Homosexual Christians? Part 2

THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF HOMOSEXUALITY – Part 1

“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 recompense of their error which was meet” (Rom. 1:26-27).

I am posting this three part article here because Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and the related sites are constantly attacked and rendered unavailable frequently.

By: Frances Swaggart (This article was originally printed in January, 2008)

After reading a vast variety of emails, articles, news clips, etc., I feel strongly impressed by the Holy Spirit to address the very delicate and controversial issue of homosexuality, not only homosexuality as society knows it to be, but God’s Biblical standard concerning it. I do not wish to speak from standards of my own making here nor the ethical standards of our modern culture, but from the standards of a Holy God who has asked me to reach out to all who will hear Him concerning this very critical issue of our time. I hope to make it clear to you how the Lord feels about homosexuality and, as well, His Solution for this terrible sin.

I once heard a wise man say that while God is the greatest embodiment of Love which has ever existed or will ever exist, it is not love that makes Him God. God is God because of His Power! He is God because of His Authority! He is All-Powerful, All-Mighty, and All-Knowing. Yes, God is Love, but love is not God. The Love of God is Holy. This presents a problem for a fallen, sinful creation. Mankind cannot receive the Love of God without willingly submitting to His Order and Authority by the Way of the Cross. The Sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, for the Redemption of our sins was God’s way of showing us that within His great Power was also great Love. But, the conditions inherent in this Way of the Cross must be met for a man to receive the Love of God on a personal basis — to receive Salvation. We must make Jesus both our Savior and our Lord. Therefore, the Way of the Cross requires a man to surrender lordship of his own life to God, and he must also agree with God that it is His Standards alone which constitute Holiness. Therefore, if God deems anything to be sin, man must agree. It is not man’s right to make the distinction between right and wrong; that is His right as Lord. His Spirit is, in fact, speaking continually to the hearts of men: “I am the Lord.” We are without excuse. “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shall you say unto the Children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you” (Ex. 3:14).

THE WORD “HOMOSEXUALITY”

Many today would try to argue that we can’t be sure how the Lord views homosexuality, because the specific word, “homosexuality,” is not found in Scripture. However, this argument is completely foolish, because the Bible does use plenty of other words and phrases which mean precisely the same thing. Besides, the word, “homosexuality,” did not even enter the English vocabulary until the early Twentieth Century. It is, in fact, for this peculiar sin that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, giving the word “ sodomy” its Biblical origin. In Ecclesiastical Latin, “ sodomy” is translated “pecatum Sodomiticum,” or the “sin of Sodom.” “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly” (Gen. 13:13). “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” (Gen. 19:24-25). “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel” (Deut. 23:17). “And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the Children of Israel” (I Ki. 14:24). “And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, who were by the House of the LORD . . .” (II Ki. 23:7).

THE MEANING OF HOMOSEXUALITY

Also, referring specifically to homosexual acts, Leviticus 18:22 says: “You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 20:13 says: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” And perhaps, the most obvious evidence that the Lord opposes homosexuality is that it is simply unnatural. It clearly goes against His intention as Creator because it goes against the natural sexual expression of human beings. It also tears down the Spiritual Type the Lord intended for marriage to display. God created marriage, as a covenant relationship between a man and woman, as a picture of the covenant relationship a Believer enters into with the Lord when he is Born-Again. A Christian becomes one with Christ as a husband and wife become one. The family unit then becomes a means of protection, security, and love, which demonstrates the very provision the Lord provides for His Children. “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” (Gen. 2:22-24).

I Corinthians 6:9, uses the word “effeminate,” which is a Greek word specifically meaning “sodomite” or “male homosexual prostitute.” It does not merely refer to a man with feminine qualities like we use it today. I Timothy 1:10 uses the phrase, “. . . them that defile themselves with mankind. . . .”The Greek word used in this verse is“arsenokoitais,”and means “male homosexuals.” Referring back to I Corinthians 6:9, this same Greek word was also originally used in place of the phrase,“. . . abusers of themselves with mankind.”Therefore, “arsenokoites,” more specifically refers to “abusers,” or “to be guilty of unnatural offenses; a sodomite; a homosexual; a sex pervert.”The Holy Spirit, here, likens homosexuality to predatorial abuse, even the abuse of oneself.

THE GREATEST SIN?

Yet, today, in city after city, there are entire areas given over to the homosexual lifestyle. The acceptance of this practice in modern society has been gradually building for sometime now, but in the last several years we have seen an explosion in its growth, as the minds of reprobate men fail to understand its far-reaching consequences. With this delusion has also come the “demand” for the approval, inclusion, and support of homosexual “rights.” The demand is harsh and determined, and it is not only coming from homosexuals, but from our very own government. They press on, despite the fact that, historically-speaking, every time a city was inflicted with this vice and left to run its natural course, the city became so shaken that it crumbled and fell. Homosexual practice is, in fact, widely recognized as one of the causes for the downfall of the Roman Empire. They destroyed themselves by their own perversion, similar to ancient civilizations that literally sacrificed themselves out of existence. This is exactly what we are facing today in the United States! From this point on, every decision we make concerning the issue of homosexuality will have lasting effects on our survival, not only as a nation, but as a human race. In times past, it was only particular segments of the world which were permeated with this vile sin and destroyed. Today, because it is embraced worldwide, the entire global community stands to be judged. This is absolutely one of the greatest signs of the times before us! Get ready, saints, for our “Redemption draweth nigh!”

THE TRUTH!

It is evident that intolerance and outrage is already coming from both sides of the fence in America. The battle cry has been sounded, the fight has been started, and the stones have been thrown. Indeed, the nation is once-again divided, and the war for the soul of America has begun! So, how should a Christian fight? Certainly not with hate, because it is not the sinner which God hates; rather, it is his sin. It is homosexuality that we are against, not the homosexual. A true Christian will do everything possible to show a homosexual the Love of God and the Way of the Cross, for he realizes that he was also once lost in his sin. We would also welcome any homosexual to come to Family Worship Center as long as you conduct yourself properly and do not disrupt the Service in any way (which is the same requirements we have for everyone who attends our Services). We look at our church like a hospital; it is there so the sick may receive Healing. Just understand, though, that we will preach the Truth regarding sin. A true Christian can never fail to tell the homosexual the truth about his sin, no matter how much others may misinterpret the attitude of his heart. Love does not lie. The Apostle Paul once asked, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16).

SEXUAL PREFERENCE

Under a distorted version of what some homosexual activists are calling “freedom,” there is a movement taking place today which is designed to convince the American people that homosexuality is normal and that the homosexual’s perverse practices are only a matter of “sexual preference,” something to be seen as perfectly natural and non-threatening. But, if everyone practiced this lifestyle, we would quickly see the extinction of the human race! How can we simply call any so-called “preference,” which puts man on the endangered species list, normal or natural? It doesn’t even adhere to America’s Declaration of Independence which was written to guarantee us “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” How can we have life without procreation? On a spiritual level, the reality is that Satan despises the fact that man has been favored by God. The Devil’s wish is to destroy His highest Creation. Homosexuality is his most conscientious effort to eliminate the human race. It not only stops procreation, but destroys the family unit. Already, more than one spouse has been abandoned due to unnatural lust, and more than one marriage was forsaken before it ever took place at all. Homosexuality is, thereby, demonic in nature as unclean spirits aid Satan’s goal to “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jn. 10:10).

THE LAW!

Of course, laws cannot put a person in right standing with God, because the problem is more than ethical, it is spiritual, but laws help guide society as a whole. This is why it is important for Christians to vote in the right laws for our country and speak out as much as possible. However, this is also why homosexual advocates are pressuring the Christian community, as well as the heterosexual community in general, to cater to the homosexual agenda in every way possible. In the mean time, our minds are being desensitized by the media. Every time we turn around we find that a homosexual character in a story is also the hero of the story. Or, another one of our favorite celebrities unashamedly announces his homosexuality. We laugh at their jokes and admire their talents, but what we forget is that the homosexual community will not stop until it becomes a crime in America for anyone to call a homosexual act a sin. In fact, we just recently saw another major step in this direction. Bill HR 2015 (a.k.a. the Employment Non-Discrimination Act), which prevents employers from refusing to hire someone based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, just passed the House. Most of the time America’s citizens are denied the chance to speak out against the homosexual agenda, and those who try are quickly labeled as homophobic, narrow-minded, and ignorant. But, may we not force our moral and spiritual conscience to take a back seat because we fear our peers and the labels they may give us. If homosexuals can “come out of the closet,” so must we. Christians claim to be people of Faith, but remember that James said it well, “. . . Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

THE RIGHT SPIRIT

Also, contrary to popular opinion, it is possible for a person to speak out against homosexuality and vote against homosexual agendas without hating the homosexual or treating him harshly in any way. Anyone who does such is not dealing with the issue with a correct spirit or attitude. And, so-called “Christians” who do such are actually hurting the cause of Christ. Yet, organizations are being formed today, which wish to label anyone who will clearly speak the Truth according to the Bible, as a “religious bigot.” For example, one organization called, Faith In America, is actively holding educational campaigns across America. They state on their website (www.faithinamerica.com): “The fundamental mission of Faith In America is to end bigotry disguised as religious truth and in doing so, ensure full and equal civil rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in America.” These organizations try to put homosexuality in the same category as race or gender. But, the two are not comparable, because the Bible does not label race or gender as sin like it does homosexuality. Actually, Christians cannot accurately be called “bigots,” because the definition of a “bigot” includes prejudice. Prejudice cannot exist in the proper understanding that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross. The only thing the true Christian is against, is sin.

Continued in Part 3