Homosexuality is a big topic, and a lot of times people may only want the 'yes' or 'no' answer; such as: "is homosexuality a sin?" or "do gays get into heaven" or "The Bible was against homosexuality, but does that apply to the current context?" Understanding what the Bible says is so much more than a singled-worded answer; it's about the approach to this issue.
IF you are to argue for homosexuality, how can you say that God longs for a guy and another guy or a girl and another girl, if God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah - which was filled with homosexuals?
To make it clear, as Christians, condemnation is not part of our blood. Condemning others of their sin is unbiblical, thus abusing or radically hitting out on homosexuals is not a Godly act. However, we are told to convict people of their sin, just like how the Holy Spirit convicts us of our wrongdoings and iniquities. Condemnation ends with itself, while conviction leads to repentance.
To approach this massive topic, I would like to use two simple, Biblical and Biblically-logical approach towards this issue -- glorification and weighing of scripture.
First of all, the approach is significant, when one solely wants to seek a quick answer to controversial issues such as this, they may neglect the essence of the outcome. For example, some may want to know the 'yes' or 'no' answer to homosexuality; but they may neglect the undermining cause to why it is a sin. The mentality of mature Christians should be more than identifying what is sin or not; for when one simply avoids sin, one is spiritually immature. Mature believers who have a relationship with God seeks glorification.
First of all, the approach is significant, when one solely wants to seek a quick answer to controversial issues such as this, they may neglect the essence of the outcome. For example, some may want to know the 'yes' or 'no' answer to homosexuality; but they may neglect the undermining cause to why it is a sin. The mentality of mature Christians should be more than identifying what is sin or not; for when one simply avoids sin, one is spiritually immature. Mature believers who have a relationship with God seeks glorification.
Someone asked me if I considered a particular word as a swear word. The entire mindset is distorted. As Christians we do our best to glorify God, which is to make God feeling pleased, and not simply debating whether something is a sin or not. Let's assume I have a girlfriend. I don't simply act to not make her angry, but to please her and honor her and make her happy. The Bible frequently symbolizes us as the Bride and God as the Groom. A true couple will do their best to please each other and seek for the best. God desires the best of us. Only those who truly have a relationship with God will apply the mindset of glorification, for they aren't doing it solely because the Bible tells them so, or their teacher or pastor or parent tells them so; it's because they love God with their all and their love for God makes them naturally want to please God in every act. Also, if God was gay or if He accepted homosexuality, then why did the church be so specifically named as a female identity and not another male?
Conversely, avoiding sin is like following a set of textbook rules, which is very religious. Christianity (Protestantism) is not a religion by any means, but a beautiful, loving relationship between God, who came down for man.
Before I go to what the Bible actually says about homosexuality, one with adequate understanding of the Word of God, Biblical principles and has a relationship with God, is to know that God longs sex and love between a man and a woman in the bond of marriage. Thus, the act of glorification is to find and marry someone of your opposite sex in Christ. I don't want to touch upon love, dating and marriage too much, but a mature Christian would seek for another mature Christian. They would seek and date those who are mature in Christ. Also, dating is for marriage, and marriage is a massive decision; thus, this decision should definitely contain the seeking and approval of God. (to those who date blindly)
So, to sum of what I've just said up to this point about homosexuality, homosexuality doesn't go close to glorifying God, never mind it being sin or not. NOWHERE DOES THE BIBLE SAY YOU CAN GLORIFY GOD VIA HOMOSEXUALITY. You will certainly glorify God if you keep yourself holy and pure for the one whom you will marry and live with in Christ.
Being more Biblical, to argue for homosexuality is mission impossible. All scriptures that identify homosexuality strongly lashes at it as sin. In fact, the entire notion of same-sex marriage does not originate from the Bible. Now lets take a pause there. I won't copy and paste those scriptures, but a lot of the sin we see today aren't directly mentioned in the Bible. We are able to conclude some acts as sin based on Biblical principals and other verses that correlates to the act that is considered as sin; however, when the Bible strongly identifies homosexuality as sin, there's an importance to this sin.
You see, any idea or thought can be support with scripture. Any wicked, unbiblical, self interpreted idea, can have scriptural support, but of course, those 'scriptures' are being misused and abused. This is the art of the 'weighing of scripture'. FYI, just in case you think homosexuality is a 20th to 21st century thing, it's not. The people in Sodom and Gomorrah contained those who were homosexuals too - and they were wiped out by God due to the intolerance of their sin.
Let's pause again, God rarely destroys people directly because of their sin. God gave Saul tons of years to repent, yet he did and didn't, faced withhis end during a battle. Judah's sins were so great God wiped them out through exile, yet they had centuries to repent for their wrongdoings. However, despite we don't really know exactly how long the people in Sodom and Gomorrah engaged themselves in homosexuality, they were directly destroyed by God, it means that the level of sin in Sodom and Gomorrah were completely completely completely over the top.
IF you are to argue for homosexuality, how can you say that God longs for a guy and another guy or a girl and another girl, if God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah - which was filled with homosexuals?
Some people try to argue that homosexuality isn't a sin, is saying that the Bible completely CONTRADICTS WITH ITSELF. It's saying that God once didn't allow this type of sin, but now in the New Testament, He changed His views. Being a bit more theological, God doesn't change because 'oh no, this happened'. It's not like God was shocked because people now like to have sex with their own gender. God is beyond time, so if you think that God now thinks that homosexuality isn't sin, this is invalid. The fact that God is beyond time proves that He doesn't change, He is sovereign and He knew about The Word becoming flesh and dying for our sins as He created the Heavens and the earth. Due to the fact that God strongly held an issue against homosexuality before, and destroyed a bunch of gay 'sinners'; it's ridiculous and illogical to think that God now thinks that homosexuality isn't wrong.
I agree with progressive Christianity. I believe theology does evolve, and some of the truth will become more clear as time advances. For example, scripture was testified as Israel was recognized as a nation state in 1948. By the way, apart from Israel, no other dissolved nation, or race that has gone into exile, has been reestablished or restored. Moreover, the charismatic movement took place in the 1960s, and I believe it carries importance in Biblical Christianity. Being filled with the Spirit is Biblical - despite some Charismatic movements have gone awry. Yet, progressive Christianity does not mean some fundamental and Biblical values can be rewritten or overthrown - such as homosexuality.
I agree with progressive Christianity. I believe theology does evolve, and some of the truth will become more clear as time advances. For example, scripture was testified as Israel was recognized as a nation state in 1948. By the way, apart from Israel, no other dissolved nation, or race that has gone into exile, has been reestablished or restored. Moreover, the charismatic movement took place in the 1960s, and I believe it carries importance in Biblical Christianity. Being filled with the Spirit is Biblical - despite some Charismatic movements have gone awry. Yet, progressive Christianity does not mean some fundamental and Biblical values can be rewritten or overthrown - such as homosexuality.
I will now allude to another case to explain my usage of 'weighing of scripture '. I've been to a Seventh Day Adventist church. (I dare not say all SDA churches are cults) Via conversation with the pastor, he claimed that 'Sunday worshippers' (me and you) or people that don't specifically set a time on Saturday - which is the day of Sabbath - for worship, are not of God. If you go to their website, you'll see that they have scriptural evidence to why keeping the Sabbath, as in following the Old Testament way; which is to literally worship God on Saturday, is essential to salvation. HOWEVER, their scriptural evidences are limited, and most of it, comes from the old testament. (you can check by going to their website, I actually read and analyzed all of it, not joking) So the first problem you get on with, is that some of the old testament doesn't apply in our time now. For example, we don't need to offer sacrifices in the Tabernacle/Temple. We now are called to become living sacrifices. (yet the essence of offering sacrifices and becoming sacrifices is the same. which is to please God with the best of us, and what we have) So obviously, if keeping the Sabbath ( their interpretation) was so vital to salvation, the New Testament would definitely have mentioned it for a trillion times.
Jesus, the cornerstone to our salvation, appears in a plethora of verses throughout the Bible. Also, keeping the Sabbath, the literal act, is an act. We aren't saved by works, so that's actually good enough to argue and win. I just want to point out that so little scripture can adequately add weight to the SDA saying of salvation, so of course their argument won't stand.
Jesus, the cornerstone to our salvation, appears in a plethora of verses throughout the Bible. Also, keeping the Sabbath, the literal act, is an act. We aren't saved by works, so that's actually good enough to argue and win. I just want to point out that so little scripture can adequately add weight to the SDA saying of salvation, so of course their argument won't stand.
In the same way, if homosexuality, a contradicting ideology with the mainstream Christian value of man and woman, was Biblically and theologically correct, then how come it has no scriptural support but scriptural opposition? Let's even say that some people can interpret a verse saying that homosexuality may not be sin, but by the weighing of scriptures, there's no way that their interpretation of the 'verse' can be valid! Their claim has no weight at all! There's no way whatsoever that homosexuality, or a gay church is acceptable by any means, even though I do love them! (another problem our society has, is that some people think that people with contradicting or conflicting values can't get along. It's true that some Christians prosecute or discriminate homosexuals - by branding them worse than any human. We are all sinners and in need of the Blood of Christ, however, apart from Christians accepting homosexuals or people with different values, homosexuals need to try to accept Christians to 'love them' in the way Christ did.)
Coming to an end, the New Testament does align with the Old Testament on the issue of homosexuality, which leaves very little space for trying to say how homosexuality isn't a sin. However, let's now assume that most of the verses addressing homosexuality are from the old testament (which isn't true), homosexuality still is a sin, for essence behind homosexuality carries on. The essence between God creating man and woman for marriage is a honor for our creator, and His arrangement for a man to be partnered with a woman.
Glorification is a massive theme and the driving spirit of being a believer. Glorification is the proof of relationship. Many homosexuals claim to be Christian. Well, I sure hope that homosexuals can find strength in God and His Word about the unshakable truth among this matter, yet I honestly believe that homosexuals who claims that God, and His Word, is not against homosexuality; don't have a true relationship with God. God has not been integrated into their lives, and He isn't the center of their lives as well. The approach to issues like these is very different from one who has put on Christ and is willing to live for Christ, than those who simply view the Bible as literary source, or those who doubt scripture in the first place.
God bless!
-Barnabas
-Barnabas
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