Hi to my Forum Friends,
This week, a Friend asked me how do I possibly couple, or associate, the Old Testament teachings about homosexuality with those of the New Testament. Doesn't the Bible tell us that Jesus came to bring us a "new covenant"? So, how can a Christian look at the harsh Old Testament laws on homosexuality, or any sin, as being applicable to the New Testament church?
That is a good question. However there is no conflict between the teaching of the Old Testament and the teaching of the New Testament on homosexuality or any other sin.
Matthew 22:36-40, "'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.""
In other words, Jesus is telling the scribe that His teachings do not set aside the Law and the Prophets -- but, instead includes them in all His teaching. He has just taken them one step further and encompassed them in grace.
First, let's consider the Ten Commandments and the Law given by God through Moses to the people of Israel. What kept the people honest before the Law? Romans 5:13 tells us, "For until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is not law." This makes sense. If you are stopped for driving sixty miles an hour where there is no speed limit; how can you be held accountable? Yet, once the authorities establish a speed limit for that area; you are liable for a fine if caught speeding.
So, how were the people, even the Gentiles, held accountable before God gave Moses the Law?
Romans 2:14-16, "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus."
The same would apply to Jews who did not yet have the Law. This period which began when God gave the Law to the Israelites until Jesus came was called the Dispensation of Law, or era of the Law. The Law could not save anyone. We are told in Romans 3:20, "Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin."
So, what was the purpose of the Law? The Law was given to make the people aware of their sins; just as the speed limit laws make us aware of our speed limits and our violations of those limits.
Then, how could people be saved if not by the Law?
Romans 3:21, "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested (in Jesus Christ), being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
If the Law did not save them; how were the people of the Old Testament get saved? By their faith in the coming Messiah. Did they go to heaven when they died? No, they went to the Bosom of Abraham (Luke 16) to await the day when their Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come and lead them into heaven (Ephesians 4:8). He did this during the three days He was in Hades.
Jesus Christ came as the Incarnate God, died on the cross, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven to bring us the Dispensation of Grace -- so that, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we might be saved.
"Okay, Bill, what does all of this have to do with homosexuality?" I was beginning to wonder if you would ever ask.
Well, in Leviticus 18:22, God taught us, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination" and in Leviticus 20:13, God taught us, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them."
Does this mean that to live by the Bible we should put all homosexuals and all who sin to death?
No, for Jesus came and brought the Dispensation of Grace; whereby now we are still just as liable for our sins as were the Old Testament people -- it is just that now we have moved into a new dispensation, or covenant, where death is not required. But, repentance, and punishment for refusing to repent, is still required of us.
Let's make an analogy. When your children were five or six years old; if they did something wrong and lied to you about it -- you would take the switch to them -- or you would apply the "hand of justice" to the "seat of knowledge of good and evil."
Yet, when your children become teenagers, you lay aside the switch and the application of the hand -- and you apply a different mode of repentance; you ground them or you take away their car keys. This is your new covenant with your children. Jesus Christ brought us a new covenant with our heavenly Father, God.
But, even though we are in the new covenant, or the New Testament church -- to God, the sin of homosexuality is still an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), it is still a detestable act (Leviticus 20:13) -- and in the New Testament, in the new covenant or dispensation of grace -- God again reaffirms His feelings on the homosexual lifestyle when He tells us, in Romans 1:26-27, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error."
So, does God hate the homosexual? No. God loves the homosexual, just as you love your child. But, just as you would hate to see your child live a life which you know is detrimental to their physical and spiritual health -- God hates to see His creation living in a lifestyle which He knows is detrimental to their physical and spiritual health. God loves the sinner; but He hates the sinful lifestyle.
Then, how does a homosexual become a Christian believer? The same way anyone becomes a Christian believer -- by, turning from our sinful, worldly lifestyle and turning to follow Jesus Christ. We do a 180 degree turn from the way we are walking -- and we turn to walk the other way, beside Jesus Christ.
And, being followers of Jesus Christ, Christians, we, too, are not to hate the homosexual. But, we must hate the homosexual lifestyle -- for it is in opposition to the teachings of God's Word, the Bible. Any teaching, any lifestyle, any sin, which opposes God's Word should be anathema, an abomination, in our souls, in our hearts, in our thinking, in our mouths -- in the way we live.
I pray that this gives everyone a better understanding of how God and we Christians view sin -- all sin, including the sin of homosexuality.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
billdory@pacbell.net
Alabama bred,
California fed,
Blessed by God to be a Christian American!
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