HOMOSEXUALITY (Scriptures are from the King James Version of the Bible)

I. What is homosexuality? HOMOSEXUALITY (Scriptures are from the King James Version of the Bible) A. Webster s New World Dictionary defines homosexual as of or characterized by sexual desire for those of the same sex as oneself. B. A closely related term is effeminate. Webster defines this term as having the qualities generally attributed to women, as weakness, timidity, delicacy, etc.; unmanly; not virile. Also, characterized by such qualities; weak; soft, decadent, etc. C. The Greek term from which effeminate was translated in the new testament is malakos, which means soft or soft to the touch; and in a bad sense, it refers to a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness. It also applies to a male who behaves as a female. II. In the beginning, after God made man, He said: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18) A. Webster provides a rare meaning for meet as suitable; proper; fit. B. The word meet was translated in the old testament from the Hebrew ezer, which refers to a helper. C. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:21-24) 1. God did not make another man for man. He made woman for man. 2. And the woman was of man, taken from his rib. 3. The woman was to be man s wife. He was not to have another man for a wife. III. God specifically forbade homosexuality and beastiality. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: It is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. (Leviticus 18:22-23) (with). 1. One of the meanings for lie, according to Webster, is to have sexual intercourse 2. Webster defines abomination as anything hateful and disgusting. 3. Abomination comes from the Hebrew tow ebah and refers to anything disgusting and evil. It is something that God hates. 1

4. Man lying with man or woman lying with woman is an abomination and sinful. 5. The penalty for a homosexual relationship under the law of Moses was death. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth 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) 6. Under the dispensation of Christ, the new covenant, there is no physical death penalty, but if one commits a homosexual act and does not repent, he will lose his soul. 7. As with many sins, there are sometimes physical consequences. In the case of homosexuality, there is the danger of AIDS, for instance, as well as other possible problems. IV. What is sodomy? A. Webster defines sodomy as anal intercourse between two male persons. B. The word sodomy is derived from Sodom, a city on the plain of the Jordan River. C. When Abram and his nephew, Lot, separated because of strife among their herdsmen, Abram dwelt in Canaan and Lot went to Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. (Genesis 13:13) D. Because of the wickedness of Sodom, God told Abraham that He was going to destroy it. Abraham pleaded with God because of Lot; so God finally agreed that if ten righteous souls could be found in Sodom, He would spare the city. 1. And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant s house, and tarry all night. (Genesis 19:1-2) 2. At first, the angels refused Lot; but at his insistence, they went with him to his house. 3. After they had eaten, but before they could lie down, the men of the city, old and young, compassed his house and called out: Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. (Genesis 19:5) 4. These men of the city did not want to get acquainted with the angels, who to them were just men visiting the city. They didn t want to learn about them. They wanted to know them in a carnal manner. 5. This is evident from Lot s response, for he went out to them and shut the door behind him, saying: I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. (Genesis 19:7) 6. Then Lot did something himself that was sinful. He offered the men of the city his two virgin daughters in lieu of the two angels. 2

7. The men of the city didn t want the women, but the men; and they pushed closer to the door, even threatening Lot, saying: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. (Genesis 19:9) 8. Before the men could overtake Lot and break down the door, the two angels pulled Lot into the house and shut the door. Then, they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. (Genesis 19:11) 9. There were not ten righteous souls in Sodom, so God was going to destroy it. Lot and his family had to flee, but his married daughters and sons-in-laws would not leave, so he took his wife and the two daughters that were in his house and was led by the two angels to safety outside the city. 10. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25) 11. This event in regard to Sodom makes it very clear that God considers homosexuality an abomination and that it is something that He hates. 12. Jude wrote that history is a reminder to the ungodly, Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, 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. (Jude 7) V. Paul wrote to the Galatians that they should walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. A. He identified the works of the flesh as: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. (Galatians 5:19-21) 5:21) B. Then he said: they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians C. The word fornication comes from the Greek porneia, which refers to any type of illicit intercourse, including adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, beastiality, unmarried persons, etc. D. Sexual intercourse is only allowed by God for a man and woman who are married. Anything else is not permitted and can result in eternal torment if the persons involved do not repent. VI. Homosexuality is unrighteous. A. 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. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) 3

B. The term unrighteous comes from the Greek adikos, and refers to one who is sinful. One who has not had his sins washed away by the blood of Christ or a Christian who goes back into sin and doesn t repent is sinful and will not inherit eternal life. C. A fornicator, as defined above, will not inherit eternal life. life. D. One who is effeminate, as defined at the beginning of this discourse, will not inherit eternal E. Those men who lie with men as with women or women who lie with women as with men will not inherit eternal life. F. In writing to Timothy, Paul said this concerning the law: Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murders of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. (1 Timothy 1:9-10) 1. Notice that homosexuals (men who lie with men and women who lie with women) are included as part of the lawless and disobedient, the ungodly and sinners. 2. They are practicing a life style that is contrary to sound teaching. VII. Homosexuality is unnatural. A. When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he said that the Gentiles, non Jews, had been unrighteous and needed the power of the gospel, as did the Jews. He said that: God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor 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. 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; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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. (Romans 1:24-32) 1. Homosexuality dishonors the body. 2. Homosexuals have changed the truth of God into a lie. As recorded by Isaiah: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. That put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20) 3. God calls their affections vile. 4

4. Homosexuals use their bodies in an unnatural way. 5. Their behavior is unseemly and they have a reprobate mind. 6. They don t have understanding and are without natural affection. 7. Their conduct is worthy of death. punishment. 8. Those who condone such behavior are also guilty and will incur the same everlasting B. As stated earlier, God made woman for man and intended that a sexual relationship be only between a man and a woman, his wife. Anything else is unlawful in God s sight and will result in separation from God throughout eternity. VIII. There is hope, however. his sin. A. As with all sin, the homosexual can realize that he is a sinner and can obtain forgiveness for B. First, he must open his heart and mind to God s word and listen to what God says in the new testament about salvation: not what man says about salvation, but what God says. Paul said: faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) C. He must believe God and he must believe that Jesus is God s Son. Jesus said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) D. He must repent of his sins. This means that he must stop sinning, turn away from his sins. Jesus said: I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3) E. He must confess that Christ is the Son of God. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10) F. Then he must be baptized for the remission of his sins. The word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek work baptizo which means to immerse, to dip, or an overwhelming amount of something. On the day of Pentecost when Christ s church was established, the Jews who heard Peter speak expressed their belief and desire to follow Christ by asking what they should do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38) Contrary to what man says, God says that baptism, immersion in water, is necessary for salvation. Peter later wrote that we are saved through baptism: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into 5

heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1 Peter 3:18-22) G. Once he has heard the word, believed it, repented of his sins, confessed belief in Christ as God s Son, and been baptized into Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ will add him to his church; not man s church, but the church that belongs to Christ. He paid the price for it and it should not bear the name of any man or a name that man gives it, but the name of Christ only. After the church had been established, many believed: And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 20:28) 6