“The Bible and Homosexuality”
Selected Scriptures
October 18, 2015
Twenty-five years ago, my best friend from high school wrote me a letter. Finally on the bottom of page three, he finally said what I’m sure was the reason behind his writing. Let me read it to you:
“I’m gay, Terry. I’ve been so my whole life…, but it has only been in the last 5 years that I’ve dealt with it, and only in the last 3 years that I’ve been comfortable with myself.…I [am] telling the truth when I [say] I’ve felt this way my whole life. I’m still a Christian, my relationship with God is still very strong. I’ve never felt God has had any problem with the fact that I’m gay, I’m the one who was scared and worried and tried to be what I was not. Being gay for me is as natural as being straight for most other people. I am so much happier and at peace since I’ve accepted myself as being gay.”
After I responded to his letter, he wrote me back another short note. Included in what he said was this: “After years of prayer, I’ve accepted the fact that I’m gay. You and I may differ about what we believe to be God’s will for us, but what is important is that I live in a way that I believe God approves. I am at peace with God about being gay. The approval of friends is comforting, but the approval of God is more important.”
As I re-read that letter again this week, I was interested to read it with the hindsight of the past 25 years, and especially of the past five years. What my friend said is typical for what all who claim to be homosexual and Christian say. And yet, ironically, one statement made by my friend was correct; the approval of God is more important than the approval of men. But the issue we must address, particularly if we are sincere about being followers of Jesus Christ, is, “how do I know if God approves of what I do?”
The way we know that God approves of what we do is by examining what He says about our actions in His Word. So, as we prepare to look at Romans 1:26ff in the next few weeks, this morning I want to examine what God says in His Word about homosexuality. As we survey both testaments, we will find that —
Homosexuality is always classified as a sin;
but like all sin, God is ready to forgive and cleanse sinners from that sin.
This morning, we will examine particularly the activity of homosexuality; in Sunday School last week, Keith dealt helpfully and clearly with the topic of homosexual attraction and desires, so I won’t repeat that discussion. We will concentrate our attention on some of the key passages dealing with homosexual activity (excluding Romans 1:26ff, which we will deal with when we get back to our study in Romans).
Today we will start in the OT, move to the NT, then the Gospels, and then the gospel.
- Homosexuality in the Old Testament
- Genesis 1-2
- Genesis 19:4-11
- Leviticus 18:22; 20:13
- Homosexuality in the New Testament
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
- 1 Timothy 1:10
- Homosexuality in the Gospels
- Homosexuality and the Gospel
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
- Implication 1: Homosexual sin is a different sin
- Implication 2: Homosexual sin is not a different sin
Download the rest of this sermon on a biblical perspective of homosexuality.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website later today.
Words of Grace 