Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”
Our Bible verse for today: “No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.” James 1:13 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Would God create someone gay?”
As we consider the issue of sexual orientation and same-sex attraction we must do so with kindness and compassion, but also honestly and accurately. Same-sex attraction is very real and it runs deep. Most people who have a same-sex attraction report having had those attractions from an early age. Likewise, those who demonstrate characteristics and behaviors normally attributed to the opposite gender have usually demonstrated those qualities beginning early in life.
Therefore the question is an important one, “Are people born gay?” As we consider the possible answers to that question we must be careful to be Biblically and scientifically honest and accurate. Let’s not try to make the Bible or science say more or less than they really do. Today we will consider what the Bible does and does not say about this issue.
The fact is that there is no passage in either the Old or New Testament which would lead us to conclude that God designs people with a same-sex attraction. As has already been shown, the pre-sin sexual ethic established by God was of a man and a woman expressing human sexuality within the covenant of marriage. That sexual ethic was affirmed in the New Testament by Jesus, Paul, and Peter. Additionally, the six passages we have looked at (Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10) all clearly prohibit same-sex sexual relations.
That being the case, would God then actually design certain individuals to engage in the very behavior He Himself has expressly forbidden? Not only would make no sense for Him to do that, but it would be cruel to design that desire into a person but then forbid them to act on it. But there is nothing we know about God from the Bible which would cause us to conclude that He would do something like that.
Same-sex attraction is undeniably real but the fact is that there simply is no Biblical basis for concluding that God designs and creates individuals to be sexually attracted to members of the same sex. If He did, then the statement James made in James 1:17 would not be true. God would in fact be creating real temptation for certain individuals.
And yet observing human behavior, even from an early age, seems to suggest otherwise. It can seem as if same-sex attraction must be something that develops in the womb and is therefore of a Godly design. Today there are even loud voices claiming that science “proves” people are born gay. But does it really? Is that really an accurate and verifiable claim about what science actually “proves”? Tomorrow we will let the scientific community speak for itself.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 