Should people who practice homosexuality and lesbianism be accepted into full fellowship in the church while they continue their homosexual practices? This issue is raised by the "Gay Liberation Movement."
What does the Bible say? Should people who practice homosexuality and lesbianism be accepted into full fellowship in the church while they continue their homosexual practices? This issue is raised by the "Gay Liberation Movement."
What does the Bible say? Surely Christians should love the souls of all people and desire all to be saved eternally. Yet Jesus said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." Like Jesus, we must love all men; yet when their practices violate God's will, we must rebuke them and call them to repent. So, do homosexual practices please the Lord, or do they violate His will?
Leviticus 18:22 says: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." Romans 1:26-28 clearly describes homosexual practices (men burning in lust for one another). It says such practices are vile passions, against nature, and shameful.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 lists homosexuals along with idolaters, thieves, etc., and says they will not inherit the kingdom of God. The King James Version translates the phrase "abusers of themselves with mankind," and all modern translations show it refers to homosexuality.
The beauty of the passage, however, is that verse 11 shows clearly that homosexuals can cease their practices, just as can the people guilty of other sins in the list. It says, "And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus..." Jesus longs to forgive men of all sin, but they must repent and cease the sin (2 Peter 3:9).
Paul began this passage saying "Do not be deceived." Many today are deceived by human wisdom and wishful thinking. But the only one who can declare who will enter the eternal kingdom is God Himself, and He says that homosexuals must repent and cease their practices or they will not enter. The Lord's church must teach this in love, but they must not compromise it to please the desires of men (see 2 Timothy 4:2-4).
Note carefully: No teaching anywhere on this web site is intended or should ever be construed to justify or to in any way incite or encourage personal vengeance or physical violence against any person.
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2005; gospelway.com
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