The Truth About Homosexuality
If you watched the Academy Awards last Sunday night (2-22-09) you were “treated” to a bit of propaganda. Besides the usual display of material excess and moral regress, there was an unmistakable stamp of approval given to homosexuality—an exercise that has become an annual affair at the Oscars.
Sean Penn won the best actor award for his work in the movie “Milk,” the story of Harvey Milk, a San Francisco city supervisor, the nation’s first openly homosexual individual elected to public office. Milk was killed in 1978 by another supervisor.
Penn took the opportunity to lobby for “gay marriage” and express his disappointment over the California vote approving Proposition 8, defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman and effectively outlawing gay marriage. If voting Penn as best actor didn’t get the message across, the industry audience clearly expressed their agreement with Penn in their enthusiastic applause for his remarks and those of others in the same vein.
As usual, the truth about homosexuality was passed over in favor of the popular rhetoric of the gay lobby. With that in mind, I thought I would do my part to present the other side.
As with any issue of morality, those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ must first be concerned with God’s opinion about the issue. To ascertain His opinion, we look to the Bible, the written Word of God. In spite of the attempts of some to turn Scripture on its head regarding this issue, the biblical truth about homosexuality is pretty clear.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was a vivid expression of God’s wrath against this sin (Genesis 19:1-25). Later, the Law, given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai, also took a very clear position. Homosexuality was forbidden. Leviticus 18:22 calls it an “abomination” and two chapters later it pronounces the sentence of death on those who commit it (20:13). Before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses reiterated that homosexual practice was not to be found among God’s people (Deuteronomy 23:17). Later, godly leaders took strong action against it, with God’s approval (1 Kings 15:11-12; 2 Kings 23:7).
In the New Testament, the argument against homosexuality grows even stronger. While so-called “gay Christians” have often been quick to claim Jesus did not condemn homosexuality, He did indirectly do so. In Mark 10:6-9, Jesus confirmed heterosexuality as God’s design from the beginning of creation. (See also Genesis 1:27; 2:24.) Jesus also listed extramarital sex among the sins that defile a man (Matthew 15:19-20) and acknowledged God’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:28-29).
The apostle Paul gave us the definitive argument against homosexuality in Romans 1:18-32. The apostle presented homosexuality as the product of a reprobate mind (a mind devoid of God). He presents it as a form of idolatry that exalts the creature over the Creator, dishonors the body, and is contrary to nature. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, the Bible clearly places those who practice homosexuality among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God.
To sum it up, the Bible labels homosexuality as sin, an affront to the holy God. Christians must hold to this truth without compromise and we must oppose attempts to further the gay agenda by voting for things like Proposition 8 and supporting other legislation that affirms heterosexual marriage and forbids any other types.
It’s also important, however, that we contend for the truth about sexuality and marriage in a way that both honors God, furthers the gospel, and opens the door to true repentance and salvation in Christ—even for those once trapped in the homosexual lifestyle. That’s what I’ll focus on tomorrow.