Historically the church has always understood certain Bible passages to teach that homosexuality is a sin. It has always understood that homosexuality was a sin that would keep a person from enjoying eternal life (I Cor. 6:9-10). Many today are advocating that same-sex marriages are to be accepted in the church. Has the church always gotten this matter wrong?
Which one is right? They can’t both be right.
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A Matter of Salvation?
In the past people have rightfully claimed that we can agree to disagree on certain matters because they are not matters of salvation. In a number of such situations unity should outweigh conformity.
Is same-sex marriage such a matter that we can agree to disagree on, or, is it in fact a matter of salvation? When I Cor. 6:9-10 states that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God, how else can that be understood but that it is a matter of salvation?
At this point we must not be distracted by extensive discussions on the importance of church unity. Certainly, unity is very important. However, that is not the primary question facing the church right now.
Status confessionis, pain suffered by same-sex attracted people, agree to disagree, . . . these are all related topics. They are topics that need to have good answers.
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The Answer to This Question Affects All Other Related Issues
We must be sure to keep this matter in perspective. Yes, church unity as well as the pain people experience are both important. However, the question of whether or not homosexuality affects one’s salvation must be dealt with first. The answer to that question shapes how the other matters must be addressed. If homosexuality does in fact prevent a person from entering heaven, can a Christian be united with someone who is encouraging others to travel a road that then leads to hell? If homosexuality is indeed a sin, can one encourage others to engage in it in the hope of alleviating the pain that is being experienced?
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Is There A Good Case For Same-Sex Marriage?
All One Body has produced 27 videos addressing the Human Sexuality Report. Ten of them are in the Biblical-Theological Concerns category. This category ranks right at the very top of being key to handling this topic correctly. The first question we need to ask is whether those videos make a good case that same-sex marriage should be considered good and wholesome? Personally, I do not find them convincing. Responses to these videos will be found here. Not one of these 27 videos even mentions I Corinthians 6:9-10. How could anyone advocate same-sex marriage without dealing with such a crucial passage as this one?
This is not a matter of personal preference. It is not a matter of, well, if there is a half-way plausible reason for it, we should make room for same-sex marriage. Either it prevents a person from entering heaven, or it doesn’t. If it does prevent a person from entering heaven, we cannot encourage it. If it doesn’t prevent a person from entering heaven, then we should not deny people seeking such relationships. It can’t go both ways. We need to correctly understand what the Word of God teaches and then we need to make that light available to fellow church members and to the world. There is opportunity at this website for making known why one supports same-sex marriage. If you are interested in learning how that can be accomplished, please let us know.