Dear Reader,

You’ve just discovered that one of your best friends, or your son, or another family member, has “come out of the closet”, and has announced to anyone who would listen that he/she was gay. Perhaps you got angry; maybe you cried; maybe it didn’t bother you at all, but the question has arisen in your mind, “What does God think about this?”

First, homosexuality is described in the Bible as a sin. In the Old Testament, it was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13), and was included in the list of sexual practices that were to be avoided (Leviticus 18:22). One school of thought that has arisen is that a person who has homosexual tendencies, or is actively practicing, was born that way. The only part of this theory that is true is that, yes, we all were born in sin, and, left to our own devices, we will eventually practice what we were born with, and that is sin. In other words, I do not believe that a person who is gay is that way because of genes or character traits over which they have absolutely no control.

On the other hand, we recognize that, if it is a sin, then it is something that God expects us to deal with and correct. We mentioned that in the Old Testament it was an action that was punishable by death, so, if you didn’t want your life to end so abruptly, don’t commit the act. The law would be impossible to keep if we couldn’t control what it condemned.

In the New Testament, Paul spoke about God’s displeasure against those who practice homosexuality in Romans 1:24-27. Here again, the will of the transgressor is involved; those who are practicing sin refuse to acknowledge God and His Word; they reap the consequence of their own choices.

If we look at I Corinthians 6:9-11, we notice that the persons practicing the list of sins given will not inherit the Kingdom of God. If you look at the list closely, the list is of those who are practicing these actions, i.e., adulterers, fornicators, etc. However, Paul goes on in verse 11 to say, “And some of you were like that, but now you are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by God’s Spirit.” That verse says to me that there is forgiveness, cleansing, and salvation for anyone from any of the categories mentioned. This means that homosexuality is a sin, but no greater than any other sin, and, as a sin, it can be forgiven, and the person delivered from the chain of sin and habit that binds them, just as it is possible to be freed from and forgiven of any other sin. The real issue is whether a person wants to be delivered, or not. God is on the side of the person who is endeavoring to follow Him!

Focus on the Family at: www.family.org

Christian Light Bookstore at: www.christianlight.org

Thanks for reading,
Pastor Ritchey