| I found this
great analogy in my Bible...
If you're like most American teenagers, the day you get your driver's license
and can take the car out for a drive-alone-is a day you dream (or dreamed)
of. Before that, Mom, Dad, or the driving teacher rode "shotgun"
to make sure you drove safely. But now, with your license, you're
on your own. The thrill of freedom and the increased sense of responsibility
make you feel more like an adult. No one will tell you when to stop
or remind you to use your turn signal. It's up to you. Suppose
you decide that, contrary to everything you've been told up to now, you
want to drive on the left-hand side of the road. (Remember, we're
talking about the U.S., not England or Hong King.) you will quickly encounter
serious opposition to your choice of driving style (like a head-on collision).
You can either learn from your observations and experiences, or you can
insist that you have the right to drive however you wish, and whatever
happens, happens. when it comes to driving, its pretty obvious what
the wisest choice is. Here in Romans 1, Paul addresses an issue that
seems equally clear-cut and yet men and women have struggled with it since
Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden.
The issue is homosexuality. Paul argues that all people everywhere
are without excuse in knowing that there is a God. Proclaiming that
nature itself reveals its Creator, Paul then begins a scathing rebuke against
people who deny God and His plan for creation. Paul has particularly
harsh words for those who engage in the sins of idolatry and homosexuality.
These people, he writes, go against God's design for human sexuality, and
in so doing will experience drastic consequences for their behavior.
Like our fictional teenage driver, men and women who practice homosexuality
experience tremendous opposition-socially, emotionally, physically, and
spiritually. Yet they ignore all the warning signs. Sooner
or later, though, they will crash and burn. Two important messages
need to be given on the subject of homosexuality. One is for our
society, which has lost andy meaningful idea of sin, righteousness, holiness,
and truth. That message is that all lifestyles are not acceptable.
Some lifestyles-such as alcoholism, or materialism...or homosexuality-are
wrong; they are sinful. Those who engage in such behaviors should
come to God in confession and repentance and ask for his forgiveness and
healing. The second message is for the church (meaning all Christians).
What they need to understand is that while homosexuality is sin, it is
not the unforgivable sin. God loves homosexuals just as much as he
loves other sinners. Jesus' death on the cross paid for the sin of
homosexuality, just as it paid for the sins of lying, greed, lust, hate,
and pride. It has been said-and it is true-that the church is a hospital
for sinners, not a showcase for saints. It is a place where those
caught in the sin of homosexuality can come to be freed and forgiven.
It is a place where believers who have committed the sins of hatred, prejudice,
and self-righteousness toward homosexuals need to go to ask the Lord for
forgiveness and healing. Homosexuals, like all sinners, stand guilty
before God. If that were the whole story, there would be no hope.
The great message of Romans- and the entire Bible-is that there is hope
for sinners of all kinds through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. He is the one who will set us free, regardless of our sin.
Here are some scriptures
concerning homosexuality to consider.
Leviticus
18:22 God forbids homosexuality relationships
Leviticus
18:29 There is a penalty for homosexual sin
1
Kings 14:24 Homosexual practices are an abomination
Romans
1:18-27 Homosexual practices are sinful
Romans
1 Homosexuality
Romans
2 Alternatives
|
