Table of Contents
History of Homosexuality
Accounts of same sex relationships in societies accost the world go back to the beginning of human history. The Biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah being one of the oldest records of these accounts. Other ancient accounts are portrayed in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, as in the disputed relationship between two Egyptian officials Nyankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep whom served under Pharaoh Niuserre.
Most of the western documents concerning the history of homosexuality come in the form of literary works, artistic depictions and mythographic materials from ancient Greece. Plato, Aristotle and many other philosophers spoke about the subject and its influence on society and the homosexual meaning. Ancient Rome was known to permit older free Roman men having relationships with younger male slaves.
During the medieval ages, the advent of the Roman Catholic Church condemned homosexuality however some regions in wealthier cities such as Florence and Venice where known for permitting same sex encounters to some degree, however if caught it is recorded men would be fined or imprisoned.
Modern Homosexual Movements
Between 1864 and 1880 Karl Heinrich Ulrichs published multiple literary works on the subject attempting to promote homosexuality. These works lead to Magnus Hirschfield’s Scientific Humanitarian Committee in 1897. After WWII Alfred Kinsey’s reports worked to progress the influence and acceptance of homosexual conduct, causing legislature in many countries to reconsider their anti-sodomy laws.
Moral and Social Relativism
All issues of human sexuality, as with all social dilemmas, are questions of morality and ethics. These questions ultimately come down what a person believes is their ultimate source of authority. This question drives us to decide between one of two conclusions:
- Morality Originates from Divine Authority
- Morality is Based on Human Relativism
Either all morality is based on a divine authority that comes from God who created us and designed us with a conscience to know right from wrong. Conscience means to be ‘with-knowledge.’
Or, all morality is decided by people and/or societies to do whatever is right in their own eye. That there is no right or wrong, no good or evil, not just or unjust, everything is simply based off emotional feelings that are all different for each individual and each person is allowed to do whatever feels right to them. This is what happened in ancient times;
In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. – Judges 21.25
This only leads to cultural lawlessness and immoral lifestyles. Our conscience bears witness to the moral law written upon our hearts (Rom 2.15). We know and understand there is an objective right and wrong and that we have the ability to deliberately go against our own conscience. This deliberate act of going against our own conscience is sin. The act of doing evil and living a lifestyle of immorality contrary to the way God created us to live.
Our own conscience bears witness to the fact that morality is absolute and is the objective law of the creation of God. Morality is sacred and meant to be taken with reverence before the God who created us.
Homosexuality and Sexual Immorality
God continually lays out His plans for marriage, relationships and sexuality throughout the Bible. God created the moral standard for relationships and marriage to be between one man and one woman.
- First, this configuration is meant to represent and be a symbol of Christ and the Church which is His bride (Eph 5.22).
- Second it is the natural order of creation as man and woman are biologically designed to go together, and only this arrangement works biologically and has a purpose for procreation.
- Third this configuration completes the man and the woman as each compliments the other to complete the relationship and family by contributing what the other lacks i.e., the relationship, and/or a family needs both a male and female aspect to be whole, otherwise it is missing that aspect.
God tells us plainly in His word that homosexual relationships are an abomination, meaning they are a corruption that goes against His created purpose. An abomination is taking something God created and using it in a way that it was not meant to be used. It is something that is abhorrent in His eyes. God tells us plainly that when this occurs, He will judge it just as He did with Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of its sexual immorality as men went after strange flesh, meaning men lusted after other men (Jude 1.7) and because of their pride in which they refused to repent of their sins (Eze 16.49).
Whenever a people gives themselves over to sexual immorality and depravity if they remain unrepentant in turning from their sins, God will give them over to those sins so that their wickedness will be cleansed from the earth.
Bible Verse Addressing Homosexuality
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. – Leviticus 18:22
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. – Leviticus 20:13
Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. – Jude 1:7
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. – Romans 1:26-28
But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” – Mark 10:6-9
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. – 1 Timothy 1:8-11
How to Overcome Sexual Immorality
Sexual immorality no matter what form it takes, whether it is adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, pornography, all stems from a person’s carnal, sinful nature. There are many reasons why people do these things in their life. Some people had childhood or adolescent trauma whether sexual abuse or otherwise.
Some people have a difficult time finding a member of the opposite sex to become partner with, and/or are lonely. Some people have fetishes that they have a hard time controlling. All these things can be difficult if not impossible to overcome by means in the natural world, but by the Spirit of God all things are possible (Phil 4.13).
This is why people in society begin to excuse these acts, as they sympathize with those who commit these acts and their desires for affection and the freedom to choose their own partner. However, so called ‘freedom’ against our Creator’s design is rebellion and that dishonors Him and goes against the first love you should have in your life – God, and only leads to bondage.
We are to be compassionate for all people however God does not want us to condone any type of sin but wants us to expose it for what it is. In Christ we can overcome all things through faith. Every man is free to be with a woman he mutually finds affection for and marries and the same goes for women, with the man she loves.
Many of those who live these kinds of lifestyles define who they are as a person by their sexual desires and sexual preferences also known today as ‘sexual orientation’. A person’s sexual desires should never define or control who you are as a person, but rather in self control, we are to define our own sexual desires. Your sexual desires are your choice and are up to the individual to control. In the same way a married person is to control their sexual desire, and not have sex with other people. A single person should control their own bodies in keeping from fornication or pornography.
The only way to overcome carnality is by living a spiritual life of obedience to Jesus Christ in a spiritually regenerated life in Him. If you are not born again, you cannot have a relationship with God, but after you are born again you are free from the things of this world and are free to live the life God designed for you. Jesus sets us free from all sins in this life and through the Spirit of God there are many testimonies in which people have turn form this sinful life to Christ.
Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men. 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corin 6.9-11
But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. – 1 Corinthians 7.2
It is true, in many cases, that the longer a person is exposed to something the more difficult it is to overcome, for after repentance they must continually work on self-control and renewing their mind in Christ. In many cases, there will be multiple attachments that they will need to severe to continue in freedom from it. We must battle against sin, including those things that tempt us in our own lives.
Thoughts, mental pathways, and programs you were used to doing and demons will try to influence you, but you must suppress them and keep running to Jesus to stay away from those things that tempt you. The Bible teaches us to continually flee from sexual immorality, to continue to distance yourself from those things that tempt you to commit sexual sins.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. – 1 Corin 6.18 – 20
How to overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil:
References
https://answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/what-was-primary-sin-sodom-gomorrah/
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