Bible

The Other Half of the Gospel

It has become commonplace at least in Western culture to know that Jesus has died for our sins. Some take that seriously and try to change their lives for the better on their own. In so doing they create new rules to keep them from even getting close to wrongdoing or sin. Others take God’s grace for granted and use it as an excuse to sin. These people’s lives look no different than people outside the Church. However, I believe that for many churches and denominations, the people are only being told about one part of the story. 

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“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” -John 3:16

However, this is only half of the Gospel. The other half of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ didn’t remain dead; he rose from the grave. His new life is a promise that someday we too will rise from the dead. The interesting thing is that that resurrected life can begin even before we are dead.

The First Half of the Gospel: The Need for a Sin-Taker

The first part of the Gospel is that our sins need to be taken away. In the beginning, God created the world and put humanity in charge of it all (Genesis 1). He then gave humanity a choice: to obey a simple command or give in to curiosity, to gain God’s knowledge through a different route than from God himself. This would in effect give humanity the power to be its own god. This was the choice at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3). It was a choice that seemed beneficial at the time, but once the fruit was eaten, shame gave way to the realization that they were naked. They tried to clothe themselves to hide their shame, because they knew they had done something wrong.

Through this action sin entered humanity. Innocence was lost. Humanity once depended on God for knowledge of things good and evil, but now mankind had obtained the knowledge itself. It is this knowledge that teaches children to lie to their parents. It is this power that is now in humanity’s genetic code, so to speak, that makes us inherently want to harm others, take advantage of others, have power over our own lives and live in a state of pure ecstasy and pleasure at the expense of our own health and well-being and that of those around us. We feel we ought to be able to make our own rules and live without the consequences of our own decisions.

However, there are always consequences when our choices are made against the way God has designed us; that is against his Law. Before the Law was given, people had to live by faith and to keep order in ancient societies, some civilizations picked up on the natural laws God had originally set up. This is probably why Hamarabi’s code is a lot like the Ten Commandments. God’s nature can be seen in His creation. 

All across the world, different peoples and tribes have come up with ways to atone for their wrongdoings. This was first established when God provided clothing to cover the man and woman’s nakedness, at the sacrifice of an innocent animal (Genesis 3:21). Their children continued this practice of sacrifice, one sacrificing animals (Abel) and the other sacrificing part of his crops (Cain). Each did it to regain God’s favor. One received it because he had purer motives. The other did not receive the favor, because of impure motives. And thus, the first murder occurred over jealousy of God’s favor.

And yet, all ancient peoples, even those who believed in multiple gods and worshiped idols, felt like humanity didn’t measure up. God even revealed this when He gave the Israelites the Law (Exodus 20). God gave them instructions on how to atone for all kinds of different and specific sins..

Yet even those nations who did not know Jehovah God offered all kinds of burnt offerings to appease their own gods. Some societies even recognized that the blood of animals wasn’t enough to cover sin. Even children and people were sacrificed to gain the gods’ favor. Such were the efforts to overcome humanity’s own evil, and yet it was with evil by taking innocent life that it was attempted to overcome this inability to measure up and be blessed by the gods.

God, seeing this, provided his own salvation in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, not just for those who already believed in Him (the Jews), but for all people. He lived a perfect, sinless life. God, in flesh, was able to maintain absolute purity, even though He was tempted just as we were (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22).

“He saw that there was no one,

    was appalled that there was none to intervene;

Then his own arm brought about the victory,

    and his justice sustained him.”

            Isaiah 59:16

Although, it would seem to some that Jesus failed in his mission in that he was killed before his ministry could really flourish, that really was his mission. His goal was to take humanity’s place in God’s wrath so that those who believed in him would not spiritually perish, but would have a chance at everlasting life (John 3:16).

“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”  -John 3:16-19 NABRE

It is at the cross where God’s absolute justice and absolute mercy meet. For in many other religions and belief systems, there is no mechanism to take away sin completely as in belief in Jesus. You either have a just god who is going to send everyone to hell anyway, or you have a god who is as sinful as humanity and is completely merciful, overlooking the sin and even promoting or approving of it. For in the ancient days, people had to continue to sacrifice animals to cover over new sins. However, Jesus Christ died, once for all sin in all people, so that the offer of God’s forgiveness could be brought to the whole world.

This is the first half of the Gospel: that total forgiveness of sins is possible. It is a powerful and wonderful thing to be able to present ourselves to God, imperfect as we are and to identify with Jesus to cover over our sins. Yet, Jesus did not remain in the grave. It was on the third day that he rose again from the grave and was witnessed by many, even over 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). By his death he brought justification, but by raising to life, he brought sanctification, the ability for the believer to live according to God’s desire and have the hope that, one day, even the believer will be raised to new life, not only spiritually but physically too.

The Second Half of the Gospel: Life Through the Spirit

“18 I will not leave you orphans…”

-John 14:18a

Jesus was “25 …was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification”

Romans 4:25

After Jesus died, was resurrected and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit was given to those who believed (Acts 1-2). This is a topic that is extremely important as I believe that many are willing to accept Jesus’ death, but fewer still are taught about his resurrection and, furthermore, our own promised resurrection.

Ephesians 1:13-14 states that once someone accepts Christ into their hearts, then they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, “guaranteeing our inheritance” until God redeems all who are His. This verse can be troublesome for those who believe a person can lose their salvation, a topic for another time. My point is that the Holy Spirit is the one who draws a person to Christ and then dwells in the person after he/she has believed and accepted Christ.

The majority of Christians are familiar with how Jesus died for our sins past, present, and future. However, now that we have access to the Spirit, we have God living in us being able to guide us out of our wrongdoing and overcome sin. This is the other half of the Gospel that is often left out or ignored completely in modern day Bible teaching and preaching. 

God has not only given us a way to be forgiven of our sins by the death of Jesus Christ, but He has provided a way for us to be able to live according to His commands by allowing the believer to commune with the Holy Spirit. 

Our fallen nature tells us to fulfill our selfish pleasures, often at the expense of others and our own spiritual and physical health. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, gives us the desire to change and to want to do things for the right reasons. As we continue to allow the Spirit to work in our lives, we find ourselves wanting to do less and less evil and more and more good instead (read Romans 6-8 for more about this).

The Holy Spirit enables us to do good works, not out of a blind obligation to some written code (such as the Old Testament Law), but out of a desire to do what is right. In fact the Bible says that if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law (Galatians 5:18-22). The reason for this is that the results (the fruit) of living by the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” There is no law against such things, because such things fulfill the law by their very nature.

For example, the speed limit in a certain part of the city is 25 mph. The city normally makes this type of law not to aggravate those who wish to go faster, but to protect that area from faster vehicles. There could be a residential area, a school, or lots of other vehicles loading and unloading which require drivers to pay more attention in this area. Thus, the law is created to protect people because not everyone thinks about other people. Usually when a person sees the speed limit, he is only thinking about the speed limit itself, not about the intent.

In contrast, life by the Holy Spirit bypasses the written law and gives the believer extra awareness outside of himself. If everyone had the Holy Spirit in their lives we would not have to have speed limit laws, because everyone would be thinking “Hey the school is nearby, there may be children walking, I need to slow down,” instead of thinking “Oh man, I’ve got to slow down and now I’m going to be late for my appointment!”

In another example, I myself have struggled with a certain sin in the past and have been working through this with God recently to overcome it. In the past I have wanted to overcome it because I knew it was wrong, but in my heart, I still really wanted to do it. However, I am blessed to know that the Holy Spirit is working in me now, because last week I realized that instead of wanting to want to overcome it, I actually now do truly want to overcome it for my own sake. 

In this way the believer is being redeemed from the inside out. Once a person truly accepts Christ, his/her sins are forgiven and sanctification begins. When a person becomes a Christian, they don’t have to wait until they die to be resurrected, their resurrection has already begun and their heavenly life begins at conversion. 

“9 But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.”

                            -Romans 8:9-11 (NABRE)

Or, as C.S. Lewis has said: “Death is working itself backwards.”

What is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. Some parts of Christianity and other religions believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus is the third part of the Trinity. That is actually not true and not mentioned in the Bible anywhere. The Holy Spirit is his own entity. He, as Jesus, is 100% God, but acts as an individual person in submission to the Father. “One God in three persons,” as an old hymn goes. 

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Since we are made in God’s image, we can use our own makings to further understand this mystery. Many say that we are made up of body, soul, and spirit. Our body is our physical manifestation of ourselves (as Jesus is of the Trinity). Our soul is the core of our being from which all of our personality derives (as compared to the Father). Nothing in the rest of our being does anything, unless our soul wishes to do it. Our spirit is our immaterial living part. It is where our conscience resides. In the same way God’s Holy Spirit can commune with our spirit and guide us to do good. He allows us to know and do God’s will.

I would go so far to say that perhaps a person isn’t fully alive without the Spirit. Many people interchange spirit and soul when they talk about our spiritual being. Perhaps we are only living ⅔ of our lives without the Holy Spirit living in us. That could be why when people are non-Christians they feel like they are missing something in their lives, but when they find Christ and accept his Spirit to live in them, then they have found what was missing.

Abilities/Functions of the Holy Spirit

Some believe that the Holy Spirit was only poured out on the apostles so they could lead and build the Church and that many believers don’t have the Spirit after conversion, but evidence from the New Testament show that just as Joel promised (Joel 3:1-2) the Holy Spirit has been poured out and is available to all who put their faith in Christ. Here is a non-exhaustive list of short descriptions of the abilities of the Holy Spirit:

  • He acknowledges Jesus Christ (1 John 4:2-3)
  • He is a teacher (John 14:26)
  • He will tell followers of Jesus what to say when confronted by others (Luke 12:12)
  • He enables people to speak in other languages that were not originally known to the believer (Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 14)
  • Performs signs and wonders so unbelievers are convinced (Hebrews 2:4)
  • Enables believers with different gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
  • Gives boldness (Acts 1:8; 4:31)
  • He reveals the truth and gives discernment (Acts 5:3; 1 Corinthians 2:11)
  • Directly communicates with believers (Acts 13:2)
  • Accompanied by joy (Acts 13:52; Romans 14:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6)
  • Warns of upcoming events such as trials and tribulations (Acts 20:23)
  • Reveals the future; allows believers to prophecy (Acts 21:11)
  • Love of God accompanied with the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)
  • Searches the heart and acts as an intercessor between God and believer (Romans 8:27)
  • Accompanied by hope and power (Romans 15:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:5)
  • Involved in sanctifying the believer (Romans 15:16; Titus 3:5)
  • Dwells within the believer (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14)
  • Acts as a seal of salvation; a guarantee of salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30)
  • Revealer of mysteries (Ephesians 3:1-6)
  • Responsible for all prophecy  (2 Peter 1:21)

How do we obtain the Holy Spirit?:

  • Received after repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38)
  • Received after prayer (Acts 8:15) and/or laying on of hands (Acts 8:17)
  • Received as people heard the message of Christ and accepted it (Acts 10:44)
  • Received before baptism (Acts 10:47)
  • Received after 2nd baptism of followers of John the Baptist (Acts 19:1-6)
  • Received at belief and acceptance of Christ (Ephesians 1:13)

Will Jesus Rapture His Church in 2021?

Transcript:

Christ’s return is soon.

My name is Omni from Omnicrontrion.com

I dabble in Christian Astrology – not to be confused with modern astrology in which an individual’s future can be told by the stars.

No, the stars don’t tell the future for people. However, the stars were created “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” – Gen 1:14.

Wise men from the East, possibly disciples of Daniel, were able to tell from the stars when Christ came the first time. A good documentary to watch about this is The Star of Bethlehem with research done by Rick Larson.

Books such as The Real Meaning of the Zodiac by Dr. James Kenned and The Gospel in the Stars: Or, Primeval Astronomy by Joseph Augustus Seiss, show that God had purposefully created the zodiac and their respective signs to tell His story, the story of redemption.

Today, I am not going to go into all of the details of the whole zodiac, but I may create another video that goes into this in more detail.

My focus today is to present to you a very recent sign; a sign that is a probably precursor to the rapture.

The sign in particular comes from Revelation chapter 12.

1-3:1 [a]A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman[b] clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.[c]

-NABRE

This sign appeared in the zodiac on Sept 23, 2017. I did not know about it at the time, but was informed by a family member that some of her friends were freaking out over this sign. She knew that I had dabbled in minimal research about the stars and their meanings in respect to scripture. I told her I would look into it.

Using the star program Stellarium, I was able to view the sign and other future signs, which I will get to in a bit. There are other programs out there that may be more accurate. I was able to download this one for free.

I set my viewing location to Jerusalem in Israel, since it seems to be a significant place in God’s heart, according to the scriptures.

There are several requirements for this sign:

  • A woman clothed with the sun
  • the moon under her feet
  • crown of twelve stars
  • The woman was pregnant and was about to give birth

All four of these occur in the sign that happened on Sept 23, 2017.

  • Woman clothed with the sun – The sun was positioned in Virgo during this time, as it is on a yearly basis.
  • The moon was under her feet – This does not always occur at the same time every year.
  • The crown of twelve stars – Mercury, Venus, and Mars combined with the constellation Leo (traditionally made up of 9 stars) to form a crown of 12 “stars”.
  • The woman was pregnant and about to give birth – Jupiter (the “star”/planet associated with kingship in astrology) had been in retrograde in Virgo for about 9-10 months. It entered Virgo toward the end of Dec 2016/beginning of Jan 2017 and stayed inside the constellation until Sept 23, 2017. When it abruptly left the constellation.

Of course the world didn’t end, nor did the rapture happen in 2017. However, if we continue reading in Revelation 12, there are some other interesting things about this sign that we need to keep in mind.

The scriptures speak of another great sign appearing, one referring to Satan. There is a battle in heaven with Satan and his angels and Michael and his angels. To what this refers, I will have to cover at a different time in more detail. However, the woman escapes the wrath of the dragon by going into the wilderness. There are two instances which refer to the time period in which this happens.

Rev 12:6

6 The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.

-NABRE

Rev 12:

14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year.

-NABRE

Some translations say “a time, times and half a time.”

Some interesting things happen in the sky when we use that timeframe from the sign on Sept 23, 2017.

Once again, we are viewing the sky as it appears in Jerusalem. I have set the date to approximately 3-1/2 years from Sept 23, 2017, which is Mar 23, 2021.

If we follow Jupiter, the king planet and it representing the “One who will rule the nations”, we see that it ends up behind Capricornus, near its fish-tail.

The planet Saturn, which represents Time is in the heart of the goat part of Capricornus.

In the past and more recently, the fish has been a symbol of Christianity, while on the other hand the goat has been the symbol of Satan.

Taking what we know about the symbolic language used in Revelation 12 and what the meanings of the zodiac, stars and planets have symbolically meant over the centuries, could this be a dual symbol for the Rapture?

Jesus (represented by Jupiter) is with his fishes and time (Saturn) is in the heart of the goat/Devil.

I will let that sink in for just a few seconds.

Now, why am I telling you this? You may be thinking, “Well, Omni, so many people have put dates on Jesus’ return in the past and they have never come true.”

And I would say that you are right. For as Jesus says in Matt 24:46: “No one knows the day or the hour… but the Father…”

There are some issues involved with calculating the date as I have done. For instance, 3-1/2 years in our calendar puts the possible Rapture on Mar 23, 2021. However, if we go by Rev 12:6, the 1,260 days puts us on Mar 6, 2021.

This second date is also based on the Babylonian calendar, which only has 360 days to one year as compared with our 365.

However, as this proves, I do not know the exact date or hour at which our Savior will visit us. Yet, after viewing this sign, I do believe that we have narrowed it down to the season.

I share this as a warning for those who have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. For he is coming for his own and afterward will be trials and judgments like the world has never seen.

I do not want people to be quitting their jobs and simply waiting for this to come to pass. I admit that I could be totally wrong and that the Rapture may not happen in Spring 2021.

But, what if it does?

If you are a Christian, will you be ready for the master to find you at your assigned task, doing what he has instructed you to do?

If you are not a Christian, are you ready to face God as judge?

The clock is ticking, and even if Jesus doesn’t return next spring, wouldn’t it be good to get right with Him anyway?

He could come tomorrow, or next month, or next year, or next decade. But, one thing is for sure, He is coming. Will you be among the ones He takes with Him?

Seek Christ while he may be found. The time for God’s grace is almost near the end. Take hold of that grace today and ask Jesus to forgive and save you from your sins.

Is Being Gay a Sin?: The Gay Debate – Part 8 (of 8)

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When I googled the question: “Can a Christian be Homosexual?”, a link to a page by a fellow named Matthew Vines was among the top on the list. Mr. Vines is of the view that homosexuality should be allowed in the Church. A link to his page can be found here: The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

Mr. Vines makes several points (the bold is covered in this post, click previous points to see my response):

Once again I find myself agreeing with Vines on his view that being “different” is not a sin, but then in the same thought, I must disagree with his view that “being gay is not a sin either.” Then again, it all comes down to definition. What does it mean to be gay?

The “Queer” community has done some work for us in this. It is called the Decahedron of Q and it can be found at this website.

The Queer community has tried to identify the various forms of queerness, which they label as a minority. Included in this list are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, allies, and pan-sexual. Definitions for each category can be found on the website as well.

However, as a Christian, can I really condemn all of these as sin? Who of us hasn’t questioned their own sexuality? I myself questioned my sexuality at different times in my life; does that make me gay? Paul the apostle describes himself as what may be considered “asexual” by the definitions given in the website. Does that make him “queer” too? 

Some of these categories are defined only by desires and others by actions, so it can be difficult when someone confesses that they are homosexual to determine what exactly is meant. It is important for us as Christians to ask penetrating questions so that we can understand where they are coming from, help them with their spiritual needs to get to Christ, and lead them in their journey of sanctification. Having the Queer community define queerness in these categories is extremely helpful and helps us to understand that what is communicated when someone says “I am a homosexual,” may not always mean that they are participating in an active lifestyle.

My advice for the Church is to define sinful homosexuality as the active kind, one in which partakers are active with partners. The inactive homosexuality or queerness may or may not be sinful. Even Jesus said that if you lust for a woman, you commit adultery with her in your heart. However, as I mentioned, desires are not necessarily sin in-and-of-themselves. Most of the time they are merely temptations of sin, put there by either the Devil or our own sinful nature. It seems this view is the most Biblical view to take as it treats homosexuality like every other human desire.

Homosexual marriage, then, would fall into the category of active homosexuality. Even though it would be a union recognized by the government (and some churches), it is not acceptable to God. My advice for those homosexuals who have remained abstinent as Vines has would be to attempt several heterosexual relationships. And by attempt, I mean an actual relationship, not active sex. Purity should be promoted in all hetero- and homo-sexual relationships. I think in a real mutual relationship, you will find that loneliness dissipates, not because sexual desires are met, but because you have someone to share life with. For those not desiring marriage, pursue close friendships in purity as well, because there is great value in having a friend that is closer than a brother.

“What if I am already in a homosexual marriage?” someone might say. My simple answer is to go to Christ and really pray for guidance. He will give it. My hard answer is to seriously consider divorce. I don’t like saying that because I hate it and I know God hates it also. But, God has allowed it, perhaps in foreseeing this day. Holy divorce is not unprecedented, as those Israelites who had broken the command to not intermarry with people of the surrounding sinful nations repented through divorce in order to be obedient to God (see Ezra 10), so it may be that a similar thing must occur with someone who is in a homosexual marriage. As I have said, it is a difficult topic upon which I hope to shed more light on in future posts.

A Lesson in Linguistics: The Gay Debate – Part 6 (of 8)

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When I googled the question: “Can a Christian be Homosexual?”, a link to a page by a fellow named Matthew Vines was among the top on the list. Mr. Vines is of the view that homosexuality should be allowed in the Church. A link to his page can be found here: The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

Mr. Vines makes several points (the bold is covered in this post, click previous points to see my response):

Vines says that certain compound words which reference homosexual behavior in the New Testament may not apply due to the syntax (the literal meaning) of the word and the context (meaning gathered from the use of the word). The main word that he mentions is Paul’s use of “arsenokoitai,” which is a compound word from two words: one meaning “man” and the other meaning “bed” (1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10).

His point is that most compound words are put together to create a new word and so the literal meanings of the original words cannot be used to describe the thing the new word was created for. Let’s take a look at a few modern day compound words he mentioned and see if this is true.

Butterfly – a compound word of “butter” and “fly.” If you have ever caught a butterfly, you would understand why it is called this. Butterflies have a powder on their wings that feels and sometimes looks a lot like butter. While the flying insect is not made of butter, it seems that it is aptly named.

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Honeymoon – a season of life shortly after one is wed, in which the spouses get to celebrate their commitment to each other in a sensual and enjoyable way. Taking the literal words: Honey – something sweet; and moon – the heavenly body that usually references the night. By combining these two words together you get a literal meaning close to “sweet night.” Being married myself, I cannot disagree with that meaning. 

Now that we understand its It can be used in its original meaning, people have used it in other contexts to refer to a season of easiness or bliss. It can be used in an employment context, for instance when your boss informs you “the honeymoon is over.” That means that the initial part of the job is over and now much more is expected of you.

Understand – This one I admit is more difficult to define by its semantics alone. It means to know another person’s knowledge as they know it. “Under” of course means below. “Stand” – could be a position of a person, place or thing, or it could be referencing an actual physical object. To have “understanding” in this sense would mean that you possess the knowledge that is deeper (underlying) than the superficial knowledge, or that you possess enough basic (underlying) knowledge of a topic upon which to build further knowledge. This could be in the case of anything, whether you are talking about knowledge of a subject, idea, or relationship information. 

My point is this: that even though the compound words do reference a new thing, which has a new definition, often the meaning of the original words are important to that definition. I think we find the same thing with our analysis of Paul’s compound word. If Paul has created a new compound word that means “man bed” or “man bedder,” how else can the insinuation mean but a homosexual act?

Now in regards to context, there are various studies by the Christian gay movement and Vines himself concluding this word is grouped with others that are referencing the immoral situation between men at the time. It was more of a prostitutional situation in which some men were selling younger men and boys to be sex slaves for other men. A lot of sinful things were happening with that whole situation and Paul was right to say these things were wrong (as the proponents for Christian homosexuality would agree). 

However, included in this condemnation is the “man bedder,” the one who is taking advantage of the boy prostitutes. This is the one who is engaging in and initializing the active homosexual behaviors. So what is the sin: the prostitution, the taking advantage of innocent boys, or the homosexual act? Why not all three? It would seem to me that this would fit in the context of the whole Bible. 

“But no,” my gay friends would say. “This does not represent a mutually consenting relationship.” I would agree, but adultery is also a “mutually consenting” relationship which is punishable by death in Old Testament Law (as is homosexual relations), which is still applicable as I have discussed in Point 3. You don’t get rid of sin just because both parties agree to do it. In fact, both parties were supposed to be punished and deserved death for both homosexual acts and adultery. Thus, I think it is best to conclude that the whole mess is sinful.

Another point is that many of those fighting for the acceptance of homosexuality in the Church bring up that Paul is using a rare word that does not have a lot of outside cultural use or reference. The cultural words used commonly would have applied directly to the situation. Perhaps Paul was trying not to be profane in his references to the homosexual abuse situations. Or, maybe Paul was ahead of his time and created the word to apply to such a definition as to match our “modern” definition of the active homosexual, the person with the tendency or “bend” toward homosexual activity who is actively engaging in the behavior.

Is the Bible So Outdated That It No Longer Applies to Gender Orientation? : The Gay Debate – Part 4 (of 8)

When I googled the question: “Can a Christian be Homosexual?”, a link to a page by a fellow named Matthew Vines was among the top on the list. Mr. Vines is of the view that homosexuality should be allowed in the Church. A link to his page can be found here: The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

Mr. Vines makes several points. This post addresses his fourth point (in bold). Click on the links below to view my response to them:

Matthew Vines says that the concept of sexual orientation as a means of defining someone is a new idea and therefore the Bible’s doctrine against homosexuality cannot be applied to it because such an idea did not exist back then. Also, he points out that people who are same-gender oriented would agree that the homosexual acts described in the Bible, such as homosexual prostitution and extramarital homosexual intercourse, are just as bad in their eyes as in the Bible’s. According to Vines, Some people are born with a gay bend and there is nothing wrong with it so long as it is done in a committed, loving mutual relationship.

The actions of homosexuality have been around for millennia. The most famous example was Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). It also occurred in Israel (Judges 19). It must have been fairly common practice among non-Jews as God specifically points it out in the Law (Lev 18:22; 20:13). Paul mentions it in the New Testament as something to avoid (Rom 1:24-27; 1 Tim 1:10).

All of these, however, are what Vines calls “immoral” homosexuality. It is a homosexuality of rape, taking advantage, and sometimes even prostitution. He and I can agree on one point, this kind of homosexuality cannot be right. However, I disagree with Vines’ alternative. Is it possible to have a “holy” homosexuality, so long as it is within marriage?

The problem is that we see no Biblical example of this. There has been no unanimous revelation in the Church that it should be allowed. So why would God make people gay without having a way to satisfy that need?

Vines is right that we are probably the first people to define and classify people as homosexual in the sense of an orientation. However, is that classification valid? Are people truly homosexuals because they are born that way?

It seems only natural that what we desire and what we want should be right. That if there is an inborn “bend” toward something, how can we help but pursue that thing? However, may I remind you that we live in a fallen world? “Natural” doesn’t necessarily mean “right.” All people have some kind of bend toward something. Sometimes it isn’t harmful in the sense of certain interests and hobbies. However, some bends, such as addictive and sinful behaviors, are harmful to oneself and others. For instance, a man with a history of alcoholics in his family has a natural “bend” towards drinking alcohol. Should he do this? Is it healthy for himself and his family? Most would say that he should avoid it. However, we encourage homosexuals to continue in their homosexuality, which can be just as dangerous with the diseases that could result. 

The interesting thing is that we can actually see genetically that a person has a history of alcoholism. However, we have not found the “gay” gene. Many people say that they feel it is true, therefore it must be. So I question how “natural” being homosexual actually is.

If we want to say that homosexuality is “natural” in the sense that it is a natural product of a fallen world, then I would agree with that statement. In this sense “natural” doesn’t mean “right.” Since we are sinful beings, it is only “natural” for us to want to sin, even if it isn’t what God intended for us to be and do. 

However, that’s why Christ came into the world: to not only free us from the spiritual consequence of sin (eternal separation from God), but that through him we may begin to untangle the cords of sin that hold us back so that we can truly be the people we are meant to be even while we live here on the Earth.

We don’t really have a full knowledge of the homosexual societies of Sodom and Gomorrah, but we have only a glimpse to know that they were truly evil people. However, the Greeks had prevalent homosexuality in their culture, which started out as  mentor-type relationships. It was definitely a confusing time for the Greeks and not every mentioned homosexual record was the same, but can we really say that all of these lacked the type of commitment Vines describes as more “modern”? Some of the homosexuality was actually quite heroic in that there were groups of men in armies who were supposedly so in love with each other that they fought more valiantly than other men.

So while the idea of sexual orientation is new, it is still an ideal that is totally unhealthy and inaccurate about the way things are supposed to be as God intended.