Is Homosexuality Compatible With Christianity?

Before I answer the question I want to provide some background. I would like for you to consider a lesson from an old story. When God was going to destroy the earth due to sin one man found favor in His eyes; Noah. Noah was a just man who walked with God (Gen 6:9). God revealed to Noah His plans to destroy the people of the earth and He also revealed His plans for Noah. Verse 14 of chapter 6 says, "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” Then he gives instructions on how to build the ark, i.e., the blueprint. The lesson we can learn is this; when God authorizes something human beings do not have the right to change it. We know this from other O.T. examples. The story of Cain and Abel provides the lesson. Both offered a sacrifice to the Lord. Only one acted appropriately (Gen 4:1-7). Abel acted by the authority of God. Heb 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17) therefore both Abel and Cain were instructed as to what would be an appropriate sacrifice. Abel obeyed Cain did not. He rejected that which God commanded and substituted his own will. Since he was not the rightful one to authorize his sacrifice, he was rejected; God did not respect his sacrifice because it was not what God commanded.

Consider also Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron.  They offered “profane fire” (Lev 10:1; 16:1) rather than the fire authorized by God. They did not have the legal or rightful jurisdiction to choose what fire they would use. God told them what to use thereby excluding any other choices. When they made the wrong choice, God destroyed them (Lev 10:2).

In 2 Chronicles 26 we have the story of King Uzziah. He too acted without divine authority in wanting to burn incense to the Lord. Burning incense was a good work, one that God had authorized, but not for King Uzziah. Notice what 2 Chronicles 26:18 says, “And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God." Divine authority authorized only the priests to burn incense. When Uzziah turned from divine authority he became a source of authority unto himself.  He was not the rightful one to authorize this act.

Today, there are many people who want to change that which God authorized for a variety of reasons. Rather than moving toward Christ and casting off the old man (Eph 4:20-23) these people want Christ to come to them and accept their choices. It wouldn’t have worked for Noah, it didn’t work for Cain and it certainly did not work for Nadab and Abihu. Homosexuality is incompatible with Christianity because God has excluded it. The only proper means of sexual expression is in a lawful marriage between a man and a woman, thereby excluding all other relationships. Genesis 2:18-24 says, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field…So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to 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 a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus put His stamp of approval on this when he quoted it in Matt 19:4-6. He said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” God excluded all other forms of sexual expression. Whether it is adultery, fornication or homosexuality!

Carlos M. Aguilar

We acknowledge our duty to the lost in many of the hymns we sing.

Truly the need for evangelism is great and urgent. "Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" Mt 9:37,38. "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" Jn 4:35.

But there is not only a need for evangelism; there is a need for personal evangelism. Personal evangelism has several distinguishing characteristics: It is personal -- as distinct from the teaching we may support someone else to do. It is private -- as distinct from public proclamation of the gospel. It is one-on-one -- as distinct from group teaching. Strictly speaking, personal evangelism is also done as an individual -- rather than as part of the collective, organized work of a congregation.

Both public and private teaching has always been needed; neither takes the place of the other. But there is a special need now for us to become actively involved in personal evangelism. The duty to "go...and preach" Mk 16:15 is an individual one which pertains to every member of Christ's body. No one person can designate another to obey this command for him.

Other "laborers" besides full-time evangelists are badly needed. "Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" Mt 9:37,38. A "silent" Christian, or a Christian "undercover" agent, is a contradiction of terms. "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" Mt 5:13-16. "O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, 'Violence and plunder!' because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not" Jer 20:7-9. "Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation" 1 Pet 2:12.

Our aim should be to "become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" Phil 2:15. Sometimes we are not even as energetic as the Pharisees. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" Mt 23:15.

But every Christian ought to be ready to give an explanation of his faith. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" 1 Pet 3:15. If we would imitate the Lord, we must attend to private as well as public teaching. Jesus taught multitudes publicly. Cf. Mt. 5:1,2; 13:1,2. He also taught individuals privately. Cf. Lk. 10:38-42; Jn. 3:1-12; 4:1-26. "The Lord's church needs man-to-man teaching, rather than a zone defense "(James P. Miller).

If we would be like the early church, we must get involved. "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" Ac 2:46,47. "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" Ac 5:42. "Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word" Ac. 8:4. "Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. “The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord" Ac 11:19. "And how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house" Ac 20:20.

Deep and abiding joy is to be found in personal evangelism. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy" 1 Thess 2:19,20. How can we not speak out? "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" Ac 4:20. "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" 1 Cor 9:16.

The phenomenal growth of some of the cults attests to the effectiveness of one-on-one teaching as a method. Christianity spreads as the gospel is taught from person to person. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" 2 Tim 2:2. If our efforts are any indication, how many Christians will there be in the next generation? Haggai asked the question, "Is the seed still in the barn?" Hag 2:19. The seed of the gospel will not do anyone any good if it is not sown. The bounty of the harvest will be in proportion to the plentifulness of the seed sown. Cf. "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" 2 Cor 9:6. Cf. Mt. 13:1-9,18-23.

We need to adopt the attitude of Isaiah: "Here am I! Send me" Isa 6:8.

Home And Family:

Personal Evangelism And The Home

Like Charity, personal evangelism begins at home. In fact, working to save souls is the greatest form of charity we can possibly involve ourselves and our families in. It has been said that what we do speaks louder than what we say. Like it or not, our children learn from everything they see us do. What are our children learning about spreading the Gospel from the things they see us doing ? RDT,sr

 Sentence Sermons

“Men, like rivers, become crooked because they follow the way of least resistance.” 

“Most would like to change their circumstances, not themselves.”