God and Sexuality: Homosexuality

    One of the biggest topics in today’s society is the debate on human sexuality, namely in terms of homosexuality. Honestly, the debate makes my heart cry out for God. Denominations split, friends become enemies, the same Scripture gets used by both sides to argue their points, all the while nothing gets accomplished except God seeking people being turned away from the Church due to hate. I think it’s time to look at this in a new light. 

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 7 verses 1 through 5:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

I think what Jesus is saying here is that none of us are perfect. None of us are sinless. Therefore we have no reason to judge anyone.

We find also in James 4:12:

God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

So what does that mean? I think it means we don’t have any right to take away someone’s freedoms based on their sexuality. We don’t have any right to say you’re not entitled to mutual respect or love because you’re different. We as humanity have been down this road before with race, and gender. Do we really need to go down it again with sexual orientation? 

I think instead of arguing right from wrong or sin from not sin, we should be looking at the love of God that we are being called to show to all creatures.  In John chapter 15 verses 12 and 13 Jesus says, "This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends."
Is it love to tear down someone’s character? Is it love to say they are sinful? Is it love to tell someone “because you are not like me you’re not allowed to marry the person you love?” Often in Jesus’ ministry we see him associating himself with those who would otherwise be seen as unclean. Over and over he reaches out to them in love. In Luke chapter 10 verses 25 – 37 we see the Good Samaritan show love despite uncleanliness. In John 4: 4 - 42 we see Jesus offer love instead of judgment to the Samaritan woman at a well. In John 8: 1 – 11 we see Jesus literally save a woman’s life by offering love instead of condemnation. 

What I’m trying to say here is, despite your position on the matter, can’t we as the Church show love and compassion instead of condemnation? We can have biblical standards against the sin of homosexuality, but when we exclude people from love, we have gone too far. How can you show love to someone despite your differences? Wouldn’t you rather be on the side of love? Think about the possibilities of what God can accomplish if we allow his love to flow through us instead of channeling our disapproval.