Jesus Christ loves Jennifer Knapp
Larry King hosted a very riveting program in which Christian singer Jennifer Knapp discussed her faith and decision to announce publicly that she is a lesbian and living in a lesbian relationship (I have posted the entire interview below – and I encourage those to watch it who have not seen it). This is a very controversial and sensitive issue. I want to start off by saying that Jesus loves all people, gay and straight and died for people of all sexualities. There are many, many Christian people in America and all over the world who have feelings for someone of the same sex, who are struggling with this same question.
Ms. Knapp has taken the position that as a Christian it’s permissible to be gay and maintain gay intimate relationships. She also believes that the Bible either does not outright say that homosexuality is a sin or that it’s unclear because of translation issues from Greek to English. She does not feel like what she is doing is wrong in the eyes of God. So can one be gay and believe in Christ? The answer is YES, just not in the way Ms. Knapp is trying to.
Pastor Bob Botsford of Horizon Christian Fellowship Church, came on the show and gave an excellent Biblical response and explanation of why Ms. Knapp is actually in sin and out of step with the Bible. And that’s what it comes down to. What does the Word of God say on these questions? So let’s go through the issues.
The Bible’s stance on homosexuality
Ms. Knapp claims that the original Greek translation is somehow a “handicap” to our understanding what the Bible’s stance on homosexuality is. The example she gives is the word “malakos” which is translated in the Bible as “effeminate.” This word has been used to be synonymous with being gay. Is that correct? Perhaps. But even if it is not, there are other verses that have no such linguistic ambiguity. Jesus Christ makes it very clear:
Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Jesus quotes the book of Genesis in this passage. He takes it all the way back to the first human couple on Earth, Adam and Eve. God created them, male and female to be one flesh together. Marriage between a man and woman was to be permanent. This is God’s Will for relationships.
Romans Chapter 1 makes it even more clear as to what the New Testament’s position on homosexuality is:
Romans 1: 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because 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. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 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. 26 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: 27 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.
It is a part of our sinful flesh and our desires that are contrary to God that sexual immorality has entered our society. The Bible states that the “natural” relationship for a woman is to be with a man and vice versa. This passage is clearly stating that anything else is “error.”
Finally, there is the issue of sex outside of marriage. Whether one is gay or straight the Bible clearly forbids fornication.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
So just going by Scripture Ms. Knapp is wrong in stating the Bible is unclear on these things.
The Challenge for Gay Christians
So what if someone is gay or has gay desires but wants to be a Christian? Or is already a professing Christian. Is this possible? The answer is yes. Just like people who have lied or have desires to lie can be Christian. Or men who are unmarried and lust after women can be Christian. As long as anyone is willing to actually read God’s Word and believe it, it’s certainly possible. But the first step is confessing that homosexuality is a sin. Just like lying, stealing, cheating on your wife, taking the Lord’s name in vain and many other sins straight people commit every day. Homosexuality is not a “special sin’ that is to be singled out from any other. All born-again Christians have sinned and continue to sin after they are saved. But in order to repent as a Christian you have to choose to turn away from your sin and start living your life for Jesus Christ and His Will. For the straight Christian who has been having pre-marital sex, it means stopping that behavior. It means being willing to sacrifice your lusts and desires to be obedient to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This is where Pastor Botsford did an excellent job of explaining what the Bible states. No matter what our sinful past is, whether it’s being violent, a white-collar criminal or a computer hacker, we have to “die” to sin. We have to let Christ live in us and abide by His Will. Being a Christian is about having a changed heart. The book of Galatians continues this point in Chapter 5:
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would
A born again Christian receives a new spirit that seeks to please God. However we are still living in our Earthly, sinful flesh and the Bible goes on to state that “..the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,..” And thus we have to work daily to remove those sinful desires from our lives. This is done through prayer, studying God’s Word and changing one’s lifestyle and decisions.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
To “crucify” the flesh means to be willing to forego fleshly desires in your love and obedience to Jesus. This is where the rubber hits the road for Ms. Knapp. She wants to live her life based on her own desires and what she feels is good for her. The Bible states: 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). If you are gay and truly want to follow Christ, you must be willing to deny yourself and let your sinful desires “die.” This is taking up your cross. As Pastor Botsford said, Jesus should rule your life, not sin. So the question is, are you willing to confess your sins to God? Are you willing to acknowledge being gay as a sin and turn from it? This is what Jesus says we must do to follow him. It does not mean that a gay person will suddenly lose all desires. That desire may never leave. But it does mean that person will gain a new desire to please God. The reborn spirit will be in that person and that they will know from the conviction they feel that they have to turn from that sin. And sexual sin is a difficult one, which is why the Apostle Paul says “flee fornication.” Don’t walk, run from it. Everyone of every orientation struggles with sexual desire. We are not perfect and will not be until we receive our heavenly bodies. But it’s going to God with our confessions and working to actively remove those sins from our lives that defines a Christian. That is how you follow Jesus.
The foundation of the Christian Faith is Jesus Christ. And Christ instructs us that God’s Truth is The Bible (John 17:17). Jesus Christ loves all people and died for all of us. We are all sinners. But if we don’t admit to sin, then we’re saying we don’t need a Savior. And if we are saved but are not even acknowledging we are doing something wrong, but instead proclaiming it to the world, sin is ruling our heart and not Jesus Christ. Hopefully Ms. Knapp will realize this.
This breaks my heart…
She is just trying to find a place of peace like any of us Christian gays.
Hating yourself for something you can’t control gets extremely tiring.
Sure you can CHOOSE not to act on it
But you can’t help who you love
I for one am tired of hating myself
Don’t hate yourself my friend. I love you and Christ love you as you are, and I’m sure that there is more people out there that love you like you are. Don’t blame yourself for something that you can control, try
to ask for help, I would like you to go to a a behavioral conductive therapy, it may help you to look over
the situation from a different perspective, if you can find a female christian physiology it would be great.
Be happy no matter what, God will understand that you have been trying and fighting, but God does not
want you to hurt yourself: emotionally of physically, He Love You and I love you Too.
Blessings and Tons of Love,
I.E.
Then don’t.
You can’t.God loves all yes,but hates sin.and being gay is a sin.she needa to concencrate her heart to God.and ask S forgiveness.
God loves all, and if she keeps her faith in god and stills loves her spouse she will be fine
No she has to repent and turn from the sin. God didn’t hate Judas but his love of money was still his downfall. And remember that even though Jesus is the only begotten Son, when he took on the sins of us all, God turned his face from him as he cannot stand sin. You cannot live as you please and expect it to be ok with God. And yes, you can “help how you feel”. If it was impossible, there would be no command from God to deny yourself and follow him. Prayer works wonders.
I agree. I’ve been having troubles myself with sinning and then “feeling bad about it”, repenting, then sinning again and doing the whole thing over. We must make a real effort to turn from sin, even if it seems we are going nowhere in that effort. Still, we’ll never become perfect, so we can’t expect to not sin at all. That’s what Jesus’s sacrifice is for.
Hi Ajay, I want you to know. I know exactly how you feel as I too have same sex attraction (im 24) but we must learn to submit our thoughts, emotions and feelings to carry out the plan of God, just like any other Christian. Every minute of every day, stay focused on peace, serenity, love for God, purity, the rightousness of Christ, for YOU are the rightousness of God, through the perfection of Christ’s finished work that he acheived throughout his life.. He died, so we could LIVE in that perfection. When you feel a temptation, dont nurse it, dont curse it, dont rehearse it, and God will reverse it. Learn and study scripture and recognize and believe fully that our desires cant be trusted for their are powers at work trying to prevent us from representing Christ is the truest form, trying to prevent us from becoming the light of the world… Our desires only lead us to death and when i say death, i mean spiritually we become “seperated from God” we become our own God, deciding based on our fallen nature, we know best with regards to finding that happiness we so desire. We must come to a conclusion that God is either telling us the complete truth, or He is lying to us with regards to what His word says? He knew very well by putting those handful of scriptures in His word, that we would end up having deep seeded conflict within us with regards to pursueig the life of living with a partner/significant other in a same sex setting… What ends up happening, is you start to realize that the one thing that means most to you if you are a believer (Jesus) becomes cut off, lessened, inferior, not as important as your attraction because the church as a whole fully trusts the divine word of God. Which leaves you, your partner and your potential children in a rough, tough, very difficult situation. How does one raise children Christ centered when you yourself are double yoked, havig two masters, this will ultimately lead to further confusion in your faith and you will become a branch cut off from the vine. Just as God intended sinners become, so that they recognize this, and return back to the perfection of Christ. The world would like us to think, that relationship with your wife should be all about sex, truthfully, in the end, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It should be all about Christ. Set your sights 100% on Christ, everything else will fall in to place. I pray for the veil over your eyes to be lifted and that instead of being sin concious(depression, anxiety, lustful, imaginations, worry, regret, shameful, sad, alone, suicidal) you become fully Christ concious and meditate on His divine perfection. Which is within YOU! Btw, don’t hold any secrets, evrything becomes illuminated and healed when fully brought in to the light!!
Amen. This was a truly excellent post. I am humbled by your clear devotion to serving Jesus Christ and understanding of His Word. May The Lord bless you abundantly.
I 2 struggle with this but as my older brother told me, anything you try to do on your own, you will fail. no matter what it is u cant succed without Gods help as humains we are weak. being a Christian is a daily struggle. some of as will struggle with these feelings for as long as we live. thats why daily prayer and fasting and looking to God is very important. this world is full of evil demonic forces that thank God we are unable to see and who would devour as easily if it wasnt Gods protection. satan sends demons to constantly put evil things in our minds. its a battle u face everyday. demons are forever watching every move u make just as angels are watching every move u make. its a constante battle between good and evil even angels are fighting demons
Really good post
Hi Beggining and end
thanks for directing to this article. i have always wondered about the greek translation theory.
however, i have always known that homosexual behaviour is sin and one cant not serve two masters.
that said, i actually find the article painful to read, because i can understand why Jennifer Knapp is going down this direction.
it is not something that a straight christian can understand.
the reality is all of want to find that other half we can spend the rest of our lives with, but as a gay christian, that option is not open.
while i am not saying just because the cross is heavy automatically means we should not bear it.
but often i find many straight christians, not all, get very judgemental on issue like this. they assume people like Jennifer are simply rebellent sinner who doesnt want to know the truth….
but i went through the struggle myself, and i know it is not easy… hence i wont be the one who caste the stone at her, instead i’ll pray for her, hopefully God can lead her back to the right direction.
Man and Woman are Loved equally by God. God Created woman for man from man.. God also hates SIN, In which will bring the wrath of God upon;
Romans 1:27. Homosexuality Condemned?
Romans 1:27 appears to speak of homosexual relations as sinful. Is this actually the case? Would the Bible really condemn people for such acts, or is it speaking about something quite different from what we understand as homosexuality?
In our day speaking negatively of homosexuality is often declared to be evil. Several factors have led to this. First, postmodern society believes that all personal options are equally good. Thus one should take pride in one’s ethnic background or religion or sexual preference. None is better than another and no one should judge another. This postmodern view may express a truth about our relative human judgments, but does it give God’s view? What if God really does exist and has a view by which he will judge the world in the end? Furthermore, there are limits to our tolerance of cultural diversity, for we are not very accepting of Nazi culture, for example.
Second, genital sexual expression is viewed as a right and even as a necessity for emotional health. This is a new view, which ignores the fact that many who cannot function sexually (such as impotent males) can and do live full and meaningful lives. Unlike food and water and shelter, sexual expression is not a need. Nor is it a right. Many people, whatever their sexual inclinations, are deprived of opportunities for full sexual expression (think of those heterosexuals who want to be married but cannot find an appropriate spouse) and, while it may not be a desirable situation for them, it is not that they are being wronged.
Third, homosexuality has found increasing acceptance in our society. However, acceptance does not make something right. Nor does the evidence that homosexuality may be inborn make it right. Some types of personality are apparently inborn, and we think of these varieties of personality types as equally good, but alcoholism, schizophrenia and a tendency to violence may also be linked to genes, and we look at these as genetic defects. We view them as bad and try to control their expression.
Fourth, there have been attempts to label any rejection of homosexuality as “homophobic” and thus make a rejection of this lifestyle appear wrong. Such labeling begs the question. Is one “kleptophobic” if he or she calls theft wrong? It is not always an issue of fear (phobia) at all, but one of sober judgment about what is right and wrong based on a given standard. For Christians the standard has been the Bible, so that is why looking at this passage is so critical.
There are several passages in the New Testament that refer to homosexual genital sexuality: Romans 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9, 1 Tim. 1:10 and Jude 7. These build on the Old Testament attitude toward homosexuality found in Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. What conclusions can we draw from these texts?
First, all of these passages condemn particular sexual acts. None of them speak of homosexual desires. In the Scriptures it is not homosexual temptation that is wrong, but the actual acts themselves. This is an important distinction, for it reminds us that the Scriptures honor people successfully struggling with temptation rather than condemning them for their temptations. The man who has never been tempted to commit adultery is not more virtuous than the man who has successfully resisted repeated significant temptations. The first man is only untested in that area.
Second, we recognize that while homosexual practice does not appear to have been common in Palestine, it was a significant feature of the Greek culture. It is not that Greeks were exclusively homosexual, for in fact the general practice was bisexuality, with wives being necessary for procreation, but the use of prostitutes and boys also being more or less accepted. It is also not true that all Greeks equally accepted homosexuality. One form of it, pederasty, was debated by Greek thinkers.
Third, we notice that the explicit rejection of homosexuality is found mostly in Paul’s letters, for he was the Christian writer most in contact with the Greek world. Romans was probably written from Corinth and 1 Corinthians was, of course, written to Corinth. It is sometimes argued, then, that Paul’s concern was only with pederasty, that he was entering one side of the discussion which was common in the Greek world. However, his language in this passage is not a description of pederasty. A case can be made for making 1 Cor. 6:9 refer to that vice, but such a case is not totally convincing to scholars in this field. What it looks like is going on in 1 Cor. 6:9 is that Paul, living in the Greek world, needing an example of vice to use in his letter, used the vice that he found close at hand, homosexual practice, which included, but was not limited to, pederasty.
In other words, homosexual practice was not a major problem within the church. It was a problem in the Gentile world around the church. Why was this the case? Probably the reason is that the church taught fidelity to one’s wife. For example, look at the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 19. When in Matthew 19 Jesus prohibits divorce, the disciples respond in shock that it would be better not to marry than to be stuck forever with a single woman. Rather than softening his statement, Jesus comments that it might be good not to marry and distinguishes those who cannot marry due to sexual dysfunction from those who choose not to marry because of “the kingdom of heaven.” In other words, he gave people only two alternatives: faithful marriage (and he has already made it clear in Matthew 5:27-28 what he means by faithfulness) or celibacy. While Jesus does not appear to have been married, Simon Peter was. It would be Paul who would follow the route of celibacy.
Turning to Paul, we find the same alternatives offered. In 1 Cor. 6:9 he rules out “sexual immorality” by which he means sexual intercourse with a person who is not one’s spouse, especially a prostitute. He makes the alternative clear in 1 Cor. 7:9: if one does not have the gift of celibacy, then one should marry. For the same reason married couples should practice regular sexual intercourse (1 Cor. 7:2-5). One can read through the whole of the rest of 1 Cor. 7 and find only two options: celibacy or faithful marriage. These same two options are offered to the widow and to the never-married, to the old and to the young.
As we noted above, in the Greek world as in the world today there were very few who were exclusively homosexual. Most men married out of duty to their family, if for no other reason. The church had only one instruction to such men and women: your wife or husband is to be your exclusive sexual focus. Satisfy one another. There is no option of a homosexual relationship on the side. For the few who were not married the church had two options: remain celibate or marry. Again homosexual sexual intercourse is not an option. By stressing these two positive options (rather than ranting against homosexuality) the early church appears to have had little problem with the practice of homosexuality, despite its being in the world around them.
Does the Bible really condemn homosexuality? The answer is yes, it does. In every place it mentions any homosexual practice it roundly condemns the practice. In no place does it speak positively of homosexuality. Does the Bible dwell on the issue, especially since parts of it were written in a world full of bisexuality? No, it does not. Instead the Bible focuses on its alternative. It encourages sexual expression in the context of a faithful marriage, and it exalts celibacy for those who cannot or choose not to marry. Both are honorable lifestyles. There is no third way.
(1:32) Judgment: God—the only living and true God—assures final judgment which is death, that is, eternal separation from God. There are two reasons why men will be judged and condemned to death.
1. Men will be judged because they sin and take pleasure in others who sin by doing the same things (1:29). Men have appetites, desires, and lusts, and they spend their lives seeking to fulfill them. The great tragedy is that they not only take pleasure in their own sins, but they take pleasure in the sins of others. They approve and talk about their selfishness and exploits and that of their friends. They focus their lives upon…
• extravagant living • stylish dress • wealth • power
• position • fame • material possessions • sexual affairs
As a result of such selfishness, the sins listed in the Scripture tear at the world and destroy human life (Romans 1:29-31); therefore, the judgment of God is assured. Those who commit such things and take pleasure in the sins of others shall die, that is, be separated from God eternally.
“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” (1:32).
“Woe unto them that 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).
“Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life” (Ezekiel 13:22).
“Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or Where is the god of judgment?” (Malachi 2:17).
2. Men will be judged because they are without excuse: they know through an inner sense that the judgment of God is coming upon the world. Men sense that some higher power (God) is going to straighten out the mess in the world: that injustices and inequities will be brought to judgment, condemned and punished. (See outline—• Romans 2:1-16 and notes—•Romans 2:1-16 for more discussion.)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
“As righteousness tendeth to life; so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Proverbs 11:19).
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
Sin— Body— Judgment: God—the only living and true God—shows wrath by giving men up to vile, unnatural affections. The term “vile affections” means passions, dishonor, disgrace, infamy, shame, and degradation. It means passions that cannot be controlled or governed, that run loose and wild, no matter how much a person tries to control them.
1. The reason God gives men up to vile affections (pathē atimias) is because of their unnatural passion. Men lust and lust, craving the illegitimate and unlawful. They burn in their lust one for another. And note what Scripture is talking about: unnatural affection, that is, homosexuality.
⇒ Women burn and lust and exchange the “natural use into that which is against nature.” And note, it is against nature.
⇒ Men burn in their “lust one toward another; men with men doing that which is shameful.”
Note again that the sin takes place in the heart. Men burn within, crave the sin before they commit the act. It is their burning, their lusting, their craving that sets them aflame to pursue the shameful act. Their heart burns after other men, not after God. Therefore, they stand condemned, and God is forced to judge them.
2. The result of unnatural affection is a totally depraved nature. When men choose a life of “vile affections,” God gives them up to it. It is man’s choice, and since it is man’s choice, God can do nothing about it. God has to give man up to what he chooses. He does not override man’s will.
Note a crucial fact: Scripture says men receive “in themselves that recompence [pay back, punishment] of their error.” The judgment for homosexuality is within, not without man. If a person burns after unnatural affection, he is given over to his burning; he is given over to burn and crave more and more. He is judged and condemned to live in his unnatural passion and to feel the shame of it. He is enslaved and held in bondage to it, psychologically and physically. And the judgment is “meet,” that is, fit, just, exactly what it should be. If men lust and burn after unnatural affection, it is only fit that they be given what they so passionately crave. Therefore, God judges men by giving men up to live in their vile affections.
“That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God” (1 Thes. 4:4-5).
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
4. (28) God, Wrath of— Judgment— Sin: God—the only living and true God—shows wrath by giving men up to reprobate, depraved minds. The term “reprobate mind” (adokimon noun PWS: 3253) means a mind that is rejected, disapproved, degraded, depraved; a mind that cannot stand the test of judgment.
1. The reason God gives men up to reprobate minds is because men reject God. They know God, but they do not “like to retain God in their knowledge.” They…
• do not like to approve God. • do not like to recognize God.
• do not like to acknowledge God.
They simply do not want God to have anything to do with their lives; therefore, they push Him out of their minds. They ignore and refuse to accept God’s presence.
2. The result is forcibly stated. God gives men over to reprobate minds, minds that are totally depraved. Men are allowed to do exactly as they choose; they are enslaved more and more in their depravity and unsuitable behavior. (See Deeper Study #1-23—Romans 1:29-31, for the meaning of the terrible sins listed.)
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
Leviticus 20:13 (KJV)
13 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.
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy—The minute specification of the incestuous and unnatural crimes here enumerated shows their sad prevalence amongst the idolatrous nations around, and the extreme proneness of the Israelites to follow the customs of their neighbors. It is to be understood, that, whenever mention is made that the offender was “to be put to death” without describing the mode, stoning is meant. The only instance of another form of capital punishment occurs in Lev. 20:14, that of being burnt with fire; and yet it is probable that even here death was first inflicted by stoning, and the body of the criminal afterwards consumed by fire (Jos 7:15).
(20:10-21) Justice— Immorality— Adultery— Incest— Homosexuality— Bestiality: justice was to be executed upon the person who committed various sexual sins and crimes. All the sexual sins known among men are forbidden by the seventh commandment: a person must not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). All forms of illicit sex are covered in the present passage. Unbelievable and unspeakable acts are covered, such illicit acts as incest with the closest of family members, homosexuality, bestiality, and adultery. Such sins tear down the very nature of man, man who is the summit of God’s creation. Moreover, such terrible acts of immorality cause great pain and suffering: they destroy wives, husbands, and children, and eventually society itself. The sins of immorality destroy the family, the very foundation of society, the institution God ordained to give purpose and meaning, form and structure to society. The laws governing these terrible sins of immorality were discussed earlier (Leviticus 18:1-30). Now, God spells out the punishment for these terrible sexual sins and crimes.
Thought 1. Immorality does irreparable harm to all parties involved. Adultery causes great pain and injury to husbands and wives and children. It can break up families and destroy homes. When immorality breaks up homes, it causes a part of society to crumble. Moreover, immorality corrupts the mind and conscience of the offender, enslaving him to unbridled lust. When a mind becomes enslaved by unbridled lust, it is subject—far more subject—to committing all forms of lawlessness and corrupt behavior.
Lax morals are sweeping the world today. It was lax morals, in particular the sin of homosexuality, that caused the judgment of God’s fire and brimstone to fall upon Sodom and Gomorrha. A people or society can become so immoral that God is forced to give up on them, turning them over to their unbridled lusts. They refuse to repent of their sin and immorality; therefore, God has to give them up to the burning of their passion and lust. They are to bear the judicial judgment of God: what they sow they will reap. They sow lust and immorality; therefore they burn in their lust and immorality as long as they live upon the earth. But then, once they die, they face the eternal judgment and condemnation of God.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 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. 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; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, 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 1:18, 24-32).
“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 Cor. 6:9-10).
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8)
Abandoned to sexual perversion (ROMANS;1:26-27)
1:26-27. Also God gave them over to shameful lusts (lit., “passions of disgrace”). This involved, as the text states, both sexes engaging in homosexual instead of heterosexual relationships. Women deliberately exchanged natural relations (with men in marriage) for unnatural ones (with other women). This is the second “exchange” the unregenerate made (cf. v. 25). Men… were inflamed with lust (orexei, “sexual lust,” used only here in the NT and differing from the more common word for lust in v. 26).
The words translated women and men in these verses are the sexual words “females” and “males.” Contemporary homosexuals insist that these verses mean that it is perverse for a heterosexual male or female to engage in homosexual relations but it is not perverse for a homosexual male or female to do so since homosexuality is such a person’s natural preference. This is strained exegesis unsupported by the Bible. The only natural sexual relationship the Bible recognizes is a heterosexual one (Gen. 2:21-24; Matt. 19:4-6) within marriage. All homosexual relations constitute sexual perversion and are subject to God’s judgment. Such lustful and indecent acts have within them the seeds of punishment (due penalty).
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (KJV)
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,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
6:9-10. Paul’s third reminder (Do you not know… cf. vv. 2-3) was probably meant to complement the thought of verse 4, but it also illustrated the gap which existed between the Corinthians’ future position and their present practice. The wicked would have no share in God’s future kingdom because they were not related to Christ, the Heir (cf. Mark 12:7). The wicked would one day be judged by the saints (1 Cor. 6:2) on the basis of their works (Rev. 20:13) which would condemn them. Yet the saints were acting no differently.
The word adikoi (“the wicked”) in 1 Corinthians 6:9 was used in verse 1, there translated “the ungodly.” The verb form adikeite (“do wrong”) however, was used in verse 8 to describe the Corinthians’ behavior. Their future role should have radically affected their practice in the present (cf. 1 John 3:3). If they thought otherwise, Paul warned, they were deceived (cf. 1 Cor. 5:11; Rev. 21:7-8; 22:14-15).
The list of offenders was similar to that noted earlier (1 Cor. 5:10-11), which no doubt corresponded to problems in Corinth and in other large cities of the day (cf. Eph. 5:3-6). Homosexuality and male prostitution, for example, were especially characteristic of Greco-Roman society. Plato lauded homosexual love in The Symposium (181B). Nero, emperor at the time Paul wrote this letter, was about to marry the boy Sporus (Suetonius Lives of the Caesars 6. 28), an incident bizarre only in its formality, since 14 of the first 15 Roman emperors were homosexual or bisexual.
6:11. Some (but not all) the Corinthian Christians had been guilty of the sins listed in verses 9-10, but God had intervened. They were washed… by the Spirit (cf. Titus 3:5), sanctified in the Son (cf. 1 Cor. 1:2), and justified before God (cf. Rom. 8:33). This fact of justification was an appropriate thought for those judicially carping Corinthians.
♦ “Sexual immorality” encompasses all sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The serious nature of adultery and fornication (intercourse between unmarried persons) is seen in this powerful Corinthians passage as well as throughout the Scripture. There are two basic reasons: first, sex is sacramental, intended to bond two people together in the most intimate of human relationships. Second, marriage is a covenant, a commitment of mutual loyalty which is to reflect the commitment of God to His people. Within the context of covenant and sacrament, sex is beautiful and right. In any other, it is destructive and wrong.
Western civilization now stands at the crossroads. We have started down the road to destruction, perhaps, but the way of life still stretches out before us. The ethical dilemmas we face show that we are at the crossroads. Will we cherish the lives of the innocent, or will we permit abortion on demand? Will we protect the lives of the defenseless, or will we allow involuntary euthanasia? Will we preserve the sanctity of marriage, or will we tolerate no-fault divorce and homosexual unions? Will we love the true and the beautiful, or will we gaze upon images of sex and violence? These are the questions a culture faces at the crossroads.
The evangelical church is also standing at the crossroads. Will we glorify God in our worship, or will we entertain ourselves? Will we bear witness to the Law of God and the grace of the gospel, or will we tone down our message so as not to offend anyone? Will we expound the eternal Word of God, or will we seek some new revelation? Will we defend the doctrine of justification by faith alone, or will we add works to grace? These are the questions a church faces when it stands at the crossroads.
(1:32) Judgment: God—the only living and true God—assures final judgment which is death, that is, eternal separation from God. There are two reasons why men will be judged and condemned to death.
1. Men will be judged because they sin and take pleasure in others who sin by doing the same things (1:29). Men have appetites, desires, and lusts, and they spend their lives seeking to fulfill them. The great tragedy is that they not only take pleasure in their own sins, but they take pleasure in the sins of others. They approve and talk about their selfishness and exploits and that of their friends. They focus their lives upon…
• extravagant living • stylish dress • wealth • power
• position • fame • material possessions • sexual affairs
As a result of such selfishness, the sins listed in the Scripture tear at the world and destroy human life (Romans 1:29-31); therefore, the judgment of God is assured. Those who commit such things and take pleasure in the sins of others shall die, that is, be separated from God eternally.
“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” (1:32).
“Woe unto them that 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).
“Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life” (Ezekiel 13:22).
“Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or Where is the god of judgment?” (Malachi 2:17).
2. Men will be judged because they are without excuse: they know through an inner sense that the judgment of God is coming upon the world. Men sense that some higher power (God) is going to straighten out the mess in the world: that injustices and inequities will be brought to judgment, condemned and punished. (See outline—• Romans 2:1-16 and notes—•Romans 2:1-16 for more discussion.)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
“As righteousness tendeth to life; so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Proverbs 11:19).
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
Meh. If only you were right.
I must admit, this is a difficult issue in the sense that I have met and befriended homosexuals who also profess a saving faith in Jesus Christ; I am a plank-eyed sinner so I will not cast a stone as it were, and I have love for my fellow man as God wills no matter what their “backstory” (and frankly, God has to help me with that quite often!)
Having said that, several points are germane: 1) Ms. Knapp is wrong, the Bible is clear and unambiguous on the issue of homosexuality. Hiding behind what appears to be a poorly grasped at straw, she makes a claim regarding the translation of our current biblical translations from the Greek. When the King James Bible was written, about 7 Greek translations were available. Now, with modern versions, the editors and scholars putting the newer tranlations together have hundreds of Greek manuscripts available along with 400 years of advancement in Biblical scholarship including a vastly improved understanding of both Greek and Hebrew, as well as 400 years of archaelogical works to inform them. In short, modern bibles are quite accurate. This is a fabricated argument that fails on its merits out of the gate.
2) There has been a long standing debate regarding nature vs. nurture (for lack of better words…) regarding homosexuality. Many homosexuals claim that “God made them that way…” Perhaps, but two issues come to mind: First, I have clearly and unequivocally witnessed (as has my wife) homosexuals who proselytize, hoping it would seem to seduce another into their way of life. The argument given was at least on one occasion that perhaps “you just don’t know you are gay…” Really? In short, both my wife and I have been “hit-on” by homosexuals, we of course declined the offer!! Still, it was quite revealing….Secondly, regarding the “God made me gay” argument: God is again, unambiguous in His Word on this and homosexuality is a sin, God made us all, we are all sinners (Romans 3:23)
I happen to be a recovering alcoholic. Now, to be clear, I have a family history of alcoholism and addiction, a history of childhood abuse with crazy drinking by my parents, at least while I was young. So, am I free to abuse the liberty of alcohol to the point of destruction as I was before accepting that I was indeed an alcoholic, that I was killing myself and putting my family and others at risk, that I was compromising my values and in short, that I had let alcoholism, work addiction and eventually prescription drug addiction drag me into a life of sin? Am I free to just say: God made me that way? I mean, come on now, the genetics of alcoholism and addiction are currently very well documented and studied medically with ever increasing neurochemical research to support this fact. I also have a strong family history of depression and suicide. Am I free to take my own life and not call it murder in the eyes of God? I mean, God made me that way, with a propensity towards depression. There are plenty of days I wish that was not a part of my make-up….but it is.
No. I am responsible for my own actions and the sin of alcoholism and addiction (another thing the bible is very clear about). We are ALL born into sin; it is only by the shed Blood of Christ on the cross, his resurrection and my acceptance of Him as my savior that I can stand justified before God. And while God’s Word reveals that some sins carry more weight than others, this much is clear: God is Holy, He is OUR Creator (not the other way around), and the rules are His. And in His Word He tells us that unaccounted for sins will bring judgment. I don’t mean we won’t struggle with sin until the day we die in this world, because we will. But He has sent His Son Jesus to pay the price that we owe for those sins, and He sends His spirit to His believers and we are called to life a life reflecting not only our justification via the redemptive work of the cross, but sanctification as an outward sign of obedience for His Glory (Philippians 2:12-13). No matter how people feel they were “made”, God’s Word is clear about sin (all sin, even the stuff we struggle with genetically and in the environments we grew up in)
Many people I have met in the program of alcoholics anonymous have struggled wit sexual sin and in meetings where they feel protected, they share of their struggles, so I am witness to many people’s testimonies to sexual sin. Many people inside the church struggle with sexual sin including adultery, pornography….and homosexuality. Jesus evens condemns lustful thinking (ask your pastoral staff if you doubt me.). We are born in a condition of sin, and even the best among us has a “besetting sin.” For many, this is homosexuality. The current movement to “normalize” same-sex marriage and to normalize the gay lifestyle in general is simply post-modern man in love with self, flesh, and the world. Glamorizing it will not change what it is and the homosexuals should not feel so exclusive or special because sin is something we all grapple with and must repent from.
I speak from the heart: I had to repent of many things as I went into recovery. I didn’t make the rules, God did but He loves us and grants us the power to work out our sanctification.
Watch this video and you will see why this article is wrong.
http://www.matthewvines.com/transcript
Hello Beth,
I appreciate your reference to allow broadening of viewpoint in this discussion, but I have to disagree with Mr. Matthew Vines on several of his points. His entire argument hinges on the perspective that homosexuality was a condition that was present and natural before the fall of man. But what he fails to present is any scriptures that attest to or confirm his viewpoint. He acknowledges that Eve was made for Adam and quotes Genesis 2:18 but stating that GOD said it wasn’t good for man to be alone doesn’t mean that GOD meant for man to be with man or woman to be with woman. This would be placing an interpretation that wasn’t intended. Furthermore, GOD gave Adam a wife, Eve, intending to establish what was meant to be the norm/standard regarding marriage (Genesis 2:20-24, GOD made a suitable partner for him, and it wasn’t another man).
What he cannot produce is a single affirmative scripture or reference where homosexuality is encouraged or spoken of in a positive light. All of these scriptures condemn homosexuality not just as failure to be kind, but also has a deviation from what was normal/standard from the beginning. JESUS himself, when HE discusses marriage, doesn’t give the option for a man and man or woman and woman in committed relationship to be considered marriage as it was meant from the beginning (Reference Matthew 19:1-12 and Mark10:1-12). Of course the preceding passage’s context was condemning divorce for any reason, but it was also defining specifically what GOD, and JESUS as the SON of GOD (2nd person in the trinity) both considered to be a committed and honored, intimate relationship – between man and woman. Why aren’t there any stories in scripture that explicitly show homosexual/lesbian unions as “ordained by GOD” like heterosexual unions? Jonathan and David, often cited weren’t homosexual, but shared a close relationship as friends. At no time does the scripture explicitly or implicitly show David and Jonathan engaging in homosexual relations or that they were inclined to do the same – they both had wives and sons (i.e., such as Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son ,and David honoring their covenant from 1 Samuel 20:11-15 which David accomplished in 2 Samuel 9), with David’s sons leading to the family line of JESUS.
Lastly, homosexual/lesbian unions violate GOD’s command in the beginning for men and women to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:27-28). Men cannot bear children and women cannot impregnate women. For men to be with men in an intimate, marital relationship with the intent of consummating this relationship sexually, it ignores and disregards GOD’s command to bear children. Now sex isn’t only meant for children, however, it is the natural process of any sexual relations, as sperm is released with the goal of fertilizing an egg (ovum). Matthew Vines has a personal interest vested in this argument, and it is that he wrestles with what he feels (homosexual desire) and what the Word of GOD says (sexual intimacy can only be enjoyed in a marital relationship – between husband [man] and wife [woman]. A Christian who struggles with pedophilia, which is clearly not taught against in the Bible and would also qualify as a type of sexual deviancy from GOD’s plan to include polygamy (not GOD’s intent and see Matthew 19:1-12), fornication (sex outside of marriage) or adultery (sex with someone other than a husband’s wife or a wife’s husband). We don’t and rightly wouldn’t make concessions for pedophilia because it is clearly wrong as GOD’s natural law (as noted in Romans 2) would lead us to conclude, and yet a Christian who struggles with this will likely never be able to have a family because even if they did find someone to marry, they would always desire the love of a child, possibly even their own if they were to have children. We shouldn’t make concessions for what the Bible considers sin. We must interpret scripture according to scripture, and scripture considers any sexual deviancy, not just homosexual/lesbian relationships as well as lying, stealing, dishonoring parents, lusting/desiring something not our own, killing, and disobeying/disrespecting GOD (to include not setting aside time to worship HIM) to be sin punishable by death. But thanks be to GOD that in spite of the sin in me leading to do wrong, GOD’s SPIRIT, if we (a) acknowledge our sinfulness and need for savior from the result of his wrath which is eternal spiritual death (i.e., hell), (b) believe that JESUS is the SON of GOD, that HE was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died an unjust death for our sin debt and rose again on the third day, and (c) commit to live according to HIS WORD, we can have victory over sin (Romans 8:1, and for that matter, the entire chapter of Romans 8). Please consider this and read the Bible in its’ entirety, as opposed to what too many of us Christians do, cherry-picking scriptures to make us feel comfortable about our sin. Just a brief observation, but continue to seek GOD’s will and according to scripture (Matthew 6:34), GOD will give you the desires of your heart (which would be what GOD desires, and not just what will make us feel good – Psalm 37:4). Be blessed in JESUS (receive HIS SPIRIT and know true peace).
Bye 4 now,
Ben
They still looks like he’s 25. Amazing.
Is no one going to question the fact that there’s a link to “twinki” here?