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Answer
The Bible consistently affirms in both the Old and New Testaments that homosexuality is a sin (Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; Jude 1:7). The New Testament reinforces what the Old Testament declared since the Law was given to Moses “If a man lies with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”, (Leviticus 20:13). The New Testament provides hope and restoration to those struggling with the sin of homosexuality through the redeeming power of Jesus. This hope is available to anyone who chooses to accept it (John 1:12; John 3:16-18).
God’s standards of holiness remained unchanged with the arrival of Jesus because God is immutable (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). The New Testament reveals God’s ongoing interaction with humanity. In the Old Testament, God detested idolatry “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”, (Deuteronomy 5:8), and He continues to detest it in the New Testament “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”, (1 John 5:21), it is stated that what was considered immoral in the Old Testament remains immoral in the New Testament.
According to the New Testament, homosexuality is described as a “shameful lust” «For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: », as mentioned in (Romans 1:26). It is referred to as a “shameful act,” an abandonment of “natural relations” «and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. » in (Romans 1:27), a “wrongdoing” «Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, » as stated in (1 Corinthians 6:9), and “sexual immorality and perversion” «Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. » according to (Jude 1:7). The consequences of homosexuality are described as carrying a “due penalty” «and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. » in (Romans 1:27), and it is stated that it “is contrary to the sound doctrine” «for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if t
Here be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; », (1 Timothy 1:10), and is listed among the sins that bar people from the kingdom of God «Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, », (1 Corinthians 6:9). Despite the attempts of some to downplay these verses, the Bible could not be clearer that homosexuality is a sin against God.
Homosexuality is not the cause of a society’s decline, but it is a symptom of it; it is the result of people making themselves the final authorities. Romans 1 gives the natural digression of a society that has chosen idolatry and sinful pleasure instead of obedience to God. The downward spiral begins with denying that God has absolute authority over His creation (Romans 1:21-23).
The result of a society’s rejection of God’s rule in their lives is that God gives “them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:24-25). Verses 26 and 27 say, “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual 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 shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” The phrase “God gave them over” means that, when we insist on shaking our fists at God, He finally lets us have the peRevision we require. And that is a judgment in itself. Homosexual behavior is the outcome of disregarding God and attempting to establish our own truth. When we disobey God’s clear guidance, we face the “due penalty” of our disobedience (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 21:8).
The positive news is that homosexuality is not the unforgivable sin. It is pardonable just like greed, theft, and murder are forgivable when we repent and turn to Jesus «Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. », (Acts 2:38). He gives us new identities (1 Peter 1:14; Colossians 2:13). Second Corinthians 5:17 states that “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Those “old” things include past sins that once held us captive. While we were previously identified by our sin, being born again «Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. », (John 3:3) means we are now identified by Jesus and His righteousness «For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. », (Colossians 3:3). A thief no longer needs to label himself as a thief. He is purified from his past ways and made new in Christ. A murderer—like Saul before he became the apostle Paul—is forgiven and transformed into the image of Christ (Galatians 1:13; 1 Cor
In 1 Corinthians 15:9; Romans 8:29, it is mentioned that someone who is trapped in homosexuality can be liberated to live in purity by acknowledging sin and relying on God’s power for forgiveness and restoration.
As highlighted in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, individuals practicing homosexuality are listed among those who will not inherit God’s kingdom. However, verse 11 reveals, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” It is a fact that some members of the Corinthian church were formerly involved in homosexuality. God’s kingdom includes sinners. No one approaches God based on their own merits. We all come to Him in the same way: through repentance, turning away from the sin for which Jesus sacrificed, and embracing the righteousness of Christ in its place «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The New Testament brings a message of hope for anyone grappling with sexual identity. Jesus desires to exchange our sinful ways with His righteousness so that we may reflect His likeness.
