What does the Bible say about homosexuality? That is a hugely controversial subject in this day and age. The truth is that discussions about this question can get quite heated. There are very few topics these days that can evoke such strong emotions on both sides of the debate as the subject of homosexuality can. It seems as though virtually everyone has an opinion about the morality of homosexuality. But what does the Bible say? Is homosexuality morally right or morally wrong? How should we feel about people who are homosexual? Well, it turns out that the Bible has some very straightforward answers to these questions.
The first thing to understand is that the Bible commands us to love those who are gay just like anyone else. In fact, whenever we meet anyone, our foremost response to that person should be to love them.
In Matthew 22:34-40, the Lord Jesus Christ commanded us that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is non-negotiable.....
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
So if you know someone who is a homosexual, you are to love that person as much as you love yourself.
Secondly, it is absolutely vital to understand that the only sex acceptable to God is between a man and a woman inside of marriage.
All other sex is sin.
That means that sex between a man and a woman outside of marriage is sin.
And sex between two members of the same sex is sin.
In fact, the Bible addresses this point head on in the book of Leviticus.....
Leviticus 18:22
Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.
Some will argue that those passages are from the Old Testament and no longer apply.
They will argue that God has changed his mind and is now willing to endorse homosexual sex.
But that is completely and totally false. The truth is that God does not change as we read in Malachi 3:6.....
For I am the LORD, I do not change
In fact, Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ (who was there when the Law was given to Moses) is the same yesterday, today and forever.....
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The New Testament is very clear that God feels the same way about homosexuality now as He did during Old Testament times.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 we read this.....
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, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
In addition, Romans 1:26-28 is ever clearer on this point.....
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
So how should Christians deal with this subject?
The reality is that the number of gay people in society is growing and it is going to continue to become a bigger issue.
Well, as we saw above, the number one thing to do for anyone, including gay people, is to love them.
We are to love them and to keep loving them.
After that, love them some more.
Love has got to permeate everything that we do from the beginning to the end and everything in between.
But love does not mean to endorse what is wrong.
Instead love means helping people turn from self-destructive behaviors to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What those caught in homosexuality need more than anything, just like anyone else, is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We all need to have our sins forgiven and we all need eternal life.
Unfortunately most Christians are much more eager to judge than to love.
We are all sinners.
We all need forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Let us love all people with a radical love that we may help as many as possible escape whatever sins they find themselves in.
Then why don’t you stone the people who work on sabbath to death if God’s mind doesn’t change. Do you know what kind of idiocy you are fostering here?
Is homosexuality a destructive behavior? Is shaving your beard? What about laying with my wife while she’s “unclean?”
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 we read this…..
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, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
__________________________________________
My ancestors bible from the 1600′s has not mention of the word -homosexual in it. I checked everywhere. Not even in Romans has the first few scriptures mention it. The words have been changed over the years. For this people have really messed up changing these words and for this they shall pay.
people always say well if its a sin, what about this and that? they are still all sins and none is greater than another. instead of some people trying to excuse any sin,in this case homosexuality, why dont you try to find specifically where it says homosexual relationships are ok by God? and no not John and David, they were just friends , I mean specifically where it says its ok, you wont find it.
All unrighteousness is sin! God just gives us grace through Jesus Christ. Everything spoken in the Bible`s old testament is still wrong.God wants us to prepare ourselves to meet him.Lets not fight and just do what the scriptures tells us to do!
I do not agree with homosexuality but having worked with gays I have discovered that they are born like that at school at the age of 10 we picked a guy who acted gay today he is ? I have done little research and gays always say they which they could be straight ?
Anyone ever had poison ivy? Or any other itch, unbearable, that you just HAD to scratch? But, being adults and knowing we shouldn’t, we don’t. If someone is homosexual and doesn’t give in to those desires and lives a celebat life, then they aren’t sinning in that way, are they? Jesus addressed the whole idea of sexual relations by saying one should stay single and not marry if you could. But that if you could not, to marry and stay married to that one person for life. “It is better to marry than to burn.” I don’t think it meant burn with passion, I think it meant burn in hell for sinning and defiling God’s temple, your body, with someone not your spouse. And your spouse is someone of the opposite sex, according to the bible. Whatever your desires are, or whenever they started, your ACTIONS are what you are responsible for. So, DON’T SCRATCH!
Wow, I can across this gem while I was researching what the Bible says about divorce. Eddie, you need to pull your head out of your culo. You can’t change your sexuality dude. That’s like saying one day you may want to get it on with a dude. Blame straight people for gays…they are the one giving birth to them! haha
get over it people! At this point in my life, I’d rather go to hell anyway because that’s where all my friends are going to be!
I found this article very helpful. I am dealing with a bi-sexual daughter and am trying to understand he views along with mine. Thankyou for this information and answers.
I am glad to see this article, and I will remember to love my neighbor, even though I may not agree with their lifestyle, but I will try to get God’s word to them.
The old testament was full of things that seemed ludicrous to us, but they were told to the people because they were in a state where they needed STRICT moral Guidance. They were Very quick to condemn their belief in God after misfortunes and to give in to their OWN vices. The whole point of LOVING God is not to put yourself as the head of your life and actions, but to TRUST ALL to God instead. To put him above all else in your life. LITERALLY!!! To denounce yourself, and declare HIM as your ruler!!! This is the message that we should get from the humility of Jesus! He was king of kings but spent company with prostitutes and lepers. Anyway, those in the old testament had a weak resolve for God and could not put him before themselves without strict moral codes. After the death and rise of Jesus, this was no longer to be the case BECAUSE HE TOOK ON OUR SINS. NOW WE HAD TO FOCUS ON LOVE!!!. It now meant that despite those rules we received, its our turn to control our destiny, will we humble ourselves and all of our needs and wants ( all our Poison Ivy Itches, as mentioned in a previous comment) to him or do we ignore him as our creator and make ourselves our own rulers?? The devil wont care if you worship evil, what he really wants is for us to worship ourselves!! That’s what sin really is!! Worshiping ourselves and ignoring God!! Sin is being selfish, rather than self-less as Jesus was!! So homosexuality is a sin to the Christian God because it lets us do whatever WE feel like rather than what our loving God Wants best for us! It does not mean, however, that all homosexuals will be those in hell!! It means we were AAAAAAALLLLLLLL going to hell, but through Jesus’ conquering of death, and through OUR acceptance of him, we can be saved instead. Face it!! WE ARE ALL SELFISH ALL THE TIME,WE ALL IGNORE GOD AND PUT OURSELVES FIRST, SUBSEQUENTLY ALWAYS SINNING!!!!!! NO MATTER THE SIN BECAUSE THEY ALL HOLD THE SAME WEIGHT AND WE ALL FACE THE WAGES AS DEATH!!! If God weighed sins as which were heavies, those who hate and condemn homosexuals in the name of Christianity would probably suffer through hell ONE HUNDRED TIMES WORSE than homosexuals. Because like the article says, no matter what… no matter who… no matter what we don’t agree with, we are SUPPOSED TO LOVE GOD AND THEN LOVE EACH OTHER!!!! Its more important than who’s gay!
WE EVEN SIN WHEN WE TRY TO FORCE PEOPLE TO SEE THE WORD AND TO BECOME CHRISTIAN!!why because God loves us and does not Force us to do ANYTHING!! Think about!! we are never FORCED to do anything except by each other!!! when we force someone we impose our OWN will on them and we are SINNING!! Which is something God sees as selfish and sinful, and he would never do it!!
That’s what we have been talking about in my girls bible study group and I feel that we all need to realize its not about what I think or what you think to be true, its about what GOD says to be the ultimate truth and only through Jesus can any of us be saved from our SIN.
How is loving someone a sin? I love my girlfriend and I’m a woman. We both believe in the power of Jesus Christ and do our best to love everyone and help people who need help. We are good people regardless of the fact that we are homosexual.