|
|
|
Chapter Three: Levitical Law and Grace
Introduction In Chapter One, we considered the seeming dilemma that exists between Christianity and homosexuality. We also considered how it is so necessary to hold the whole Bible while we simultaneously attend to its various parts. And, we considered that things are not often as black and white as some people might like us to believe relative to interpreting the Bible. In Chapter Two, we considered the story of Sodom, as well as extensions of it relative to the qadeshim, who were referred to in the King James Version of the Bible as "sodomites" but, more correctly, should have been referred to as "male temple cult prostitutes." And, we considered the historical role of the worship of fertility gods and goddesses in pre-Canaanite times, in Canaanite times, and in ancient Greek and Roman times as well. This historical role will be explicated further within this chapter, too, as we discuss Levitical law and grace.
The Major Question The major question that we need to consider relative to this chapter is, "Why the seemingly hard-line stance by God concerning same-sex behavior, cross-dressing, and eunuchs --- as commonly quoted from the following verses of the Torah:
Understanding Why Levitical Law was Originally Imposed on the Children of Israel In order to answer the major question just posed, I want to remind the reader that "Torah" is another word for "the Law." Though many people might think only of the 10 Commandments (found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-22) when they read or hear of "the Law," it is really much more than that. Generally speaking, the recorded Law or "written Torah" is used synonymously with the first five "books" of the Bible known as the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. As such, "the Law" includes all of the covenant requirements, commandments, statutes, rules, regulations, and ordinances laid down by the Lord God Almighty throughout the Pentateuch and found in varying degrees in each of those five "books" (some of which are more concerned with narrative than with law). I have chosen to use "Levitical law" in this chapter as representative of "the Law" for the following reasons: 1) because Leviticus is the most thoroughly legalistic book of the Pentateuch as well as the entire Bible; 2) because it serves as the embodiment of the myriad rules, regulations, and ordinances imposed by the Lord God Almighty on those who were to inhabit the Promised Land; 3) because most of the laws found in the largely legalistic section of Deuteronomy can be viewed as an amplification of Leviticus; 4) because Leviticus is the location for two of the most often used passages against homosexuality; and, 5) to help the reader keep separate religious law from civil, or governmental, law. The rules, regulations and ordinances detailed in Leviticus are quite extensive, covering every major aspect of the human condition experienced by the children of Israel. Levitical prohibitions included dietary restrictions:
In other words, Levitical law required the children of Israel to refrain from eating rabbit, pork, shrimp, lobster, clams, oysters, and even catfish! Further, Levitical law also restricted the children of Israel in the following ways:
Thus, allowing a horse to mate with a donkey to produce a jackass would be against Levitical law. Planting rye and barley in the same field would be contrary to what is allowed by Levitical law. And, wearing garments made of mixed fiber, like cotton and wool, would be considered by Levitical law to be unholy as well (to say nothing of polyester). Levitical law prohibited the children of Israel from tattooing themselves and even provided guidelines for men's haircuts:
Penalties for disobeying Levitical law were quite severe by today's standards:
I would like you to take the time and read through the whole book of Leviticus. I know it is rather tedious reading, but I think it will be challenging for you to find that there were some constraints placed upon the Israelites that were not only severe but also next to impossible to observe, including some prohibitions that, from a modern-day standpoint, just do not make sense without a global view of what the Lord was trying to instill in the hearts and minds of those He intended to be His people. Do the hundreds of rules, regulations and ordinances detailed by Levitical law appertain to Christians? No. Why not? Because the Nation of Israel and the Church of Christ are two distinctly separate entities. (To be sure, the Lord God Almighty is not finished with nonchristian Jews, but collectively they are not the same as His Church.) Here, a distinction is made between national Israel and spiritual Israel. National Israel includes nonbelieving Jews, and spiritual Israel includes all who believe in Christ, including Messianic Jews (i.e., those who believe that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah). So, then, you may ask, why were the rules, regulations, and ordinances of the Torah laid down? I think that question is best answered through understanding the following verse:
Again, we need to keep historical context in mind again. The people whom the Lord was trying to regulate and bring to Him were a barbarous and primitive nomadic people. Perhaps you may gain additional insight through a comment made by Moses to the children of Israel just before they were to enter the Promised Land:
Moses didn't say, "I've been with you for 40 years. I've walked with you in the wilderness. We have had some good times and some bad together. I wish you well, and I will miss you!" Instead, he said, "You have been stiff-necked from the very first day that I knew you!" Indeed, the Lord was dealing with a very difficult group of people. Because they were stubborn, and because they had such barbarous customs, He wanted to instruct them that they had to consecrate even the smallest details of their lives to Him if they were going to truly be His children and that such consecration would not be easy. Thus, the rules, regulations, and ordinances of the Torah were laid down to help this stiff-necked and rebellious group of primitive people come to understand that in order to become a holy people, they had to learn to separate themselves from barbarous customs and idolatrous practices, discipline themselves, and offer their daily activities up to God as proof of their willingness to be His people. To be sure, in addition to "Law," the word Torah also denotes "teaching," "instruction," and "direction." Does this mean that Christians should throw out the Ten Commandments? No. But it does mean that we should pay special attention to what Jesus said were the greatest commandments, or what "sums up the Law and the Prophets," (Matthew 7:12 NIV) which is that we should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind (as well as all of our might); and that we should love our neighbor as much as we individually love ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40) That is what Jesus said summarizes the Law. To be sure, as Christians, though we worship every seven days, we do not worship on the Jewish Sabbath, which is from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. So, the overwhelming majority of Christians do not even keep all of the Ten Commandments. Interestingly, even when some Christian denominations keep the Jewish Sabbath as their day of worship, they often end up unnecessarily adhering to many of the other ordinances and restrictions that are written in Levitical law as well. Levitical law required perfection not only in the people who ministered to the Lord but also in the animals that were to be sacrificed to Him:
Centuries later, Jesus spoke of fulfilling the Law:
What did Jesus mean by the above statement? Specifically, that Levitical law required the offering of an unblemished, or perfect, blood sacrifice as an atonement for iniquity and sin. And, that He was to serve as that offering in the establishment of a New Covenant as "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29,36) and, in that way, fulfill the entirety of Levitical law. In his perfect obedience to God, Jesus fulfilled all the Law's requirements. To be sure, he ended up canceling the whole written code (i.e., releasing people from bondage to Levitical law), as stated in Colossians 2:14:
According to the Bible, the sacrifice of Jesus canceled the rules, regulations and ordinances of Levitical Law, having nailed them to the cross!
Understanding the Law in Relationship to Grace I think that we need to come to the understanding that the Law is something that was put in place in order to help people learn that God requires His people (no matter who they are and no matter in what age) to be "set aside" --- which is to say, to be truly consecrated to, and sanctified unto, Him. How can people become sanctified? Well, the ancients were challenged by the Law to live their lives in a way that approached true holiness by following all of its rules, regulations, and ordinances. Christians should be careful about trying to live in accordance with the Law or trying to impose on others what they themselves will not fulfill. Concerning hypocritical adherents to the Law, Christ Jesus said many times, "Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites." (Matthew 23:1-39 NIV) He called them, "You blind guides!" And said, "You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." (Matthew 23:24 NIV) He chided them with, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" (Matthew 23:33 NIV) Who or what is a hypocrite? An unfaithful servant, or someone who, in the name of God, requires someone else to do what he or she cannot do. To be sure, we can come to a better understanding of the Law through understanding New Testament teachings. In Romans 6:14, we are taught that we "are not under law, but under grace." (NIV) Indeed, Christians are liberated from following the rules, regulations, and ordinances of the Law. The Lord God Almighty established a covenant with Abraham, because Abraham was considered a righteous man. Why was Abraham considered a righteous man? Because he was a man of faith, and the Bible teaches that righteousness was imputed to him because of his faith:
So, God recognized that Abraham had faith, and He established a covenant with Abraham. And it was not until the children of Israel left Egypt after more than four centuries in bondage that the various rules, regulations, and ordinances of Levitical law were put in place. Are we to believe, then, that there were no people who were righteous in God's sight from the time of Abraham up to the time that the Law was imposed? Or, that there were no people who had faith in the Lord God Almighty? Of course not. There were people of faith; some of the descendants of Abraham were people of faith and were considered by the Lord to be righteous, as well, because of their faith. The point I am trying to reiterate here is that, as the Bible teaches, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6 NIV) In other words, what the Lord looks at is whether or not we have faith. The Bible also teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the author and finisher, or perfecter, of that faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Again, it is faith that is crucial to our right standing with the Lord God Almighty. It was faith that was crucial for the centuries between the Abrahamic covenant and the imposition of the rules, regulations and ordinances of Levitical law, and it is faith that is still crucial now after the first advent of Christ and the time of His atonement for our iniquity and sin through His crucifixion and death. Even under the Law this was true, since the purpose of the Law was to teach the children of Israel to put their faith and hope in the coming Messiah promised by Moses and the prophets. If the Law could have made them righteous, however, there would have been no need for blood sacrifices, and if the sacrifices of animals had been sufficient, there would have been no need of a Messiah. So, all (i.e., Law and sacrifices) pointed to the need for a Redeemer. Having faith has always been, and still is, what the Lord God Almighty holds to be more valuable than adhering to the Law! Romans 2:25-29 declares that, spiritually speaking, those who are true descendants of Abraham are those who have humbled themselves before the Lord and have faith, and thereby their righteousness, in Him:
Romans 2:25-29 reminds me of a personal story. One of my good Christian friends, Steve, who happens to be heterosexual, is someone with whom I had worked for a long time. He was in a quandary, because he knew that my life demonstrated the principles of Christ and yet, at the same time, he knew that I was homosexual. No matter how much we discussed the issue, he could not reconcile my homosexuality with my Christianity based on his understanding of the Bible. To be sure, we had discussed this issue often. (And I was willing to do that, because he was a person of love, willing to listen as well as to share his comments in non-judgmental and non-condemning ways.) We went through all Scriptural aspects even obliquely related to same-sex behaviors in the Bible but to no avail. The breakthrough did not come for him until (thinking of the previously-quoted Romans 2:25-29) I asked him, "Isn't it possible, Steve, that, if the Lord God Almighty can view uncircumcision as circumcision, then could He not also view a homosexual who has faith, and who is righteous in His sight as a result of that faith, to be, in a sense, equal with heterosexuals?" In other words, if God --- who at one time viewed circumcision as a sign, token or standard that people had a covenant with Him (Genesis 17:11) --- could end up in this dispensation to view uncircumcision the same as circumcision (providing that people's hearts are in the right place), could He not also end up in this dispensation to view the homosexual orientation the same as the heterosexual orientation for those people whose love for Him, faith in Him and hope in Him are not displaced? Though Steve and I had discussed this issue for many months, it was that particular question and this particular scriptural reference just quoted that created the turning point for Steve. The Holy Spirit moved in a special way, and Steve said, "Oh, I understand. That makes sense!" Sometimes, the Holy Spirit uses different verses, different passages, or different phrases in order to impinge upon our consciousness the truth that He would illumine for us if we let Him. For Steve, it was understanding, interpreting and applying this Scripture --- "Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?" (Romans 2:25) --- to how God might view the homosexual who is righteous (that is, who has faith in Him). For Steve, it was as if the Scripture were rewritten to say, "Therefore, if a homosexual has faith in the Lord God Almighty will not his homosexuality be counted as heterosexuality?" This, of course, assumes that heterosexuality is the ideal type or standard. And, perhaps it was relative to reproduction and one of God's earliest commandments to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth;" (Genesis 1:28 KJV) but we also know through Scripture that God has special promises for those who do not reproduce. (I will address this later in this chapter by way of Isaiah 56:3-5.) To be sure, the Gospel message is a very, very simple message; but, if we end up reading verses and passages within the Bible like Romans 2:25-29, it is not until the Holy Spirit elucidates and illuminates those passages that we are able to more fully understand their implications and applications. Indeed, to the human mind, Romans 2:25-29 is somewhat obtuse; so, unless the Holy Spirit resides in us and/or ministers its specific meaning to us, we really cannot understand that passage, because it would just seem like double-talk or "doublespeak" (i.e., convoluted). We must depend upon the Holy Spirit for interpretation and meaning relative to the Scriptures:
The reason that I am spending considerable time on the particular issue of Levitical law versus grace is that, too often, people would have others live according to Levitical law, when the Lord God Almighty has done away with adhering to it as a criterion for entering His Kingdom. It is not God's desire for us to live according to Levitical Law. So, do not quote Levitical law to one another as the ideal standard or measure, since that would be very dangerous. Dangerous? Yes, it is dangerous to use Levitical law in order to evaluate or assess the lives of other individuals or to impose its restrictions on others. Galatians 3:10 tells us of that danger, and this is what it says: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law [i.e., the Torah].'" (NIV, brackets mine) So, if you think that other people should live by Levitical law, you actually put that measure upon yourself, and you yourself are then cursed because you cannot ever fulfill or live up to the obligations of all of the rules, regulations and ordinances that are found in Leviticus or, for that matter, in the rest of the Pentateuch. The Apostle Paul states:
Those who try to apply Levitical law to the lives of others should seek understanding of the following passages:
Scripture shows that Christ Jesus Himself broke Levitical law, according to the legalistic views of the people of his day, by working on the Sabbath in direct violation of Leviticus 23:3:
How did Jesus work on the Sabbath day? He healed the sick on the Sabbath. (John 7:23) And He permitted His disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath day:
In response, Jesus reminded them that even King David also broke Levitical law when he ate bread that had been consecrated to the Lord (Matthew 12:3-4; see also 1 Samuel 21:6 and Leviticus 24:5 and 9). Not only did Jesus fail to enforce Levitical law when he prevented the adulteress from being stoned (John 8:3-7; see also Leviticus 20:10), he changed or altered the Law by challenging the crowd to examine themselves first before they judged her. To be sure, Jesus elevated the Law to a higher level, or more spiritual plane, when He taught:
Relative to the issue of Levitical law versus faith, the Apostle Paul wrote:
Understanding Biblical Contexts for Laws Regarding Forbidden Sexual Liaisons, Cross-Dressing, and Eunuchs So, why the seemingly hard-line stance by God in the Torah concerning same-sex behavior, cross-dressing (transvestitism), and eunuchs (castrated males)? As I said in the case of both male and female cult prostitutes (the qadashim and qadashoth), God is against activity that is associated with idolatrous worship no matter what that activity happens to be. The Canaanite fertility religions incorporated ceremonial practices that involved ritualistic sexual immorality between members of the same sex, cross dressing, and even castration. Let's now consider further the role that these cult practices had in terms of shaping the Law. I indicated to you in the previous chapter what a substantial role temple cult prostitution had in terms of worshipping fertility gods and goddesses. Let us consider 1 Kings 14:24. I think this is an important enough verse to underline a particular key phrase that helps provides an interpretive link to one of the two "clobber" verses in Leviticus commonly used against homosexuality and homosexuals:
Regardless of the version, we now know from the groundwork laid down in Chapter Two of this book that 1 Kings 14:24 really states that "there were male temple cult prostitutes in the land." Any translation other than "male temple cult prostitutes" or "male shrine prostitutes" is not an appropriate, or accurate, rendering of the Hebrew qadashim (the male temple cult prostitutes who were used in sexual rituals in ceremonies for Ashtoreth, Baal and Molech and other various fertility gods and goddesses worshipped throughout most of antiquity). So, in looking at 1 Kings 14:24 (KJV), it says, "there were also qadashim in the land (or, male temple cult prostitutes) who did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD [had] cast out before the children of Israel." [brackets mine] Now, the sentence part that I underlined is "the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel." "Cast out," "dispossessed," "drove out," and "had driven out" from the previously quoted versions are translated from the past tense of a Hebrew verb. In other words, there were male temple cult prostitutes in the land who did according to the abominations of the nations which the Lord God Almighty had already --- that is, "by then" --- cast out before the children of Israel. We are now going to see how important that is as a link to the interpretation of the Levitical reference to which many think applies to modern-day homosexuals and homosexuality (i.e., Leviticus 18:22). Before we turn to Leviticus 18:22, let me remind you that, by now, you should know that holding the whole Bible while simultaneously attending to its various parts is imperative in understanding Scripture. And, when you interpret the Bible, you need to look at the literary context in which a particular verse is found (not only the literary context in terms of surrounding verses but also references and links to it in other place within the Bible as well), and you need to look at each verse relative to its historical context. Why? Because, as I have stated before, individual Bible verses when take alone often only present half of the truth. It is the whole Bible that imparts the whole truth. (That is why we need to cherish and study the whole book.) To understand, interpret, and apply Scripture, we need to abide by the dictum, "To proof text without context is pretext." Do I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God? Yes, I do believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but, also, that we need to attend to everything it says: Everything, and not just selectively take out of context what we want to take out. Let's begin by sharing Leviticus 18:22 in its Biblical context:
Now that you have read Leviticus 18:21-24, you see that it starts with, "You must not profane the name of the LORD by sacrificing your children to the fertility god Molech." Remember that Molech is one of the Canaanite fertility gods, and that profaning the Lord's name includes worshipping false gods through sexual acts committed with male temple cult prostitutes dedicated to those false gods (indicated by verse 22) and ritual acts committed with animals in temples dedicated to them as well (indicated by verse 23). How do we know that the male-male sex indicated in verse 22 is with male temple cult prostitutes? Through the important link that exists between 1 Kings 14:24 and Leviticus 18:24. Leviticus 18:24 reads, "Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, which I am going to cast out before you." Because this "casting" is future tense, that phrase could be translated, "which I will cast out before you," referring to the same nations in 1 Kings 12:24, "which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel" (partly because of the worship practices of the qadeshim, which He specifically refers to in 1 Kings 12:24). Again, what important link exists between 1 Kings 14:24 and Leviticus 18:24? In 1 Kings 14:24, the Lord explains what specifically was included as defiling the nations for which cause in Leviticus 18:24 He promised He was going to cast them (the nations) out. Then, considering the link that exists between 1 Kings 14:24 and Leviticus 18:24, as well as the lead-in of Leviticus 18:21, what is the context of Leviticus 18:22? That "they [the male temple cult prostitutes] did according to all of the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel" (1 Kings 14:24, NKJV) has great significance, because it gives us insight into what type of male-male sex is signaled in Leviticus 18:22 through its cross-reference to Leviticus 18:24 (" . . . for by all these [practices] the nations are defiled which I am going to cast out before you"). Had homosexuality been the reason that the Lord had cast out the nations before the children of Israel, He would not have referred specifically to male temple cult prostitution in 1 Kings 14:24. Thus are we provided in 1 Kings 14:24 with the important link to Leviticus 18:22 that God is referring to male-male sex in the context of temple cult prostitution. Further, in Leviticus 18:21-24, all four verses must be taken together. The " . . . for by all these things . . ." in Leviticus 18:24 [plural emphasis mine] includes the idolatrous worship to Molech explicitly stated in verse 21 and the pagan practices incorporated into such worship, which practices included the murderous sacrifices of children (verse 21) as well as sexual relations between male idol worshippers and male temple cult prostitutes (verse 22) as well as between both male and female idol worshippers and animals (verse 23). So, in reading Leviticus 18:21-24, we have gone back to an earlier time (relative to 1 Kings 14:24), and the Lord is saying "these idolatrous people are doing abominable things; and, for the things that they are doing, I am going to cast them out before you as you enter and take their land." The literary and historical contexts provide this most important biblical link to help us understand God's seemingly hard-line stance against same-sex activities in Leviticus. What's the context for the male-male sex that's mentioned in verse 22? An idolatrous one! Verse 21 is an introductory sentence (though those verses do not form what we think of as a paragraph in modern-day terms). Although the Bible was not written in paragraph form, verse 21 is an introduction to this whole subsection, and it mentions the fertility god Molech. How was Molech worshipped? Molech was worshipped in all sorts of unseemly ways: For example, sometimes worshippers went so far as to actually sacrifice their children to Molech by "passing them through the fire" (i.e., burning them to death). This is the context in which verses 22 through 24 have been written in Leviticus, Chapter 18. To be sure, bestiality and male cult prostitution were common within houses of worship dedicated to Molech as well as in the houses of worship dedicated to other pagan fertility gods and goddesses as well. Many Bible scholars understand what I have just stated. Here is just one example, using Volume Two of The Expositors Bible, which is a 25-volume set provided as a study tool and reference aid in many Bible colleges and institutes. (Certainly, it is found as a reference tool in the library at Christ Evangelical Bible Institute.) Volume Two covers Leviticus and Numbers. Let me share with you what it says concerning the Levitical references to "abominable" sex. It states:
Regarding these and other unlawful sexual relations, at the beginning of the 18th Chapter of Leviticus it is recorded that the Lord said to Moses:
I think the most disturbing thing, dear reader, is that interpretations such as the one just given have been around for decades as well as centuries, but they are just pushed to the side in order to permit the promulgation of a particular agenda against homosexuals, which is a political agenda. To be sure, some people are ignorant of what it means to be homosexual. And because they are ignorant of what it means to be homosexual, they assume that, because they are not homosexual, it must be unnatural. And, they assume that others who are homosexual must be depraved, because thoughts and ideas of companionship with someone of the same sex are abhorrent and foreign to them. Of course they are abhorrent and foreign to them, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are wrong for other individuals. Nor does it mean that the Bible condemns modern-day homosexuals. Regarding promulgation of such a one-sided perspective, I fault less the people who attend church in ignorance of the Bible and who are being fed from the pulpit one perspective and one perspective alone regarding homosexuality. On whose shoulders I think the responsibility rests are the pastors and the teachers and the Bible scholars who allow a certain viewpoint to be presented relative to this particular issue without ever presenting the alternate hypothesis or view. This does a great disservice to the gospel of Christ. Do you know why it does a disservice? Because many homosexuals (as well as some of those sympathetic to their plight) are kept from the cross of Christ. Many are kept from the blood of the Lamb. They are hindered, because they end up believing either that God doesn't love them or that God can not be an honorable God if His ministers foster hatred and condemnation. Do you know what it means to be a homosexual and sit in a church only to hear a pastor or a preacher say that you are depraved and are bound for hell? Indeed, you would not sit in that church for very long. And, if you are not saved, you may exit that church before you ever really hear the gospel message. As a result of that, you might decide (and I have known people who have decided this), "Well, if I am going to hell, then I am going to hell 'real good.'" And they do that exactly! This is not to negate that homosexuals have individual responsibility; it is to remind Christians that they have the responsibility to reach out to each and every other person in order to bring them to the cross of Christ by demonstrating Christ in their lives through loving others in addition to sharing the gospel message, which is the good news that atonement has been given for us all through the substitutionary offering of the perfect and blameless only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Those of you who know the Bible could very well be asking now, "So why the double reference to male-male sex in both Leviticus 18:21 and Leviticus 20:13?" Leviticus 20:13 states:
Simply stated, Chapter 18 of Leviticus identifies the crime and Chapter 20 prescribes the penalty. In other words, the ancient Jews read the nature of the crime in Chapter 18 and, then, looked up the type of punishment (the "Penal Code") in Chapter 20. (Although the Bible is written by the Holy Spirit, the chapters of the Bible are man-made and, thus, artificial.) If you read Chapters 18 and 19 in Leviticus, you will find that, basically, they contain a listing of various crimes against God. Chapter 20 is the so-called penal code in Leviticus; and, so, it restates most of the crimes in Chapters 18 and 19 and, then, lists the punishment for each particular crime. It is as if you went to court and the judge opened up one book and said, " Well, I see that you have violated section so-and-so of a particular ordinance;" and, then, the judge would take out a different book containing the penal code (i.e., a list of punishments) and say, "Since you have violated the law by breaking section so-and-so, here is the punishment for that particular crime." That is why there is a double reference to male-male sex in Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus. The Chapter 18 reference states the so-called crime, and the Chapter 20 reference then indicates the punishment for that particular crime. I recommend that you read Chapters 18 and 19 ("the crimes") and Chapter 20 ("the punishments") to confirm for yourself the written division between the identified crimes and their prescribed punishments. As you are reading, remind yourself that Leviticus is a compilation of separate writings and was not meant to be read as continuously running prose. (This last statement is not to take away from the continuity of Leviticus nor from its authorship.) Then, why did God take such a hard-line stance against cross dressing or transvestitism? Surely, God is omniscient; He knows that various cultures and traditions have different forms of dress. And, certainly, since civilization and culture have evolved to the way that they are today, we find there really is less and less of a distinction concerning differing kinds of apparel for males and females (except, perhaps, in some Islamic countries). Is God really unwavering relative to dresses for women and pants for men? Deuteronomy 22:5 reads, "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man nor shall a man put on a woman's garments, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God." (KJV) If that verse was taken alone and out of literary and historical context, students of the Bible might easily fall to condemn transgenders, which condemnation is certainly evident today. (Keep in mind that the word transgenderism has become an umbrella term that often includes both pre- and post-operative transsexuals as well as heterosexual cross-dressers). Now, I am not a transgendered individual, but I do know that it is very unfair to use Deuteronomy 22:5 against transgenderism. Let me explain to you why this verse was written. This verse was written partly because idolatrous temple practices involved in the cult worship of fertility goddesses included young male prostitutes dressed up as women to emulate the feminine form of their "idol" as well as to attract and better satisfy the procurers of their sexual services --- "procurers" here referring to the heterosexual males who would purchase their "sacrifices" of ritual sexual activity. So, transvestitism in itself is not bad; it was the context that was evil; it was the intent that was bad. Remember in Chapter One when I stated that "God looks at the heart and not at the outer appearance?" (See 1 Samuel 16:7.) If we took a decontextualized view of Deuteronomy 22:5 and compared it to 1 Samuel 16:7, it would seem, then, that God is schizophrenic, because on one hand He says, "No, I look at your heart; I do not look at your outer appearance," and then, on the other hand, if you were to take Deuteronomy 22:5 out of context, that God is saying, "I care more about your outer appearance than the intent of your heart." Well, believe me, God is not schizophrenic. God is much brighter, healthier, and more knowledgeable than we think that He is! In fact, we have little concept of His omniscience, complete health and perfect knowledge --- considering the limitations that we have as human beings and the very limited understanding that we have of the universe --- to be able to come to a basic understanding of the magnificence and the wonder of God's self-existent intelligence. God understands all things, intents as well as outcomes. Simply stated, ancient temple cult practices involved transvestitism; that's one of the reasons why God was against cross-dressing. Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen provides us this view:
Indeed, Rabbi Tilsen acknowledges, if Jews believed in the universal applicability of Deuteronomy 22:5, they would not be permitted to cross-dress on the festival of Purim. Rabbi Tilsen further states, " . . . the history of legal interpretation in Jewish law is not unlike that of other legal systems in that judges ultimately must apply the laws to real-life situations and are thus forced to define the terms in a way that will make sense within the framework of their codes, case law and social reality." Yes, the rabbis, priests and judges of ancient Israel examined the relevancy and contexts of situations before they decided the applicability of the written Law. Such examination demonstrates the significant intelligence and wisdom that can only be provided through the Lord God Almighty. If we consider the Apostle Paul's stance relative to this issue of appropriate gender-related appearance, we find that in 1 Corinthians 11:2, he states, "I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings just as I passed them on to you." He continues:
Now, I find it really curious that many people might refer to what they think are biblical injunctions against homosexuality and pay no attention to the idea of women's head coverings in church. Am I advocating that women should cover their heads when they pray? No, we just need to understand the literary and historical context of the Apostle Paul's position. And we need to understand that many people apply principles for biblical interpretation arbitrarily or, at least, selectively. In order to understand the verses just quoted from 1 Corinthians, we need to go back to verse 2: "I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings." The word which is rendered "teachings" in the New International Version of the Bible is translated "traditions" in the Modern Language and Revised Standard Versions of the Bible. In other words, "the traditions that have been given to you." "Teachings" and "traditions" have been translated from the Greek word paradosis (paradosis), which is defined in Strong's Concordance as "the Jewish traditionary law." We know that traditions and customs change. The Lord God Almighty understands that traditions and customs change. Ask yourself (and I am not going to answer this one for you; I will let you answer it for yourself): Do you really think that the Lord God Almighty cares whether a woman has short hair or a man has long hair? Do you really think that He cares if we wear unisex clothing? I trust you can answer these questions for yourself. Whenever we are tempted to judge another on the basis of his or her apparel, we need to remind ourselves that "all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:27 NIV) In other words, in the reality of God, when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior, we are dressed in Him. We also need to remember that in heaven we will be clothed in His glory! Truly, He cares not one whit about how we are dressed other than that we are dressed appropriately for inclement weather. (God is like that, you know.) Finally, let us now consider another verse that, if taken out of context, would pose quite a dilemma for males who have had a bilateral orchiectomy (both testicles removed):
To be sure, some ancient cult practices involved castration. Why would pagan devotees castrate themselves? To emulate the fertility goddesses they idolized, including Ashtoreth, Cybele, Aphrodite, Astarte, Magna Mater, Ma, and countless others --- who were all catered to by transvestite priests wanting to devote themselves in life-long commitment to, and worship of, their individual fertility goddesses. In order to do that, they wanted to make their bodies resemble, as closely as possible, the bodies of the individual goddesses they served. For these transvestite male temple cult prostitutes, there were two common castration options or practices: One practice was to break a clay pot and, from the shattered pieces, to take a shard and cut the testicles off (and sometimes the penis as well) in honor of the fertility goddess. Another way was to take the testicles and crush them in between two stones or rocks in order to render oneself a physiologic --- and, to a certain extent, an anatomic --- eunuch. In the King James Version, Deuteronomy 23:1 is rendered, "He who is wounded in the stones ["stones" meant "testicles" in old English] or has his privy member cut off ["privy member" here refers to "private member" or "penis"] shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD." Well, taken out of context, that is mighty strong language, as well as very puzzling relative to modern-day applicability. For example, there have been football accidents where a player has actually had to have both testicles removed because of damage sustained during the accident. Does that mean, based on the Law, that he should not be a part of the congregation of the Lord? No, again I say, the Law needs to be considered in the literary and historical contexts in which it has been written. The reason that God did not want people who had their penises cut off, or testes crushed or removed, to enter into His congregation was because such mutilation was commonly done in honor of pagan fertility goddesses. They were tokens of personal commitment and covenant vows made by pagan people to their idols. This disgusted God, --- as it should disgust God! It was, and is, detestable (i.e., abominable) to Him. God could spew people out because of that particular activity, because, though unknown to most of its practitioners, it sought to bring honor to the Devil himself. Concerning the damaged testicles referred to in Deuteronomy 23:1, there is a slightly different reference relative to blemishes in general in Leviticus 21:17-20:
Doesn't that sound somewhat strange to you? In terms of contemporary society and the understanding the Lord Jesus has brought through His Holy Spirit, you know that the Lord God Almighty would not prevent a dwarf from approaching Him in prayer or keep him from salvation. Why did it matter in ancient times? Because the Lord God Almighty was trying to convey to quite unsophisticated people that He is worthy of unblemished individuals and perfect sacrifices. He did not mean that He was rejecting these people forever, just that they were not to serve in priestly roles if they were disabled or disfigured. So, even though Leviticus 21:20 and Deuteronomy 23:1 both include eunuchs, Deuteronomy 23:1 is really speaking of those who have self-mutilated in order to honor fertility goddesses and Leviticus 21:20 is speaking about those of His congregation who were "blemished" accidentally or congenitally. To be sure, at that time the Lord was trying to convey that He is worthy of perfect sacrifices, the embodiment of which would be later found in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. No, it definitely is not true that eunuchs cannot enter into the congregation of the Lord. It is definitely not true that that commandment has universal application and/or that it is relevant to today's dispensation. We do know that, if God were really against eunuchs, He would not have consoled them as he does in Isaiah 56:3-5:
Previously, in the Deuteronomy reference, the Lord stated that He didn't want eunuchs to be a part of His congregation and, yet, later on, in the 56th chapter of Isaiah, He comforts them, saying "do not lament that you are not able to reproduce, because, if you keep My judgments and My precepts and if you honor My laws, I am going to give you a better name, an everlasting name, a name better than those who do reproduce, and one that will not be cut off!" (Yes, God has quite a sense of humor.) What's in a name, you ask? Biblically-speaking, a name embodies the character and identity of an individual. Consider the many Biblical names that incorporate "-el" (meaning, "God") or "-yah" (referring to "Yahweh"). Names like "Ezekiel" and "Daniel" and "Isaiah" and "Jeremiah." Such names speak of dedication to --- as well as identity in and through --- the Lord God Almighty. We know that when we are in heaven, we will have such a name given to us:
Now, as "Lord" and "Savior," Jesus has the best name in heaven. Perhaps those who have better names than others in heaven will be those who stayed faithful to the Lord despite trials, tribulations, persecutions, and emotional and/or physical assassination attempts. Maybe a Black, blind, quadriplegic Christian lesbian will have a better name in heaven than someone who enjoyed a more privileged and carefree existence. I do not know. But, based on Scripture, I think it possible. Especially since we know that everything is reversed in the world of the invisible: the first here are last there; the last here are first there; those who are humble here are great there; those who are arrogant and proud here are humbled there; those who are poor here are rich there; and, those who are rich and selfish here are poor there. (Matthew 19:30) You see, in terms of the nomenclature of God, our names really have great significance. Not the earthly or human appellations that we carry about. Rather, when we get to heaven, we are going to have names that are representative of who we are in God and/or what we did for Him on earth to further His gospel and, by so doing, bring more honor and glory and praise to His Holy Name. Why should someone who has had an extra burden in life receive a "better name" than someone who has been less burdened? Simply stated, because they have clung to God despite the difficulties they experienced. To be sure, some people on this planet lead more privileged lives than others. And, although God loves all of us the same, and, although, when we are made righteous in His sight, we are made all the same (that is, "justified"), God also recognizes that some of us cling to Him in spite of great adversity (and, perhaps, because of it), and in spite of people telling us that we have no right to cling, and He is touched as well as honored by that. And, because He is honored by it, He chooses to honor us. (John 12:26) Though the wages are the same for every believer (i.e., salvation), rewards for individual works are different. Sometimes, I am asked questions by homosexuals who are struggling with the issue of Christianity and homosexuality relative to the idea that we should reproduce and be fruitful and stock the earth with others like ourselves. Well, the earth is already fully stocked, but, in addition to making that point, I instruct them that in the Bible there are eunuchs (i.e., nonreproducing individuals) whom the Lord specifically blesses. In addition to those blessed by the Lord in Isaiah 56:3-5, the Lord also blessed a eunuch in the New Testament by granting him repentance through the knowledge of salvation:
Do you see a very important point? If we were very strictly interpreting isolated scripture literally as opposed to considering its context, we would be faced with enormous contradictions: In Deuteronomy 23:1, we are told that eunuchs should not enter into the congregation of the Lord; and, then, in Isaiah 56:3-5, the eunuchs themselves are comforted; and, later, in the New Testament, a eunuch is actually invited by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Quite a dramatic turn around by God if we were just interpreting scripture in isolation! But, again, I emphasize that context is just as important to this issue as well as it is to the issues of modern-day homosexuality and transvestitism. So, what is the context of Deuteronomy 23:1? The context is that some forms of ancient idolatrous worship involved castration in addition to transvestitism and sexual prostitution. That is why God took such a hard-line stance against some eunuchs as well as some cross-dressers and all temple cult prostitutes in Old Testament times. The eunuchs who are comforted in Isaiah 56 are those who are part of the congregation of the Lord and who could not reproduce either because they were born that way or because they were accident victims. The eunuch called to salvation in Acts 8 was seeking to understand prophetic scripture, indicating that the intent of his heart was directed toward righteousness and that his gaze was fixed on the Lord; hence, he was called by the Lord to receive salvation. Just as I believe that intersexuals serve as a biological prototype for homosexuals (as I stated in Chapter One of this book), so, too, do I believe that eunuchs serve as a scriptural prototype for modern-day homosexuals and transgenders. What is a good definition for prototype? Basically, "an original type, form, or instance that is a model on which later stages are based or judged;" or "an early typical example." (35) In other words, a prototype provides a pattern for understanding as it serves as an example of a class. I really do believe that eunuchs, as referred to in the various verses of the Bible, serve as a prototype for understanding how the Lord views modern-day homosexuals. If during the early days of the New Testament, a eunuch (who would have been prohibited by an unwaveringly narrow interpretation of the Law from approaching the Lord) could receive salvation, then surely during these latter days homosexuals (also cut off from the congregation of the Lord by an unwaveringly narrow interpretation of the Law) can be saved --- that is, received by Christ into His Kingdom. Rather than being anatomic eunuchs, homosexuals and transgenders are, to a certain degree, physiologic eunuchs. Except for those of us who may have felt compelled to enter into heterosexual relationships in order for society to accept us and, thereby, had children as a result; or, except for those who may have adopted; or, except for those who have been artificially inseminated (because it is their choice and right to do so), most homosexuals who have lived openly as homosexuals, in some cases with lifelong committed partners, do not have children, because, of course, reproduction is not possible between members of the same sex. But, even the Lord God Almighty Himself, in Isaiah 56:3-5, said, "Do not worry if you can not reproduce, because if you keep My precepts and My judgments and My laws and do My will, then I am going to give you a better name than those who do reproduce." Jesus used eunuchs figuratively when he responded to a statement from the disciples that it would seem easier to be celibate than remain faithful to one lifelong spouse:
Jesus understood that there are people who do not have intercourse due to a diminished libido --- either because they were born without testes or without functioning testes (i.e., "born that way"). Jesus also understood that there are people who do not have intercourse due to a diminished libido because of loss of both testes either accidentally or intentionally (i.e., "made that way by men"). Relative to intentional castration in ancient times, some males had their testes removed in order for them to serve in certain roles, either because they could then be trusted not to commit adultery with the women of a harem they were protecting and/or could be trusted not to steal from their masters for their own children (since they would have had none). Finally, Jesus understood that there are some people who do not have intercourse, because they have chosen to be celibate in response to a specific heavenly calling to keep themselves chaste (i.e., "renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven"). Jesus added that, in the case of the latter, only those who can accept celibacy should accept it. He understood that the majority of people are not asked to be celibate and that, even of those who are asked, it can pose quite a difficult challenge. He also recognized that not everyone would understand that some are called to celibacy. By extension to modern-day homosexuals, I believe that Matthew 19:11-12 can be understood in the following way:
Throughout the New Testament, we are constantly reminded that the Law was meant for a certain group of people (the children of Israel) for a specific dispensation and time. The Apostle Paul recognized that the Apostle Peter "was clearly in the wrong" (Galatians 2:11 NIV) as he lead other Jews to believe that Gentile Christians should adopt Jewish traditions and customs and even obey the Law. The Apostle Paul stated:
Christ Jesus nailed the law to the cross. He canceled the written code. Understanding this is important for liberating ourselves and others from errancy through legalism. Looking at the references in Revelation concerning the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia, I believe there is a message for modern-day Christian homosexuals relative to those who would impose Levitical law on them. In Revelation 2:8-11, Jesus Christ states:
From the previously-quoted Romans 2:25-29 reference in this chapter, you may recall that, according to New Testament interpretation, a Christian is a Jew not outwardly but inwardly (i.e., not naturally but spiritually). So, applying this to Revelation 2:8-11, there are many people who say they are spiritually-minded but would reject Christian homosexuals and keep them from the Lord Jesus, because they do not really love God or do not really love others to the degree that Jesus would have them love. You see, it is very important to demonstrate that you are a child of God through love. There are some people that have no or very little love in their hearts. They say they are Christians and, yet, do not act in a Christian way. In Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus states:
In other words, those who say they are spiritually-minded, but are not, may be made to worship our Lord at the feet of Christian homosexuals! Amazing, is it not? To the homosexuals who are reading this book, I carry this message from the Lord God Almighty: He loves you. He sent His Son to die for you just as much as He sent His Son to die for any other human being. Yes, He loves you. He desires that you have an eternal intimate relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus said, "I have come that [you] may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10 NIV) [brackets mine] If you are homosexual and have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ because of what other people have told you (i.e., that the Bible says that you are not entitled to salvation or that there is no place in God's kingdom for you), I tell you, and I have the Spirit on this, that you are invited --- that you are being entreated by God's Holy Spirit --- to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. "Though your sins are like scarlet," He will make them "white as snow." (Isaiah 1:18 NIV) And I am not talking about inviting you to join a particular denomination or church. What I am doing is inviting you to join the Church Universal, which is a spiritual body. It is a religion without walls. It is a way of life. The Bible, God's written Word, guarantees to you that, if you confess your sins before the Lord God Almighty, you are as entitled to salvation as anyone else. The Bible, God's written Word, guarantees to you that if you confess your sins and tell the Lord that you are sorry for them, and you ask for forgiveness for them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ --- whom you have accepted as your personal Savior --- you will be forgiven by the Lord for all of your sins. At that time, you will be made a new creature and have a rebirth (a spiritual rebirth) and be able to live with Him throughout all eternity. Does that mean that you will never sin again? No. Does that mean that you will have everything rosy or that you will have all the money that you will ever need for a wonderful earthly life? No, it does not mean any of that. What it means is that you will have an eternity in heaven with the Lord God Almighty. Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior will not necessarily prevent your exclusion from so-called mainstream Christianity. Regarding the rejection of some of His sheep by mainstream religion, Jesus said:
The Lord Jesus Christ himself wanted us to know that persecution is a part of living in this world as a Christian. Despite persecution, however, we need to give our lives up to God to live those lives in ways that bring more honor and glory and praise to His Holy Name. Understanding that, we need to trust in Him completely as we continue on our journey in this physical existence.
What the Lord Said to Me Regarding the Law and Grace Sometime in 1977, while pondering the idea that I had a spiritual message to convey, this malingering thought would press to the forefront of my consciousness: "Who will believe what you have to say? You are a homosexual." I was troubled, because, although I felt comfortable with my sexuality, I felt most others would be uncomfortable with it (to put it mildly). I felt sure that any good that I might try to do would be prefaced by: "Dr. Pearson, an acknowledged homosexual . . . " I knew people would erroneously use what I was to try to define who I was, and am. I remember mentally working out arguments to justify and vindicate my homosexuality should I ever come to public or private trial concerning it until --- one day after earnestly praying to the Lord for an answer to give my then-imagined, but perhaps now-real, detractors --- I inwardly heard (writing while hearing) these words from the Holy Spirit:
Yes, it is true, the Lord God Almighty answered my prayer! Not only that, but the answer swept over and settled in my soul. I understood. I heard. It spoke to me as no biological, psychological or sociological argument had. Later, in Bible study, I came to better understand the scriptural foundations for the answer I received. In his letter to the Christians in Galatia, St. Paul wrote: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree.'" (Galatians 3:13 NIV) Paul was referring to the Old Testament passage that states:
While we all know that Jesus was not "hanged" in the now-common sense of the word --- and certainly was not lifted up to the limb of a sycamore tree --- he was hanged in the sense that the ancients understood the word, that is, "hanged up" for all to see. In ancient times, hanging was viewed primarily as a warning to potential wrongdoers. In many cases, bodies were hung up after execution rather than for execution. The Apostle Peter also affirms his acceptance of that usage through his allusions to the hanging of Christ:
In other words, Jesus also --- which is to say, like homosexuals (as some might interpret Scripture) --- had been cursed by the letter of the Law! Thus, as I now understand it, what the Lord's Holy Spirit said to me was this:
Yes, there was a time when no blemished thing could come before the Lord. However, during Old Covenant times, the Lord God Almighty was trying to establish within the hearts and minds of some very primitive people that He is sovereign and that He is worthy of perfect sacrifice (of which Christ Jesus was to become, and remain, the only embodiment), much the same as He established His tabernacle and its appointments as a figure of things in heaven. (See Hebrews, Chapters 9 and 10.) Remember, according to the Old Testament, the people of that day were "stick-necked" and "rebellious," ungrateful for the things that the Lord was doing for them, and gross with regard to spiritual understanding. Thus, in order to help them subdue an unyielding spirit, they were subjected to the various rules, regulations, and ordinances of the Law by the Lord. Christ Jesus said, "'The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it." (Luke 16:16 NIV) St. John wrote, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 NIV) St. Paul wrote: "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean." (Romans 14:14 NIV) St. Paul also wrote, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'" (Galatians 5:14 KJV) Keep in mind that it was those who were legalistically-minded (that is, strict adherents to the letter of the Law) that were offended by Jesus' deeds and eventually saw to it that he was condemned to death. Also, those who call themselves Christian today should remember that at one time the Gentiles were not part of God's chosen. (Refer to Romans, Chapter 9.) Why can not more believers in Christ be like St. Peter, who said, "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." (Acts 10:28 RS) No one is permitted by the Lord God to judge or condemn another: "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." (Romans 2:1 NIV) Again, I urge you to read the entire book of Leviticus. If you are a Christian, you will be hard pressed to find any of its rules, regulations, and ordinances that you yourself follow. Why impose them on anyone else? Why permit anyone else to impose them on you?
What the Lord Says to Us All Let us, now, consider what the Holy Spirit says to us all in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29:
Those few verses are my favorite verses in the Bible relative to the whole issue of Christianity and homosexuality. Why? Because they say so much in so little. They say that it is God who chooses to do what He will do and no one can keep Him from it. The idea is that God can choose base things, and God can choose things that are despised, and God can choose things that were, and are, rejected. Why? To confound those people who think they know everything, because self-pride and false ego are an abomination to Him (just like idolatry) and to prove the immeasurable nature of His grace. Indeed, both egoism and egotism are forms of idolatry that the Lord God Almighty hates. He hates it when people sit in condemnation and judgment relative to others. No, we are not to judge. None of us can judge another. As stated earlier, the Bible clearly tells us not to judge, for if we judge, then with the same measure we will be judged. Thus are we cautioned not to judge. I challenge the reader to evaluate 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 in the context of homosexuality and today's world. Also, to evaluate the relationship of this world to the sphere in which God operates and His true Shekinah glory is manifested. The Lord God Almighty does not care that narrow-minded people playing religion might be offended if He accepts homosexuals into His Kingdom. In fact, God often chooses to confound people who think they have all of the answers. "No flesh should glory," applied here, also means that neither heterosexuals nor homosexuals should boast that one sexual orientation is better than the other. The idea that God chooses to exalt things that are despised reminds me of what the Lord God Almighty said to Moses: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." (Exodus 33:19 RS) It reminds me of this praise that Nebuchadnezzar offered God: "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay His hand or say to Him, 'What doest Thou?'" (Daniel 4:35 ML) It reminds me of Christ Jesus' saying to Peter concerning that Apostle's speculation about what would happen to "John the beloved" (or, the man whom Jesus loved): "If I want him to remain until I come, what is it to you?" (John 21:22 ML) It reminds me of the heavenly voice which spoke to Peter and said, "'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean'" (Acts 10:15 NIV) --- which is paraphrased delightfully in the Living Bible as "'Don't contradict God! If he says something is kosher, then it is.'" Finally, it reminds me of the Lord's response to Paul when besought by that man to remove a thorn from his flesh: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV) Yes, the homosexual orientation is somewhat analogous to a thorn because of all the pain it brings relative to societal, familial and individual rejection. But, we are asked by our Lord to turn to Him in order that His strength be within us so that we not become weary or faint. Jesus said:
If the Lord God Almighty has chosen to extend His dispensation to homosexuals (and, without a doubt, I believe that He has), then who are mere mortals to tell Him that He cannot or that He should not? The Lord chooses to whom He is merciful (thank goodness humankind does not choose, for no one would have ever become a Christian). Who are any of us to question the authority or the sovereignty of the Lord God Almighty. What audacity! How full of self-pride and willfulness that would be! What is the lesson? Let the homosexual orientation be between the individual and the Creator. Let this be between them. And, do not hinder homosexuals. Do not prevent them. Do not keep them from the cross. Do not keep them from corporate worship. And do not keep them from Christian ministry simply because they are homosexual. If little of what I have written here makes sense to you, that is all right. Just remember to keep your judgments to yourself, to refrain from unkindness to me and others like me, and to try and not be too surprised when you meet many of us in heaven. And, if the idea of faggots (literally, "embers") burning brightly for God is repugnant to you, then perhaps you are not yet fully prepared for the Kingdom of God. For this reason, I pray that you permit God to change you. To Christian homosexuals who have a broken heart because of all of the pain that they have experienced because of rejection, my advice to you is to ask the Lord to use that broken heart to help you better yield to Him. To Christian homosexuals who are struggling to justify to family-of-origin members and friends that they are redeemed, Scripture is clear that "faith justifies," "Jesus Christ justifies," "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ justifies," and "God justifies." (See Romans 5:1 and 8:33; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 2:16-17; and Titus 3:7.) We do not need to justify to anyone that we have been redeemed, since God does that! That we testify that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior is testimony enough that the Holy Spirit resides in us. The witness of the Holy Spirit in us is an infallible witness! If we have God's Holy Spirit in us, then we must be saved, since the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in vessels that have not been cleansed by the Lamb's blood. If we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah, our Savior, and Son of God, it is because the Holy Spirit Himself has revealed that to us. As Christ Jesus said to the Apostle Peter, "Blessed are you . . . for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 16:17 NIV) Regarding this, the Holy Spirit wrote through the Apostle Paul:
Simply stated, if you are homosexual and unsure of your salvation, all you need do is ask yourself these four questions: 1) Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? 2) Have you repented of sinful and addictive thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviors? 3) Have you confessed (spoken aloud) that Jesus is your Savior? 4) Can you understand spiritual things? If you have answered, "yes," to all four, then, you are saved. Or, would you call God a liar? (1 John 5:10) The Bible teaches that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Acts 2:21 NIV) "Everyone" is not restricted just to heterosexuals. |