What Does God’s Word say About Homosexuality

Introduction

Now our society’s is steady sliding into a more sexual immorality every day and I would like to say that is a very terrible and grave sinful condition to be in with our God. For more than four decades we have been sliding into this sexual revolution which began back in the 1960s.
Now when it comes to sexual temptation, the word of God says “flee” from all sin in “(I Corinthians 6:18). When it comes to temptation of “pornography,” a wise man will avoid a situations where you know you will be tempted. Now a prudent man fore-sees the evil, and hideth himself. But the simple pass on, and they are punished (Proverbs 22:3). But most wise people see the danger before them and take precautions to protect themselves against it. Remember pornography is dangerous and destructive. Always remember that you can prevent much pain when you take cover from all sin and pornography. Just remember that our God (Jehovah) is still in control of everything because He spoke the words and our God made everything which is under Heaven and earth. My God also made the man and the woman and everything that ever was good.1) Acquiring pornography once seemed like a risky affair. The curious young boy paid an older friend to bring him a polished magazine that opened a new world of exploration. However, he risked getting caught. Someone knew his sin, and he was at the mercy of that person’s silence. Today, minimal risks await the curious web surfer. At the click of a button a much more sinister world than the polished magazines awaits the person who wants to explore.

2) Paul’s correspondences with the Thessalonians are among the earliest letters we have from him. He wrote the letters to a young, inexperienced group of believers, many of whom were Gentiles. The purposes behind Paul’s writing in (I Thessalonians); included giving thanks to God for the condition of the church in (I Thessalonians1:2-20), opposing false insinuations against Paul and his companions in (I Thessalonians); 2:1); and (I Thessalonians 3:13); and clarifying some questions of their behavior among the Thessalonians in (I Thessalonians 4:1); and (I Thessalonians 5:24). This included immoral sexual behavior, the way they treated each other, and questions about the second coming of Jesus.

I) Now in the next few paragraphs the Apostle Paul is writing about some very important key-words in the books of (I Tessalonians4:3-7); (Romans 6:19); (I Corinthians 1:30); (II Thessalonians 2:13); (I peter 1:2): (I Timothy 2:16); and (Hebrews 12:14).

3) Sanctification: Derived from the Greek word for holy, sanctification (I Thessalonians 4:3) (I Thessalonians 4-7); is the divine process of making a person holy. This is God’s will for everyone who comes to Him (I Thessalonians 4:3); and God works it into a practical expression in life (verse 4). We must yield our bodies to the Lord for sanctification to happen (Romans 6:19); but it is Jesus and the Holy Spirit who effect it (I Corinthians 1:30); (II Thessalonians 2:13); (I Peter 1:2). Sanctification is both a conduct (I Timothy 2:15); and a goal (Hebrews 12:14).

4) Sexual immorality: The Greek word rendered sexual immorality in (verse 3) is the general word in the New Testament for sexual sin. It can refer to a wide range of sexual perversions, including premarital sex (fornication), adultery, having sex with a prostitute, homosexual encounters, and incestuous relationships. Basically it referred to the perversion of sex in any form.

5) Impurity: Impurity (verse 7), normally referred to cultic or ritual uncleanness. It was a reference to things that were made unclean.
In Paul’s letters, this word often referred to sexual immorality that rendered a person unclean (Romans 1:24); (II Corinthians 12:21); (Galatians 5:19). Paul included this word when he listed “the works of the flesh” in the book of (Galatians 5:19). (1 Thessalonians 4:3); below are some questions for you to answered.

  • How does a person discover God’s will?
  • How does God sanctify the believer?
  • Why would it be the will of God that a person abstain from sexual immorality?
  • What effects of pornography oppose the work of sanctifying that God is doing in a person’s life?
  • For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.

6) Avoid Sexual Immorality: The Apostle Paul began his first letter to the Thessalonians by thanking God for them. Now Paul was grateful for a church that had so many new converts and they worked so hard at spreading the gospel which is the (Good News) that our Lord Jesus Christ came to save the lost and He died on the Cross and shed His precious blood for their sins. (I Thessalonians 1:3);

7) He was grateful that they had endured persecution and remained faithful to Christ, leading them to be an example among other churches in Macedonia and Achaia (verses. 6-7). However, Paul was under an attack by some within the church (I Thessalonians 2:1); and (I Thessalonians 3:13). As He concluded his letter, Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to godly behavior, not least of which was to keep themselves pure in a sexually charged world.

8) Beginning in chapter 4, Paul turned to ethical instructions regarding the Thessalonians’ lives. He exhorted them to walk with the Lord and please Him in the way they conducted themselves (I Thessalonians 4:1). He then introduced the next section by referring to “commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 2). He believed that the church clearly knew God’s will on many ethical subjects, but he spent the remainder of the letter dealing with questions about sexuality, instructions on how to treat one another, and incorrect teaching about Jesus’ second coming.

9) Many people think of God’s will as some buried treasure that must be discovered before making major decisions. The high school graduate wants to know God’s will for his future beyond high school. The young college students wants to know God’s will concerning whom she should marry or what she should study in school. The young married couple seeks God’s will concerning children and when and how many. However, most of God’s will already is revealed in His word. You do not need to discover whether or not God wants you to worship Him. It is His will that those He created worship Him. You do not have to waste time determining whether it is God’s will for you to rob the local bank. God already has spoken clearly about taking something that does not belong to you.

10) If we would spend more time studying God’s will that He already has revealed, we might be in a better place to hear His voice when we have questions that are unanswered. Paul clearly stated that God’s will included the sanctification of His followers. To sanctify something was to make it holy. (Romans 6:19); emphasizes that when a person offers his body as a slave to righteousness. God will sanctify that believer, making him holy in God’s sight. (Romans 6:22); describes sanctification as a work in progress that will not be completed until the end of life on earth and the beginning of eternity. In (II Corinthians 7:1); Paul encouraged Christians to cooperate with God by offering their bodies as instruments for sanctification. Unlike justification, which takes place at a moment in time, sanctification is a process of becoming more like Christ.

11) Sanctification: is often a difficult concept to understand because it is both a state of being and a process. On the one hand, a person is made righteous only through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. (Hebrews 10:10); states, “By this will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.” The death of Christ achieved sanctification as if it is already a finished product. On the other hand, the Bible also speaks of sanctification as an ongoing process. Paul wrote in (II Corinthians 7:1), “Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.” Sanctification is completed in Christ at salvation, but it has to be effected in the believer through time.

12) The first area of sanctification that Paul mentioned to the Thessalonians was to abstain from sexual immorality. The word immorality occurred frequently in Jewish literature to refer to wrong sexual behavior, including premarital or extramarital intercourse, prostitution, incest, and other types of sexual sin. The reason for the frequency of the word in Jewish literature was the differing standards of sexuality among the Gentiles. As Gentiles converted to Christianity, Paul explained to them the standards of sexuality according to its original intention by God. Sex was to be enjoyed by a man and woman in a marriage relationship. No other expression was acceptable.

13) The Greek word rendered sexual immorality (porneia) is the word from which our English word pornography is derived. The verbal form of the word literally meant “to have relations with a prostitute.” Two other forms of the word referred to a female prostitute (porne) and a male prostitute (pornos). Pornography is an industry that exploits both males and females for sexual purposes. Like the prostitute who sells his or her body, those participating in pornography have sold their bodies. Like a person who visits a prostitute, those who view pornography are joining themselves to a prostitute. Jesus made it clear that lust is more than physical, it is mental as well. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Those who do not guard their eyes and their minds have committed sexual immorality, sometimes without even leaving their own home. In the Old Testament, Job declared, “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I look at a young woman?” (Job 31:1). He knew the dangers of uncontrolled thoughts in the area of sexuality. Pornography feeds on uncontrolled thoughts.

I) What are some of the lasting truths in; (I Thessalonians 4:3)?

  • Most of God’s will already has been revealed to us in His Word.
  • Sanctification is both a past event and a state of being and a present process which is a state of becoming.
  • Part of sanctification is avoiding all types of sexual immorality, including pornography.
  • What did Paul mean by knowing how to control his own body?
  • Why is it important that Christians remain pure and free from pornography?
  • How would a person overcome an addiction to pornography?
  • (I Thessalonians 4:4); so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,
  • (I Thessalonians 4:5); Not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don’t know God.

14) Practice Self Control. Verse 4 is a difficult verse to translate, as seen by the variety of translations. The HCSB says, so that each of you knows how to control his own body. The KJV reads, “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel.” The NASB has, “that each of you know how to possess his own vessel.” Some interpreters, including Augustine, interpreted the word “vessel” to mean wife. In this line of thinking, Paul’s words were a challenge to have eyes for one’s own wife only. This use of vessel is in keeping with (I Peter 3:7); where Peter referred to the wife as “the weaker vessel” (KJV). However, most interpreters translate the word as body rather than “vessel.” In the New Testament, this word is used to refer to a vessel that can be carried (Mark 11:16), a household utensil (Revelation 2:27); (John 19:29); (Luke 8:16); (Acts 10:11-16), nautical gear (Acts 27:17); and a liturgical vessel (Hebrews 9:21). However, the word also refers to the body, as seen when the Lord referred to Paul as “a chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15). Whether the word in (I Thessalonians 4:4); is referring to the man knowing how to control his own body or to the man knowing how to live with his wife in purity, the idea is similar. Marriage leaves no room for wandering in the body or with the eyes.

15) Paul contrasted two ways that people could live in the marriage relationship. The first was in sanctification and honor. As believers learn to control their own bodies, they are progressing in sanctification. As noted in the previous section, sanctification is both finished in the cross and practically worked out in the life of the believer. Paul expected the Gentile believers who lived in a much more permissive society to live in holiness by avoiding sexual immorality. That’s why he encouraged them to control (“to possess,” KJV, NASB); their own vessels or bodies. This word literally means “to acquire” or “to secure for oneself.” If the object of this verb refers to a wife, Paul was instructing men to acquire a wife rather than live with uncontrolled passion. On the other hand, if it refers to the body, then Paul was saying that each person should learn to control his own body and reserve it for God’s purposes rather than uncontrolled lust and passion.

16) The second way that people could live was by the rule of lustful desires. The two Greek words literally combine to say “passion of lust.” The Greek word for passion (pathos) deals with the power of an emotion. One of the dangers of pornography is the emotional attachment associated with it. Some turn to it out of loneliness. Others turn to it attempting to relieve stress in their lives. Others want the emotions of excitement that initially come with sexual sin. The modifying term, lustful, describes what fuels the passion. Passion arouses because it is fueled by desire. The Greek word for lustful can be used to describe a good desire, as it is in (2:17) when Paul desired to see them again in person. However, most of the time, as here, it described an evil desire.

17) If sensual lust leads to passion that can lead to an addiction to pornography, what is the secret for avoiding it? Self-control is the key! As a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), self-control is produced by the Holy Spirit as we continue to walk in Him (verse 25). As we draw near to the Lord, He gives us the ability to control desires that are contrary to Him. This is evident when Paul wrote to the Romans, “For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification” (Romans 6:19). Those who feed the flesh reap the destruction caused by their flesh. Those who feed the spirit reap the benefits of the Holy Spirit at work in them.

18) Living in unrestrained lust is not characteristic of Christians but of the Gentiles who don’t know God. As used here, the Gentiles were not Jews who had not believed in Jesus, and their sexual standards were not in line with biblical standards. Because they did not know God, they embraced their own culture’s perverse sexual customs. Paul wrote of this in (Romans 1). As people rejected the knowledge of God (Romans 1:28), God gave them over to unnatural lusts (verses. 24-26-28). One should not be surprised when those who do not know God are involved with pornography, but it should be a surprise when the Lord’s own people use it!

19) What are some of the lasting truths of (I Thessalonians 4:4-5)?

  • Each Christian is responsible for maintaining self-control of his or her own body.
  • We can either be ruled by sanctification and honor or by lustful desires.
  • When we allow lustful desires to rule our lives, we are living like unbelievers live. (I Thessalonians 4:6-8);

20) How does pornography take advantage of others? Why is pornography considered an exploitation of those involved in the making of it? Does the fact that a person does not know the person portrayed in the pornographic material absolve him or her from responsibility to that person? Why, or why not?

  • Now this means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. (I Thessalonians 4:6);
  • For God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification. (I Thessalonians 4:7);
  • Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.

21) Don’t Take Advantage of Others. When a Christian is ruled by lustful desires (I Thessalonians 4:5); he places himself in danger of hurting others. Paul listed two reasons that allowing these desires to rule us hurts others. First, it causes us to transgress against others. This word literally meant “to go beyond a boundary.” It was to overstep a law or a command of God. Giving in to sexual temptation hurts us because we break God’s commands, but it also hurts others by causing them to do the same. It also crosses clearly established boundaries between us and them. Adultery causes us to transgress against the people we commit the sin with and the innocent people, such as our families, that have to pick up the pieces left from the adultery. Premarital sex transgresses against one’s future marriage partner. Something reserved for a future husband or wife has now been shared with someone else.

Pornography transgresses against the people who often are exploited to make it, and it also hurts the intimacy of one’s own marriage relationship. A private privilege of marriage is flaunted on a television or computer screen, and it cannot help but affect the real relationship between a husband and a wife.

22) Paul also stated that sexual sin causes a person to defraud his brother or sister in Christ. Some of the alternate translations of this word include “take advantage of” or “wrong” and “exploit”. Those who view pornography may think that the only one they are hurting is themselves. However, people who view pornography are also violating those who are on the screen or on the printed page. Even though the models may have chosen to participate in it and have been paid for their services, the person purchasing and using pornography is still feeding the appetite for the production of more pornography. If web sites had no hits, pornographic sites could not stay in business. If nobody purchased magazines, they’d go bankrupt. By feeding their out-of-control sexual appetites, they are keeping the businesses alive.

23) Paul turned to two clear reasons to reject impurity and embracing purity. First, he reminded his readers that God will judge their immoral behavior. Paul wrote that the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses. The word avenger is a strong word and was used to identify a person who procured justice for someone. An avenger is a person who punishes disobedience and stands for the truth. The idea of God as an avenger is not uncommon in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 32:35). God sees everything and He sees it accurately, unlike human judges who may have to rule with limited knowledge of the facts. Therefore, God stands ready to avenge those who we have wronged with sexual sin. Some of God’s judgment may take place in the short term. Broken homes, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and other problems associated with sex outside of marriage are dangers of not doing things God’s way. However, it seems that this passage has an eschatological (end times) feel and refers to a time in the future when God will judge every wrong.

24) In (I Thessalonians 4:7); Paul restated a principle that had guided his whole discussion on sexual impurity. He said that God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification. In addition to sexual immorality (Verse 3), Paul introduced a new word to describe a life controlled by the passion of lust and impurity. Originally this term described ritual uncleanness caused by any number of immoral actions. However, Paul often used it to refer to the sexual immorality that rendered a person unclean (Romans 1:24); (II Corinthians 12:21); (Galatians 5:19). Paul listed this word when he spelled out the works of the flesh in (Galatians 5:19).

25) The priority of God’s call is to drive a believer’s faithfulness to Him in every area of life, including sexuality. God’s call was not merely to salvation but to sanctification. He desires to make us holy in heart and practice. The person who rejects this call does not reject man, but God. The word rejects can mean “to set aside,” “to frustrate,” or “to treat as null and void.” The person who lives in impurity is not merely violating a human law, but a law of God.

26) Furthermore, God has placed His Holy Spirit in the believer to guide him into truth (John 16:13). At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit is placed within the believer as a deposit or pledge that God will finish His work of sanctification (Ephesians 1:13-14). From the inside out, the Spirit convicts people of “sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8). Because God has given the Holy Spirit to Christians, He has a right to expect them to hold to His standards in every area, including sexual standards. If the Christian will yield to the Holy Spirit, He will set the believer free from pornography’s clutches. Of course, the journey to freedom will need to include painful self-examination of the causes of the addiction, and possibly asking people who understand addiction for help as well as working with a counselor.

II) What are some lasting truths in (I Thessalonians 4:6-8)?

  • AIl sexual sin is ultimately taking advantage of someone else other than yourself. Sexual sin is selfish to its core.
  • God will judge all sin, including the sin of pornography.
  • God has called Christians to a standard of holiness, and we should not violate that standard because our passions are not under control.
  • God gave us the Holy Spirit to live in us and through us so that we would yield to him rather than to lustful passions.
  • The Bible calls us as believers to be people of purity, people who reject sexually explicit materials in favor of God’s standard. By our example of purity, we can help those struggling with pornography.

A) Remember; if you are not saved our God has the power to save anyone that calls upon the name of Jesus Christ and repents of their sins. Now all that are lost need God’s power because we have a problem with sin. The Bible tells us that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).

B) Now you can find the way to Heaven in the book of (Romans 10:9). This scripture in the bible tells us that “If you confess with your mouth, that “Jesus is Lord,” and that you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

C) We all need to confess our sins and ask God for his forgiveness. When you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord, then this involves an agreeing with God about your sin and your need for Salvation. You must repent of your own personal sins, by doing this you are willing to turn away from the direction in life in which you are going.

D) Now to “believe in your heart” is to place your faith in Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, also you are trusting that Jesus died on the Cross to pay for your sins. But our God proves His own love for us in that while we were sill sinners, Jesus Christ died for all of us. (Romans 5:8).

E) Remember, if you would like to have Salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ, you sincerely pray a prayer like this one; “Please God, I confess to you my sins and I need for you to save me right now. Then I will turn away from my sins and I place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord of my life forever. Amen.”

F) We as Christians should never forget the price that He (Jesus), had to pay for our sin on the Cross at Calvary. I would always advise anyone who has a love one that has a terrible sickness. Please go to our Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and just ask Jesus to heal your love one or friend and I believe that He will answer your prayer because it is God’s Will that His children be safe from all harm. We as believers in Jesus Christ should always remember what John told His Apostles in the book of (John 14:1-6). Please read the 6 scriptures below.

1) In the book of the Gospel of John, here our Lord Jesus tells His Apostles, “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1);

2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2);

3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3);

4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (John 14:4);

5) Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (John 14:5);

6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6);

Note: Now this concludes our Bible Study on what our God has to say about pornography and sin. Please pray earnestly for God’s power to work in your lives and keep you safe from all the evils of this world. Please pass this bible study on to other people if it has helped you in anyway. Remember that all the material is free on this web-site and I don’t believe in paying for God’s Holy Word.

You’re Brother in Christ,
Frank Rose