If we love God, we have no choice but to adhere to and advocate his commands – even on in this controversial contemporary issue of sexual relationships and marriage of individuals of the same sex - or be guilty ourselves of loving the praise of men more than the praise of God.
- This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3, New International Version
- …for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
John 12:43, New International Version
Fellowship Requires Guidelines
God created man and desired to have a fellowship with man that would allow for the unconstrained sharing of God’s love. As part of this desire for fellowship and based on his providing man the freedom to make choices, God felt the need to establish guidelines that if followed could ensure the unbroken fellowship between himself and man. The initial guideline provided by God to man was the guidance not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16-17, New International Version
Adam and Eve initially broke this guideline, a guideline based completely on God’s love for man, as they did eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of the breaking of this guideline, Adam and Eve – and mankind as a whole - were no longer able to experience the unconstrained sharing of God’s love. As God desired to reestablish a fellowship with man that would allow for the unconstrained sharing of God’s love, he first needed to overcome the consequences that he had established for the man’s breaking of his guidelines – those consequences being “death” – or eternal separation from God. With this payment and restoration in mind, God sent his son, Jesus, who by his life and death accepted the consequences for man’s breaking of God’s initial guideline.
- "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, New International Version
While God has reestablished man’s ability to have a fellowship with him – a fellowship that would allow for the unconstrained sharing of God’s love – he also has continued to provide guidelines to help man maintain that fellowship with him.
- God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 Corinthians 1:9, New International Version
One of the guideline areas provided by God to ensure we maintain fellowship with him specifically calls out what is acceptable behavior in the arena of sexual and marital relationships.
Gender Guidelines for Sex and Marriage
God, in his desire for fellowship and his desire to share his unconstrained love with man, felt it necessary provide guidance against sexual relationships by individuals of the same sex. Exemplified in the following scriptural references, this guidance demonstrates that sexual activity among partners of the same sex, regardless of their relationship, falls short of God’s expectations and thus prevents true fellowship with God:
- 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. “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.” 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. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house. 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.” Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.” Genesis 19:1-7, New International Version
- Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Leviticus 18:22, New International Version
- If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. Leviticus 20:13a, New International Version
- Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 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. Romans 1:26-27, New International Version
- Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, New International Version
Additionally, God, in his desire for fellowship and his desire to share his unconstrained love with man, felt it also necessary to provide guidance against marital relationships by individuals of the same sex. When God created a helper for Adam, he created Eve, a woman who became Adam's wife. Within the context of this “male/female” relationship, Adam and Eve become “one flesh”.
- So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘ for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:20-24, New International Version
This “one flesh” mentioned in Genesis 2:20-24 appears to display God’s acceptance of both the united (marital) relationship (male/female) and the sexual act between the individuals (male/female) within that united (marital) relationship.
Understanding God’s view of sexual relations between individuals of the same sex and his design of the “united” relationship between man and woman was one that included acceptable sexual relations within a proper covenant relationship (marriage), one must logically conclude that God does not condone same sex marriages. These relationship guidelines and God’s acceptance of them are provided simplistically in mathematical format below:
- Male + Female + (Marriage + Sex) = Acceptable
- Male + Female + Sex - Marriage = Unacceptable
- Male + Male + (Marriage + Sex) = Unacceptable
- Male + Male + Sex - Marriage = Unacceptable
- Female + Female + (Marriage + Sex) = Unacceptable
- Female + Female + Sex - Marriage = Unacceptable
- Marriage = (Marriage + Sex) = Sex Designed By God As A Component Of Marriage
When one considers that God desires fellowship with man, and that he paid the ultimate price of sacrificing his only Son to restore the potential for fellowship between himself and man, one has to believe God has man’s best interest in mind when he provides guidelines on what is acceptable in his eyes. These guidelines may be difficult to comprehend from our station in life; however, if we truly love God with our whole heart, we must follow his guidelines. Following these guidelines ensures we fully experience the richness of the relationship he desires with us and the relationships he designed us to have with our fellow man.
Additional Guidelines for Church Leaders
If it is “missing the mark” in God’s eyes for individuals to be in unacceptable relationships with fellow individuals, a continuing unacceptable relationship that “missed the mark” would violate the requirement of Church leaders to present themselves as worthy by God’s grace of a Church leadership role.
- Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
1 Timothy 3:1-10, New International Version
If this relationship violation occurs and participants are unrepentant, they would not be “beyond reproach” or demonstrating “self-control”, thus, would be disqualified from being a Church leader (Overseers and Deacons). God desires the best for his chosen people, his royal priesthood, and based on the price he has paid by the death of his Son, one has to believe these guidelines are in the royal priesthood’s best interest – regardless of how difficult the guidelines are to understand from our position in the contemporary Church.
- But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9, New International Version
Casting the First Stone
Regardless of ones station in life and how they arrived at that station - God desires to have a strong and vibrant fellowship with that person - fellowship that allows God to share his love with us and allows us to both experience that love and reciprocate with actions that are pleasing to him. God can forgive and use any individual to spread his word and serve his purpose if they are in a right relationship with him and in a right relationship with others. Jesus did not condemn those in wrong relationships – but he did declare to them that they needed to leave that life behind (repent).
- Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1, New International Version
- But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" “No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:7-11, New International Version
As members of God’s royal priesthood, we can feel confident in following the model Jesus established – that being of not condemning any person – but of declaring to them the need to leave that life of sin (missing the mark) behind. With that model in mind, and understanding God has the ability to turn any situation into one that can bring him glory, we can and do confidently state that we believe our Church leaders need to both adhere and advocate the relationship guidelines set forth by God through his Holy Word. Anything less than adherence and advocacy truly effects both individual and Church relationships with God – and prevents God from having the relationship with individuals that he intended, and prevents individuals from having the relationship with God that he intended. If we love God, we have no choice but to obey his commands – even on this controversial contemporary issue of sexual relationships and marriage of individuals of the same sex - or be guilty ourselves of loving the praise of men more than the praise of God.
- This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3, New International Version
- …for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
John 12:43, New International Version
As members of God’s royal priesthood, we are confident that God will use this issue and the stances taken on it by the Church leadership for the good of both individual believers and the Church as a whole.
- And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28, New International Version
