What Does The Bible Really Say?

   Can you be saved? What does the Bible really say? This class is based on 4 assumptions: Please read the Bible references as they are presented.

1. that Almighty God, Jehovah, is the Creator of heaven and earth. He sent His Son into the world to die for us so that we may have eternal life because He loves us. (Genesis 1:1, John 3:16)

2.   that Jesus Christ gave His life for us on the cross of Calvary and that He arose from the dead on the third day. By doing so He bought us with His blood. If we believe this with our heart and confess "Jesus is Lord" with our mouths then we will be saved...that is we will have eternal life in Christ Jesus. HE IS THE ONLY WAY TO ATTAIN ETERNAL LIFE. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Romans 10:9,10 and John 14:5-7)

3. that the Holy Spirit of God is here for us today to teach, guide, direct, comfort and help us and to use us for the eternal glory of Almighty God. (John 14:26; 16:13; 20:21-22; Romans Chapter 8)

4. that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16,17; Hebrews 4:12)

 The question is: "Is salvation available to homosexual men and women?" According to the Church community at large gays are an abomination. They are given over to a reprobate mind and will end up like the people of Sodom as they embody all evil. One Christian co-worker told me that she believes that the antichrist is going to be a homosexual who is in the closet at first so that people will accept him and then when he shows his evil he will come out of the closet.

 Satan uses whatever he can, including the Bible, to destroy. He twisted God's Word in the Garden of Eden to destroy mankind, he twisted it at the beginning of Christ's ministry to tempt Jesus and threaten our hope for salvation, and he twists it today to tear you away from God that you may also abandon your hope for salvation. Genesis 3:1-19; Matthew 4:1-11; John 10:10. Satan has also twisted people's understanding of the Word to condemn gays thus alienating an entire people group from God through fear, rejection and abandonment.

 You may ask: "How can so many of the church community be wrong about this?" Doesn't the Bible say that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality? Aren't gays given over to a reprobate mind? Aren't gays the embodiment of evil? The answer to those questions and all similar questions is an emphatic, resounding "NO!!" based on this Bible study.

 Here are a few examples of where the Church community went wrong because of misinterpretation of God's Word. In 3 of the following 4 examples many people have died without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ:

1. Galileo said that the earth revolved around the sun. The Church considered this as heresy according to their misinterpretation of Genesis 1. They sentenced Galileo to life imprisonment under house arrest.

2. The Church used Genesis 9:21-27 to "prove" that Blacks were cursed by God into a life of slavery to justify what was done to them during the plantation days. In fact, the curse fell upon Canaan, one of Noah's grandson's. Canaan was one of four brothers. His three brothers settled in Africa but Canaan settled in the Middle East.

3. Another example is the hatred of Jews. Some have felt that God condemned the Jews because they killed Jesus. If it were not for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ there would be no salvation. Hebrews 11:25-32 tells us that God's call is irrevocable and that they are still special to Him and that they will be saved in Christ Jesus as a nation at the appointed time. Besides, Christ's death and resurrection was prophesied by God in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:15.

4. Finally, the Church community is wrong when it uses God's Word to condemn you for being gay. The very fact that you care what God thinks about you proves them wrong! The fact that you have suffered hurt, humiliation, guilt, rejection and shame at the hands of these people proves them wrong!

   The God of the Bible is a God full of justice, mercy and love. Yes, He has gotten and will get wrathful with people. This wrath is always precipitated by 3 things:

1. abandoning Him in exchange for another god.

2. abusing others-morally, financially, sexually or otherwise.

3. abusing ourselves in like manner.

   You will see this consistent message from Genesis to Revelation.

   When we look at Scriptures there are three things to keep in mind to minimize misinterpretation of what God is conveying:

1. cultural setting

2. original meaning

3. overall theme of the Bible

   After all, haven't your words ever been misunderstood by people who only half listen to you? How much easier is it to misunderstand the Word of God! Isaiah 55:8,9.

A. Cultural setting:

Please read Song of Solomon 4:1-4. In order to understand the real depth of the love and emotion being expressed here it is important to understand the significance of sheep and goats and pomegranates and warrior shields to that culture and then to apply it to our culture. Otherwise this scripture can be misinterpreted or at the very least the passion may be missed.

B. Original meaning:

Luke 8:19 in the King James version reads: "Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press." (KJV)

Obviously the word press means crowd and not radio, TV, and newspaper personnel. It is crucial that we examine the original meanings of the words we study. As a bilingual person I can tell you that it is very easy to mistranslate something from one language to another if we translate word for word rather than meaning for meaning. The original meaning must be considered in the translation.

C. Overall theme of the Bible:

This is the easiest one to miss. That is why it is possible to make the Scriptures "prove" whatever one wants instead of understanding what God is attempting to convey to us. For example, look at Luke 14:26.

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (NAS)

From this single text one could assume that Jesus preached hate, was totally against the family, placed little or no value on human life and that following him means that we must be full of self hate. Of course that interpretation is wrong because it is not consistent with the overall theme of the Bible. The Greek word translated as hate in this verse actually means "to love less than". Knowing this changes the whole picture and puts the text back in context with the message of God's love for us that is repeated from Genesis to Revelation. We are to love God more than anything and we are to love each other as well as ourselves. Matthew 22:34-40.

   Unfortunately the gay lifestyle has come to mean a life involving promiscuity, serial monogamy, prostitution, child molestation, degradation, baths, bookstores, golden showers, brown scenes, orgies, etc. The gay "lifestyle" has but one purpose: to wholeheartedly go after the lusts of the flesh. Just look at most of the ads in our gay publications. Actually, this is not a lifestyle at all but a DEATHstyle. We don't live by it we die by it. God hates it. He hates it because He loves us. You see, this deathstyle degrades us and hurts us and makes us feel bad about ourselves deep down inside. If you really think about it you will find that it is a prison.

   Please notice that everything associated with this "lifestyle" is also found in the heterosexual world as well...promiscuity, serial monogamy, prostitution, child molestation, degradation, baths, bookstores, golden showers, brown scenes, orgies, etc. The only difference is that heterosexuals do these things with people of the opposite sex and homosexuals do them with people of the same sex and bisexuals do them with anyone. Also note that just as all heterosexuals do not participate in this type of life, neither do all homosexuals or all bisexuals. So, if homosexuality is all wrong because some homosexuals live like this does that make heterosexuality wrong because some heterosexuals live like that? Of course not!! God hates these things no matter who does them. After all don't you hate it when someone you deeply care about is hurting themselves and others you care about?

   Think of it...God's love is greater than we can ever imagine much less express to another! How much more does he hate things that hurt us.

   To be sure I do not defend such a lifestyle in this work. To be gay is much more than a sexual preference. I do not believe it is a preference at all! We are who we are and God knew it from our mothers' womb. We were made wonderfully complex! Psalms 139:13-18. The purpose of this work is to assure you that God DOES NOT condemn you just for being gay. A homosexual is different from a heterosexual in one way: a homosexual is attracted to people of the same sex and a heterosexual is attracted to people of the opposite sex. Otherwise we are all the people of God's creation with similar yet unique complexities of heart, mind and soul. We will all do better to devote our whole hearts, minds and souls to loving God. Matthew 22:34-40.

   Some say that being gay is wrong because there is now way to procreate and therefore there is no way to justify that kind of sex. If that is so, then sex between a sterile man and/or a barren woman can not be justified either. This argument is unscriptural. Let us look at the two examples in the Bible where sex took place for procreation only:

1. Genesis chapter 16 and Genesis 22:1,2

   The sex for procreation only between Abraham and Hagar was not what God wanted. This only got in the way of God's plans. God's plan was for Abraham to have a son through Sarah, who was barren. Ishmael was born though Sarah's maidservant, Hagar. God blessed him but made it very clear that he was not the son of the promise. In fact it was as if he had never been born as far as God was concerned. (Genesis 22:1,2). Ishamael ended up being the father of the Arabs and now, because of the alliance between Abraham and Hagar we, to this day, continue to have the hatred between Arabs and Jews who are indeed brothers.!!

2. Genesis 19:30-38:

   In this account sex for procreation only was certainly not blessed. Lot's daughters get their father drunk on and have sex with them lest their family name dies. The oldest daughter gave birth to the Moabites and the youngest gave birth to the Ammonites. These tribes became idol worshipping enemies of Israel. One of their gods was Molech to whom they offered human sacrifices. (You can read about this throughout the Old Testament.)

   What does the Bible say about sex for enjoyment? There are several barren women in the Bible who were favored by their husbands. These couples continued to have sex knowing that they could not possible conceive under normal circumstances. They were Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth. Sarah and Elizabeth were still having sex with their husbands past child bearing years! Was it for procreation or enjoyment? Each of these women were greatly blessed even though they had sex when procreation was not physically possible. You can read about Sarah and Rachel in Genesis 18:9-12 and 30:22-24, about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-20, and about Elizabeth in Luke 1:6,7.

   A final example of sex for love is found in the Song of Solomon. It is a collection of love poems between two people that are about to be committed to each other. When you read this book of the Bible you will not find the words children, offspring or family. You will find the word lover mentioned 28 times, darling mentioned 19 times and the bride's breasts are complimented 8 times.

   Most Bible scholars agree that this love story is also a picture of how Jesus Christ feels about the Church also called His bride. It can also serve as an example of how we should feel about our partners. In this book we can see a very beautiful eroticism between two people that are committed to each other the way Jesus is committed to His Church. He is so committed to us that He died for us...are you that committed to your partner? (John 15:13)

   That example and other guidelines set forth in the Bible apply to gays also.

   At the end of this study it will no longer be a question of whether or not God loves you and accepts you as one of his very own. It is going to be a question of whether or not you love God and accept Him as your very own.

Sodom and Gomorrah

   In this section we will show conclusive BIBLICAL evidence that Sodom and Gomorrah were NOT destroyed because of homosexuality.

   The story of Sodom and Gomorrah begins in Genesis 13:8-13. Abraham and Lot were so wealthy that they had to separate because the land could not support all of them in one place. The next time we hear about these cities is in Genesis 18:16-33. Here God tells Abraham his plan for Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleads for these cities because of his nephew Lot. While Abraham and God are talking, the other two angels go to Sodom. Let's read this in Genesis 19:1-13.

Gen 19:1-13

1. The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

2. "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

3. But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.

4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-- both young and old-- surrounded the house.

5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him

7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

8. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

9. "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

10. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door.

11. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

12. The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here-- sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,

13. because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."

(NIV)

1. The idea that "all" the men of Sodom were gay is ridiculous. For one thing, Lot's wife and daughters were there and his daughters were pledged to be married to men of Sodom!!

2. If all the men were homosexuals, why did Lot offer them his daughters? What good would it do to offer a gay man a woman to have sex with?

3. Finally, they threatened Lot that they would do WORSE to him than to the two angels. They were also trying to force the door down. Whenever you mix sex with violence against an unwilling person you do not have homosexuality, you have RAPE.

   There is another story in the Bible in which the same thing happened. Let's look at Judges 19:13 - 27.

Judges 19:13 - 27

13. He added, "Come, let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places."

14. So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.

15. There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night.

16. That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.

17. When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"

18. He answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house.

19. We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants-- me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don't need anything."

20. "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square."

21. So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.

22. While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."

23. The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing.

24. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."

25. But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

26. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

27. When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

(NIV)

   The tribe of Benjamin was almost totally destroyed because of this incident. Neither the tribe of Benjamin nor the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality. So why were they destroyed? Let us put the answer to this question in context of the whole Bible. What were the grievous sins that God judged them worthy of such destruction?

1. Ezekiel 16:46-49

Ezekiel Chapter 16 is an allegory God used to compare unfaithful Jerusalem to an adulterous wife for committing religious adultery. As you can see God listed the sins of Sodom. No homosexuality is listed there. Those detestable or abominable acts mentioned refereed to the religious rituals popular in that time. We will cover these in the section on false gods.

2. Deuteronomy 29:22-28

Moses was about to die and he predicted the scattering of Israel and the destruction of the land like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This destruction of Israel was not prophesied because of homosexuality but because of religious infidelity and lack of concern for the poor. This is quite in line with the context of the entire Bible. Of course God promises their restoration in Chapter 30. This complete restoration is about to happen in the end times, but that is another study...

3. Amos 4:11

In the book of Amos God pronounces judgment on Israel for:

a. turning away from God...religious unfaithfulness

b. being evil to the poor

c. living selfishly

4. Jeremiah 23:13,14

Here is yet another comparison of the promised judgment of Israel to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Once again the theme is religious unfaithfulness, being evil to the poor and living selfishly, not homosexuality.

5. Matthew 10:11-15

Here God in the form of Jesus Christ repeats the same message. These cities that reject the Gospel and are inhospitable to His messengers were going to be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah.

6. Matthew 11:20-24

Here the Lord again makes reference to Sodom's destruction as he talks about unrepentant cities that refuse to believe in him or his miracles. Religious unfaithfulness and unbelief...not homosexuality.

7. Jude 1:3-16

Although homosexuality is not directly mentioned in verse 7, some believe that it is alluded to here because of the mention of Sodom and Gomorrah. The King James version uses "fornication" and "going after strange flesh". The NIV uses "sexual immorality" and "perversion". According to Strong's Greek dictionary the word used for fornication or sexual immorality is just that, sexual immorality of any kind-straight or gay.

   The word used for "going after strange flesh" or "perversion" can mean one or both of two things:

1. going after altered meat that has been sacrificed to idols which would be religious perversion and;

2. to be carnally minded or to completely give oneself over to the lusts of the flesh.

   Here Jude is talking about people who have continued to live lives full of religious idolatry and temple promiscuity even after knowing the grace of Jesus Christ. These people also enticed others to do the same.

   We can choose to behave the way we want to behave. And God takes care of our imperfections. But when we continue to do what we know God hates because we figure that next Sunday morning we will automatically be absolved then there is a problem. The problem is that our repentance is a repentance of the mouth not of the heart and God looks to the heart. If we continually repent by just words and not have a change of heart then we trample the Son of God under foot and insult the Spirit of Grace. Hebrews 10:26-31. This truth holds for straights and gays. There is no distinction in God's eyes. The neat thing is that every repentance from the heart is immediately covered by God's forgiveness and He remembers our sins no more!! Whether you repent of sin by your heart or not is a matter between you and God. No one else can know what is in your heart. That is why God alone can rightfully judge. 1 John 1:9 and Psalms 103:8-13.

   Sometimes it is easy to see why some Christians think the way they do about us. Just look at the ads in many of our publications. "Giving oneself over to lusts of the flesh." But on the other hand I can see why there is so much of this hunt for carnal pleasure in the gay "deathstyle". If you believe that you are doomed for destruction then why not satisfy your flesh? Hey! Let's just kill ourselves with "pleasure"! While the Christians are heaping death and judgment on one side, Satan is on the other saying: "Look! See how they reject you! And they know what God thinks because they are "Christians"! He hates you and you don't have a chance. He made you the way you are and now he'll have nothing to do with you!!! Come on over here. I'll take you in!!" But I have news for you. Satan doesn't accept you anymore than those people who hurt you and rejected you. He doesn't want to help you, he wants to put you to death.

   Your spirit will never be satisfied without God. Possibly there is pain in your mind and heart because in your mind and heart you have been rejected by your family and by God for something that can't be changed anymore than you can change the color of your eyes or your hair. Sure, you can use the colored contacts or Miss Clairol hair color. But eventually you have to take the contacts out and eventually your hair grows out and the true colors start to show. In the same way some of us tried to change our nature. Some of us even got married and had children just to please everybody and hope for a change but...eventually our true colors "came out". The truth is that God knows how we are made for He made us and He knew us from the womb of our mother!! Psalms 139:13-16.

   The pain of rejection and humiliation and guilt that is upon you does not come from God, it comes from the enemy of your soul. God wants to be there for you. Romans 8:31 says that "if God is for us then who can be against us?" He wants to lift you up out of the dirt and wash you in His blood. Titus 3:1-7. He longs to mend your broken heart. Psalms 147:3 says that God "heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds". He wants to restore to you that which has been taken away and he wants for you to never be shamed again. Joel 2:25-27. He wants to do these things and He can because He is God!! All you have to do is repent...turn around...Reject the lies of Satan and believe in your heart the truth of God...that He loves you, that He sent His Son to die for you and that He was raised up from the dead on the third day. Then confess with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord". God will do the rest. That is what salvation through grace is. It is a free gift and there is no way to earn it.

   Did you ever try to give someone you love something and they rejected it? How did you feel? And how did you feel when you gave someone you love something and they accepted it with excitement? That is a small version of how God feels every time someone accepts His grace. When someone accepts the grace of God, there is a PARTY up in heaven! Luke 15:10. Won't you make God happy today?

Leviticus 18:22

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, it is abomination." (KJV)

   It appears quite clearly stated. Now, let's put this verse in context with the whole Bible. We don't want to pull one verse out of context like that one we said proved that Jesus preached hate in the introduction. This verse is a part of a group of hundreds of rules and regulations called the Law. It is important to note that this group of rules is always referred to in the singular form such as:

the Law of Moses

the Law of the Lord

the Law of God

the Book of the Law or simply

the Law

Jesus said: "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law." Luke 16:17 These rules were to be taken as one Law...all or nothing.

Let's look at some of the rules of the Law found in Leviticus.

Chapters 1-7 rules about the different kinds of offerings and sacrifices that were to be made in preparation for worship.

Chapters 8-10 rules for the priests regarding offerings, sacrifices, and other priestly duties.

Chapter 11 rules about clean and unclean foods...no pork, shrimp are abomination, and it's O.K. to eat beetles, locusts and grasshoppers.

Chapter 12 rules about purification of a woman after childbirth and circumcision of males a must.

Chapters 13-14 rules related to skin disorders from leprosy to scabby stuff like dandruff and eczema and blemishes like zits.

Chapter 15 rules about purification of women after their period and for men with seminal discharges.

Chapter 16 more priestly rules

Chapter 17 rules about not eating blood.

Chapter 18 rules about sex

Chapter 19 rules about dealing fairly with others, no crossbreeding of animals or crops (Tropicana twisters are a synthetic sin), no mixed fabrics (no polyester or cotton blends), no cutting of sideburns or trimming of beards, when you plant a tree you are to avoid eating its fruit for three years.

Chapter 20 rules about sex...if a man has sex with a woman on her period they are both to be cut off from the people and that if a couple commits adultery they are both to be put to death.

Chapter 25 rules about not lending money to a country man with interest, and we are not to sell food at a profit.

My favorite law is in Deuteronomy 15:1 "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts."

We can go on and on...Matthew 5:17,18. Notice that the vast majority of these laws have to do with being clean or unclean or are about keeping yourself from being cut off from the people. Clean or unclean for what? Cut off from the congregation? Why? Exodus 19:1-6 gives us the clue...

Exodus 19:1-6

1. In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt-- on the very day-- they came to the Desert of Sinai.

2. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

3. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:

4. 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

5. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,

6. you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

(NIV)

So Israel was to be a kingdom of priests. What is the function of a priest?...to lead in worship. So the function of the Israelites was to WORSHIP. They had to be set apart or consecrated in order to be purified for worshipping a Holy God. He said, "Be ye Holy as I am Holy." When you read the Law you will find that the only way to really be purified for worship was by the blood of a lamb, sheep, goat, bullock, etc. Once they were purified for worship what did they do? What was the central part of their worship? It was the tabernacle. The central part of the tabernacle was the Holy of Holies. The central part of the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. The lid of the Ark of the covenant was the Mercy Seat. The plans for this tabernacle were given by the Lord in great detail. Exodus Chapters 25-30. They were to follow these details with accuracy. Exodus 25:8,9. This accuracy was important because the tabernacle was an earthly copy of the tabernacle in heaven. Hebrews 9:24. The Most Holy Place was the throne room of God and the Mercy Seat was His throne!! The only person that was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place was the High Priest. All of these laws and all of the ritualistic cleaning and all of the sacrificial blood had a purpose. It was so that the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies where more blood was sprinkled so that God would accept their worship.

To enter the Most Holy Place the High Priest had to go through a curtain or veil. Exodus 26:31-33.

While Jesus was on earth the Law was still in effect. However, the moment he died the Law was fulfilled. Upon His death, the curtain that caused a separation between us and God was ripped open from top to bottom. These curtains were over 40 feet high and they were thick. They were torn by God. The Holy of Holies or God's throne room is no longer closed off to us. Now we can approach God with confidence and without fear of being "unclean" because the blood of Jesus was shed for us. If we ask for it He will sprinkle us like Moses did the Israelites. But now, the sacrifice of His body and blood is eternal and need not be repeated over and over. There is no need for "the Law of Moses" as it has been fulfilled in Jesus. Matthew 27:50,51. Exodus 24:8 and Hebrews 10:19-23.

Now, when we believe in this blood of Jesus Christ, we are made clean or righteous by it. (Not by works but by faith in the blood.) Since we are righteous or in right standing with God we can freely and with confidence go into His very throne room and He is also free to walk among us. Ephesians 3:10-12, Hebrews 4:16 and 2 Corinthians 6:16.

The blood of Jesus is the only way to salvation. If there were any other way then Christ died for nothing!!! Galatians 2:20,21

Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed because of homosexuality and we are no longer under the "Law of sin and death". Accept the grace of God. Accept the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus and let your consciences be cleaned and allow Him to walk in your life. He wants to do that and he knows you are gay!

Let's read Galatians 3:19-29.

Gal 3:19-29

19. Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made.

20. Now a mediator is not for one {party only} whereas God is {only} one.

21. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

22. But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

24. Therefore the Law has become our tutor {to lead us} to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.

25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

26. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

(NAS)

You can't believe that Jesus died for you if you are bound by the Law and believe that you are an abomination worthy of death. If you abide by the Law then you are saying that the death of Christ means nothing to you and that is exactly what Satan wants you to believe!!! But we know that "Satan is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44

Romans 6:14 says that we "are no longer under the law but under grace." The concept of grace is very simple It has nothing to do with what you did or do or will do...the concept of grace has to do with what God has already done and why He did it!

Now if someone judges you by the Law yet himself does not uphold the Law he is a lawbreaker (James 2:10) and he will also be judged by the Law. So he better make all those sacrifices, worship at a tabernacle, and eat beetles and grasshoppers instead of shrimp, pork and lobster. But for us "Christ is the end of the Law"! Romans 10:4.

I could leave this section blank since Jesus said not a single word for or against homosexuality as he said not a single word for or against heterosexuality. I have asked many the following question: If being gay is so against God then why did Jesus not say a word on the subject? I have yet to be answered. He did have a whole lot to say about the self righteous who think they have the corner on God. He says a lot about people who look down their noses at those who are different or less fortunate. The reason for this is as follows...self righteous folks do not conform to the three things that God demands:

1. Loving God: a self righteous person feels that they are righteous by the way they live their life and the things they do rather than depending on the sacrifice made by Jesus and the Grace of God. That takes a certain humility that is absent in the self righteous. The minute a person starts to point a finger you can be assured that God is displeased because judging is reserved for Jesus and Jesus alone. Matthew 25:31- 46. Here Jesus also shows that loving others is a picture of how we love Him. Besides, when you point one finger at someone there are three pointing back at you. Romans 2:1.

2. Loving others as themselves: a self righteous person is another name for a stuck up individual. There is no room in their heart for loving others unless it is to their advantage and you fit into their mold.

3. They are very hard on themselves when they fail...as all do since we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

There is no question that to understand what "detestable practices" the Word refers to in Ezekiel 16 and in Romans and Corinthians as well as Jude, it is important to know what the worship of the false gods of biblical times involved. Following is some information from Nelson's Bible Dictionary and the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament:

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1986 and from the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament):

"The pagan civilizations of Bible times worshipped many gods. They had male and female deities, high and low gods, assemblies of gods, priests and priestesses, and temples and sacrifices. All the forces of nature that could not be controlled or understood were considered supernatural powers to be worshipped and feared.

Most of the people of the ancient world worshipped more than one god. These gods were worshipped in the form of representative idols. This practice is called idolatry. The pagan nations made statures or images to represent the powers which they worshipped. Most of these idols were in the form of animals or men.

Each civilization and culture had its own mythological structure, but these structures were often quite similar. The names of the gods may have been different, but their functions and actions were often the same. The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many pagan cultures believed that the god of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn each year in the spring.

The ancient Babylonian and Assyrian goddess Ishtar symbolized Mother Earth in the natural cycles of fertility on earth. Many myths grew up around this female deity. She was the goddess of love, so the practice of ritual prostitution became widespread in the fertility cult dedicated to her name. Temples to Ishtar had many priestesses, or sacred prostitutes, who symbolically acted out the fertility rites of the cycle of nature. Ishtar has been identified with the Phoenician Astarte, the Semitic Ashtoreth, the Sumerian, the Egyptian Isis, the Greek Aphrodite, and the Roman Venus. Ishtar's male fertility counterpart was Tamuz who was closely associated with the Canaanite fertility god, Baal.

Adremelech was a god worshipped by child sacrifice.

Egyptians gods were figures of men with heads of animal or birds.

The Canaanite god most often referred to is Baal who was thought to provide productive forces of nature, Baal was worshipped with much sensuality. As with the male shrine prostitutes. Baal and related deities are also portrayed as a mating bull, symbolizing fertility. Baal's mistress or lover was Anat. Anat is sometimes identified with the queen of heaven in mentioned in Jeremiah.

Anat was the patroness of sex and passion, lewd figurines of this nude goddess, various objects with exaggerated sexual features, have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Palestine." When I went to Costa Rica last year I went to a museum that displayed similar artifacts. These displays made the toys behind the counter of Diner's News look like a Sunday school picnic. (At least that is what I gathered from the description of Diner's News I got from someone who used to go there.) :-o)

Molech was the national deity of the Ammonites whose worship was accompanied by the burning of children offered up in sacrifice by their own parents. Chemosh was the national God of the Moabites who was also worshipped with child sacrifices.

Ashtoreth was the ancient goddess of the moon, sexuality, sensual love, and fertility and is often associated with the worship of Baal.

Zeus was the supreme god of the Greeks. According to Greek mythology he was the ruler of heaven and father of the other gods and mortal heroes.

Diana also called Artemis was the goddess of the moon, hunting, wild animals, and virginity. Aphrodites was the goddess of sensual love.

In both the Old Testament and the New Testament the people of God were surrounded by pagan gods. The apostle Paul declared to the philosophers of Athens, "I perceive that in all things you are very religious". In the city of Athens, idols of pagan gods stood on every street corner. The Athenians even erected an altar "to the unknown god". Acts 17:22,23."

 

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

To worship these other gods meant sexual promiscuity, child sacrifices, worship of rivers, sun, moon, stars, man made idols, etc. Now, in light of this information let us look at Paul's writings in Romans and in Corinthians.

Romans 1:26, 27

Now that we have an idea of the cultural/religious setting in Paul's day, let's read Romans 1:14-2:1:

Romans 1:14 - Romans 2:1

14. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

15. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.

16. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

17. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

18. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

19. since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

21. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

22. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

25. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen.

26. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.

27. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

28. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

29. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,

30. slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;

31. they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

32. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

CHAPTER 2

1. You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

(NIV)

In the first few verses Paul describes the gospel: "the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes", a "righteousness by faith". Then Paul goes on to describe people who have no faith in God...people who reject the Creator for a lie...they chose to worship and serve created things rather than the Creator. The exchanged the glory of God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. This very clearly describes the idols made by the people of ancient times who worshipped the gods of the day as described in the section on False Gods of the Bible. Now Paul didn't just change the subject of false religion and jump into homosexuality. He continued his thought in verses 24-27. Here Paul is speaking of the associated temple prostitution. Verse 24 refers to the acts between men and women, verse 26 - women with women and verse 27 - men with men. Paul specifically referred to all sexual acts between people and possibly animals as well in the context of religious worship of false gods. Many like to say that verse 27 is talking about AIDS being God's punishment for homosexuals where it reads "and they received the due penalty for their perversion." If that is so then we can use the same silly logic to say that syphilis is God's punishment for heterosexuality. Actually, the argument is very ignorant. I believe that the penalty has to do with an internal emptiness that comes when a person has no relationship with God. Paul is very clearly referring to temple prostitution and idol worship especially of the fertility gods. Now in verse 28 Paul continues. "Furthermore they (referring to the godless not the homosexuals) were given over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done" as described in verses 29-32. These following verses describe nothing about homosexuality. They describe things that violate the three things God insists upon: loving God, loving your neighbor and loving yourself....again an interpretation consistent with the entire Bible.

Most gay haters don't like to read Romans 2:1 or maybe they get so hung up on 1:26,27 that they have never read Romans 2:1.

1 Corinthians 6:9,10

According to Nelson's Bible Dictionary Corinth was ancient Greece's most important trade city. At Corinth the apostle Paul established a flourishing church made up of a cross section of the worldly minded people who had flocked to Corinth to participate in the gambling, legalized temple prostitution, business adventures, and amusements available in this first century navy town.

The city soon became a melting pot for the approximately 500,000 people who lived there at the time of Paul's arrival. Merchants and sailors, anxious to work the docks, migrated to Corinth. Professional gamblers and athletes, betting on the Isthmian games, took up residence. Slaves, sometimes freed but with no place to go, roamed the streets day and night. Prostitutes (both male and female) were abundant. All of the Mediterranean world relished the lack of standards and freedom of thought that prevailed in the city.

These were the people who eventually made up the Corinthian church. They had to learn to live together in harmony, although their national, social, economic, and religious backgrounds were very different.

Near the city's market place were the butcher stalls or meat markets that Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:25. The meat was often dedicated to pagan idols before being sold. This presented a culturoreligious problem for the Christians in Corinth.

Rising 1500 feet above the city and to the south is the acropolis was a fortified hill upon which loomed the infamous Temple of Aphrodite or Venus. This pagan temple and its 1,000 temple prostitutes greatly influenced the city's culture and morals.

Paul wrote 2 letters to the church in Corinth and both dealt with divisions in the church, as well as immorality and the abuse of Christian freedom.

With this in mind let us do a word study of 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 using a Strong's Greek Dictionary.

KJV-- unjust, unrighteous 

adikos (ad'-ee-kos); unjust; by extension wicked; by implication, treacherous; specially, heathen:

KJV-- be heir, (obtain by) inherit (-ance 2816)

 kleronomeo (klay-ron-om-eh'-o); to be an heir to (literally or figuratively):

KJV-- go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way

planao (plan-ah'-o); to (properly, cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue):

 

KJV-- fornicator, whoremonger.

pornos (por'-nos); from pernemi (to sell; akin to the base of 4097); a (male) prostitute (as venal), i.e. (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine):

KJV-- idolater

eidololatres (i-do-lol-at'-race); an image- servant or) worshipper (literally or figuratively):

KJV-- adulterer

moichos (moy-khos'); perhaps a primary word; a (male) paramour; figuratively, apostate:an apostate is a person who expounds false doctrine that disowns Jesus Christ. Paul is referring to religious adultery as well as marital.

KJV-- effeminate, soft

malakos (mal-ak-os'); of uncertain affinity; soft, i.e. fine (clothing); figuratively, a catamite: a young male used in pederasty

KJV-- abuser of oneself with mankind

arsenokoites (ar-sen-ok-oy'-tace); from 730 and 2845; a sodomite: and from 6942 quadesh a quasi sacred person, i.e., a male devotee by prostitution to licentious idolatry

KJV-- thief.

kleptes (klep'-tace); from 2813; a stealer (literally or figuratively):

KJV-- covetous

pleonektes (pleh-on-ek'-tace); holding (desiring) more, i.e. eager for gain (avaricious, hence a defrauder):

KJV-- drunkard

methusos (meth'-oo-sos); tipsy, i.e. (as noun) a sot:

KJV-- railer, reviler

loidoros (loy'-dor-os); from loidos (mischief); abusive, i.e. a blackguard: a person who uses abusive language

KJV-- extortion, ravening

harpax (har'-pax); rapacious: taking by force, greedy, grabby, predatory

Notice that all of these words refer to idolatry and abuse of others and of oneself. There is nothing here that actually condemns a gay person any more than it condemns a straight person. What God doesn't like is the same theme repeated over and over and over. He hates idolatry and abuse of oneself and of others. Jesus explained what the most important things were to Him...Matthew 22:34-40.

Speaking of the word "condemns" the Bible is clear: "For God did not send his Son into the World to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17.

What is salvation? It means to be saved. What does it mean to be saved? It means to be delivered from the power of sin and death.

Romans 6:23. When a person is saved from a disaster like fire, flood, heart attack, etc. they moved from being in a position of death to a position of life and that is what being saved is all about in the Bible. John 3:16-18.

Who can be saved? Anyone who wants to. John 6:44-51

John 6:37-40, 1 Corinthians 12:3, Hebrews 9:15

Can a homosexual be saved? YES!!! As you saw, gays are not condemned for being gay anymore than straights are condemned for being straight!! No matter what anyone has ever told you, Jesus said that if someone comes to Him it's because the Father draws him and he shall in no way be cast out!! Are you being drawn to Jesus? You must be, or else why do you care what God thinks about you?

Even if you still feel that being gay is a sin after all of the biblical evidence presented here, you can still answer the call that Jesus has on you because once you accept Him as the Lord of your life and BELIEVE in Him, He will change whatever needs to be changed. 2 Corinthians 5:17. This verse speaks of God making us new not us making us new. As the scripture says, this newness comes from being "in Christ".

What must you do to be saved? You must believe. Believe what?

1. believe that God loves you. John 3:16

2. believe that everyone is a sinner including you. Romans 3:23

3. believe that God forgives sin if we ask. 1 John 1:7-9; Psalms 103:12

4. believe and confess with your mouth...Romans 10:9,10

How can I know that I am saved? Answer the following question:

Suppose you died tonight and went to heaven. As you approach the gates of heaven God stops you and asks you: "Why should I let you into heaven?"

We must now get our focus off of our sexual orientation. Realize that this is not an issue with God....Lift up your eyes from the position of guilt and shame and place them on JESUS. He is worthy of your praise and adoration...and he wants you to praise him. Focus your attention on the Word of God for it is filled with life and hope not death and condemnation.

Begin to build a solid personal relationship with the Lord who loves you so much that he not only died for you but also now lives for you!!!!!!

1. When searching out the Scriptures, what 3 things must we keep in mind to avoid misinterpreting God's Word?

THE GAY "LIFESTYLE"

2. Why does God hate promiscuous lifestyles whether they are straight or gay?

SEX FOR PROCREATION ONLY

3. Did God make sex for procreation ONLY?

4. Give some biblical evidence where sex for procreation only was not blessed.

5. What does the Song of Songs teach us about sex and love within the barriers of a committed relationship?

6. Although Song of Songs is a beautiful love story between two individuals who are about to get married and are very much in love with each other, what is the story picture of?

7. What example did Jesus give us as to what we should be willing to do for our beloved? (John 15:13)

SODOM AND GOMORRAH

8. What kind of act is really being described in Genesis 19:4-9?

9. How do we know that the men surrounding Lot's house were not strictly gay men?

10. Where in the Bible is there a similar story to the story of Sodom with a similar outcome?

11. Give a verse that lists the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.

12. What were some of the similarities between some of the cities in Jesus' day and Sodom and Gomorrah? (Matthew 10:11-15 and 11:20-24)

13. In Jude 1:7 what does the Greek word that is translated into "perversion" (NIV) or "going after strange flesh" (KJV) really mean?

14. Is being carnally minded or giving oneself over to lusts of the flesh exclusively a gay thing? Do heterosexuals do the same things?

15. What does God do with our sins when we repent and ask God to forgive us? 1 John 1:9 and Psalms 103:8-13

16. How early in our lives did God come to know us according to Psalms 139:13-16?

17. How does God feel when we accept His grace? Luke 15:10

THE LAW

18. Why were the Jews so concerned with being clean or unclean? Exodus 19:1-6

19. What was the central place of worship for the Jews?

20. What was the central part of the tabernacle?

21. What was the earthly Jewish worship center a copy of? Hebrews 9:24

22. What did the Holy of Holies represent?

23. Who was the only one allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and how often did he do this?

24. How did Jesus feel about the Law when He was on earth? Matthew 5:17-20

25. What was the purpose of the curtain or veil described in Exodus 26:31-37?

26. What did it mean when this curtain was torn in two? Matthew 27:50,51; Hebrews 10:19-23; Romans 10:4

27. What does Romans 6:14 say?

28. If someone attempts to judge you by the Law then they will also be by the Law. But since you are under grace and not under the Law their judgment on you does not apply to you. You have chosen to have God as your judge and praise Him for "His mercy endures forever"! James 4:12 and 2 Chronicles 20:20,21

ROMANS AND CORINTHIANS

29. What were some of the common idolatrous practices of biblical times?

30. What type of activity is Paul referring to in Romans 1:24-27?

31. What type of people lived in Corinth?

32. What was at the top of the acropolis in Corinth?

33. Study the Greek word list for 1 Corinthians 6:9,10.

34. What is it that God hates? Proverbs 6:16-19

35. What is it that God wants from us? Matthew 22:34-40 and James 1:26, 27

SALVATION

36. What does it mean to be saved? Romans 6:23

37. Who can be saved? John 6:44-51, John 6:37-40, 1 Corinthians 12:3, Hebrews 9:15

38. What must we do in order to be saved? John 3:16, Romans 10:9,10

39. When we ask God to forgive our sins, what does God do? 1 John 1:7-9 and Psalms 103:12.

40. What does Romans 3:23 say about EVERYONE from the Pope to the President, from the rich and famous to the homeless, from the self righteous to the underdog?

41. How would you respond if someone asked you: "Why should God let the likes of you into heaven?" Romans 3:21-26, Romans 5:9-11, Ephesians 1:7,8, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:18,19, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 5:9,10, Revelation 7:14