultery, and homosexuality, however justified by nominal “Christians”, the world and the deceived indicates that God has abandoned man because man has abandoned him. Paul appeals to the Creation mandate which proposes that man and woman, under the sanctity and blessedness of marriage is called to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ (Gen. 1:28; 9:7). The creation mandate calls for man to join in blessed union with his wife and bring more image bearers of God into the earth. Instead, man begins to fulfill his own sinful animal passions and lusts. Instead of contentment in the blessed union of man/woman, men and women burn for one another. The blurring of gender distinctions, given as a blessing by God, become optional associations that are able to be tweaked at will. These are one of numerous sins that reveal one is not in the kingdom of God, but incurring the wrath and judgment of God (1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19-21). Instead of repenting of this rebellion toward God, men and women legislate and celebrate their rebellion as ‘freedom’. Instead of repenting and seeking the glory of God concerning these things, men and women shake their fists at God and seek the approval of society. Society, equally unable to discern God’s will, refashions a ‘god’ of their imagination to approve of their sin and tries to quiet the indicting conscience with more celebrations, more demands of ‘tolerance’ and more descent into debauchery. All the while, society recognizes its protests are limited and temporal. This self-love is consummated by the perversions listed in Romans 1.
There is constant debate concerning the reasons that Rome fell. God’s wrath brings regimes to an end, as quickly as He has raised them to rule (Acts 17:26; Psalm 75:1-7). Paul, however does not merely appeal to a Roman cultural faux pax. Instead, he appeals to an unchanging God who does not tolerate covenant treachery and rebellion. Thus, all sexual perversions are expressions of such treachery toward God’s creation mandate and originates with the ‘father of lies’, Satan. Satan is the chief architect of self-love. He capitalizes on man’s hatred toward God and tempts unbelievers to excuse, justify and pursue those things which are unnatural. Paul’s appeal to that which is unnatural assumes an absolute, natural standard. God made them male and female (Gen. 5:2), with distinctive functions and purposes. So what does the adversary do? He incites fleshly men and women to overthrow these distinctions. He causes them to redefine love, and turn from God’s definition in order that they may create their own. Instead of proclaiming these intrinsic realities plainly, society and a compromising ‘church’ excuses these clear realities. They create a permissive ‘pseudo-christ’ who gives mankind everything desired, instead of withholding those things that will bring about destruction and punishment. This abandonment of the natural functions by homosexuals is permissive neglect by those who partake of such sin and those who give consent. Paul further expresses chilling words for us to remember:
Romans 1:28 “They know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of adeath, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
This is not only an indictment against those who practice such things, but to abandon God’s clear prohibition in Scripture leads to giving ‘hearty approval’ to these things that God hates. It is often expressed that ‘God loves gays!’ However, this love is to make provision for sins that will incur His judgment. God’s love is not a mere feeling, but a provision for sinners to flee from their wickedness and turn to Him for cleansing, according to the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. Man does not have the prerogative to define how God loves him. God’s love is defined by the death and resurrection of His Son as an appeasement of His wrath against sinners, because man cannot save Himself (John 3:16-21). God’s love is not a call for permissive sinfulness, but a call for repentance and faith in His beloved Son. The homosexual, fornicators, effeminate, and adulterers must all repent and turn to God by His power. Mere guilt over these things is not repentance. Godly sorrow, the sorrow that comes to the end of self and desires to be cleansed of these sins, leads to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The command then is not to tolerate this vileness, no matter how embraced in the modern society. It is as it always has been, flee from these things that will certainly bring God’s eternal judgment and eternal abandonment. The call is to turn from these things to the living Christ. This call is not only to those who participate in these sins, but also those who give consent must repent for their compliance of these wicked deeds. We must no longer call “evil” good and “good” evil (Isaiah 5:20).
Doron Gladden
Biblical Christ Research Institute
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