The Sin of Homosexuality

We are living in an age similar to the time of Isaiah when he delivered
God's warning, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put
darkness for light, and light for darkness" (Isaiah 5:20). Throughout
our society there are many who are trying to force others to accept
perversions of God's creation which God plainly calls sin. It was God's
design to create us male and female (Genesis 1:27). From the very
beginning, man was to "leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Ever since this
beginning, homosexuality and lesbianism have been a perversion of God's
purpose for His Creation. It is a sin that often brings judgment in this
life and will always cause condemnation in the next. This sin is not
unique in our time. The term "sodomy" is used to describe homosexual
activities and it comes from the ancient city of Sodom. The men of Sodom
were "exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord" (Genesis 13:13).
Because of their great sin, God utterly destroyed them. As you read
through the account of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction in Genesis 19,
the only specific sin that is brought out is that they were homosexuals.
Centuries later, after Israel entered the Promised Land, some among the
tribe of Benjamin became as corrupt as the men of Sodom. In the last
three chapters of Judges, there is an account of how some men wanted to
rape another man who was visiting their town. When the other tribes
gathered together to punish the wicked, the tribe of Benjamin defended
the homosexuals. There were three battles in which Benjamin was
decimated. Before the final battle, God instructed the other tribes to
"Go up, for tomor row I will deliver them into your hand" (Judges
20:28). The tribe of Benjamin began with 26,000 men, but after the
fighting, there were only 600 survivors. This did not happen because all
of Benjamin were homosexuals, but because they tried to defend the homo
sexuals in their midst. The law of Moses was very plain concerning this
sin. In Leviticus 18:22, Israel was commanded, "Thou shalt not lie with
mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Later, in Leviticus
20:13, the penalty for anyone who practiced this abomination was given.
There, Israel was warned, "And if a man lie with mankind, as with
womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be
put to death; their blood shall be upon them." This may sound harsh to
those who do not consider the holiness of God, but the penalty in the
New Testament is the same. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul describes the
corruption of the Gentile society in the first century. At the beginning
of the list of their sins, he wrote, "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" (Romans 1:26-27). Just a few
verses later, Paul added, "those who practice such things are deserving
of death" (Rom. 1:32). The death penalty is not limited to just
homosexuals, but also all the other sins mentioned in the context.
Throughout the history of the Bible, the righteous have always stood
strong against this sin, while the corrupt willingly accept it. Part of
the evil during  the reign of King Rehoboam in Judah is described in the
words "there were also sodomites in the land" (1 Kings 14:21-22). When
the good king Asa ruled, the first thing that was mentioned con cerning
his return to God was  "he put away the sodomites out of the land" (1
Kings 15:11- 12). Years later, the nation of Israel corrupted themselves
again and allowed the sodom ites to return. When king Josiah sought to
cause Israel to return to Jehovah, he "made a covenant before the Lord,
to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies
and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul." In carrying
out this cove nant to obey God, "he brake down the houses of the
sodomites" (2 Kings 23:3-7). As terrible as the sin of homosexuality is,
those who practice this sin may be forgiven and become children of God.
When Paul taught the Corinthians, he reminded them of the life they
lived before they became Christians. He wrote, "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, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  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" (1
Corinthians 6:9-11). Have you been washed clean of your sins? Whether we
are guilty of being homosexuals or not, we all need to be cleansed of
our sins.  Faith in God alone is never described as a washing of sins.
To be washed of our sins, we must do what the Bible says. If you have
not already, please follow the instructions of God's Word. "And now why
are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). Wayne Wells


Would You Call This a  Gay  Lifestyle? Homosexuals make up about 4% of
the population. Yet, they have 44% of all male syphilis,  50% of all
venereal disease,  53% of all intestinal diseases,  43% of all hepatitis
A,  35% of all hepatitis B, and 88% of all AIDS cases. Lesbians are 19
times more likely than heterosexual women to have syphilis, twice as
likely to suffer from genital warts, and four times as likely to have
scabies. The average age of homosexuals dying with AIDS is 39. The
average age of homosexuals dying of all other causes is only 41.  Only 1
percent of homosexuals live to be 65 or older. The suicide rate among
homosexuals is 60 times higher than the general population. They are
three times as likely to have alcohol or drug abuse problems. They are
45 times more likely to be involved in auto accidents than
heterosexuals. The rate of murder among homosexual men is 50 times
greater than the general population.




Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc