The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Kelcey W. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Research on Homosexuality
"So God created man in His own image, male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27.) In the very beginning, God created humans in His own likeness and desired fellowship with us. He created us male and female so we could have companionship and so we would be able to "multiply and fill the earth". However, since that time, men and woman have taken God's picture of marriage and twisted it into something evil.
God repeatedly says in the Bible that homosexuality is not to be allowed. (Leviticus 18: 22, 20:13.) Homosexuality is against His plan and Israel was to severely punish this act, even by death (20:13.) He calls this act an abomination and instituted this severe punishment to show the awfulness of sin. He wanted it purged from His people. However, this was not the only thing that He set up the death penalty for; really, God hates sin so much that all sin deserves death (Romans 6: 23: "For the wages of sin is death.")
In Romans chapter one, Paul discusses homosexuality and gives a reason for why people would fall into something against the nature God had given them. He speaks in verses 18-23 about those who see all of the evidences of God – His creation, His power, His miracles, His Son – so much so that they are without an excuse. However, these people denied God and their hearts were darkened; they became futile in their thoughts. They became fools, Paul says, and changed God into an image of the things He created. They worshiped the creation instead of the Creator. Paul says then, in verse 26, "For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature." Later he says that because of their sinfulness they were "receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."
In the book of First Corinthians Paul continues this theme. Chapter six, verse nine reads, "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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." That list seems pretty hopeless and harsh if taken alone. However, context must be taken into consideration; the next verse is the most important: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (emphasis added)." This is amazing, wonderful, beautiful news! This means that forgiveness and reconciliation is possible for everyone, period.
The old adage, "Hate the sin but love the sinner" is the case here. God can forgive anything – His death on the cross broke the power of sin forever. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us." Once we ask His forgiveness, we are no longer are slaves to sin, our passions, or our desires. We have no obligation to fulfill our desires, for we have become instead slaves of Christ – now it is our duty to allow God to develop in us the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.) Though there is pressure from society to conform to their wishes, to sit down and say nothing, we must remember that society does not set the standard for God's law. His truth is true yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. We must never compromise what the Bible says to be accepted by the world. "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? (James 4:4)" However, we also need to see everyone through the lens of Jesus: Jesus shed His blood for this person, and I have done no more or no less in His eyes than they have. His love for them should overwhelm us as we pray for them to find God and His forgiveness, and then to resist temptation.
