Few topics are as controversial as the issue of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and gay rights. This is especially true within the church. Some Christians support the practice wholeheartedly, while others condemn both gays and “gay-lovers” to hell. Meanwhile the world looks on; labeling Christians as fanatics, hypocrites, and bigots.
It’s no secret that mainstream media loves this radical portrayal of Christianity—it gets better ratings after all. But what do Christians really believe?
The following is my personal take on this sensitive subject from what I see in the Bible. Though I do not know for certain if every Christian shares my views, it is my belief that the majority do in one way, shape, or form.
According to the Old Testament, the act of homosexuality is an abomination; a sin which was punishable by death under Jewish Law (Leviticus 20:13) as did the crime of murder and adultery.
Now at first glance, the issues of murder and adulatory may seem unrelated to homosexuality. That is until one realizes that Jesus himself stated that being angry with someone to the point of hating that person is the same as murdering them, and that lusting after someone in your heart is the same as committing adulatory with them. (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28)
Now at first glance, the issues of murder and adulatory may seem unrelated to homosexuality. That is until one realizes that Jesus himself stated that being angry with someone to the point of hating that person is the same as murdering them, and that lusting after someone in your heart is the same as committing adulatory with them. (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28)
That said, the New Testament initially seems far more lenient in regards to homosexuality compared to the Old Testament. However, upon further study one will discover that homosexuality is in fact condemned throughout the New Testament; the books of Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1 Timothy and Revelation being some of the more obvious examples.
Jesus also alludes to the fact that homosexuality is a sin in Mark 7:
“And then he added, ‘It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.’”
~ Mark 7:20-23 New Living Translation (NLT)
The word for sexual immorality used in this passage is the Greek word Porneia, from which we get the word Pornography. It is an all-encompassing term that refers to any act of sexual immorality and/or sexual deviance, including homosexuality. Therefore Jesus himself states that homosexuality is a sin on par with every other sexually immoral act.
We can, therefore, clearly see that God condemns homosexuality is a sin in both the Old and New Testaments, while Jesus makes the bold claim that hating people is the same as murdering them, and that lust is the same as adultery—which, under Old Testament Law carries the death penalty just like homosexuality. (John 8:1-11, Deuteronomy 22:22)
That being said, some people within the Christian community seem to think that the Bible says to hate gays and so-called “gay-lovers.” But according to Jesus, that would make them guilty of murder.
So what is the answer then? Is the Bible in conflict?
Not at all!
Sin is sin. God hates all sin, not just homosexuality. And all sin is punishable by death. (Romans 6:23) Which is a problem considering that Romans 3:23 tells us that everyone has sinned. Fortunately for us there is good news, and it is found in the very next passage:
“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.”
~ Romans 3:24-30 New Living Translation (NLT)
And that’s what changed everything.
Jesus took upon himself the sins of everyone; Christians, atheists, homosexuals, me ... everyone. The death penalty that we all owe, was paid in full on Golgotha, 2000 years ago.
Because of this, I can say that yes, homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes. But it is also a sin to hate sinners.
All sins are appalling to God and lead to death, even though some sins are obviously more grievous then others (i.e murder). And while it is true that some sins are more harmful to the person who sins than other sins are, (Romans 1:24-27) all sin will separate us from God forever if left unchecked. That's why Jesus had to die. It was either him or us. But if we refuse to repent, turning from our sins to accept the forgiveness God has offered us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, then we will ultimately be held accountable for our actions, and there is no hope for us. Apart from Jesus, we are all guilty as charged.
Therefore, it is possible to hate the sin but love the person who sins. That's what God's love is all about. Sin is the symptom of a heart condition. You can't cure a disease by attacking the symptoms. (In fact, doing so will only prolong the illness!)
But sadly, this is exactly what is happening in many Christian circles around the world; and not just with the issue of homosexuality. We attack people in God's name and push them further and further away from the cure that will save them. This sort of behavior paints a negative picture of all Christians, and defames the name of Christ.
When we say that we love God, but that God hates people because they are sinners, we are trapped by our words and condemned by God's truth:
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can seethe they are doing what God wants.”
~ John 3:16 -21 New Living Translation (NLT) [Emphasis Added]
Remember, as Jesus died he prayed:
“Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
~ Luke 23:34 King James Version (KJV)
Jesus died for you and me—and in reality every human being that has, or ever will exist. So let’s try to follow his example. Love people. Hate sin. Pray for those who are lost. Pray for each other. And above all, be ready to defend the hope that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. (1 Peter 3:15)
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