Editor’s note:
The following article deals with mature themes and thus discretion is
advised as you share this with your children.
I am NOT telling you to avoid this subject with your children,
but rather I just want you to read it and be prepared when you do
discuss this subject with them.
As parents this is something we DO need to address with our
children because it involves souls and it involves sin.
Some of our society has waged war against the Biblical
teachings on this subject and seeks to villainize us as we stand for
that which is right.
There is peer pressure to accept this and many other ungodly
lifestyles.
Let us teach our children to properly discern God’s word with
this subject and others.
And let us teach them to handle such subjects with a godly
attitude.
I humbly submit this material.
TATJR
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Currently there are six state and Washington DC that allow the
performance of same-sex marriages.
Two other states recognize those unions.
As time goes on, more and more governments are leaning toward the
acceptance of these unions and the homosexual lifestyle.
Some might wonder why this subject has sparked such a firestorm of
controversy. The answer goes
deeper than merely what the Bible says about the sin of homosexuality
(and thus same-sex marriage which cannot be separated from it).
It has to do with threats to our present religious liberties
(i.e. will we be able to openly stand for our convictions in the
future?) and the very definition of what constitutes a godly marriage
and its resulting family.
It
is with that in mind that we want to briefly remind ourselves of what
the Bible really says about the subject of homosexuality and same-sex
marriage.
Homosexuality is a sin!
It
matters not how emotional the subject is, or how man manipulates the
scriptures. The Bible
clearly defines it as a sin!
In 1 Cor. 6:9-11 says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor
sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such
were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our
God.” Different versions
use different words for these two sins, but among conservative versions
there is unanimous agreement that they are dealing with homosexual
relations. The two different
terms refer to the roles of both partners in the homosexual sexual act.
The Bible makes no distinction in condemning those who engage in
this conduct. Romans 1:18
speaks of the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
Rejecting God, He gave them up to uncleanness.
“For this reason Gad gave
them up to vile passions.
For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against
nature. Likewise also the
men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one
another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in
themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” (Rev. 1:26-27)
Among the many sins described as rejecting God is the act of
homosexuality. What is
interesting about this verse is how it describes both men AND women
engaged in homosexual relations.
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of this
sin. Jude 7 describes the
judgment against those cities because they had “given
themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh…”
Peter described the cities being turned into ashes, “making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and
delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the
wicked.” (2 Pet. 2:6-7)
This accords with the account which led to their destruction in Genesis
19. As angels entered Sodom
and visited Lot to get him out of the city, the men of the city, both
old and young, demanded that Lot deliver the men to them “so that we may
know the carnally.” (Gen. 195 – NKJV).
They even rejected his offering of his daughters.
Galatians 5:19-21 in describing the works of the flesh says that
fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Practicing homosexuals are fornicators, engaging in illicit
relations outside of the marriage bounds of God ordained marriage.
More could be said, but this is sufficient to remind us of the
teachings of the word of God concerning the sin of homosexuality.
Same-Sex Marriage
Dealing with the subject of same-sex marriage involves two principles.
First, the fact that it is a couple entering into a homosexual
relationship makes it ungodly based upon the previous section.
Second, as you study what the Bible DOES say about marriage, the
same-sex relationship does NOT fit into that mold.
In Gen. 2:24 as Eve was given to Adam, Moses said, “Therefore
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and
they shall become one flesh.”
Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 19 when He was asked about the
subject of Marriage – Divorce – Remarriage.
When asked about it being lawful to divorce for any reason (under
the Old Law), Jesus replied, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male
and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
(Matt. 19:4-6) Jesus
clearly identified that it was to be a man and woman marrying one
another and in so doing they become husband and wife.
This within itself closes the argument on same-sex marriage.
In 1 Corinthians 7:1-3 we read, “It
is good for a man not to touch a woman (note: Paul is speaking in
this text of the single life because of ‘the present distress’-TATJR).
Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his
own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and
likewise also the wife to her husband.”
It is passages such as these that regulate the Biblical view of
marriage.
The
homosexual community will argue that nowhere is same-sex marriage
mentioned. That is true, but
it doesn’t have to be! When
God gives positive instructions, he doesn’t have to list all the “do
nots” that contradict His commands.
We are told not to go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6).
The silence of such a subject, especially in light of what God’s
word says about homosexuality, speaks for itself as to why we should
reject such as God ordained or sanctioned.
We need to let the Bible speak for itself (Rev. 22:18,19, 1 Pet.
4:11, etc.)
Friends this is not a popular subject as we have seen this past week,
but we must still stand for the truth.
But that still leads to one more thing that needs to be said:
How do we deal with one
who is in a homosexual relationship?
(Our lessons today are dealing with the subject of tolerance in
which we deal with this in greater detail – TATJR).
First, we need to love the sinner, even though we hate the sin!
There IS a difference!
1)
Love them! Realize they have
a soul that needs saving.
You don’t save anyone by ignoring their sinful conduct.
Jesus didn’t and neither did Paul (or any other NT apostle).
2)
However, when you speak, it needs to be WITH LOVE.
Eph. 4:15 challenges us to speak the truth in love.
Yes, the context is dealing with our brethren, but the principle
ought to be our demeanor (cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-8).
You don’t accomplish anything with name calling, hateful speech
or an arrogant attitude. Let
the Bible expose their sinful conduct.
3)
Let them know they CAN change – 1 Cor. 6:9-11 says so.
Vs. 11 says, “And such were some of you…”
4)
Be willing to help them with steps with which they can overcome ANY
sinful tendencies (I say this because, regardless of the sin –
overcoming involves the same process.
(Gal. 6:1-2)
5)
Pray for them! They need
your prayers!
Friends, indications are that same-sex marriage is not going to go away.
We need to be prepared to deal with this subject from a Biblical
standpoint. Don’t compromise
the truth, even if it is the popular thing to do.
Souls are at stake – theirs, and depending on your reaction,
yours as well. Think about
it!