Is homosexuality a sin?
Saying that homosexuality is a sin seems to be the ultimate taboo in current society, at least in many parts of the world. Some who promote the homosexual agenda purposefully attack with over-the-top outrage and vitriol in order to frighten, intimidate, and discourage Christians from speaking out on the issue. Some say that if you believe homosexuality is a sin, you hate homosexuals. Or people imply that if you believe what the Bible says about homosexuality, you are a hateful, homophobic bigot. Many in the gay rights movement have gone far beyond fighting for equal rights. Some are now, in fact, fighting to take away the free speech rights of those with whom they disagree.
The Bible describes homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9). Homosexuality is, ultimately, a result of the Fall. The Fall has infected the entire human race with sin. Sin warps, twists, perverts, and distorts what God created us to be. Homosexuality is a perversion of the created order. Men and women were designed to "fit" together sexually. One does not have to believe what the Bible teaches in order to recognize that homosexuality is not the way things are supposed to be. The obviousness of the unnaturalness of homosexuality is likely the reason why many in the gay rights movement respond which such hate towards anyone who dares to question the rightness or normalness of the lifestyle. If it was not so obviously unnatural, if it was so clearly normal, there would be no need for some in the gay rights movement to be so vitriolic.
Sadly, some Christians (and/or some who claim to be Christians), take the Bible's teaching on homosexuality and apply/proclaim it in hateful ways. Groups like this make it very difficult for the true Christian message to be heard and understood. What is the true biblical message? Homosexuality is a sin, but it is not worse than any other sin. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God can and will forgive the sin of homosexuality, just as He will forgive any other sin.
Once a person has received forgiveness and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, God can and will help him or her to overcome sin. If a homosexual receives Jesus Christ as Savior, will he/she be instantly and permanently healed of all homosexual desires? Sometimes the answer is yes. Other times, homosexual inclinations and impulses are a lifelong struggle. God does not deliver us from our sinful nature until we leave this world and join Him in heaven. All Christians struggle with sin. To say that a Christian can struggle with other sins, but not the sin of homosexuality, is unbiblical. The key word, though, is struggle. The Christian life is a struggle against sin, not a life of bondage to sin. Ultimately, a denial of the possibility of victory over homosexuality is a denial of the power of God.
Is it possible for a true Christian to give in to homosexual temptations? Yes, it is, just as it is possible for a true Christian to give in to heterosexual temptations. But, just as a Christian is no longer an adulterer or idolater, a Christian is also no longer a homosexual. First Corinthians 6:9–10 includes homosexuality in the list of things that the Corinthians were. Some of them were homosexuals, but that is not what they are any longer.
Again, the biblical message is: (1) homosexuality is a sin, (2) but homosexuality is no greater sin than any other sin, and (3) God's forgiveness, salvation, and ultimately deliverance is just as available to the homosexual as it is to everyone else. May we all remember the words of Ephesians 4:15, "…speaking the truth in love…" It is not loving to withhold the truth. And, it is not a full expression of biblical truth if it lacks love.
S. Michael Houdmann
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Is homosexuality a sin?