THE WORD REGARDING THE SAME-SEX LIFESTYLE
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Die Woord rakende dieselfde geslag leefwyse”
I often get questions from different angles about homosexual, gay, lesbian lifestyles etc.
Now there are theologians who take the Word, (that is the Bible) – and from now onwards I will continue to speak only of the Word , because I see the Word as my GOD Almighty's written words to me. That is why the Bible is the holy Word of God for me.
JOHN 1:1-5
1In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].
They take the Word and explain and use almost all the passages that I am going to share with you and according to them, it is then clear that our Lord is not against this kind of way of life in their different forms.
Then there are many more Christian theologians who take all the same passages and, according to them, clearly show that this kind of way of life is not acceptable to our Lord.
I am now, going with the knowledge that I have of the Word, share with you about all the passages that I know of, where our Lord in His Word, in my opinion, directly and indirectly refer to this subject in their chronological order.
I mention specifically, in their chronological order, so that I do not influence you, but that you then read them in the order that our Lord Himself had them written down in His Holy Word and you can then prayerfully decide for yourself how to look at these different ways of life.
However, before I share the passages from the Word with you, there is just one very important truth regarding the Word that we must take note of and understand and believe 100%. Otherwise, you can stop reading now.
These are the following:
2 TIM 3:16-17
16All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In other words:
Jesus ' entire Gospel is still just as true in its totality – and exactly still in its entirety still just as precisely relevant as He Himself preached it and taught His disciples to write it down for us.
HEB 13:8-9
8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.
9Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.
Now the question is furthermore:
How should we look at the holy Word that our Lord penned down for us, when we read the Word?
Well, also in this, as I understand the Word, our Lord give us too gloriously a clear guideline how we should read the Word and ponder in our hearts.
I do it this way and it work perfectly for me and that is, I read the Word like a child, without all kinds of complicated reasoning. Because this is exactly how Jesus tell me in His Word, that I should read it:
MARK 10:15 15“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
MATT 11:25-26
25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. 26Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
Now before I share with you the passages from the Word that I happen to read and use to guide me in my view of this subject, just the following, which I also keep in mind when dealing with the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
2 TIM 4:1-4
1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching.
3For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold,
4and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].
Also, before I share the passages from the Word with you, I believe it is also good to remind ourselves again how our Lord see the marriage that He instituted:
Accordingly, let's read first and see, to put it this way, God's heartbeat – regarding marriage and, for example, the accompanying intimate living together.
Now remember that I am not sharing with you the different ways of living together. I am now sharing with you what I see in the Word about what God had in mind when He instituted marriage.
We then start with the first book from the Word, and I only highlight parts that stood out for me in those sections:
GEN 1:27 27So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
(To fit perfectly together before the fall)
(After the fall, satan, by abusing the willing man, turned the marriage by man's sinful nature and accompanying sinful desires, the marriage to a great extent completely awry.)
Furthermore, we read the following about the marriage that our Lord instituted:
GEN 1:28
28And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, (and as male and female, this is the only way they could fulfill this instruction) and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
Why did our Lord create the woman, after he created the man?
In my personal view, it is of course not that our Lord did not know that it is not good for the man to be alone – but that He wanted us to see and understand it that way.
GEN 2:18 Now the LORD God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him.”
GEN 2:24 24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Marriage is therefore also one of the institutions of our Lord that has been polluted the most by man in his sinful nature, such as divorce, adultery etc:
ROM 8:6-8
6Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.
Finally, regarding marriage, before I share with you the passages from the Word where our Lord say something about homosexuality – which you can then read and listen in your spirit to the Holy Spirit's guidance –
Let's quickly read whether Jesus value Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 and then you decide for yourself, with the mind that our Lord has given you, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, how much value Jesus values for example Genesis 1: 27 and Genesis 2:24:
MAT 19:4-6
4He (Jesus) replied, “Have you never read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5and said, (so quoting Jesus) ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED INSEPARABLY TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? 6“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Here then follow what I find in the Word, in chronological order where our Lord speak to us about homosexuality:
Also please remember all the time, that I am not sharing with you anything that I have written, which you are going to read now. I am only quoting what our Creator, Redeemer and Saviour has recorded for us in His Holy Word.
GEN 19:1-13
1It was evening when the two angels came to Sodom. Lot was sitting at Sodom’s [city] gate. Seeing them, Lot got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2And he said, “See here, my lords, please turn aside and come into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may get up early and go on your way.” But they said, “No, we shall spend the night in the open plaza [of the city].” 3However, Lot strongly urged them, so they turned aside and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them [with wine], and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4But before they lay down [to sleep], the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house, all the men from every quarter; 5and they called out to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know them [intimately].” 6But Lot went out of the doorway to the men, and shut the door after him, 7and said, “Please, my brothers, do not do something so wicked. 8“See here, I have two daughters who have not known a man [intimately]; please let me bring them out to you [instead], and you can do as you please with them; only do nothing to these men, because they have in fact come under the shelter of my roof [for protection].” 9But they said, “Get out of the way!” And they said, “This man (Lot) came [as an outsider] to live here temporarily, and now he is acting like a judge. Now we will treat you worse than your visitors!” So they rushed forward and pressed violently against Lot and came close to breaking down the door [of his house]. 10But the men (angels) reached out with their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door [after him]. 11They struck (punished) the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from the young men to the old men, so that they exhausted themselves trying to find the doorway.
12And the [two] men (angels) asked Lot, “Have you any others here [in Sodom]—a son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters? Whomever you have in the city, take them out of here; 13for we are destroying this place, because the outcry [for judgment] against them has grown so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy and ruin it.”
LEV 18:22 ‘You shall not lie [intimately] with a male as one lies with a female; it is repulsive.LEV 20:13 ‘If a man lies [intimately] with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed a detestable (perverse, unnatural) act; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.
ROM 1:26-27
26For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature], 27and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.
1 COR 6:9-10
9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor those who participate in homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers [whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.
I have now shared with you three topics namely:
One: What the holy Word of God is and how we should read and live the Holy Word of God.
Two: That God instituted marriage. The first one confirmed and how I understand from the Word, that our Lord look at marriage.
Three: Where all the passages in the Word about homosexuality can be read and what is written there.
Now, finally, I want to share with you a fourth thought from the Word:
If you have truly accepted Jesus Christ, not just lip service, as your Lord and Saviour, you have this glorious certain knowledge:
1JOHN 1:9-10
9If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].
10If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us. (This also means that His Word has not found a place in our lives.)
I now share with you, also in chronological order, the following glorious truths, which our Lord had recorded for us in His holy Word:
1 COR 6:11 And such were some of you [before you believed]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior].
2 COR 5:17-18
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
18But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him],PHIL 4:13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]
A final quote from the Word:
HEB 12:1-4
Jesus, The Example
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
3Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.A Father’s Discipline4You have not yet struggled to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
Greetings,
Sakkie