Sexuality
- Is homosexuality forbidden in scripture?
- Can an active homosexual be saved?
- Is sex outside of marraige sin?
Is homosexuality forbidden in scripture?
It is interesting the length to which some will go to show that homosexuality is not a sin. It is also interesting the length to which some go to show that homosexuality is the worst sin a person can commit. Before going into some details on this issue, I would encourage believers to keep two things in mind: 1) Homosexuality and lesbianism are sins that have social stigma and yet are to be dealt with the same as other sins in the church. 2) We, as brothers, are to love sinners, if we fail to love sinners; we will have no one to love.
1 Corinthians 6:9 "or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor [the] covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." It is clear that in the list of sins here that homosexuality is an act of unrighteousness. The word-translated homosexual is arsenokoitês - literally meaning the male bed or male sexual promiscuity. The word is used in a sexual context in every case in Scripture and speaks to sexual activity between two males. Homosexuality should be understood as an activity referred to as degrading passions and indecent acts, 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." God allowed them to fall into their sinful desires without restraint and He gives them over to degrading passions. Previously in this passage, He says they are given over to their degrading passions because they did not glorify God as God.
There are other passages that deal with this sin. However, I must remind you that to stigmatize this sin as the worst sin, can have a devastating impact on those we are called to love. I believe the voice of the church to homosexuals should be a voice of love and a call to holiness with a loving support for the homosexual. For homosexuals that are non-believers, we should call them first to Christ not to our standard or even a Biblical standard of holiness. I would avoid dealing with a non-believer's sexuality; just preach Christ's love in the Gospel.
Can an active homosexual be saved?
Anyone can be saved, because Scripture is clear that salvation is not based upon our behavior but on the redemptive work of Christ. There are many sins that exclude believers from experiencing the full blessings that all of us have been given, but they do not exclude us from eternal life.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9 ff. it says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor [the] covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 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 Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." In this passage Paul is drawing a distinction between the "saints" and the "unrighteous." His purpose is to help believers realize they are not to drag each other before the courts of the unrighteous. In drawing this distinction Paul gives a list of sins including sexual sins, spiritual sins and even sins of the heart, like coveting. Some say that those who commit these sins are excluded from eternal life. They ignore the fact this list includes coveting and yet they emphasis the acts of homosexuality as exclusionary. Are you able to live a life free from coveting another's "stuff?" Have you been excluded from eternal life? Have you lost your salvation? No. Paul's point is that we as believers are known by our position in Christ. We are "saints" because we have been justified and washed. We are not known by our behavior as the unrighteous are, we are known by the righteousness given us in Christ. Do Christians sin? Certainly we do, sometimes even grievously! We were not saved by our own righteousness, nor do we lose our salvation by bad or sinful behavior. We are saved eternally and completely by God's grace.
There may be pathological and not spiritual reasons as the source for the sin of homosexuality. From the biblical perspective, those who do not glorify God as creator will stand in danger of God giving them over to their own lust. Whatever the source of homosexuality, it is forbidden in Scripture and should be avoided.
Someone may say, "I am a homosexual from birth and these are natural urges." My response is, "Heterosexuals have urges too, but an urge does not justify an action." The debate should not be on the source of homosexuality, but rather on the moral position given us in Scripture. We are not the sum of our sexuality, we are emotional and spiritual. To the homosexual or to the heterosexual (unmarried), I would say, pursue holiness and honor God as a celibate. This is your calling and it best glorifies God.
Is sex outside of marraige sin?
Sexual intercourse outside of marriage is sin. The only place for appropriate expression is in marriage. 1 Corinthians 7:1 "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband [does]; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife [does.] 5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control."
The term "touch" is not about any form of touching, but specifically is speaking about sexual intercourse. Men and women are forbidden to experience this outside of marriage. Once married, it is important to maintain this sexual relationship to avoid temptation and to establish continual intimacy in marriage.