By Warren Henderson
Paul told us that in the latter days of the Church Age many who say they are Christians will not follow sound doctrine (2 Th. 2:3), “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” – that is, a mere profession (2 Tim. 3:5 KJV). Those days are apparent and perhaps no more obvious than by the acceptance of the homosexual agenda and other forms of sexual immorality by many in Christianity. When popularity polls, instead of the Bible, determine what proper doctrine is, the Church is heading towards apostasy – the intentional, total abandonment of God.
Some say that homosexuality was only condemned by Old Testament law and that it is now permissible in the New Testament under grace. Yet God instituted His design for marriage before the law: one man and one woman until death separates them (Gen. 2). In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus affirmed that this was God’s plan for marriage (Mt. 19:4-6). This is the pattern to which the apostles, church elders and deacons adhered (1 Cor. 9:5; 1 Tim. 3:1-12). Consequently, there are no examples of Christians engaging in homosexual relationships in the New Testament. There are, however, many warnings and prohibitions against fornication. Jude included a history lesson in his warning: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, 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).
Scripturally speaking, any sexual relation other than that between a husband and his wife is referred to as fornication. This is why Paul said, “To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife” (1 Cor. 7:2). Fornication includes adultery and pre-marital relationships, along with many others under a variety of names. Under the law any Jew who engaged in these sexual sins was to be put to death (Lev. 20:10-13), except for those who engaged in pre-marital sex – they were to marry each other (Dt. 22:29). God gave the law to His covenant people so they might be a holy people unto Him and separated from the godlessness and the worldliness of the nations.
While Gentiles (those who are not Jews) were never under the law – and Christians will never be put under the law – the moral aspects of the law still reflect God’s standard of holiness for us. For example, the Lord Jesus affirmed the relevance of nine of the Ten Commandments during His earthly ministry – the exception being the Sabbath day, as the Church would gather on resurrection day, Sunday, to show Christianity’s distinction from the old system put away by the cross. Consequently, Paul told Christians that by the law comes the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20, 7:7) and the law shows us our need for a Savior (Gal. 3:24).
When it comes to God’s standard concerning sexual behavior, nothing has changed in the New Testament. Such sins are still an offense against God and will be punished, but immediate death is not now commanded. To say, as many do, that the New Testament does not condemn homosexual behavior is absurd. Paul tells us that when people exchange divinely revealed truth for a lie God responds by turning them over to their own morally depraved thinking. The Bible tells us that homosexuality was a primary behavior that resulted when God removed His convicting influence (Rom. 1:21-28). Those who engaged in this type of conduct were worthy of God’s condemnation and deep down they knew it (Rom. 1:32).
Other verses that condemn all sexual immorality – the conduct as distinguished from the feelings – include:
- “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will 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 and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Notice that this passage shows that the lifestyle before conversion was repented of after coming to Christ.
- “The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord … flee fornication” (1 Cor. 6:13,18).
- “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; … For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph. 5:3-5).
- “But the … sexually immoral … shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
- “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Th. 4:3).
While it is possible for a Christian to commit an act of fornication, he or she would feel quite guilty afterwards. That person would not want to grieve the Lord by ongoing fornication. To do so would invite His chastening hand (Heb. 12:6). A true child of God cannot continue in any willful, persistent sin (1 Jn. 3:9).
Whether we can relate to other people’s lusting is not the issue; but our concern is what we do about our own inappropriate lusting. Christians are not to accept what God disapproves. Rather, they are to align their desires with God’s will in order to obtain His blessing (Rom. 6:11-13, 12:1-2). He will not bless what is outside of His will – to do so would condone sin and that He cannot do.
For those having homosexual feelings and yearnings, yielding to God’s will may not lead them into a Christ-honoring marriage, but it will certainly afford His favor and peace. Obedience by a believer, especially in hard things, is a practical way to tell the Lord Jesus that he loves Him (Jn. 14:15).
Scripture must guide our interaction with others as well. Believers cannot have fellowship with someone who claims to be a Christian and is engaging in fornication (1 Cor. 5:11). Having feelings that do not align with God’s will does not scripturally limit our interaction with each other. Yet, God’s Word does prohibit believers from associating with those naming the name of Christ and yet engaging in willful sin or with those who are publicly promoting it (Rom. 16:17; 2 Th. 3:6,14).
Christ loves sinners, but He hates their sin and so should we. Fornication is normal behavior for those dead in sin (Gal. 5:19). Hence, Paul encourages believers to interact faithfully with the lost (without engaging in their sin) that they might first see, then hear the gospel message and hopefully be saved (1 Cor. 5:9-10). To speak sincerely to fornicators about the love of Christ is not a “hate crime,” but to scorn or belittle souls for whom Christ bled and died is.
In summary, believers are to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). Silence condones sin. If God’s Word condemns a behavior, we must side with God and not be swayed by family relationships or sympathetic reasoning – which is a frequent tactic of the devil. Scripture is clear in condemning sexually immoral practices and also in limiting the believer’s contact with those who claim to be Christians but are engaging in such sin. However, this restriction does not apply to fornicators who do not hold the name of Christ. Believers should be tactfully conversing with them about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
FOR MAN’S GOOD
Wisdom sorrows over men who brush aside all her counsel and who will have nothing to do with her constructive criticism. What makes man’s stubborn refusal so irrational is that God’s commandments and warnings are for man’s good, not for God’s. This is illustrated in a story which a preacher once told. A small child squeezed past the metal railing that kept spectators six feet from the lions’ cage at the Washington Zoo. When her grandfather ordered her to come out, she backed away teasingly. A waiting lion grabbed her, dragged her into the cage and mangled her to death.
According to the preacher the lesson is this: God has given us commandments and principles that are for our good; God never gives us a commandment because He is arbitrary or because He doesn’t want us to have fun. He says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” not because He is jealous of His own position and prerogatives, but because He knows that if we put anything, anything before Him, it will hurt us. If we understand the principle behind this fact, we can also understand why God corrects and disciplines us. “Whom the Lord loves, He chastens” (Heb. 12:6). He doesn’t want us to back into a lion, for there is a lion, the Devil, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). — William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (adapted)
Wisdom sorrows over men who brush aside all her counsel and who will have nothing to do with her constructive criticism. What makes man’s stubborn refusal so irrational is that God’s commandments and warnings are for man’s good, not for God’s. This is illustrated in a story which a preacher once told. A small child squeezed past the metal railing that kept spectators six feet from the lions’ cage at the Washington Zoo. When her grandfather ordered her to come out, she backed away teasingly. A waiting lion grabbed her, dragged her into the cage and mangled her to death.
According to the preacher the lesson is this: God has given us commandments and principles that are for our good; God never gives us a commandment because He is arbitrary or because He doesn’t want us to have fun. He says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” not because He is jealous of His own position and prerogatives, but because He knows that if we put anything, anything before Him, it will hurt us. If we understand the principle behind this fact, we can also understand why God corrects and disciplines us. “Whom the Lord loves, He chastens” (Heb. 12:6). He doesn’t want us to back into a lion, for there is a lion, the Devil, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8).
— William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (adapted)
