Homosexuality
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and
wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness... For although
they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but
their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although
they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the
immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and
reptiles. Therefore God gave 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 of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things
rather than the Creator... 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... They have become
filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full
of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice... Although they know God's righteous
decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do
these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Rom
1:18,21-27,29,32).
The above vv clearly include homosexuality (rather
pathetically characterized these days as being "gay") with the grossest forms of
sin, depravity and even idolatry! There can be no question as to how God views
the sort of conduct that certain "liberated" elements of our society boldly
dismiss as an "alternative lifestyle". It is a measure of the increasing
sinfulness of our world that such a prohibition need even be discussed among
believers, when Paul referred to it as the sort of immorality that should not
even be mentioned among saints (Eph 5:3).
In this, as in other matters, however, the impulse alone is
not a sin. Nevertheless, it can, and must, be controlled and suppressed. With
God's help (and the help of brothers and sisters) every sin can be forgiven and
overcome. But it must be recognized as a sin, not an "illness" or an
"alternative". It has been well said that God never yet forgave an
excuse!
