Please see Parts I and II for pertinent exposition.
Contrary to the LBGTQ interpretations, the commands issued in Leviticus 18.22 and 20.13 still apply today.
Explanation of Leviticus 18.22 and 20.13
A few words of explanation will help you to understand God's commands, quoted here again for easy reference.
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)
“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination…”(Leviticus 20:13)
The first part of each verse states the normal sexual relationship: a man and a woman. But not just any man and woman. From the beginning of the creation of mankind, God created them male and female. He established marriage between a man and a woman, not between same sex people. (4) Same sex intercourse violates God's created order.
Next, God described abnormal, same sex intercourse. A man shall not perform sexual intercourse with another man as he would with a woman. The description given illustrates unrestrained, unforced, “loving” consensual homosexual behavior. All of the surrounding nations approved unrestrained homosexuality. God rejected it, even though none of the surrounding nations did.
God did not condone in Israel the kind of homosexual practice flaunted today. His law as given to the Israelites became the first such law against homosexuality. Further, he still rejects it as an abomination, which he called it in these texts. (5)
Clearly, the attempts of the LBGTQ society fail to sustain their assertions that these texts, which condemn homosexuality, do not apply today. They do.
Sadly, many professing Christians and nonChristians have accepted the errors of the LBGTQ as true. They have fallen for the lies of the enemy, satan, who seeks their destruction. (6) The devil bases his strategy upon deceit and distortion of God's plan and purpose for mankind.
The devil lies when he says that God did not say what he said. He distorts God's purposes for mankind when he blames God for withholding pleasure from them. Perhaps you can recognize these tactics as the same ones he used in the Garden In Eden upon Eve. She, too, wanted to satisfy her own desires in contradiction to God's clear command. (7)
God made provision for sinners of all kinds regardless of the sins they have committed. All who come to him, professing believers and nonchristians alike, who turn from their sin and trust Christ's sacrifice for them, find pardon and forgiveness of sin. Perhaps this describes you today. I urge you to come to Christ and find relief from your sin.
To every believer, God sends his Holy Spirit to indwell him/her. His presence not only confirms God's promises but also provides the power to overcome the lusts of the flesh. All sin, even homosexuality, begins with lusts of the flesh, which leads, uncontrolled, to sinful practice. (8) However, the indwelling Holy Spirit provides the child of God the power to subdue fleshly lusts and walk in victory over them. (9)
I pray that God by his Holy Spirit will come to you today, granting you new life in Christ by faith. I pray that he will continue his work in your life to bring you victory over the sinful, uncontrollable fleshly lusts that war against your soul.
3. Wenham, Gordon J. Available at this web site: http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_attitude_wenham.html. Also see Wold, Donald J. Out Of Order: Homosexuality In the Bible and the Ancient Near East. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI 49546; 1998.
4. Genesis 2.18-24
5. Romans 1.24-27;Jude 1.7; 2 Peter 2.6-10 (to name just a few references in the New Testament)
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Personal Information: Tom graduated with a BS degree from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI and a MA degree in Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary, Lithonia, GA. He began writing a newsletter in 1981 and started a blog on his website in 2008. Every month, thousands of visitors from all over the world come to his web sites and view his blogs. In 2009, he published the book, Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and his web site, www.masterministries.org (including Kindle and eBook formats). To invite Tom to speak at your college, Church, or group, you can contact him by email athill_tom@att.net.