Sexual Immorality, Homosexuality, and Gender Identity

    In todays day and age, with so many agendas being pushed and lines being blurred, it can be hard to stand firm in a Biblical stance on sexual immorality, homosexuality, and gender identity. Let’s first start with the Old Testament and see what the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text say in Leviticus 18:22 which translates to“And thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman, for it is an abomination.” The message is the same in both. Ok so that is pretty clear, lets check the New Testament…Surely when Christ gave us the New Covenant, that antiquated law is void..right? Well lets check the text. When we read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 it states “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” But wait, there are some Pastors, usually within the Progressive Christian Church, who teach that the Greek word for Homosexuality didn’t exist and I didn’t see the word homosexuality at all in the King James Version, which states, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” And they would be correct, kind of. Lets look at the Greek words used in the Bible for this particular passage.The first important word to focus on is effeminate and the Greek word used is μαλακός (pronounced Malakos). This word literally means soft but when used in the context of sexuality it was used to describe men who would intentionally engage in a process of feminization to erase or soften their masculine appearance so essentially a man trying to be a woman. The second portion to focus on is abusers of themselves with mankind, the original Greek word to describe that is ἀρσενοκοίτης (pronounced Arsenokoitai) and when we break it down even farther the Greek word of αρσην (pronounced Arsen) means “Man” and the Greek word of κοίτη (pronounced Koitai) means “bed”. So literally the word describes Men who bed with other men. The theme is constant from the Old to the New Testament, homosexuality is a sin.   

    Ok so that covers homosexuality but what about all the other things that have latched themselves on to the homosexual rhetoric like transgender and non-binary? I know for a fact that the word transgender isn’t in the Bible so it must be ok, right? Well as before lets start back in the Old Testament. Genesis 1:26-27 states “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Then lets jump ahead to the New Testament to Matthew 19:4-5 which says “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” So that’s pretty clear, there are only two genders that were created, no room for wiggle room. So that pushes the idea of transgender and non-binary as to just that, an idea. They weren’t made that way, they think they are that way which contradicts Biblical and biological truth.

    Well what about those that just don’t want to be married? Well if its because they like to sleep around, we just have to review a verse we have already discussed in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and look at the word Fornicators, the original Greek word is πόρνος (pronounced Pornos). (hmmm I wonder what other English word was derived from that Greek word?) Pornos literally defines sexual intercourse between individuals who are not married. What if someone just isn’t attracted to the opposite sex. Well good news, the Bible talks about that as well in Matthew 19:12 which Jesus says "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."Some of Jesus’ own disciples chose to abstain from marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God although it is not a requirement. This isn’t directed as a condemnation if you have struggled with this is the past, or even failed in these areas, but of those who flagrantly and blatantly continue in them. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 it says “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Be thankful that your past mistakes don’t condemn you and that because Jesus died for your sins, you can repent and believe in Jesus Christ as described directly from Jesus’ mouth in Mark 1:15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."  Repent is a key word here. Repentance is not simply saying, “oops i messed up” but then continue to blatantly commit those same acts. Repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια (pronounced metanoeō) which literally means “to think differently”. To truly repent, you need to change the way you think. So today, change the way you think, align it with Biblical truth, and believe in Jesus Christ.