Leave Me Alone I Was Born This Way!
****DISCLAIMER**** The Christian view on this subject has been deemed by many in the world as unacceptable and worthy of viscous attack. I don't understand why. The vast majority of Christians treat others, even those who are part of the LGBT community, with love, not scorn. My motive in even speaking about the subject is to point out what I believe to be God's view on homosexuality... if you don't believe in God or view the Bible as God's Word, then why do you care? You accuse us of being intolerant because we tell you that you can't be a part of a club that you don't believe exists... that makes no sense to me... And then your response is to attack and vilify people who are a part of a club that you don't want to be a part of... that's just strange.
...
On the first page of my Bible, next to Genesis 1:1, I have written in the margin, “believe this and the rest is easy.” Believe what? That God created the heavens and the earth. God designed and created everything, and everything He created, He designed perfectly. Water was designed perfectly, animals were designed perfectly, plants, light, soil, duck billed platypuses were all designed perfectly and when God finished creating all these things He looked at them and said that they were good. Then He designed and made man, and after God created man and woman He looked at all of creation and said that it was “very good”.
Our first Christmas together my wife and I went to our local superstore and bought a Christmas tree and a Christmas tree stand. When we got home I grabbed the stand and immediately began to assemble it. Now I’m a very handy guy, some would even say that I am an expert with tools, but I was having trouble getting the tree to stand upright…which is an integral part in Christmas tree decorating…so I’m told. I started to get very frustrated. “Why can’t I get this stupid tree stand to hold this tree upright?!” Five minutes passed…then ten, and my normally patient demeanor was beginning to turn into stark raving madness. In frustration I said to my wife, who probably at the time was questioning whether or not she’d married a lunatic, “Who would sell something so poorly designed? I’ll get my tools.” And I went to my truck and grabbed my tool box. Sweating up a storm I got back on my knees and decided that I needed to redesign this poorly engineered piece of… It was about that time when I heard my wife say “did you need this?” I turned around and saw her holding a small box of parts that had fallen to the floor when I hurriedly ripped open the box to start assembly. Neither of us had seen it fall, and up till now it had been hidden from our view. But it turned out that this missing box was essential to the design of the stand. If I would have read the directions or even looked at the picture on the box I would have saved myself a lot of frustration. Embarrassed, I assembled the stand as designed and low and behold it worked perfectly!
To get insight into the design of God as it relates to man is quite simple; we have a picture (man and woman) and we have an instruction book (the Word of God). Oh, the amount of frustration we could avoid if we were to just look at these two things when we need direction of how to assemble our lives. So many people today are openly trying to live life outside of God’s design intent, and though they might not feel frustrated or confused, their lifestyle will lead to eternal frustration in hell, separated from their loving Creator.
Before we go any further let’s not veil what I am talking about, it serves no purpose. I am speaking about homosexuality. Whoa…are you actually comparing a metal tree stand with what for some is the defining characteristic of their life?! No! But hopefully by telling that story a point was made; it is helpful to understand the original intent of a design if you want to get the best out of that design.
The Design
In Romans 1:25, speaking of unrighteous men, Paul says that they have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator”. It is obvious today that many among us do not believe that God created the heavens and the earth; it is not to them that I am writing. I am, though, writing to those who assert that they are followers of Christ, yet believe that He has placed His stamp of approval on homosexuality. Please note also that in writing, tone is hard to distinguish. So let me explain the tone in which I am writing. I am not trying to be flip or condescending; I am merely trying to show biblically God’s design intent in the creation of man.
There has been only one time period since the creation of the earth that everything was working properly, as it was designed. That time period was from creation to the fall of man. In that time period there are only three commands given to man that God chose to reveal to us through His Word. That’s right, only three. Those three give us great insight on the original design intent of creation.
1. "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28
2. "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:16-17
3. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24
Two of those three commands are positive commands (do this) and one is a negative command (don’t do that). The two positive commands or instructions are what I want to look at.
The first instruction is “be fruitful and multiply”. How do we do that? God gave us a picture of how to do that through His design of man and woman. In that picture of man and woman, half the requirements for procreation reside in the male of the species and the other half in the female. For Adam and Eve to conform to the original intent, shown by the instruction, they had to be, or could only be man and woman. Man and man would not have worked. Woman and woman would not have worked.
The third instruction that was given was man should leave his parents and be joined to a wife. Marriage. This instruction was given directly after God “caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:21-22) God made woman and said, because I made woman (“therefore” in 2:24) man will join woman and in marriage become one. Notice here in God’s original instructions to the human race He did not say man and man will become one or woman and woman will become one.
Since the fall of man God has been providing insight about how to once again come back into alignment with the original intent of His creation. He has told us within the written Law what it is that He expects from us.
In Exodus 20 we find the 10 Commandments. They’re a pretty big deal, it’s like God’s top ten list of don’ts. Number 7 is; “Do not commit adultery.” Adultery is defined as having sexual relations (intercourse, heavy petting, even lusting) with someone outside of the marriage covenant (defined earlier as between a man and woman). Therefore, if you are gay or straight and are “fooling around” outside of marriage God tells us that is wrong.
In Leviticus 20:13 the law states “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” Right after that statement we’re told the penalty for such an act is death.
{Click here to look up multiple versions of this verse}
In the New Testament in Romans 1:18-30 we read:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
{Click here to look up multiple versions of these verses}
In 1 Corinthians 6:9 we’re told “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.”
{Click here to look up multiple versions of this verse}
{Click here for cross-reference material on these verses}
Bottom line, the Bible is quite clear about God’s design when it comes to sexual practices. They are to be within the marriage covenant between man and woman. Is God’s design wrong, the Bible wrong, or are those who try to live outside His design as described in the Bible wrong?
The Frustration
“But this is not a choice for me. I believe that I was born this way.”
We all were born in this body of sin. We all have natural tendencies for certain sin, but natural proclivity toward a specific sin does not negate the fact that God requires repentance to enter into His Kingdom.
“But we all sin daily, none of us is perfect why pardon your sin and not mine?”
I agree; I sin daily. But as a result of my belief in Christ as my Redeemer, I want with every fiber of my being to be free from sin and I don’t desire in any way to live a lifestyle outside of the parameters God has set out in His Word. What does that mean? I admit that I am a sinner; I believe that I shouldn’t sin, and I seek each day to be closer to God and therefore further from sin…that makes me a repentant sinner. If you are a homosexual who refuses to believe that God has called homosexuality a sin, and because of that belief continue to live a gay lifestyle refusing to turn away from it, then you are an unrepentant sinner. It is as if you are approaching God and telling Him that “You are wrong and I am right, therefore accept me for who I am ‘cause I ain’t changin’.” Can I tell you…you ain’t gettin’ to God with that attitude.
The Bible doesn’t single out homosexuality as the only sin that deserves death, all sin deserves death. You see there in 1 Corinthians 6 a whole list of sin; fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners…why am I singling out just one? Because there isn’t a widespread movement/debate today in Christianity to accept unrepentant fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners as leaders, pastors and teachers…there is a wide spread movement/debate today in Christianity to accept homosexuals as leaders, pastors and teachers. When we begin to teach/accept behavior that God calls abominable as acceptable, we eliminate the significance of repentance in our lives and therefore lead people down a path that will not lead to God. That is a destructive path to take for the sake of inclusiveness. Are we to exclude homosexuals from Christianity? Absolutely not! But it must be known that if someone wants to come to God, it cannot be on their own terms. Telling someone that does not exclude them…that person not accepting it is what keeps them from their inclusion.
The Solution
Repent. Turn from your sin and turn to God. “But I can’t, this is who I am and I can’t change that.” Maybe you’re right, maybe you can’t change that…but God can, and wants to. We so often place limitations on God to fit our own pre-conceived notion of who He is. Do you believe Genesis 1:1? Do you truly believe that God created the heavens and the earth? Think about that for one moment…think about being able to speak light into existence. Before God created light there was no light; and all He had to do was say…”let there be light”…and there was light. If God is big enough to do that, then He is big enough to change who you are. All He requires from you is belief. Believe that He is who He says He is and has done what He says He’s done and will do what He says He’ll do. It’s that simple, do you believe Him? The Bible tells us that there is a penalty for sin. That penalty is death; eternal separation from God. The Good News is that God has provided a remedy for eternal death; belief in work that Jesus did on the cross. He paid the penalty that you deserve because of your sin, so that you can have fellowship with God. Belief in that fact is the remedy for your impending death. But here’s the thing about effective remedies…they always produce evidence. The remedy is belief in Christ, the evidence that you took the remedy is repentance. The evidence will begin to show naturally and instantaneously when you truly believe that Jesus is who He says He is, has done what He said He did, and will do what He says He’ll do. Yes, there will still be battles, but because you’ve taken the remedy (Christ), the remedy will be with you through those battles and do the fighting for you.
Seek the remedy and the cure will naturally follow.
...
On the first page of my Bible, next to Genesis 1:1, I have written in the margin, “believe this and the rest is easy.” Believe what? That God created the heavens and the earth. God designed and created everything, and everything He created, He designed perfectly. Water was designed perfectly, animals were designed perfectly, plants, light, soil, duck billed platypuses were all designed perfectly and when God finished creating all these things He looked at them and said that they were good. Then He designed and made man, and after God created man and woman He looked at all of creation and said that it was “very good”.
Our first Christmas together my wife and I went to our local superstore and bought a Christmas tree and a Christmas tree stand. When we got home I grabbed the stand and immediately began to assemble it. Now I’m a very handy guy, some would even say that I am an expert with tools, but I was having trouble getting the tree to stand upright…which is an integral part in Christmas tree decorating…so I’m told. I started to get very frustrated. “Why can’t I get this stupid tree stand to hold this tree upright?!” Five minutes passed…then ten, and my normally patient demeanor was beginning to turn into stark raving madness. In frustration I said to my wife, who probably at the time was questioning whether or not she’d married a lunatic, “Who would sell something so poorly designed? I’ll get my tools.” And I went to my truck and grabbed my tool box. Sweating up a storm I got back on my knees and decided that I needed to redesign this poorly engineered piece of… It was about that time when I heard my wife say “did you need this?” I turned around and saw her holding a small box of parts that had fallen to the floor when I hurriedly ripped open the box to start assembly. Neither of us had seen it fall, and up till now it had been hidden from our view. But it turned out that this missing box was essential to the design of the stand. If I would have read the directions or even looked at the picture on the box I would have saved myself a lot of frustration. Embarrassed, I assembled the stand as designed and low and behold it worked perfectly!
To get insight into the design of God as it relates to man is quite simple; we have a picture (man and woman) and we have an instruction book (the Word of God). Oh, the amount of frustration we could avoid if we were to just look at these two things when we need direction of how to assemble our lives. So many people today are openly trying to live life outside of God’s design intent, and though they might not feel frustrated or confused, their lifestyle will lead to eternal frustration in hell, separated from their loving Creator.
Before we go any further let’s not veil what I am talking about, it serves no purpose. I am speaking about homosexuality. Whoa…are you actually comparing a metal tree stand with what for some is the defining characteristic of their life?! No! But hopefully by telling that story a point was made; it is helpful to understand the original intent of a design if you want to get the best out of that design.
The Design
In Romans 1:25, speaking of unrighteous men, Paul says that they have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator”. It is obvious today that many among us do not believe that God created the heavens and the earth; it is not to them that I am writing. I am, though, writing to those who assert that they are followers of Christ, yet believe that He has placed His stamp of approval on homosexuality. Please note also that in writing, tone is hard to distinguish. So let me explain the tone in which I am writing. I am not trying to be flip or condescending; I am merely trying to show biblically God’s design intent in the creation of man.
There has been only one time period since the creation of the earth that everything was working properly, as it was designed. That time period was from creation to the fall of man. In that time period there are only three commands given to man that God chose to reveal to us through His Word. That’s right, only three. Those three give us great insight on the original design intent of creation.
1. "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28
2. "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:16-17
3. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24
Two of those three commands are positive commands (do this) and one is a negative command (don’t do that). The two positive commands or instructions are what I want to look at.
The first instruction is “be fruitful and multiply”. How do we do that? God gave us a picture of how to do that through His design of man and woman. In that picture of man and woman, half the requirements for procreation reside in the male of the species and the other half in the female. For Adam and Eve to conform to the original intent, shown by the instruction, they had to be, or could only be man and woman. Man and man would not have worked. Woman and woman would not have worked.
The third instruction that was given was man should leave his parents and be joined to a wife. Marriage. This instruction was given directly after God “caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:21-22) God made woman and said, because I made woman (“therefore” in 2:24) man will join woman and in marriage become one. Notice here in God’s original instructions to the human race He did not say man and man will become one or woman and woman will become one.
Since the fall of man God has been providing insight about how to once again come back into alignment with the original intent of His creation. He has told us within the written Law what it is that He expects from us.
In Exodus 20 we find the 10 Commandments. They’re a pretty big deal, it’s like God’s top ten list of don’ts. Number 7 is; “Do not commit adultery.” Adultery is defined as having sexual relations (intercourse, heavy petting, even lusting) with someone outside of the marriage covenant (defined earlier as between a man and woman). Therefore, if you are gay or straight and are “fooling around” outside of marriage God tells us that is wrong.
In Leviticus 20:13 the law states “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” Right after that statement we’re told the penalty for such an act is death.
{Click here to look up multiple versions of this verse}
In the New Testament in Romans 1:18-30 we read:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
{Click here to look up multiple versions of these verses}
In 1 Corinthians 6:9 we’re told “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.”
{Click here to look up multiple versions of this verse}
{Click here for cross-reference material on these verses}
Bottom line, the Bible is quite clear about God’s design when it comes to sexual practices. They are to be within the marriage covenant between man and woman. Is God’s design wrong, the Bible wrong, or are those who try to live outside His design as described in the Bible wrong?
The Frustration
“But this is not a choice for me. I believe that I was born this way.”
We all were born in this body of sin. We all have natural tendencies for certain sin, but natural proclivity toward a specific sin does not negate the fact that God requires repentance to enter into His Kingdom.
“But we all sin daily, none of us is perfect why pardon your sin and not mine?”
I agree; I sin daily. But as a result of my belief in Christ as my Redeemer, I want with every fiber of my being to be free from sin and I don’t desire in any way to live a lifestyle outside of the parameters God has set out in His Word. What does that mean? I admit that I am a sinner; I believe that I shouldn’t sin, and I seek each day to be closer to God and therefore further from sin…that makes me a repentant sinner. If you are a homosexual who refuses to believe that God has called homosexuality a sin, and because of that belief continue to live a gay lifestyle refusing to turn away from it, then you are an unrepentant sinner. It is as if you are approaching God and telling Him that “You are wrong and I am right, therefore accept me for who I am ‘cause I ain’t changin’.” Can I tell you…you ain’t gettin’ to God with that attitude.
The Bible doesn’t single out homosexuality as the only sin that deserves death, all sin deserves death. You see there in 1 Corinthians 6 a whole list of sin; fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners…why am I singling out just one? Because there isn’t a widespread movement/debate today in Christianity to accept unrepentant fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners as leaders, pastors and teachers…there is a wide spread movement/debate today in Christianity to accept homosexuals as leaders, pastors and teachers. When we begin to teach/accept behavior that God calls abominable as acceptable, we eliminate the significance of repentance in our lives and therefore lead people down a path that will not lead to God. That is a destructive path to take for the sake of inclusiveness. Are we to exclude homosexuals from Christianity? Absolutely not! But it must be known that if someone wants to come to God, it cannot be on their own terms. Telling someone that does not exclude them…that person not accepting it is what keeps them from their inclusion.
The Solution
Repent. Turn from your sin and turn to God. “But I can’t, this is who I am and I can’t change that.” Maybe you’re right, maybe you can’t change that…but God can, and wants to. We so often place limitations on God to fit our own pre-conceived notion of who He is. Do you believe Genesis 1:1? Do you truly believe that God created the heavens and the earth? Think about that for one moment…think about being able to speak light into existence. Before God created light there was no light; and all He had to do was say…”let there be light”…and there was light. If God is big enough to do that, then He is big enough to change who you are. All He requires from you is belief. Believe that He is who He says He is and has done what He says He’s done and will do what He says He’ll do. It’s that simple, do you believe Him? The Bible tells us that there is a penalty for sin. That penalty is death; eternal separation from God. The Good News is that God has provided a remedy for eternal death; belief in work that Jesus did on the cross. He paid the penalty that you deserve because of your sin, so that you can have fellowship with God. Belief in that fact is the remedy for your impending death. But here’s the thing about effective remedies…they always produce evidence. The remedy is belief in Christ, the evidence that you took the remedy is repentance. The evidence will begin to show naturally and instantaneously when you truly believe that Jesus is who He says He is, has done what He said He did, and will do what He says He’ll do. Yes, there will still be battles, but because you’ve taken the remedy (Christ), the remedy will be with you through those battles and do the fighting for you.
Seek the remedy and the cure will naturally follow.
