THE ISLAND GROVE
BIBLICAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
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This is a very important question and one that is not hard to answer from God's Word.
Even though we hear and see the acceptance of homosexual practices in churches and the workplace, God has set the rules by which we may gain eternal life. If we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and by faith keep His laws, we are guaranteed a place in the kingdom.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.
"And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." 1 John 2:25.
"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Jude 21.
Let us come back to the question, can a homosexual go to heaven? Can an unrepentant thief or murderer enter into heaven? The answer is plainly, No!
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."" Galations 5:19-21.
The word "fornication" means "illicit sexual intercourse; a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.; b) sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18; c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12." This text clearly state that those who participate in these practices will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Another word for homosexual acts is sodomy. In Genesis we can find out why these actions were associated with a city.
"But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly."' Genesis 13:13.
"But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them." Genesis 19:4, 5.
To "know him" in the Bible does not simply mean to get to know some one. This can been seen in Genesis 4:1 where is says that "Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived"; and again in Genesis 4:17, 25 we have a similar example showing that to "know" their wives meant sexual intercourse.
Homosexual acts were obvious very prevalent in this city, and it must have been common place for the men of the city to prey on unsuspecting guests to this city going by the account in Genesis. It was not something that was hidden or only in one small part of the city, because it states that both young and old men from every quarter were at Lot's door. This is why homosexual actions were and still are today called sodomy, after the city Sodom.
But God did not let this city go unpunished for their sinful ways.
"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." Genesis 19:24, 25.
"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 7.
God's punishment of fire and brimstone was given to mankind as an example of what will happen to all sinners after the judgment (see Revelation 20:9-15).
Going back to the books of Moses we find some laws written about homosexual relationships.
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. ... For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 18:22, 29, 30.
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. ... And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them." Leviticus 20:13, 23.
These quotes call homosexual relationships an abomination, that those who participate in such practices defile themselves, and God abhors these people. But Moses has more to say on this subject.
"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God." Deuteronomy 23:17, 18.
God prohibited the children of Israel to participate in such practices as whoredom or sodomy. A "sodomite" is someone who practices sodomy or "unnatural sexual intercourse exp. between males" The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary or "anal copulation of one male with another" Webster's New Reference Library.
God also says not to bring the "hire of a whore" or the "price of a dog" into the house of the Lord. The former of these statements should be easily understood by most people. But what about the latter? What is a "dog"? If we go back to the original language, Hebrew, we find that the word means "1. dog (literal); 2. contempt or abasement (fig.); 3. of pagan sacrifice; 4. of male cult prostitute." or as Strong's Exhaustive Concordance put it "(by euphemism) a male prostitute." So this text clearly condemns the prostitution of both sexes.
In the book of Judges there is a story similar to that of Lot when he took the strangers into his home. This man, however, was from mount Ephraim but lived in Gibeah. This is what the Scriptures says happened."Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly." Judges 19:22, 23.
Notice what the man of the house said about what these men wanted to do, "do not so wickedly" and "do not this folly."
Paul in the books of Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Timothy also wrote about homosexuality.
"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." Romans 1:26, 27.
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
The word effeminate means "1) soft, soft to the touch; 2) metaph. in a bad sense, 2a) effeminate :- 2a1) of a catamite; 2a2) of a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man; 2a3) of a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness; 2a4) of a male prostitute."
"Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;" 1 Timothy 1:9, 10.
This text is very clear that those who participate in homosexual activities are not Christians, but lawless, disobedient, and ungodly sinners.
In closing the apostle John in the very last chapter in the last book of the Bible also has something to say about homosexuality.
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Revelation 22:14, 15.
After reading what God's word says it is very clear that anyone living in or actively participating in a homosexual relationship cannot go to heaven. They are sinners in need of confessing to God, forgiveness for their sins, and true repentance or turn away from their sinful ways which they can only do through the power of the Holy Spirit. They like all people coming to Jesus Christ will need to be baptised which represents dying to sin and this world, and rising again as a new person in Christ Jesus.
© October, 2003 by D & S Goeldner.
THE ISLAND GROVE
BIBLICAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
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