Most of my blog readership resides under my own roof. However, a few other fellow Christian bloggers and friends also check in from time to time. So, when I posted, “Does God’s View of Sin Evolve?” I knew my thoughts would mostly be “preaching to the choir.” However, since joining the world of Twitter, the posts sometimes end up reaching a much more diverse audience, especially with “retweets” and “sharing.” A few months ago, an individual chose to open a link to my blog and responded to my views on homosexuality and same sex marriage. Here’s the comment I discovered in my inbox,
“None of you know what it’s like to be gay; if you did, you would drop this ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ crap. I’m seriously sick of it. My relationship is not a sin, in fact, it’s a lot stronger than many heterosexual relationships out there. Sorry if you can’t handle the truth. Goodbye.
Over the next few days, I hope to address some of the issues raised in this response compassionately and honestly, sharing biblical truth. (You can read Part One here.)
My relationship is not a sin
As human beings we exercise a real tendency to justify our choices and behaviors and/or pass the buck. Oftentimes we measure our sinfulness by comparing our iniquities and shortcomings to the actions of others. This tendency deflects our guilt, shining a spotlight on the sins of those around us. No one wants to wear the scarlet letter ‘S’, even though we are all branded with a sin nature from birth. Romans 3:23 reveals,
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
As far as dictating what’s sin and what’s not, that’s God’s responsibility.
Some argue God addresses homosexuality in the Old Testament, but He remains strangely silent in the New. However, Romans 1:26-27 says,
“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”
The word “penalty” stands out in my mind.
Merriam online dictionary defines “penalty” in the following manner:
“The suffering in person, rights or property that is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime or public offense.”
Granted, I’m using an English word and a modern definition, but the Greek of the Apostle Paul’s day defines “penalty” in a similar fashion.
Modern translators use the word “penalty” for the more antiquated English word “retribution.” Retribution comes from the Greek word “antimisthia.” The word literally means a
“reward given in compensation, requital, or recompense.”
Granted, in some cases the word was used in a good way, an instance found in II Corinthians 6:13. However, in Romans 1:27 the word indicates punishment or retribution. Punishment obviously indicating that the described behavior, in this instance, homosexuality, is sinful.
If that isn’t enough evidence, “shameful lusts” comes from the Greek word “atimiah.” This word leaves no doubt about God’s thoughts on homosexuality. The word means, “dishonor, shame, reproach, vile.” “Antimia” comes from another Greek word “atimos.” Atimos means “infamy” or “disgrace.” The verse literally calls the act of homosexuality infamous and disgraceful, “infamous” meaning,
“having a reputation of the worst kind.”
Though some might choose to bury their heads in the sand on this issue, God addresses the topic of homosexuality in the New Testament, leaving no ambiguities about the behavior’s sinful nature.
The last verse of the Book of Judges states,
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Therein lies the problem in our world today. Instead of honoring the Words of the King, we’ve crafted together a tapestry of our own rules, in many cases personally legislating immorality to assuage our own consciences. However, when our views contradict the will of God, who’s right?
April 1, 2015 at 12:10 pm
And therein lies the problem. Many have abandoned the Bible and embraced the philosophies of a godless society. I’m sorry your mom was miserable, but it appears that she caved to pressure from societal expectations, not that of God’s Word. Sure, the Bible says “Be fruitful and multiply,” but it does not encourage a woman to marry a man she doesn’t love.
April 1, 2015 at 11:01 am
I’m not a bible expert, but I remember there being something about “generational sins.” My father, who was straight, was never an affectionate man. He enjoyed his marriage blessed by the church because my mom was more like his mother. My mom on the other hand, had only one true love in her life and it wasn’t my dad. But because they were both taught that marriage between a man and a woman is the best for everyone and they were getting up in age – late twenties – they decided to get married. And again, because we’re taught that marriage is the best solution for everyone and there is no such thing as divorce, they remained together although they were miserable.
I find in my own spiritual journey as a gay man, that I’m having to unwind my parents curse that they put on me. I’ll never know whether my homosexuality stems from my dad’s lack of affection, or my mom’s over baring personality. But one thing I do know, the both of them wasted their lives all because the bible says they shouldn’t get divorced.
God gave us the intelligence and free will to learn from our mistakes; otherwise we’d be robots.
What my parents’ good Christian marriage taught me was this: gay or straight – relationships are hard. One has to really know themselves in order to make the sacrifice. There are many men and women out there who don’t believe in God but understand this truth and have successful marriages outside the bonds of holy matrimony. When you condemn God’s people for their sexual preferences, you put a barrier between them and God. The Spirit can’t work with them because they’ve been taught to fear God and have been told they are the devil or that they’re going to hell. A relationship with the Creator is a process of striping away the old wine skins for the new; that may include a change in sexual preference it may not but that’s not up to you to decided. God is bigger than our sins – way bigger!
April 1, 2015 at 11:08 am
I appreciate the comments. However, it seems that your parents “miserable” marriage wouldn’t have been so, had your mom not married the man she really didn’t love in the first place. Second, I’m not condemning anyone. I’m pointing out what the Bible teaches, letting the chips fall where they may. The Bible also teaches that adultery’s a sin, pre-marital sex is a sin…etc. We aren’t to be complacent about sin as God calls each of us to walk in holiness. No, none of us are perfect, but the Bible teaches, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” James 4:7. By the grace of God we should do our best to “Walk as Jesus Walked.”
April 1, 2015 at 11:14 am
Yes my friend but my mom was a God fearing woman who was told repeatedly in the 50’s (during the traditional values era) that a woman must get married and obey her husband. What choice did she have as a twenty year old who knew nothing about life.
April 1, 2015 at 11:25 am
Was she pregnant out of wedlock? Why did she have to marry the man she didn’t love? Was she also gay?
April 1, 2015 at 11:36 am
No friend, she was a virgin in 1950s Mexico where culture dictated that if you weren’t married by 18 with a bunch of kids you were considered an old maid. So at 26, with no options of career or self actualization she did what she thought she was supposed to do. Gods people need other options instead of just the bible.