Homosexuality And The Church

Being saved doesn’t necessarily mean that a previous sin will immediately cease … will never be repeated … that they will have immediate victory over their sin. A converted homosexual may well struggle with this sin in his life.

BUT, a true Christian will not continue to practice a lifestyle of homosexuality. A true Christian will not deliberately and continuously violate what they know to be a commandment of God …and practice a sin that they know God hates and forbids … a sin that brings shame to His name. A true Christian will repent of their sin and seek to honor God … and NOT flaunt a sinful lifestyle. This is what the “Christian homosexuals” are doing … flaunting a sinful lifestyle.

THIS IS MY STATEMENT: The homosexual who refuses to repent, and openly lives in this sin, and refuses to accept their lifestyle as a sin against Holy God, is not saved … just like the thief, alcoholic, or adulterer who refuses to repent and lives habitually in their sin … flaunting their sin in an open lifestyle for all to see.

o 1 John 3:8-10 – “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. [9] No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. [10] By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

V. OUR RESPONSIBILITY

We can judge, condemn, ostracize, and reject all homosexuals. We can label them as degenerates, perverted, and despicable.

BUT, let’s be careful to separate the sinner from their sin. Their SIN is all of these things. God HATES their SIN … so should we. Jesus never tolerated their sin … neither should we.

BUT… Jesus loves the sinner … and so should we. When we show them hate, we can’t reach them with the only thing that can help them … the love of Jesus. Mark 2:17 - “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Those who practice homosexuality are free to enter the Kingdom of God like any other sinner … repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ. We need to be available to offer them the power of Jesus to transform their lives, and set them free from their sin. We cannot condone their sin … but we can commend them to Jesus.

OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:

“Homosexuality And The Church”

INTRODUCTION: With the ordination of an openly gay homosexual Episcopalian Bishop, this issue has been brought to the forefront in the church – Isaiah 5:20

I. SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY

- God’s plan for human sexuality – Genesis 1:27, 2:24, 1 Corinthians 7:3-4

- Mankind perverted God’s plan – Genesis 19 (13:13), Judges 19:22-23, 1 Kings 14:24, 15:11-12

What does God think about homosexuality?

- Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Deuteronomy 23:17

What does the New Testament say?