What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality and Why?

What

"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself." (John 7:17)

My goal in this relatively short article is not to dig deep into the relevant material, but to talk about something that made it very difficult for me to discern the Bible's teaching on homosexuality. I hope that my testimony will help you avoid one of the major pitfalls of answering this question that I myself managed to fall into...

To keep things concise and focused, let me get straight to the point: God's word appeared ambiguous and unclear to me, because I wanted to see something that wasn't there, and what was there I didn't want to see. I was a same-sex-attracted guy after all, longing for a romantic relationship, and the last thing I wanted to hear was that my feelings were somehow immoral. So I approached the Bible with that attitude: I didn't know what it said about homosexuality, but I sure knew what I wanted it to say.

I was so unwilling to accept God's will if same-sex relationships turned out to be sinful in His eyes that in my heart of hearts I thought, "This can't be wrong. No way. I'm not having that." These kinds of words come from a heart that claims to see but is in fact blind: it is unable to receive the truth, because it has already decided what the truth should be. This is a particularly insidious form of pride that (perhaps to different degrees but) defines us all.

With that in mind, let me put you under the spotlight for a moment. Not to make you uncomfortable, but to help you see things more clearly. Test yourself: Are you willing to do God's will no matter what He says? Or to put it more straightforwardly: If God says that homosexuality is a sin, are you willing to accept that and do His will by conforming your life to it? That's a hard question. Not because it's complicated, but because it cuts way too close to the bone.

But listen to what Jesus says: "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself" (John 7:16-17). This is part of His response to the Jews who were astonished and wondering how He had become so learned, having never been educated. After Jesus tells them where His "education" is from, He offers them a way to test His teaching. The test He provides in the form of a conditional promise centres on man's willingness to do God's will.

If you are willing, you will know, Jesus says. And by implication, if you are unwilling, you will not know. If you are unwilling to turn away from what you want in order to orient yourself towards what God says (provided that the two are in conflict), then you will end up justifying yourself in your unrighteousness. You will, because you cannot live in a perpetual state of mental and spiritual turmoil. You will find some kind of counterfeit peace that will soothe your conscience for a time, but it will betray you in the end.

This is no game, so please, don't play with fire like I did. Learn from my experience, but most of all, learn from Jesus. Save yourself the time, the pain, and the utter futility of fighting against God. Examine your heart before you delve into the Bible. If you're willing to do God's will, you will know God's teaching. That's great, but, if you're anything like I was, that's exactly what you fear most: knowing what He really says. I mean, He's God. You can't just defy Him and expect to come out of it unscathed. His word is authoritative, final and indisputable – even if you don't like it. That is scary.

But that's not all that is true about the word of God. It is also life-giving food for the soul (Matthew 4:4; John 4:34; 12:50). To convince your trembling heart of that, remember two things so simple that a little child can understand them, yet so rich that the oldest saint can be amazed every time he contemplates them. First, God made you from scratch. He knows exactly what you need. And second, He loves you so much that He gave His Son for you. Surely, surely, not only does He know how to give you good things, but He actually desires to. It may not feel like that right now, but He is on your side. Even in this mess.

Why

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

I think it's clear where I stand: I believe the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin. But why? What's so wrong with it that God calls it an abomination (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13)? Let's make the question even more difficult: What's so detestable in a loving, committed same-sex relationship that it deserves eternal condemnation? This question is deeply personal to me, so I've thought about it a lot.

Now, I want to be honest right from the start and say: this is one of those questions that I cannot ultimately answer – at least not yet. I understand it in part. I've heard some very good and very serious arguments over the years. For example, I know God's order and design; I know what's natural and what isn't; and I know that marriage between a man and a woman (two essentially different people) is an earthly representation of a heavenly reality: the relationship between Christ and the church (two essentially different entities).

Perhaps if I were straight, these arguments would settle the matter for me. But it's different when this is not just an issue to discuss or a doctrine to defend, but an actual reality to live with. You see these arguments differently then. It's not that they are somehow less powerful or less true, but – to put it as bluntly and honestly as I can – apart from the divine word, they couldn't convince me.

Having said that, let's not make the mistake of assuming that real faith and real obedience require perfect understanding. I don't see that anywhere in the Bible. In fact, I see the exact opposite: I see people who believed and obeyed God without knowing everything (Hebrews 11). Yes, we should always strive for more understanding, but we should never say, "Until I fully understand, I refuse to believe and obey."

To me, this is what it ultimately comes down to: homosexuality is a sin because God says so. He created human sexuality, and He defines its lawful boundaries. All of them. And while I may not fully understand God's reasons for establishing one of these boundaries in particular, I am still willing to submit to His authority and stake my life on the goodness of His word. Not because I'm a bigoted fundamentalist, but because I know and trust my God. That's what Proverbs 3:5 calls me to do. And in that, I have found both conviction and peace.