HomosexualitY

This is such a difficult subject that many don't even want to talk about for fear of being ridiculed.

I hope to give the Biblical perspective on this subject with love & care for all. I would ask you to read the entire passage before coming to any conclusions. Yes, there will be some who will not agree with what I will say, but I hope that it will give everyone a better understanding about this issue. There will be some very hard questions asked of you - I am informing you of this right now - so that it does  not come as a surprise.

First of all the Bible is the story of God's LOVE NO MATTER what your colour, religious background, or sexual orientation is.
Again I say - I do understand that this subject will cause some agony to some people, but I hope that you view it objectively & as a matter of fact it may surprise some. That's why I am asking you to read the entire message.

Jesus came not to condemn us, but to save us & set us free from sin & the consequence of sin - the dreaded death & eternal separation from Him & His Kingdom & His Father, as well as that - He showed us His love for the whole world on the cross  of course. John 3:16 - 17

In the same way, we as Christians need to show sensitivity towards everyone who has a difficulty overcoming the sinful nature of the flesh - may that be a persons own sexual orientation -  over eating, drinking and so forth.  When we look at the sin passages in the Bible we find this:

That everything comes from within the heart of person - that is "evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these things come from inside the person which make him/ her unclean." Mark 7: 21 - 23
* 13  sins are mentioned *
Do you notice anything about these sins?  Please read on!

In Romans we find this: "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather then the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen, because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural relations with women and were inflamed with lusts for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.  Further more, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to  a deprived mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God - haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they do not only continue to do these things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1: 24 - 32 - Can you see the pattern forming?

Let's go one: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, disorder, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5: 19 - 21 -  do you see it now?

Let's go on to one more passage of sin: "But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather then lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak - willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." 2 Timothy 3: 1- 7 - does the pattern form now?

Sorry for being painful here; the pattern that I am looking for is this - Every sin is treated with SAME contempt. No one sin is greater in degree then the other. To God  - all sin is sin no matter how large or small that it seems to us humans.  A little white lie to God is just as bad a a BIG WHOPPER. If we disown Jesus in any way He will disown us - so let's be more loving towards one another - God loves us just as we are - What He demands from us is the act of obedience to His Commands & not what we humans superimpose on others.

No where in the Bible does it say that homosexual ORIENTATION is a sin, or homosexual feelings. Temptation is not sin - through temptation our human character grows. Without temptation we wouldn't know right from wrong & we wouldn't be able to learn what is good or what is bad.  Let's face it Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He was without sin. Hebrews 4: 15. What the Bible does condemn is not homosexual preference, but homosexual practice. I will cover that later on.

Jesus told us that anyone who even looks lustfully at a woman  has already committed adultery in his heart {Matt. 5: 28}. What this means is that we must take control of our feelings from within as all the sin is first derived in our heart & then we act it out with our thoughts & actions.

That places a different twist to homosexuality, doesn't it?  Even if I look at another woman lustfully I have committed a sin - so the actual thought  of it is just as bad as an act of it.

Ok then, let's look at what Bible does say about same sex acts.

First of all - In Genesis the Bible tells us that God created  man & woman {Gen. 1: 27}. The body is good; we are fearfully & wonderfully made {Psalm 139: 14}. Jesus has a physical body also & Everything God made is good - this includes our sexual organs which were designed for our enjoyment. the sexual urge is God given and, like fire in the fireplace, it is a great blessing when enjoyed in the right context.

In the original context of creation, Adam & Eve were created naked & they enjoyed that nakedness until they sinned. There was  no guilt attached to their sexuality - which is why we should be able to talk about sexuality in an open way & not hide behind some phobia.

The Bible tells us of sexual intimacy - Adam knew Eve & she bore a child etc.  Sex in its right context is good & beautiful & that's why God has a high view of sexual relationship - He told A & E to go & multiply & populate the world.  There are many passages in the Bible that talk about sexual relationship & in all occasions Bible tells us that man will leave his mother & be united with his wife & they  will become one flesh {Matthew 19: 5-6  which is citing Genesis 2: 24}. Here in Genesis & NT we see the KEY to Biblical understanding of what marriage is.

Secondly - man & wife become one flesh as far as God is concerned. That's why He tells us that if a man has a sexual relation with a prostitute he then becomes one with her. So, what we see is man leaving - a public act of lifelong exclusive commitment. Then they became one -  glued together - in marriage. Thirdly - this union is a sexual relationship that binds us as one - until this relation occurs we are still two - as soon as the sexual act is performed then we become one flesh in the eyes of God.

This is not a literal - joining - but a spiritual, emotional, psychological & social joining.

No where in the Bible do I find that God approves of same sex sexual relations - in all instances it is one  male to one female relationship & becoming one in God's eyes.

God gives us boundaries to explore His love & beauty all around us, but as soon as we go outside these boundaries we are charged as guilty of sinful desires which originate in the heart. When we cross any natural boundary we get hurt - that may even be placing a finger on a hot plate - we get burnt, don't we? Same applies to God's boundaries, but when we cross God's boundaries, He is the Judge & not man . More importantly  His justice is just. There is no way of weaseling our way out of His Justice. This justice is never  a malicious act on God's part.  Let me explain in human understanding.
 
Let's say that a drink driver has an accident & his best friend gets killed in the accident. First of all there is the law against drink driving. This law in effect is placed in existence to protect ALL road users from getting hurt.  Now the effect of man's stupidity  caused an innocent bystander to get killed - that is the effect of breaking the law. There was also an affect to the driver - which was human courts punishment for his irresponsibility. Sort of a double barrel effect on one person for disobeying the laws of society.

One day God will judge the whole world & there is a penalty to be paid for all sins & God's judgment will be just - unlike the human court system. We will either pay the penalty ourselves if we don't place our trust in Jesus or we can take the easy way out now & place our human infallibility's on Him as His load is easy & he will deliver us from that harsh punishment.  This is the final judgment that will occur when Jesus comes the second time.

In the mean time God does & did intervene in human life. As we are discussing Homosexuality - the best example is the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah {Genesis 19}. Although this act is a rare act of God's vengeance on humanity for their sins against Him - we should take heed & learn from it as it is a stern warning - that HE does as He foretells.
 
Before we go to far lets take quick look at S & G - Some people will point to Ezek. 16: 49 where LORD is accusing S & G of arrogant, overfeed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.  The sodomy is left out & then they say that S & G wasn't in effect that bad & that everyone wasn't homosexual & everyone didn't sin against God.

This is not true!!  What we have to do is search the scriptures & other writings to find the answers.

First of Lord Told Abraham in Genesis 18: 20 - 33  that He will go to S & G & check out what they w ere up to & if He  found them wicked as He heard - then He will destroy them.

Abraham pleaded with Lord NOT TO DO IT & He asked Lord - What about if you find 50 good people will you destroy the whole towns - Lord said No.  Abraham went as Low as 10 people & Lord agreed that He WOULD NOT destroy the towns if HE found 10 good people [verse 32].

Well: What did Lord Find?

He found only Lot & his family - even Lots son's in law were wicked & they didn't want to leave S & G as they thought that Lot was joking.  I will go as far as to say this, they preferred their life style. If they were righteous like Lot they would have believed him & would have gone with him.  See verse Gen. 19: 14 -- So. Lord only found Lot, His wife & 2 daughters.

More to the point the people were so wicked that they had organized sexual orgies 4 time per year just out side their towns & any strangers who came to their towns were forced to have sex with men of S & G as they leased.  Don't believe me ??  Lets look at what additional Jewish writings say about S & G - The following is scanned from the book of Jasher (he was refereed to in  in our own Bibles in Books of Joshua & 2 Samuel.

 
 
AS YOU CAN SEE =  THESE PEOPLE WERE EXTREMELY BAD & DIDN'T WANT TO REPENT FROM THEIR EVIL WAYS.

Is there further evidence of these acts in our own Bible??

The answer is yes.  In Genesis 19: 4 - 11 we find that men of  S & G wanted to have sex with the two angels that come & stayed at Lots place. They were so insistent to have sex with angels that they were prepared to break the down the doors of Lots house to have their sexual pleasure with angels.

You can please your self if you believe Bible facts on homosexuality or not.  All that I can do is present Bible facts as they are & the rest is up to you.

The Ezek. passage is telling us this:  Any person who has the knowledge of God & then turns his / here eyes away from God like Jews did - they will be punished even more then a person who doesn't know God & sins. reason for this is because person who didn't know God acted without knowledge.

Jews knew God's Laws & commands, even though they didn't act like their neighbours they were classed as committing BIGGER SIN against God because they pleased them selves. They didn't even want to help the poor!!

The real crisis in our society isn't any epidemic or even homosexual tendencies - That  is a symptom of sin. What in reality is a very serious crisis is our turning away from God by men & women - just as I already pointed out above {see Romans 1: 21}.

The other question when it comes to homosexual acts is this - The misuse of scripture - by citing 2 Samuel 1: 26 where David is proclaiming that the love of Saul was greater for him then that of a women is a misuse of scripture to serve one's own purpose. David was using the word "Love" in the "Agape" sense  as one Christian has for another - as one neighbour has for another etc. & not as "EROS nor LABIDIO" Love - which denotes the sexual attraction & physical bondage or union as one, in God's eyes.

David at no time showed any sexual preference towards Saul - they were soul mates in the sense of being great worriers & buddies & not sexual partners. Therefore, no should take these words out of context to support sexual acts between two men or two women, for that matter.

ALL hope of humanity is based on the cross of Christ & His ability to cleans us from all sin, sickness. After all, we read in Isaiah 53: 5 that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions & that we are healed by His Stripes. OK, We are healed by His stripes, no matter what the illness, desire and so forth may be, see also 1 Peter 2: 24 - 25. Furthermore, in Lamentations 5: 21 author ask the Lord to Turn us back to Himself & then we will be restored. Jesus Himself tells us few times in New Testament that If we ask Him anything He will do it as His yoke is easy - Matthew 11: 28 - 30, - Compare John 6: 35 - 37 & 1 John 5: 3 - 4.

What Jesus & the Bible asks us to do is to be repentant people as in the case of the people of Nineveh - when they repented from their evil ways and God saved them - even though they were not of Jewish origin. See also - Matthew 3: 1- 8.

On another note - If I was to say that I was born with homosexual tendencies & because God created me that way,  it is Ok to go against His commands. I personally find this a very weak excuse {Don't panic now please keep on reading - I can see the flames in your eyes OK } -  to say the least. You see if I was to say that I love to have sex with young children say 8 - 15 year old - male or female- then I would be classed as the worst of the worst paedophiliac. Wouldn't I?

Hang on here - But I was born that way - so why am I classed as the worst of the worst? Is it because I love minors?   How about this one --  I am married - but I love to have sex with other married & single women - {let's not exclude anyone}  = I have a wife - but I was born with the desires to have sex with other women also.  Yet again I am classed as the home wrecker as I can not keep the old fella in the pants. I was born with those desires so why am I classed as a home wrecker?? Is it because society says that it is OK? Just a thought!  Not fair hey - I was born with different desires, the desires of having sex with the same sex gender yet I am not allowed by society rules & regulations to exercise my birth desires, but homosexual people are allowed to exercise their birth desires. Funny that!! Don't stop reading now - if you made it this far - there is few more things to consider that are extremely important.

To God ALL of the above examples are sinful - OK! Not a single act, as mentioned above, is approved by Him. So what are we to do?

First of all - who or what is in CONTROL in the above situations - YOU or Your Birth DESIRE??   YES you read it right!!

Who or what is In CONTROL - YOU or Your desire??  Aren't you the one who is in charge of YOUR Body - Or is it your desire??

Jesus tells us - that Anyone who allows him / herself to be controlled by their sinful nature is a SLAVE to that desire / sin = John 8: 34. Paul confirms this in Romans 6: 16 where he tells us this: " Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to SIN, which leads to death, or  to obedience, which leads to righteousness is a choice that you & I make?"

Which are you?? Answer  that question for your self.  Are you that weak in the SPIRIT that you have to GIVE in to the desires of the Flesh - that you can not say NO??

If you said YES -   then you are not the one who is in control of your own body - but YOUR DESIRES are.

Don't worry - I have my own difficulties also - I love food - as far as God is concerned gluttony is just as bad as homosexuality - they both lead to death. That's why I have to go to Jesus for help & He does help. Try Him!!

I can say that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit & MY Repentance from sinful desires really helps. At first, it wasn't easy & even now sometimes devil loves to tempt me with all the goodies - but I can say NO or yes, choices hey!!  Blessed be His name for helping us along a difficult part

Let's face it we have the power available to us, of the one who has created the whole UNIVERSE & EVERYTHING in it  just by speaking - OK. All that He has to do is speak & things get created.

Let's allow Him to help us - After all, He gave us a promise that He would make us NEW BEINGS if we allowed Him to.  John the Baptist tells us that Jesus will baptize us with Spirit & Fire -  I can tell you He sure does that, but I had to give Him the permission to do so. He didn't force Himself upon me at any time. It was I who said 'YES LORD I WANT some of that Spirit stuff as I can not do it on my own any more.' He did come - blessed be His Name & He sure is helping me every day ever so much more. See Rev. 3: 20 - 21

The question is do you want some of the Holy Spirit  too - or do you want to go on as you are & be controlled by YOUR FLESH DESIRES??

It is completely up to you !!  He WILL make you new being if you so desire it,  but, He will not force Himself upon you.  He can change you if you let Him - He will cleanse those sinful desires of LUST for   same sex orientation to desires of the opposite sex orientation.

IT IS UP TO YOU!!  Do you have faith in Him that He can do that - remember He created you & said that you are good. Moreover, everything you can see & everything that you can not see He also created & is running it. He is extremely powerful - but He will not force Himself upon you.

Paul tells us that Jesus will not tempt you. The  devil tempts you, but Jesus will PROVIDE you with the ability to you get past devil's temptations. 1 Corinthians 10: 13.

As Tony Camolo writes in his book "20 Hot Potatoes Christians are Afraid  to Touch on page 110 - 1998 edition - Word Publishing.

"It is very important that all of us distinguish between homosexual orientation and homosexual behaviour. Homosexual orientation is an inclination to desire sexual intimacy with members of the same sex. Homosexual is "making love" or seeking sexual GRATIFICATION through physical interaction of the same sex.
The First is the DESIRE. The Second is yielding to temptation."

I personally know that it is hard to fight this desire as male. It applies to all - anytime a good looking woman goes by - I have to control those male hormones  :-)  With the help of Holy Spirit everything is possible & I mean everything is possible.

The devil tries ever so hard to take us away from Jesus by all sorts of temptations - But Jesus is ahead of him if we allow Him to work within us.

Remember what Jesus tells us - He will make us NEW Beings. By being new we can overcome the old desires - It is a process that we have to go through. For some it happens in an instant & for others it is a continuous struggle - But that's what makes life great.

I can honestly say that I feel absolutely great now when I can tell the devil to POQ & I can go on with my new life. Yes, there are times when I am weak & thoughts start to wonder, but With Holy Spirit's help I do overcome them. So will you if you allow Him to.

Also - remember it isn't your fault that you have those desires - it's part & parcel of who you are as human being, whether it is biological or sociological it is not your fault. God wants to use what you have to show others how He works & how strong He is, if you allow him.

We as Humans should NEVER condemn anyone because they have homosexual orientation.

Remember this: "There, but for  the Grace of God go I"  - That could have been you - OK - so take it easy & help by being understanding & loving person at al times.

It's not God's will that any should perish: So let's be kind & help them overcome their desires & we should allow them to help us over come our own sinful desires. Together we can win more battles against the devil. The devil loves it when we condemn some one - he laughs all the way to hell!!

When Jesus returns our bodies will be made perfect and we will be like angels {see Mark 12: 25},  All who are in Christ will be healed from ALL flesh desires - this flesh battle  is worth fighting as it only lasts a short time {life span of  human being - at most 120 human years - or 120 trips around the Sun}- While Life with Christ is FOR ETERNITY.  That sure is a long time, isn't it?

The healing process is all part & parcel of forgiving & being forgiven, but it is worth the effort. As Jesus tells us go & leave your life of sin - so we should allow other their own space to go & leave their own life of sin [John 8: 11].

I will close with this - We are to follow Jesus' example & accept people unconditionally & at the same time we should not condone sin, but point it out & leave it to each individual to sort it out with Jesus Christ. We are to be there to offer a helping hand with prayers, struggles of the flesh if person wants us to be there at those times.

When we see a child who is about to run out in front of a oncoming vehicle we  shout "DON'T or STOP"!  Not to spoil their fun, but to prevent them getting hurt. Therefore, remember that if any Christian is trying to inform you that your actions are not according to Bible teaching, they are not trying to hurt you but to show you the right way out. On the other hand if you are telling some one that they are not walking the right path & they don't want to listen - then let them go as you are NOT GOD either. It is person's own choice if he / she chooses to do right or wrong. Just keep praying for them.

Remember Jesus & the Rich man - Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions & follow Him. The rich man went away not so happy as he was very rich.  Did Jesus chase after him & tell him that HE MUST follow Him ? NO Right!!  Jesus told him what should be done  then it was up to him to make up his own mind. We are to do the same thing as Christians - OK.  Inform & then leave them alone - if they want to know more - then we are to inform them from the Bible only & not applying our own bias.
 
Loving our neighbour is a two way streak - Love them for what they are & love them because we want to help them but not condone their actions, for we are just as much a sinner as he / she is. Love them because Jesus commanded us to.