Is Homosexuality a Sin?

In a previous post, Jeremy and I were discussing whether homosexuality is a sin. He challenged me to discuss this with him on his blog. Unfortunately, because my comment didn’t meet his specifications, he deleted it.

He’s free to do as he pleases on his blog. However, I’d like to point out that repeatedly stating one’s qualifications and gloating about one’s inability to lose an argument isn’t the same as actually winning an argument. I’ve read his comments and some of his posts, and I’m still not clear what his argument is. So I thought I would cite the verses that most clearly call homosexuality a sin, and let everyone decide for themselves.

On Jeremy’s blog, he says that even Romans 1 doesn’t refer to homosexuality. Romans 1:26–27 (NIV) says, “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural 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 indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”

You may or may not agree with the Bible’s stance, but I think anyone who is honest with themselves has to admit that Paul (the writer) is quite obviously referencing homosexuality. He refers to it as shameful lust, indecent acts with other men, and perversion.

Another verse clearly calls homosexuality a sin. The Bible says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). That passage includes a long list of sinners, and I’m on it, and so is everyone else. I’m curious if those who believe that homosexuality isn’t a sin believe that there are other items on the list in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (stealing, greed, etc.) that are also not sinful.

A lot of “Christians” will say that homosexuality isn’t a sin, and they go through some pretty fancy footwork to reach that conclusion, but it usually involves starting out with the premise that the Bible isn’t necessarily true, and it’s not the final authority for our advanced civilization of 2007 (i.e. we’ve moved beyond those backward hillbillies). (I’m not going to go into too much defense of the Bible as I’ve done that in previous posts; you can check out Answers in Genesis  for evidence that the Bible is a supernatural book written by God Himself.)

Another argument is that the Bible is outdated, and that homosexuality was simply not accepted way back when, but that it should be now. However, if homosexuals in Paul’s (the person who wrote 1 Corinthians) day were going to hell, why are homosexuals in our day no longer going to hell? Has God changed His mind? Is He going to take the people He mistakenly sent to hell back out of hell, because our society no longer considers it a sin, or are they out of luck?

I have good news for anyone who finds themselves on that list, including homosexuals. Jesus who is God in the flesh lived a sinless life, and was crucified for guilty sinners, and then rose from the dead. I deserve to go to hell, because I’ve broken God’s holy law, but Jesus took my place. In my case, justice has been served and I’m free to go to heaven. While I’m morally imperfect (to be more precise I’m desperately wicked, see Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10-12, 23), I’m legally perfect, because Jesus took my punishment. Jesus’ sacrifice is a gift that can only be accepted by repenting (turning away from all of ours sins, including lying, lust, drunkenness and homosexuality), and trusting Jesus to save us. Almighty God has commanded everyone, no matter what their sin, to repent and trust Jesus. The consequences of disobedience are eternal.