Page 65 - Christ and Culture Textbook

where churches publicly confess to have gay pastors. This of course doesn’t surprise us, but we should
be astonished with overall Christian response to such issues. What breaks the heart of God is no longer
our business. Homosexuality is basically sexual relations between people of the same sex. The biblical
emphasis upon the loving union of male and female, as an integral part of God’s creation ordinance,
establishes the context against which the censure of homosexual practice is to be set.

Some today will argue that what the Bible appears to condemn can be distinguished from
homosexuality. They maintain that the homosexual orientation, to the extent that it develops in early
childhood or even before birth, is not consciously chosen and is therefore not sinful. As long as this form
of sexuality is expressed monogamously, it is argued, homosexual relations merely constitute an
expansion of the biblical view of marriage.

There are numerous problems with homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Primary, the Bible declares
that God instituted the covenant of marriage to be between one man and one woman only (Gen. 2:24–
25; Heb. 13:4). The union between a male and a female in marriage is the most sacred and cherished
rite in all of civilization. This union was reaffirmed by our Jesus: Have you not read that he who created
them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father
and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”?

The Bible tells us that marriage is meant for one man and one woman. The natural law, written on the
hearts of all people (Rom. 2:2–15), teaches us that homosexuality is wrong. Homosexuality is one of the
characteristics of a degraded culture. The apostle Paul pushed against homosexual acts as “contrary to
nature” (Rom. 1:26). The exercise of homosexuality is self-destructive. A same-sex couple is unable to
meet the God-given requirements of any normal heterosexual relationship because their relationship is
a distortion of natural marriage. Once again, this causes more damage than good.

The Christian Response to Homosexuals
Given what Scripture has to say about homosexuality, how should we respond to homosexuals and their
agenda? Christians should never abandon the biblical position in the name of being nice. Paul argues
strongly that God is faithful and has made a way to overcome temptations in life (1 Cor. 10:13). With the
help of God, you will always be able to resist sinning by the grace of God.

Hence, look for ways to minister to homosexuals and share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. We
must remember that God loves everyone, including homosexuals. So while we hate the practice of
homosexuality, it is our duty to minister in love to the homosexuals, just as it is our duty to help the
alcoholic even though we may detest alcoholism and all its evil results. We ought not embrace the
sinner (homosexual) and overlook the sin (practice of homosexuality). Christina love means confronting
the sinful practice in the hope of saving the homosexual from his or her self-destructive behaviors.

Biblical argument against it

Gen. 2:24-25 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and
they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

28 John S. and Paul D. Feinberg, Ethics for a brave new world (Crossway Books, Good news Publishers),
185

64