Bible Question:
Dear friends, Someone sent me a question I'd like help with. Topic? Practicing Homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination unto God. If so, he states mockingly..."Well, then God's Law also states in Leviticus 25:44 that he may posses slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchases from neighboring nations. He mockingly asks if this applies to people from Mexico, Canada, or both? You know where this is going... He also mockingly says, "I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. He mocklingly states, "I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?" You catch where this scoffer is going. What is a loving and theologically sound way that I can respond to him? Isn't the homosexual practice a violation of God's Law even under grace? What then about those other laws? I know Romans 8:2 and beyond talks about the fact that we are under grace now, but how can I answer this very clever unbeliever? |
Bible Answer: Greetings, Read up on the first chapter of Romans. Starting in verse 18, Paul provides a progressing list of depravity of Mankind's continued practice of sin, God's expectation of obedience, and the resulting punishment. Verses 26-27 specifically describes both lesbianism and homosexuality as resulting from God "giving them over to degrading passions". He also claims that such people will be punished even further by "receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." This phrase can easily be referring to STDs. Paul describes God's expectation of obedience, worship, and repentance along with Mankind's continued depths of sin and depravity. He also goes onto describe what Mankind does as a result of God's periodic punishments, and how it further plummets mankind into sin. His final conclusion comes in verses 28-32. They are depraved, unrighteous, and worthy of Death. Worse of all, they give their approval to their peers who practice such things. Read Paul's words in Romans 1:18-32, then watch the news, and show that to the one you've been speaking with. Is practicing homosexuality wrong? Yes. It's a sign of both an individual's and a culture's depravity and sin. Jalek |