John Roughton
Dimapur
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
In most western countries, homosexuality is now accepted, even celebrated. To date, 29 countries permit and recognize homosexual marriage. Major cities around the world host “Pride” marches, parades, and other events to promote the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender lifestyle. Two previous US Presidents have officially declared June as “Pride Month.” Canada’s $1 coin commemorates Gay rights. The government of Argentina openly funds many homosexual events. In Norway, you can have a sex-change operation at no expense. That country also offers “express-marriage” where homosexuals can be married within five days, regardless of their nationality. Belgium has several openly gay politicians, including a former prime minister. The transportation secretary of the US is a homosexual, married to another man.
Many western countries include LGBT-friendly curriculum in their schools to promote acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, even at the elementary school level. Four states in America have made teaching LGBTQ history mandatory.
In several countries, it is considered a “hate” crime to even voice opposition to the homosexual lifestyle. In 2011 in Manchester, England a man named John Craven was arrested and held for 19 hours by the police for simply openly stating his views on homosexuality. In 2005 a 63-year-old Pentecostal pastor in Sweden was sentenced to one month in jail for calling homosexuality a “cancerous tumor.” However, the conviction was later overturned.
In 2018 the Indian Supreme Court decriminalized homosexuality. In 2019 legislation was passed that permitted a person to legally change his gender after having a sex change operation. And there are a large number of Indian celebrities and activists who have voiced their support of the LGBT movement.
There is no doubt that acceptance of homosexuality has reached record levels around the world. Even many in the church-world have accepted homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle. Some have openly embraced it.
The pastor of the largest church in America stated that while he would not officiate a gay wedding, he would consider attending one. One assistant pastor of a large church said to me recently, “If you back me into a corner, I’ll admit that homosexuality is wrong.” In other words, he did not feel comfortable expressing that view openly.
I know a young woman in America who was quite effective in reaching the lost for Christ. She seemed to have real compassion for the poor and downtrodden in society. I’m not sure if she was a Rhema graduate, but she certainly associated with “word of faith” ministries. She was present at some of the same conferences that I also attended. She preached in one church that I had in the past ministered in.
She began posting comments on social media to the effect that God loves all people regardless of their sexual orientation and Christians are often bigoted towards others. But eventually, she disclosed that she was in fact, a lesbian and married another woman.
A close friend of mine held a week-long meeting in a “word of faith-type” church in Australia a few years ago. Afterward, while having dinner with the pastor, my friend in the course of the conversation, expressed his opposition to homosexuality. The pastor said, “If we had known this is how you feel, we would have never had to speak in our church.”
So the question remains and cannot be ignored: What should be the Christian’s view of homosexuality? Should the LGBTQ agenda be tolerated or even embraced? Since the mores of society have largely shifted in the past few years, should the church modify its stance to be more in step with the culture?
In all matters, the Word of God is the standard by which we must live. As Psalm 100:5 (NKJV) His truth endures to all generations. In Matthew 24:35 Jesus said, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Truth is not what’s trending. God’s Word doesn’t change with the shifting sands of public opinion. Malachi 3:6 says, For I the LORD do not change. God hasn’t changed his mind, why should we?
Some people will cite various polls that show an overwhelming majority of people now are in favor of gay marriage and homosexual rights. However, Romans 12:2 says,
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Passion) Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you
The Biblical Christian is a non-conformist. He will never be popular in a godless society. He would have to compromise to be accepted by this world.
Notice that 1 Corinthians 6:9 lists those who practice homosexuality as unrighteousness, that it is sin. Some will respond, “But God loves all gay people.” True, and he also loves, idolaters, thieves, drunkards, and swindlers. But loving the sinner is not an endorsement of sinful behavior.
If it is ok to be gay, then should we also say it’s ok to worship idols? Is it ok to steal and cheat others? Is it ok to commit adultery? Is greed ok?
Is it ok to be a drunkard? Should we celebrate drunkenness? Why not name July “Drunk Month”? Have a big parade in the center of town and let the government pay for it. Why not encourage even little children to experiment with alcohol so they won’t be biased against those who are alcoholics?
Because it’s wrong, it’s harmful. It destroys families and lives. And likewise so is homosexuality.
Some have said, “Jesus never spoke against homosexuality. He never mentioned it, so we shouldn’t either.” He also never spoke against rape or incest or transgenderism —because he didn’t need to. The Old Testament already forbade these things. All Scripture is inspired by God, and the Word is perfectly clear that God does not approve of homosexuality.
Some will say, “But I know several gays, and they’re nice people, so kind and gentle. I wish more Christians were like this.” I’ve known people who were thieves and drug addicts who were nice people. There are some convicts in jail, some for murder, and some of them are nice people. Being sweet and nice isn’t really the issue.
Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
(GW) When a man has sexual intercourse with another man as with a woman, both men are doing something disgusting and must be put to death. They deserve to die.
Some have said, rather dismissively, “Sin is sin.” Yes, in one sense that’s true, there are many people in hell today who never practice homosexuality. And as James 2:10 says, For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. If a person breaks even one of God’s commands, he is guilty of sin and deserving of punishment.
But on the other hand, when people say, “Sin is sin,” they’re trying to minimize the wrongfulness of it. They’re trying to equate homosexuality with other lesser evils. Leviticus 20:13 calls having sex with the same gender an abomination. That’s not something God said about every transgression. Under the law, some sins were punished more severely than others. Some sins required a sacrifice or some form of restitution. When Miriam criticized Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman, she was struck with leprosy. God healed her but she had to remain outside the camp for seven days. But Leviticus 20:13 says if two men have sex with each other, they shall surely be put to death.
Years ago in America, I read an article in the newspaper, in the religious section where the writer attempted to explain that the reason God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was because of their lack of hospitality. But of course, that’s laughable.
Genesis 13:13 says, Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. All have sinned. But the men of Sodom were especially wicked and evil. The English word, “Sodomy” means same-sex intercourse. The Lord told Abraham in Genesis 18:20, their sin is very grave.
Some say, “But Abraham prayed for the gays and asked God to have mercy on them.” No, Abraham said in v.23, Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? He interceded for the righteous living in Sodom, that God would spare the whole city if there were ten righteous people there. But there weren’t.
Notice, Abraham did not defend homosexuality. He called them wicked. He didn’t say, “Lord, they can’t help it, they were born that way. Love is love.”
Jude 1:7
just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Nothing is said about a lack of hospitality in this verse.
In one recent posting, a transvestite said that he was generally accepted by the people in his state, but that the elders needed to be educated. As if homosexuality was a new idea. No, we see as far back as in the days of Abraham there were Sodomites. It is not that the elders need to be updated. It is a younger generation that is biblically illiterate that needs to be warned.
Romans 1:26
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
That means women having sex with other women, lesbianism, is just as wrong. And Paul calls this dishonorable passions. It is not love, it is sexual perversion.
“Love is love.” What if a man loves an animal? What if he loves his sister or his daughter? What if he loves his stepmother?
In the church at Corinth a man having sex with his father’s wife. In 1 Corinthians 5:5, Paul instructed the church, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Paul didn’t say, “You can love whoever you want to love.” And notice they were to initiate judgment on this erring man so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. The implication is that if they didn’t do something to arrest his attention and bring him back to his senses, if he continued, he would not go to heaven.
1 Corinthians 6:9 says homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom. They won’t go to heaven. But then he added this in v.11,
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Notice the verb were is past tense. Previously, before they were washed and sanctified and justified, some of them were homosexuals. Gays definitely can be saved. But they cannot continue to practice homosexuality.
Some would say, “They can’t help it, they were born this way. God made them like this. In fact, Jesus even said so.” They’re referring to Matthew 19:12
For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
After teaching on marriage and divorce, the disciples said to Jesus, “It’s better for a man not to be married.” But Jesus said, “That’s not true for everyone.” They’re not talking about homosexuality, they are talking about celibacy.
The word eunuch (Greek, eunouchos) means a castrated man, or impotent man, or one who otherwise does not engage in sex. No one ever made himself a homosexual “for the sake of the kingdom.” But some men, like Paul, have been celibate. But as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:7, I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
God wants all men to be saved and Jesus died for the ungodly, including homosexuals. There is a difference between someone who is struggling in this area and someone who is openly, unashamedly promoting it.
Many years ago I received a telephone call from a young man I hadn’t seen in a long while. I don’t know how he got my telephone number. We had previously attended the same church. I asked him where he was going to church and he said he wasn’t. He said frankly, “I’m backslid.” I thought maybe he had neglected his prayer life or had grown cold spiritually. But he told me that before he was saved he was involved with homosexuality and that he had fallen into that again. He was living with some other ungodly men. I spoke with him in tones of kindness and reminded him that God loved him and that the blood of Jesus would wash him but that God wanted him to live free from sin.
I wasn’t sure how he would respond. He might just hang up the phone angrily. But he said, “I’m doing something I haven’t done in a long time. I’ve got my Bible open and I’m reading it.”
If people fall into sin, we want to restore them. And we don’t really help people by giving the impression that we agree with their sinful lifestyle choices. Young people today need clear teaching on this subject.
Many gays are the victim of sexually assault. Often it occurred while they were young. I think it is safe to say that, generally speaking, every homosexual is looking to make a new convert. Just as most drug addicts don’t get hooked by a stranger but a friend, the same is true with the gay lifestyle.
It is actually a misuse of the English language. The word “gay” means happy, and there are many homosexuals who are anything but happy.
