Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
It says, is being gay allowed according to the Bible? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to steal.
Speaker 2
Your thunder.
Speaker 1
From Anonymous.
Speaker 2
Okay, all right, so let’s talk about that. So I think first answer this question we need to ask it’s like, what does it mean to be gay? And this is why I stopped seeing it, because what does it really mean to be gay? And I think for most people, we use this phrase being gay to describe like, being attracted to people of the same sex. So men being attracted to women and women being attracted to women. And is this feeling of attraction itself a sin? If we’re tempted to sin, is that tendency, that temptation a sin? Well, let’s see what James says. James 114 to 15 amen.
Speaker 1
So I was like, yes, go there.
Speaker 2
Perfect. So James says, but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. So James is talking about there’s this whole process where we go from being tempted to then sort of indulging that temptation and wanting to fulfill that temptation to then committing the sin which then leads to death is this process. But being merely tempted does not lead to sin. In fact, we are told that Jesus was in every way tempted like us, but yet was without sin. And this is from the book of Hebrews. So temptation does not equal sin. So having these tendencies, these urges, these attractions, whatever is going on in your mind, your heart, whatever, that in of itself is not committing a sin. Have some sort of temptations or tendencies, weaknesses that Satan loves to exploit. For all of us, it’s something different, right? For some people it’s going to be pornography. Other people is going to be promiscuity. Others, it’s just not able to control what they eat and just overindulging themselves with that.
Speaker 2
Others, maybe it’s kleptomania or stealing, others, alcoholism or drugs, gambling, listening to violent music, wasting endless hours with programming, program your mind with fictional movies and shows, or being more excited about the return of Superman or Spiderman than the second coming of Christ. I mean, we all have these tendencies, these urges, these things were indulging. Temptations are all around us, and they are a part of daily life in this world until Jesus puts an end to sin. But it is only when we feed every craving, satisfy every desire, and do whatever our central hearts want to do that we know are signing to be more like Sodom and Gomorrah. Christ calls us to bring these things into subjugation, to control them. And we rear cane. Jesus appears at the cane and says, you must master sin or it will master you. So we have to control ourselves, have the self control. And again, it’s not within us. It has to come from God. God will provide that control, but don’t indulge it. Don’t indulge these cravings, these lusts, these things which then lead to sin. So, as I mentioned, Christ was like tempted in every way, yet without sin.
Speaker 2
Christ resisted the temptations. He brought his desires under self control. And we see James four seven, he says, submit yourselves into God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. We just got to resist and we got to fight back a little bit. Don’t just cave. Fight back and eventually God will come and give us liberty. Here one, peter five eight to nine. Peter five eight to nine. It says, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brothers and sisters in the whole world. We’re all under attack by Satan. We’re all being tempted in different ways, maybe, but we’re all in this together. So while some of us might have gay tendencies, that is not sin of itself. But is engaging in homosexual acts a sin? Yes. The Bible says that. Bible says it’s a sin, calls it an abomination. And I know that’s not a nice word, nobody likes hearing that. But let’s talk about why. I know you don’t need to quite hear these verses, and you’ve probably heard them many times, right?
Speaker 2
So I’m not going to go over all these abominations. That’s it. I know you’ve heard these many times also in a hurry way, and I apologize for that. I am so sorry. God doesn’t want to hear these things in a hateful way either. I want you to hear these things in a new light, in a way that you maybe have never heard before. And that is, as we mentioned earlier, because God loves you. So why wouldn’t God want you to engage in homosexuality if he loves you? Why doesn’t he want you to do that? Let’s look at Romans one signing up, verse 24. Romans one, verses 24. And this gets into the core of why I think God says, do not engage in homosexuality. And it’s because homosexuality is a unique sin, and we’re told it’s a sin, not necessarily against others. A lot of sins is you’re helping yourself, indulging yourself at the expense of someone. But homosexuality is unique in that it’s one that hurts you yourself. It hurts the one who practices it, and God doesn’t want that. Romans 124 reads, therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanliness in the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Speaker 2
Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to their vile passions, for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burn in their flesh for one another man with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. What was that penalty they received in themselves? If you go back read this whole chapter, it’s talking about the wrath of God, but that wrath of God is God. Letting people suffer the consequences of their actions and decisions and engaging in homosexual acts has health consequences that God does not want to see happen to anyone. And I live in a health medical community and I hear stories about some of these health conditions and things that plague this community. The LGBTQ community. And maybe some of these are not their fault and some of these things might be inherited from their parents or what happened to them in their past. Or just maybe they were born that way and just struggling with a horrible tendency that I am grateful I don’t have to deal with.
Speaker 2
That is their struggle in this life. But at the end of the day, God wants us to resist anything that’s going to be destructive to ourselves. One of the Ten Commandments is thou shalt not kill. And normally we think of that as applied to others. God does not want us to kill others. At the same time, God doesn’t want us to kill ourselves because we have been bought for price, price paid, the ultimate price for each and every one of us. Each and every one of us is precious to Him. We mean the world to Him and he wants us to be happy. He wants us to be healthy and he wants us to be thriving. And he can’t wait till that day when he could swoop us back up and take us with Him. But until that day we must persevere and resist Satan who is trying to defile us. I mean, just Satan laughs at the way he wrecks the human body, like those of us that just let ourselves go and don’t take care of ourselves and then end up having horrible health conditions because of our decisions and our actions. Season laughs at that because we are in the image of God.
Speaker 2
And he looks at all that and says ha ha, ruined God’s image and he knows it hurts Christ too. God wants to be happy, safe, healthy, and I just want to force again. Even if one has engaged in homosexual acts, that doesn’t have to be what defines you. It is not a biblical concept that you are what you do or that you have to be what you do. You could choose to be. You could choose to be that way, but you don’t have to be. We can associate and be something different. We are told to be like Christ, to have the mind like Christ. We can have Christ in us the hope and glory. Psalms One 3212 it says, as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us. He’d be gone, ripped from us. He could be washed and purified in Christ. Hebrews 415 to 17 says, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but wasn’t always tempted as we are, yet without sin. So we read this already. Look at this next verse, the very next verse. Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.
Speaker 2
When is the time of need? Sometimes that is when we’re struggling with our tendencies, with our lust, our passions that just are so intense sometimes, right, it hurts, right? You could just break down cries like, God, take this away from me, right? But the fight is worth it. To not be the slave to sin, but to be the servant of God is a beautiful thing. And ultimately, right, our identity should be this. This is what God wants for us. One John three one. Behold what manner of love the Father is bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons and daughters of God. That should be our identity. That should be how we see ourselves. So shouldn’t see ourselves as one who watches pornography, or one who’s attracted to this, or heterosexual, homosexual, black, white, whatever. No, let us all have just the identity of we’re a child of God. Because that’s ultimately the identity God wants us to have. And we can start today to live that way, to try to walk in his ways, to not have pride in who we are now, but to be humble and let God shape us into what he wants us to become, which is in his image.
Speaker 2
So, Tina, any thoughts?
Speaker 1
I think that was pretty concise and I think this is definitely I really agreed with what you said about when God’s calling us for something. It’s not because he’s mean and just wants to make us feel ashamed and bad. That’s not God’s purpose ever. He wants us to have a good life and to bless us because he loves us, just like you said. And it just brings my mind, that verse in John, chapter ten, verse ten, or even in verse nine, before Jesus says, I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved and he’ll be able to go in and out and find pasture. And in verse ten it says the thief, being the devil, does not come except for to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus says, But I have come that you might have life and you might have it more abundantly. And he says, I’m the good shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives us life for the sheep. Jesus loves you and he wants you to be saved and he wants good things for your life. He wants you to have a healthy, happy life and to have eternal life as well, yeah, I definitely agree.
Speaker 1
And I like the way that you presented this, because it’s definitely coming from a balanced view of God’s love and speaking the truth and love, so yeah, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2
Thanks. God, I just feel so bad at the false portrayal of Christianity that so many people experience, and it’s like, if you knew the real God, you would find so much peace and joy.
Speaker 1
Definitely.
Speaker 2
And healing.
Speaker 1
Amen. Yes. That’s a huge thing in there, for sure.
For full episode:
https://youtu.be/xTAORxga0IA
Share this video with a friend:
https://youtu.be/KjnL03BaW0Y
In His Service
BibleAsk Team
