Clarifying the Biblical Perspective on Homosexuality

(This post is my full response to the articles “Why gay marriage should be legalized: Part 2” and “Christian College or Liberal University” in Mercer University's newspaper The Cluster. I sent the full response to The Cluster originally but then had to shorten it for spaces requirements. )


Having read both articles and various responses to the latter article on Facebook threads of other Mercer students, I would like to address what I believe are the key reasons for the polarization on the issues of gay marriage being legalized and Mercer University endorsing homosexuality. This is just a fringe issue, of many others that are frequently debated, that is based on a few critical presuppositional beliefs. To be a Christian means (among several other key things) to believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and if you are going to claim it (and Christianity) as your point of reference you must refer to it as your source of morality, ethics, etc. With that stated you simply cannot refer to the APA (American Psychological Association) or any other human source as your lens for interpreting human nature or what is right or wrong. If you do not believe that the Bible is true and that it is inspired of God then it is of the same good as Aesop’s fables for application to one’s life. In summary, your source of authority (either the Bible or your own ideals) will greatly shape your belief system and what you think about this issue.

Also, it is very important to understand the context of the passages of Scripture that are quoted. Just as references to the FFC or the UC would make sense only in the context of Mercer, quotations from the Bible will only be understood correctly if framed in the proper context (i.e. author, recipient, purpose of writing, etc.). Scripture can be and is taken out of context frequently and interpreted to say things that it ultimately does not say. In addition to framing Scripture within its original context when quoted, I think it is also essential to define what is meant by “love,” “marriage,” “sin,” etc. Depending on your source of authority these terms (among many others) can come to mean drastically different things. For example, our culture is seeking to redefine the term "marriage" to fit the sexuality and desires of its constituents. The problem is that God has clearly defined marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman (Genesis 2, Ephesians 5). So, one must decide if they will accept the culture's view of marriage or if they will trust God's revelation about the subject.

In terms of the issue at hand, an important distinction that must be made is whether homosexuality is a sin or rather something that someone is “born into.” If the Bible is your source of authority then you must believe that homosexuality is a sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 1:26-27, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13). The Bible presents homosexuality as a perversion of sex that departs from the natural, created order and includes heterosexual lust, sex out of wedlock, incest, etc. These are all departures from the created order of marriage being for one man and one woman for life and sex being meant only for the marriage relationship (Genesis 2). These are all examples of sexual sin. Whether heterosexual or homosexual, it is all the same.

According to the Bible, sin is inherited by all people as a result of man's fall from perfection in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3). We are all guilty of sinning (breaking the law of God, whether that law be specified in Scripture or written on our hearts) and are enemies of God facing His judgment. Only by placing trust in the purposefully sacrificial and humbling act of God dying on the Cross and being resurrected can anyone be saved from judgment. From the Biblical perspective, all people start off in the same situation and can only be saved by God's grace -- regardless if you struggle with homosexual sin or heterosexual sin. The judgment of God falls on the sinner because of their sin, and that is why Jesus came: to redeem sinners from their sin in the various ways it manifests itself.

In summary, the Biblical perspective does not condone homosexuality. But, Scripture insists that those struggling with homosexual sin be treated no differently than anyone else who struggles with any other sin. This means EVERYONE. In this is found the beauty of the good news of Christ, that He came to save sinners of all types and that His sacrifice is sufficient to cleanse anyone of their sin and bring them into an intimate relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:21). If Mercer University claims to represent Christian ideals, namely the Bible, then they cannot promote student organizations that celebrate sin, in this case in the form of homosexual lifestyles. But Mercer here seems to depart with the evangelical stance that its forefathers wholeheartedly embraced. If this was a premarital sex club or an adultery club, Mercer would have stopped this dialogue long ago. The question must be asked: who is the authority here, the culture or God's Word?

Lastly, we should not discriminate against students merely because they struggle with homosexuality. The Scriptures are clear that our calling as Christians is to love (Luke 10:27). If you claim the Bible as the foundation of your belief system, you cannot support gay marriage, homosexual lifestyles, or any other sexual sin. But on the flip-side you cannot discriminate, attack, snub, or ridicule a person struggling with homosexual sin because you are guilty in the same degree.

The Awe of God

"Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
- Jeremiah 2:19b

So often I rush to God with many words without even considering the weight of His greatness and glory. I speak to Him while failing to recognize His perfect holiness, His vast eternity, His intimidating omniscience, His overwhelming omnipotence, or His exact and consistent righteousness. Wherever I stand, I stand on holy ground because this indescribable God and King is everywhere. And yet, I find myself just like the Israelites of Jeremiah's time having no awe of God. Why, in light of who God truly is, is this?! It is most certainly because of my sin, namely my pride. Forsaking "the spring of living water" for the broken cisterns of busyness, performance, comfort, and endless other idols causes me to not see God for who He truly is. I know that I am not alone. Many other Christians also do this daily by approaching and treating God as something that He is not.

But praise be to God that He is also abounding in mercy, love, and grace! His mercies are new each morning! God's love is beyond measure! His grace covers all of our transgressions! He is endlessly and relentlessly pursuing us and by His Spirit renewing our hearts and minds to see Him in the glory that He has had since before time existed. He draws us with intense passion to Himself so that we may know Him truly and intimately. However, my question is, do we pursue God? Is it evident in our lives that we want Christ, the person? Do we love Him? Do we set up our lives to show the world that we love Christ or rather love ourselves? Do we love others? Do we serve others? If we grew in our fear of the Lord and began, by grace through the Holy Spirit, to see Jesus for who He truly is, I believe that we would live our lives very differently. Time is short.

"Whoever acknowledges me (Jesus) before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."
- Matthew 10:32-33

A Call for Maturity and Deliberate Living

This morning, I was reading about the story of the two disciples of Jesus walking on the road to Emmaus discussing the tumultuous events concerning the crucifixion and resurrection in Luke 24. They are joined by the newly risen Christ and He walks with them (they are kept from recognizing Him) on the rest of their journey. On the way, Jesus explains to them the necessity for the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection using evidence from Moses and the Prophets. As they reach their destination, they ask Jesus to stay with them. As they eat and Jesus breaks the bread, their eyes are opened and they recognize Him for who He is. At that moment Jesus disappears from their sight and they say to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Do our hearts burn within us when we have Scripture opened up to us? Or when we speak to one another about Christ? Do we even speak to each other about Scripture or our Lord Jesus on a regular basis?? I think we do not. I do not. We have no time for spiritual conversation. I think it is as JC Ryle writes,"The quantity of time wasted on frivolous, trifling, and unprofitable talk is fearfully great."

What are we waiting for with all of our small talk? Do we see people as they truly are? As C.S. Lewis writes, "There are no ordinary people" and also "to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations." What a realization! This life is overwhelmingly significant and we should not treat it as if it is not.

I believe this is even more so a call for spiritual maturity in our lives; to be aware of the weight of our lives and to call us to a life lived deliberately. As Paul says in Ephesians 5:15-17: "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." How can we be wise and live deliberately if we do not understand what the Lord's will is? And how can we understand what the Lord's will is if we do not seek Him continually in prayer and in Scripture?

We need to humble ourselves, admit our immaturity, and be changed by God. I especially see the need for this for young Christian men. Are we acting like men? Do we honor God with our money, our time, our energy, the way we treat women, the way we talk to each other (Matt. 12:36), etc? It is time to crucify your fears and insecurities and be transformed by the Spirit of God. It is more fulfilling, it is our calling. Our culture supports men remaining boys for far too long, however, we must remember that our culture is sinful just as much as we are. Again as Paul said, "the days are evil."

Our focus should be on Christ, by way of maturity and deliberate living. Even in light of the many, many future hopes, anxieties, seemingly faultless plans, etc., we must not lose sight of Christ and pressing on towards Him in the hope we have. Our conversation must be shifted away from the fading flowers of this world and to the everlasting God of Creation as we build up each other in love and share the Gospel in love.