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Jennifer Rothnie
Supporter
No, as nowhere in the Bible are marriage or covenants in general based on the feelings of those involved. Rather, covenants are contracts requiring the fulfillment of obligations on either side. (In the new covenant, Christ fulfills our side of the covenant, since we couldn't possibly fulfill the terms of the contract as humans). That is: It didn't matter if the Israelites 'felt' they were loving or serving God, if they were being disobedient. In fact, love and humility led to obedience. (Ezek 33:31, Lev 10:1-3, Lev 26:14-38, Mal 3:6-12, Neh 1:9, Deut 11:1-21, etc) It doesn't matter how much we 'feel' we love Jesus - if we are not growing in relationship with him, then we aren't loving him. Obedience is part of that growth. [It's like if you claimed to love a friend and found out she was allergic to wheat, but every time you made food for her after that it had wheat in it]. John 14:15, II Pet 1:3-9, Prov 7:2, 11 Thess 1:8, Heb 5:9, Acts 5:32, Matt 7:21, etc. Abiding in Jesus requires living in His righteousness, not leaving and making up our own (John 15:4-7). If we embrace and obey sin we are a slave to sin. If we seek to obey God, we are servants of God and free from slavery to sin. Rom 6:11-23, II Tim 2:22, Eph 2:19-22, Rom 7:14-25, etc. God defines what is sin, not us. To sin is to miss God's mark. (Isa 5:20). So, how does the Bible treat homosexuality - sin or righteous? Does motive affect it? We should not fall for Satan's first deception - "Did God actually say..." In 1 Tim 1:9-10 homosexuality is grouped with kidnapping and slavery, perjury, murder, rebellion, athiesm, fornication, etc. Are any of those ok if the motive is changed? ["I think this person would be better off as a slave. I'm an atheist because I believe the concept of sin and judgement for sin is unloving. My parents were evil so I killed them to make the world a better place. I broke the law because I thought the law was wrong. I lied in court because they never would have convicted that jerk otherwise. I slept with another guy because I have strong feelings for him. I slept with my friend's wife because I 'love' her.]" Despite the strong condemnation of the various acts (including homosexuality), there is a strong message of hope in 1 Tim 1:8-17. Paul speaks of how he once, too, was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. Yet, because the law is made for the lawbreakers (every human except Christ!), then the grace of the Lord poured out and gave mercy to Paul. Likewise, there is mercy for all those who believe on Christ, that they may receive eternal life. This same thought is repeated again in 1 Cor 6:7-20: We -were- all once sinners (cheaters, idolaters, homosexuals, slanderers, swindlers, etc), but we are no longer as we are now justified in Christ. (God looks at His perfection, not our imperfection, to judge us). However, now that we are united with the Lord, we must flee from the sins that formerly ensnared us. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. So, no, 'loving' someone does not make it ok to sin. In fact, love rejoices in truth but hates evil. Loving God also means we seek to obey. Enticing someone to sin, or reveling in sin with another, would be the opposite of love - despite any strong emotions involved. Love is a commitment and an act of will, even to love our enemies who hurt us. It shouldn't be confused with fuzzy emotions or hormone highs. If you love someone, you will seek to bring them closer to God, and may frequently need to deny your own desires. Christ was the ultimate example of selfless obedience because He loved us.
Robin Bandy
Supporter
I would say no. Homosexuality is sin. Romans 1:24-27 calls homosexuality sexual impurity and the degrading of ones body with another. Leviticus 20:13 and 18:22 call homosexuality detestable. Jude 1:7 Sodom and Gomorrah gives an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Lust is addressed in 1 peter 2:11 as sinful desires (anything or anyone). Several other verses address lust as well. Believing both are sin, I know that with God's help, it is possible to change. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 starts off telling us who will not inherit Gods kingdom but it also tells us that the ones that turned from their sin were washed and sanctified. Romans 6:19 tells us how to change. Galatians 5:16 tells us to live by the Holy Spirit so we do not gratify our sinful nature. Regardless of what we have done in the past, God is greater and will help us overcome!
JD Abshire
Supporter
No, that is not the case at all. Romans 1:18-32 is very explicit regarding homosexuality. Yes, God is a God of love, mercy and forgiveness but also a God of wrath, righteousness and judgment. Aside from the explicit teachings and warnings in the Word of God and the many thousands who die from related diseases, how intelligent does one actually have to be? Does one ever consider how un natural the homosexual act is? Does a man ever look at another man and conclude: "no way, you 'ain't made right"? How smart is that? Can I say, Duh?
Bruce Lyon
Supporter
The question is: "When the Bible says homosexuality is sinful, could it be referring to the lustful desire and acts toward a person of the same gender done in the absence of love, rather than the love felt between two people of the same gender?"
The N.T. makes it very plain that those who practice homosexual acts will not be in the coming Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9 ¶ 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, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 1:21--- Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. {more: or, rather }
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: 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.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; {to retain: or, to acknowledge } {a reprobate …or, a mind void of judgment or, an anapproving mind } Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: {without natural … : or unsociable } Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. {have … : or, consent with }
So it is obvious how God looks upon homosexuality and those who participate in secual acts with members of the same gender.
That being said we are to love all men/women including homosexuals, trans-gender, etc. As Jesus has commanded us to do..... We can hate what people do; but we are not to hate the person who is doing such things
Remember what Jesus has said through his apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 5:11-13: But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without?........ them that are without God judges.
Paul says that we are to judge those who are within the called-out Assembly, but we are not to judge those who are outside the called-out Assembly. Those who are without God judges!
So we are not to pass any judgement on homosexuals; we can hate what they do sexually, but we are to love them as human beings, as our neighbors even as the lord Jesus has said we should do.
We are to love sinners, all sinners, because that is what we once were when we were following the influence of the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air. But our God and our Father has made it possible by His amazing grace to now be in His beloved son Jesus, reconciled to Himself and has made us to become new creations in the Messiah
Sally Ellerby
Supporter
The NIV reading of Leviticus 18:22 says "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable." It would seem that it is the physical act of sex between two people of the same gender that is detestable to God, not the absence of the emotion love. Many heterosexual men and women love each other yet practice sex outside of the marriage commitment and this too is regarded as sin. Genesis 2:22, 23 tell us that God created woman from the side of man and that she is "flesh of [his] flesh". Genesis 2:24 says "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." God has created woman as the perfect complement to man both physically and emotionally.
Vincent Mercado
Supporter
When the bible says "something" is a sin, that "something" is an act, not a person. Homosexual acts are sins. The homosexual (person) is not a sin, let us be very clear with our definitions. We judge acts whether these are moral or not. As for the person, we love them unconditionally.
Tom howard
Supporter
It is referring to the lustful desire and acts. That's why we are admonished to, "abstain from all 'appearance' of evil." As this kind of attraction can lead to these things. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23 (KJV) "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 'Abstain from all appearance of evil'. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved 'blameless' unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8.
John Anderson
Supporter
Today's world is truly 50 shades of grey. Anything goes, if it feels good, do it. Homosexuals want to say they are just like the rest of us. Kids raised by the internet where the can see everything and anything. People spew out all kinds of hate and derogatory remarks on Facebook, Christians included. Women cussing worse than sailors and wanting to be able to do all that men do. The big difference between all sins and the Homosexual sin is this, all of the stuff I mentioned above, except for the homosexual part, people understand is not right. In other words, if an unsaved person is told that stealing, lying, etc. Is a sin and can comprehend that they need a savior to cover those sins. The problem with a homosexual is that they don't think they are sinning "God made them that way", how many times have we heard that. And if God made them that way they think there is no need to change. Therein lies the problem, if you don't think you are sinning you don't ask for forgiveness. Hence God won't forgive that sin and Heaven is not in that persons future. The interesting part about all the Bible verses quoted in earlier answers is that many of them include many other sins. How many people go to Church on Sunday to praise God and then live for the Devil the rest of the week? It is not only " Christian " Homosexuals that will be horribly surprised when they expect to wake up in Heaven but wake up in Hell instead. I can't imagine anything worse than being a lost "Christian".
Charles Butcher
Supporter
The word of the Lord says that homosexuality is an abomination. Anyway one puts it its a sin. Only the enemy delights in twisting the truth.
James Kraft
Supporter
If we stay in sin long enough there will be consequences. That believer in Corinthians that was living with his fathers wife was living in a sin so great that Paul had him removed from the fellowship of the church. He said to turn such a one over to satan so that his body would be killed and his spirit would be saved in the day of the lord. We are to judge those in the church that are living in great sin without repentance, but those outside are judged by God as Bruce pointed out. We just have to remember that we are all sinners to a degree, and we still have to depend on Jesus to save us. Thank God Jesus came to save us sinners.
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