Homosexuality in the Bible
The Bible does address the topic of homosexuality. God actually loves all sinners including homosexuals (Romans 5:8) and He has demonstrated His love when He offered His innocent Son to die and pay the penalty of their sins. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Although God loves the sinners, He also hates sin because His is a holy God. And He invites all sinners to repent of their sins saying, “You shall be holy for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The Lord promised, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; Isaiah 55: 7). The Lord does not want any person to be lost but that all people be saved (2 Peter 3:9). And He is sure to forgive for faithfulness is one of His outstanding qualities (1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 10:23).
The Bible teaches that the only sexual relationship that is sanctioned by God is between one man and one woman who are married to each other (Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 19:1-9). Homosexuality was condemned in the Old Testament. “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13).
And homosexuality was also condemned in the New Testament. “knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is [a]contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Timothy 1:9-11 also Romans 1:26-27).
The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The list of sins here includes most of the common sins of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21; Ephesians 5:3–7).
But here is the good news: God has provided for the sinners all the power and grace necessary that they may both repent (Acts 5:31) and have new hearts and desires (Jeremiah 24:7). When people unite with God, they receive complete victory over sin (1 Corinthians 15:57). This victory will make them proclaim triumphantly we, “can do all things through Christ which strengthens” us (Philippians 4:13) and “…we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
