Does the New Testament Address Homosexuality? [Sin is Sin]
Leviticus is part of God's Word. The book is part of the Books of Moses (the Pentateuch, the Torah), and is literally entitled "And He called". The Greeks named it Leuitikos, meaning "relating to the Levites", and thus it came into English as "Leviticus". This book addresses more than the Levites (Israel's priestly clan), however, expanding to all the Israelites, at times. The book's instructions emphasize ritual, legal, and moral practices more so than doctrines or beliefs. The purpose of the book is to emphasize God's desire for humans to live in a right relationship with Him.
In regards to the issue of homosexuality, Leviticus chapter 18 has been quoted liberally - by "both sides" of the issue. Those opposing homosexuality/LGBT have stressed that verse 22 specifically forbids men having sex with men. Supporters of homosexuality/LGBT stress that other verses in the book forbid wearing clothes made of two different types of material, eating shellfish, etc. If these things are not stressed by Christians today because they are outdated, why is the Levitical view of homosexuality not outdated, as well?
First, let me say that nothing in Leviticus is "outdated". God's Word does not change. His Law remains the same. His character remains the same. If one is an Orthodox Jew, he or she needs to adhere to the Levitical laws.
For the Christian, however, the New Covenant in Christ's blood frees us from the restraints of the Law by covering us in the Grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's Son, is fully God and fully man, and equated Himself with God many times in Scripture.
Much of Old Testament (OT) instructions were for people living in the midst of pagans who held specific practices, dressed certain ways, wore their hair in certain ways, etc. God's laws were to make His chosen people distinctly different from their pagan neighbors. How often were God's people recognized immediately?
The New Testament (NT) equivalent is that Jesus' followers are to love one another in such a way that we are noticeably different from the non-believers around us. How often are God's people recognized immediately?
Rather than quote Levitical law to non-believers as biblical proof of God's disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle, wouldn't it behoove Christians to speak in love from the New Testament, instead? Leave "law" for Christians as they are growing. Let's start with Jesus' love.
The OT stresses the Law and adherence to it, and emphasizes the weight of the consequences of our sin.
The NT stresses Grace and emphasizes the blessings of its provision - hope and restoration.
Romans 1:26-7
Homosexuality is a "shameful lust", a "shameful act", and an abandonment of "natural relations". It carries a "due penalty".
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Homosexuality is a "wrongdoing". It is among the sinful lifestyles that keep people from being part of the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:10
Homosexuality "is contrary to the sound doctrine".
Jude 7
Homosexuality is "sexual immorality and perversion".
God's standards of what is holy and what is immorality did not change between the OT and the NT, nor have they changed since.
The first chapter of Romans tells the reader that when a society rejects God's rule over it, God gives "them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men; and received in themselves the due penalty for their error" [Romans 1:24-7].
"God gave them over" means that God let them have just what they wanted - and that's judgment in itself.
God's Word repeatedly says when we disobey God's instructions, we reap the "due penalty" of our disobedience [2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 21:8].
But no confessed sin is unpardonable - including homosexuality! Jesus' death on the cross was to provide cleansing salvation for anyone who desired it.
If anyone is in Jesus Christ, he or she has become someone completely new [2 Co. 5:17].
If we submit ourselves to Jesus as Savior, we are born again as someone new [John 3:3].
Jesus' righteousness and character now define us [Colossians 3:3].
Paul the Apostle was once Saul the Murderer [Gal. 1:13; 1 Co. 15:9; Ro. 8:29].
My favorite portion of the scriptures concerning homosexuality, however, is 1 Corinthians 6:11. It reads, "Such were some of you". What?
Some of the people to whom Paul was writing used to be homosexuals. "But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God".
You USED TO BE but You ARE NOT ANYMORE.
Why? Because you were WASHED - made clean from all your sinful filthy rags that you thought made you so amazing.
Because you were SANCTIFIED - made holy because God set you apart for Himself as His and said you were holy.
Because you were JUSTIFIED - declared right before God because He cleaned you up and said you were His.
Boo-yah.
Jesus said He did not come to condemn the world [John 3:17].
After all, we were all condemned already [John 3:18].
Jesus' gift is mercy and grace to forgive what we have done and would do, and to make us clean and new in Him.
Let's focus less on condemning a particular set of unbelievers and instead offer the kindness and love of Christ to all - kindness and love that lead
them to repentance [Romans 2:4].
In regards to the issue of homosexuality, Leviticus chapter 18 has been quoted liberally - by "both sides" of the issue. Those opposing homosexuality/LGBT have stressed that verse 22 specifically forbids men having sex with men. Supporters of homosexuality/LGBT stress that other verses in the book forbid wearing clothes made of two different types of material, eating shellfish, etc. If these things are not stressed by Christians today because they are outdated, why is the Levitical view of homosexuality not outdated, as well?
First, let me say that nothing in Leviticus is "outdated". God's Word does not change. His Law remains the same. His character remains the same. If one is an Orthodox Jew, he or she needs to adhere to the Levitical laws.
For the Christian, however, the New Covenant in Christ's blood frees us from the restraints of the Law by covering us in the Grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's Son, is fully God and fully man, and equated Himself with God many times in Scripture.
Much of Old Testament (OT) instructions were for people living in the midst of pagans who held specific practices, dressed certain ways, wore their hair in certain ways, etc. God's laws were to make His chosen people distinctly different from their pagan neighbors. How often were God's people recognized immediately?
The New Testament (NT) equivalent is that Jesus' followers are to love one another in such a way that we are noticeably different from the non-believers around us. How often are God's people recognized immediately?
Rather than quote Levitical law to non-believers as biblical proof of God's disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle, wouldn't it behoove Christians to speak in love from the New Testament, instead? Leave "law" for Christians as they are growing. Let's start with Jesus' love.
The OT stresses the Law and adherence to it, and emphasizes the weight of the consequences of our sin.
The NT stresses Grace and emphasizes the blessings of its provision - hope and restoration.
Romans 1:26-7
Homosexuality is a "shameful lust", a "shameful act", and an abandonment of "natural relations". It carries a "due penalty".
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Homosexuality is a "wrongdoing". It is among the sinful lifestyles that keep people from being part of the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:10
Homosexuality "is contrary to the sound doctrine".
Jude 7
Homosexuality is "sexual immorality and perversion".
God's standards of what is holy and what is immorality did not change between the OT and the NT, nor have they changed since.
The first chapter of Romans tells the reader that when a society rejects God's rule over it, God gives "them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men; and received in themselves the due penalty for their error" [Romans 1:24-7].
"God gave them over" means that God let them have just what they wanted - and that's judgment in itself.
God's Word repeatedly says when we disobey God's instructions, we reap the "due penalty" of our disobedience [2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 21:8].
But no confessed sin is unpardonable - including homosexuality! Jesus' death on the cross was to provide cleansing salvation for anyone who desired it.
If anyone is in Jesus Christ, he or she has become someone completely new [2 Co. 5:17].
If we submit ourselves to Jesus as Savior, we are born again as someone new [John 3:3].
Jesus' righteousness and character now define us [Colossians 3:3].
Paul the Apostle was once Saul the Murderer [Gal. 1:13; 1 Co. 15:9; Ro. 8:29].
My favorite portion of the scriptures concerning homosexuality, however, is 1 Corinthians 6:11. It reads, "Such were some of you". What?
Some of the people to whom Paul was writing used to be homosexuals. "But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God".
You USED TO BE but You ARE NOT ANYMORE.
Why? Because you were WASHED - made clean from all your sinful filthy rags that you thought made you so amazing.
Because you were SANCTIFIED - made holy because God set you apart for Himself as His and said you were holy.
Because you were JUSTIFIED - declared right before God because He cleaned you up and said you were His.
Boo-yah.
Jesus said He did not come to condemn the world [John 3:17].
After all, we were all condemned already [John 3:18].
Jesus' gift is mercy and grace to forgive what we have done and would do, and to make us clean and new in Him.
Let's focus less on condemning a particular set of unbelievers and instead offer the kindness and love of Christ to all - kindness and love that lead
Comments
Post a Comment