Speak Up! Homosexuality

In our world, silence implies agreement.  In this series we're discussing issues about which many Christians are silent.  Often times, we're confused as to what Jesus actually stated regarding these important spiritual issues. Since many Christians are silent, the world assumes we agree with its ideas and actions.  However,  the name Christian means believer in (or follower of) Jesus Christ and His teachings, so we must ask the question: Was Jesus silent, as many Christians seem, about homosexuality?

Copyright Greater Things Productions

The answer is no.  Jesus wasn't silent about homosexuality.  It's true He never directly condemns homosexuality, but He makes it clear that homosexuality is not God's design.  Here's what Jesus said in Matthew 19:4:

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ “and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’”-Matthew 19:4

Jesus made it very clear that God made us male and female and for that reason a man is joined to his wife (female).  God designed sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman and only within the boundaries of marriage.  God never intended or designed marriage and sexual intimacy to occur between two men or two women.

Furthermore, Jesus was bound to, upheld, and fulfilled God's law from the Old Testament. God's law strictly prohibited homosexuality. (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Deut. 23:17)  Here is what Jesus said:

"Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." -Matthew 5:17 NLT

Because Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, He could not, nor would He, speak against the law or the prophets.  Therefore, Jesus was not silent about homosexuality and upholds the truth of His Father's design for sexuality:  Only between a man and woman.

This does not leave room, though, for the superiority complex.  Just because some of us don't struggle with the sin of homosexuality, we do struggle with other sins.  Only Jesus was, is, and always will be able to live without sin.  For those of us who've put our faith and trust in Jesus, His death on the cross paid for all of our sins, including those for whom homosexuality is a struggle.  Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with everything and love your neighbor as yourself.

Don't hold the truth of God over someone's head waiting to dump it all over them.  Instead, teach the truth of God through love, relationship, and compassion.  Jesus did it that way for us.  In fact, He gave His life for us.  No matter what our sin struggle is, Jesus desires for us to put our faith in Him, live by God's truth, free from sin, and follow Him daily.

The Apostle Paul summarizes this best in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:

9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. -1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

The hope of the gospel is for everyone!  There is forgiveness and restoration in Christ, for all! Though Jesus was against homosexuality, He was not against the person struggling with homosexuality.  He died for that person, just like he died for everyone stuck in sin.

We must speak up and stand for truth but never without love!  We all struggle with sin, so let's help each other overcome sin by living through the power of the cross and the grace of our savior, Jesus!

For more on God's design for sexuality, go here!