Homosexuality: A Right? ... A Wrong?
Published by the Presbytery of Southern California, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, June, 1978.
"Gay Rights!" "Lesbian Power!" Homosexuals have come out of the closet and into the headlines. Once unmentionable, now homosexuality is discussed openly and advocated aggressively as an alternative lifestyle. Those who have adopted this form of sexual gratification demand acceptance and fair treatment as a respected minority—along with minority races, religions and political movements. They expect not simply a grudging toleration or legalization for homosexual practice, but full civil rights: freedom from restriction, discrimination and adverse publicity in society as well as in civil law.
This pressure for change can weigh heavily on the conscience of concerned Christians. The media barrage us with viewpoints on this hotly-debated, sensitive issue. TV and radio, newspapers and magazines—secular and religious, liberal and evangelical—flood us with opinions, arguments, studies, findings and solutions. Writers in psychology, sociology, law, religion and ethics present their varying (often conflicting) viewpoints. Tempers flare. Blind hate and fear, on one hand, and defiant militancy on the other, deafen us with rhetoric. Where should we stand?
The answer is found in pursuing a more basic question: What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Holding to the historic Christian faith, we recognize that the Bible is the Word of God Himself, the revelation of our Maker and His pattern for fulfilling human life. When it speaks on a subject, it carries God's authority and conveys God's truth, standing over the relative authorities of human study and thought. In our dilemma we can turn to the Bible with confidence.
HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE
Unlike much contemporary writing on homosexuality, the Bible's position is clear. In both Old and New Testaments God's Word teaches plainly that homosexual desire and practice are sinful in God's sight, even shamefully so.
Romans 1 and Genesis 1-2
Perhaps the most explicit statement is found in the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Rome. In the first chapter Paul, speaking by God's Spirit as God's mouthpiece, identifies the seriousness of humanity's godlessness as our refusal to honor God as Creator (verses 18-23). This deliberate suppression of God's truth in preference for the lie of ultimate human independence has given rise to foolish speculation and degrading forms of worship—people made to know God groveling before images of "crawling creatures"!
In God's justice humanity's deliberate ignorance of God's honor inevitably produces moral insensitivity and ethical decay. God reveals His judgment by "giving them up" to the sinful and self-destructive desires of their own corrupt hearts. A prime symptom of this judgmental abandonment by God is the rise and approval of homosexual desire and practice in society: "Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire towards one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error" (Romans 1:24-27).
When God's restraining hand is lifted, human sinfulness (in some at least) breaks out as an attack on the sexual distinctiveness which is fundamental to our identity as creatures. When God created humanity at the beginning, "male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27). God's provision for the first man's needs was the formation not of an exact replica, but of a woman whose distinctiveness complemented and completed the man. The union of male and female is God's pattern for human sexual fulfillment: "For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).
Contrary to the claim that homosexual relationships are "natural" or "normal" for some people, the Bible explicitly declares that the quest for sexual fulfillment with persons of one's own sex violates God's norm for human sexuality and is "unnatural" (Romans 1:26). It amounts to a denial of God's handiwork in making us male and female, a distortion of the sexual drive away from its true fulfillment in marriage into a way of life which warrants God's severe displeasure.
Other Scriptures
These are strong words, but a careful and humble reading of God's Word yields no other conclusion. Consider two Old Testament passages. God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham's time, for instance, was related to the homosexual excesses of those cities (Genesis 18-19). Thus early in human history, centuries before God gave His law through Moses, His severe sentence on this sin demonstrated its extreme evil. In the specific laws pertaining to this sin in the life of Israel we read: "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female: it is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22).
Nor is this only an "old fashioned" strictness outdated by the coming of Christ. Paul, the apostle of grace, reaffirmed the Law's condemnation of homosexuality not only in Romans but also elsewhere in his letters. In 1 Timothy 1:9-11, for instance, homosexuals are numbered among "those who are lawless and rebellious," those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, immoral men, kidnapers, liars and perjurers "and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." God consistently, unalterably condemns homosexual desire and practice as sin repugnant to His holiness and rebellious against His creative plan.
HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE CHURCH
How, then, should the Church of Jesus Christ deal with the place of homosexuals within its fellowship? Spokesmen in some major denominations, arguing that Christian love requires acceptance without condemnation or reservation, endorse the reception (and some even the ordination) of practicing homosexuals who see no need of repentance or change. A church that condemns the homosexual's lifestyle, we are told, cannot hope to have a meaningful outreach to the homosexual with the gospel of God's love in Christ.
But this reasoning ignores two important facts. First, the Church is bound by the charter of her King, and is not free simply to throw aside from His Word whatever may seem inexpedient in our present context. A church which declares ethical independence from Christ's Word loses its identity as a tool of His gracious rule and saving power.
Second, the love which the Church is called to exercise is not modeled on the modern ideal of toleration which leaves its recipient unchanged, but on the redeeming love of God in Christ, a love which brings not only forgiveness but also life-transformation. Christ's people, then, must show this kind of love for our homosexual "neighbors" in at least four ways:
A Call to Repentance
Practicing homosexuals who are church members must be confronted with God's sentence on this sin and urged in love to abandon it by the power of God's Spirit. This sin cannot be condoned, excused or ignored any more than any other. To leave unrepentant homosexuals in a state of complacency about their sexual lifestyle is not love, but cowardice and cruelty—deliberately shirking our responsibility to seek to restore a sinning brother, as a good shepherd seeks a lost sheep (Galatians 6:1-2; Matthew 18:12-17).
Avowed and unrepentant homosexuals must not be admitted either to membership or to office in Christ's Church. Rather, through a bold and loving application of God's Word, homosexuals must be urged to repent of their sin and to trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and transformation.
It's important to remember that the Bible condemns as sin not only homosexual activity but also homosexual desire (Romans 1:24, 26-27). Just as heterosexual desire for someone other than one's spouse breaks God's command against adultery (Matthew 5:28), so also does homosexual desire. Much of the current discussion on homosexuality assumes the existence of a "homosexual orientation" in certain persons; and while there is no universal agreement as to the origin of this "orientation," it is often asserted that it is unchangeable, or virtually so. We are told, then, that the only real alternatives for a person with this "orientation" are either sexual gratification in a homosexual union or a life of sexual repression, frustration and guilt. We may be glad that God does not leave us with that terrible dilemma, for where He condemns desires or actions as sinful, He also offers:
The Hope of Deliverance
As redeemed sinners we have seen in our own lives the realism of the Bible's description of sin as a cruel and unrelenting slave master (Romans 6-7). But we have also received (and must pass on) the good news that sin's stranglehold is broken when a person comes to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death," writes Paul, and this freedom is not only a freedom from sin's guilt (forgiveness) but also liberation from its tyrannical power in daily living: ". . . in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:2, 4).
This liberation applies not only to sin in general, but also to particular, individual sins. Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth: "Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; 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" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
What a testimony to the transforming grace of God: "such were some of you; but you were washed . . . ." There is no suggestion that God can rescue people from some sins but not others. Instead there is hope in Jesus Christ for the homosexual—hope not only for forgiveness but also for transformation and redirection of long-standing desires and drives by the power of God.
Humble Compassion
In approaching and dealing with homosexuals Christians must abandon the self-righteous attitude which isolates the homosexual into a special category as the worst of sinners. The Bible treats sexual sins seriously, but does not segregate them into a separate list as unforgivable. While blind hate and fear might move others to shun the homosexual as subhuman, God's grace toward us must humble us and move us to reach out to the homosexual with God's good news.
Patient Encouragement
The power of the Spirit in our lives does not guarantee an instant or easy break with every sin. The process of becoming conformed to Christ may be difficult, strewn with struggles and stumblings, for the repentant homosexual as for other Christians. Deliverance for a brother or sister caught in this sin may require much patience, concern, encouragement and prayer from fellow-members of Christ's Body. Counseling by a pastor trained in God's Word will often bring a new perspective on our resources for change in Christ and specific steps in applying God's instructions.
To those who truly repent and trust Christ the church must give full acceptance and fellowship, realizing that only God's grace grants any of us forgiveness and freedom from "the sin which so easily entangles us" (Hebrews 12:1). Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ!
HOMOSEXUALITY AND SOCIETY
Of all the issues raised by the current debates over homosexuality the thorniest is the question: Is homosexuality a civil right? On the one hand we face movements to permit (or require) school boards to dismiss teachers who avowedly practice or promote homosexuality. On the other, the "gay rights" movement itself hopes to enlist the power of government in its battle against any form of discrimination—in housing, employment or adverse publicity—in the private as well as the public sector. As citizens who have some influence on governmental policies and as "prophets" who must declare God's standards of national as well as personal righteousness, we need to invest careful thought here to cut through the tangle of rhetoric to a biblical solution.
In demanding their "civil rights" homosexuals are not simply claiming that sexual preference is a private matter and calling for the repeal of "blue laws" which have illegalized homosexual practice. To the "gay rights" movement "homosexuality as a civil right" constitutes an appeal that the civil government use its legal force to restrict or punish those who would discriminate in housing, jobs or the media against the "homosexual minority."
The movement sees itself as one of the last oppressed minorities and its experience as parallel to that of the blacks and other minority races, or to that of women. Therefore the government must use its strong arm to squash, for instance, any attempt by an employer or school board to introduce an applicant's avowed sexual lifestyle as a factor in the hiring decision.
In response to this line of thought the Christian can make these observations:
On Minorities
Advocates of rights for homosexuals blur important distinctions in claiming solidarity with minority races or with women as an oppressed sex. Discrimination on the basis of race (and often on the basis of sex) violates the basic truth that all humanity is created in God's image, and it devalues people for characteristics for which they are not responsible and which they cannot change.
As we have seen, homosexual desire and practice are things for which God holds people responsible and for which He offers the possibility of change. The "minorities" among whom God numbers homosexuals are those listed in 1 Timothy 1:9-11 (cited above), and it is widely recognized that many of these "minorities" (murderers, for instance) not only may be discriminated against by individuals but also may be restricted by law.
On Influence and Models
Advocates of "gay rights" also blur distinctions in claiming that discrimination in educational hiring amounts to condemning practicing homosexuals to joblessness. Virtually every employment decision entails discrimination on the basis of competence, and it is naive to suggest that the known homosexual lifestyle of a person in a position of influence such as teaching is irrelevant to his/her competence as a teacher.
Whether they intend to or not, teachers teach more powerfully by the models they are than by the lectures they deliver, and the influence which they exert extends far beyond their narrow field of instruction. Teachers are not mere mathematical or historical information-dispensers; they are role-models, defining (often more influentially than do parents) what behavior marks acceptable adulthood for young people grappling with their own personhood and sexuality.
The Bible consistently shows that the example of one's life is an expression of one's beliefs—either positively (1 Thessalonians 1:5-7) or negatively (Romans 1:28-31). Therefore even the public schools should be sensitive to the values of the family and of the parents in the moral-education-by-example which teachers inevitably convey.
On the Battle of Religious Principles
The battle over homosexuality as a civil right is a battle of religious principles. The strongest ground for objecting to the legal endorsement of homosexuality and the enforcement of its "civil right" is the fact that the Bible condemns it as a mark of a society under God's judgment. The advocates of "gay rights" also have and express a religious conviction, a set of ultimate values which blends elements of humanism, hedonism and pragmatism.
The government can only defend the "rights" claimed by the one group by infringing on the "rights" claimed by the other. (Just as a government committed to defending my "right" to life must infringe on someone's "right" to murder me without punishment.) Plainly a democratic government in a pluralistic society faces a difficult dilemma: Unless it restricts someone's "rights," it ceases to govern and anarchy prevails. But whose "rights" should be restricted?
Appeals to the separation of church and state, often used to argue against allowing Christian principles to influence civil law, really miss the point. It is unrealistic to assume that any government or law structure could be religiously neutral. In fact, we cannot help but express our deepest values and religious convictions as a people in our laws and courts.
A biblical perspective on the unity of our own human nature and on the universal sweep of God's authority should warn us against arbitrarily dividing our lives into a sacred, private sphere and a secular, public one. If the principles of the Bible do not direct our lawmakers, another system of values, equally religious, will. So then, if governments cannot remain neutral in this battle of faiths, which side should they take?
The answer is given, briefly but clearly, in Romans 13:3-4: "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil." Simply stated, Paul teaches that those who govern must stand on the side of those who do good. If government uses its power to violate the rights of those in the right, it betrays its own divine source (Romans 13:1).
But, we might wonder, who is to determine what "good" and "evil" the government is to act upon? The modern answer is that questions of public morality are determined by a general consensus in society. But after Paul's indictment of first-century society in Romans 1, it is hard to imagine his endorsing a morality-by-majority.
Romans 13 might be taken as a blanket endorsement of the ruler's whim as the standard of public right. Yet it is hard to believe that Paul, whose Master was unjustly crucified under Roman law, could be so blissfully ignorant of the corrupting and blinding effects of political power. The Caesars were, after all, some of the "many lords" who tried to compete—even by force—with the "one Lord Jesus Christ" whom Paul served (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).
Paul's standard for good in government, like his standard for good in personal life, was the abiding principles of God's Law (Romans 7:12; 13:7-10). In the ten commandments we read, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). In the civil laws given to apply the ten commandments to the life of Israel we learn that this principle protecting the sanctity of marriage condemns not only infidelity but also incest, bestiality and homosexuality (Leviticus 18:1-23).
Of course, not every sin exposed by the ten commandments or their further applications in the Bible must necessarily be restricted by the power of the state. Over matters strictly of the heart such as coveting the state has no authority. But we also notice that the Law, by which God constituted Israel a model to the nations (Deuteronomy 4:5-8), placed homosexuality among those offenses which were to be restricted by public, civil censure—that is, in the area of crimes restricted by the state (Leviticus 20:13).
The principle entailed in this guideline is instructive for us, even though we live in another era in terms of culture and of God's redemptive history. In Israel homosexual practice was viewed not primarily as an ecclesiastical offense requiring exclusion from the worshiping community or an appropriate sacrifice, but rather as an attack on the community life itself, a violation of the righteous standards which were to be woven into Israel's societal fabric. Underlying this guideline were the universal principles of man's creation as male and female, the restriction of appropriate sexual gratification to the marriage bond, and the integrity of the family. As a violation of these universal principles announced by God at creation, homosexual practice was to be treated not only as a sin but also as a crime.
A brief pamphlet cannot explore the complexities of specific legislation dealing with homosexuality, but we may conclude that in this battle of opposing religious principles Christians need not be embarrassed to urge their government to take its stand firmly with the good defined by God's Word. They must do so not for a feeling of personal victory or comfort, but from the conviction that as preserving salt in their society (Matthew 5:13) they are called to assist their government in its God-given task.
A government which would use its power to enforce on its citizens influences alien to God's standards has undercut its own source of authority as a "minister of God for good" (Romans 13:4). In trying to guide our government away from such a suicidal course we will advance the peace and order of our society at large.
TOUGH LOVE
It would be naive to think that even when our motives are pure and our intentions are the best, everyone will recognize and appreciate them as such. In a prevailing moral atmosphere of "live and let live" Christians who dare to stand for principles may well be criticized as harsh, judgmental and arrogant.
In addressing the issue of homosexuality in society and in sharing the gospel with individuals Christ's followers are called to exercise a costly, tough love—a love which blends humility, compassion and patience with a vivid sensitivity to God's truth and holiness. Paul shows us the method and the motive we need: "The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition; if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Without self-righteousness or defensiveness Christ's people must pray, act and speak so that in our day, as in Paul's, homosexuals will find the joy of forgiveness and the satisfaction of release from the dominion of this evil, that together we may learn to live "to the praise of the glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:6).
Copyright © 1978 by the Presbytery of Southern California, Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Biblical quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (Lockman Foundation, 1971). Permission to reproduce this document in its entirety and without change is granted.
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