In my ministry speaking about sexuality issues, I regularly hear people say, “Jesus never spoke about homosexuality, so it can’t be that bad.”

This raises an important question: Does Jesus’s silence on homosexuality mean that it is okay? Are we okay in condemning homosexual behavior–whether it be a same-sex relationship, same-sex marriage, or sexual activity–when Jesus never spoke of it?

I have come to four conclusions as to why I believe that Jesus would not condone same-sex relationships in any way. But, before I get into my reasoning, let me say this: We as Christians need to be thoughtful, prayerful, and sensitive not just in the truth we present, but how we present it, who we present it to, and when we present it. Homosexuality is an extremely sensitive issue and people are hurting and in pain because of it. Many people have a disdain for Christians because of how it has been handled at times. Truth like this isn’t meant to be used as a weapon to throw people down with. If we come to the conclusion that same-sex relationships are sinful, the proper response isn’t shoving it in the sinners’ faces……the response is falling to our knees in mourning that people we love are enslaved to sin, and praying earnestly for the Lord to soften their hearts to truth. As I always say in all of my talks, our posture should be that of love and compassion towards all people.Roblox Hack Free RobuxRoblox HackBigo Live Beans HackYUGIOH DUEL LINKS HACKPokemon Duel HackRoblox HackPixel Gun 3d HackGrowtopia HackClash Royale Hackmy cafe recipes stories hackMobile Legends HackMobile Strike Hack

With that said, here are my conclusions:

1) To say that Jesus’s silence on homosexuality means that it can be accepted and endorsed, completely undermines the authority of the rest of the scripture.

ALL scripture is the inerrant, inspired Word of God.  In John 16:12-14, Jesus tell the disciples that he is not done speaking to them, but the Spirit will speak to them for him. He states,

 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Jesus is clearly commissioning his disciples to not only be his messengers, but his apostles. The word apostle was clearly known in Jewish culture. An apostle was someone commissioned to do business and speak on behalf of their master. What was said by and done by the apostle was legally binding. By definition, an apostle possesses the authority to communicate divine revelation, and what he wrote under that authority was indeed the voice of God.

Homosexuality is talked about numerous times in the New Testament. Paul mentions it in a list of sins which will keep people from inheriting the Kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. In Romans 1, he explains that homosexuality is unnatural, and the result of idolatry. In 1 Timothy 1, he clearly states that homosexuality is a sin.

To reject Paul’s teaching as truth would be to discount the authority Jesus gave to him, and the authority that all scripture has over our lives; not just the words of Jesus.

2) Jesus re-affirmed God’s design for marriage between a man and a woman.

Matthew 19:4-8 states,

“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

In this passage, Jesus is referring to the creation story, where it states Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them” and Genesis 2:24, ^“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus is affirming that marriage is intended for a man and woman. This is the created order in which God made creation, and the only way God intended it to be.

Marriage unites one man and one woman in a complementary, comprehensive, exclusive, and permanent union. We are to leave our father and mother, cleave to one another. Gender, sexuality, and marriage are real, good, and beautiful. God designed it, and called it “very good”.

It is clear that Jesus used this passage in Genesis 1 to affirm God’s created order, in making marriage an exclusive, life-long, complementarian, union between one man and one woman.

3) Jesus also taught about sexual immorality in general.

In Mark 7:20–23, Jesus states,

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

One of the things that Jesus says defiles a person is sexual immorality. So, we have to ask the question, “what is the definition of sexual immorality?” It is clear that sexual immorality is any type of sexual behavior or lust that occurs outside the marriage of a man and woman. It would have been understood at the time Jesus spoke these words, that condemnation of sexual immorality included all homosexual behavior.

Jesus says there are things that make someone spiritually unclean before God. In this list Jesus includes examples of sexual sin: adultery, lewdness, and sexual immorality. “Sexual immorality” translates a Greek word, porneia, (which is where we get the word “pornography”), which is a term for any sexual activity outside of marriage. This reaches beyond sexual intercourse to include any activity of a sexual nature. None of Jesus’s audience would have doubted that his reference to porneia included homosexual behavior.

It is clear from ancient texts, including that of Josephus, a first century scholar, that most or all Jews regarded same-sex behavior as a sin for a multitude of reasons. Jesus’s teachings, especially regarding morality, were in line with Mosiac moral law. Jesus was an observant Jew who, like all Jews living under the Old Covenant, was bound by the Mosaic Law. That is why He often referenced it (e.g. Jesus references the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22:37, 39). Therefore, if he was asked what He thought about homosexuality, he would have cited the Levitical prohibitions (Leviticus 18:20 and 20:13) that unequivocally state that homosexual behavior is a sin. Galatians 4:4 states “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” Clearly it is shown that Jesus was born under Mosaic Law, and his moral beliefs, teachings, and standards he held were those of the Mosaic law.

Jesus stated in Matthew 5:17-19, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” This statement from Jesus clearly shows that nothing within the Levitical law was abolished. He even raised the standard in many cases. In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus states,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus took the standard of the Mosaic Law, and he raised the bar. He took the standard from outward behavior, and raised the bar to what’s in the heart.  Jesus took the law against adultery, and raised the standard to a person not committing lust in their heart. Surely the same could be said about homosexual lust. If Mosaic Law prohibited homosexual activity, then the standard and expectation that Jesus would give us is not only that homosexual behavior is wrong, but so is homosexual lust. Homosexual lust is sin, just as homosexual behavior is.

I have experience this in my own life. It was 9 years ago when–through the grace I found in Jesus–I walked away from homosexuality. But, I am constantly to this day having to repent of lust in my heart. Because of the Holy Spirit illuminating this area of my life, I can see how every incident of lust is sin, whether it is sexual lust or relational.  It is my heart seeking something that it shouldn’t

 

4) Lastly, it can be said there are numerous issues Jesus never addressed directly.

Jesus never spoke of abortion, rape, child sacrifice, or abuse of the elderly, but would it be appropriate to therefore make the conclusion that they are all okay? Absolutely not. Jesus addressed issues in conversations as they arose. Also, the Gospel writers obviously did not record everything that Jesus taught. They recorded sporadic pieces to fit the purposes of their individual writings. Theology and morality comes from the totality of scripture, not just the words of Jesus. This argument can again reflect on John 16:12-14,

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

The claim that Jesus made here is that there was more truth than had already been taught to them. In fact, he said that there will be more truth coming to them through the Spirit. It was that truth which the Spirit brought forth in the rest of scriptures. So the truth that Jesus gave to the apostles through the Spirit is truth that clearly condemns homosexuality. It would therefore be ludicrous to claim that Jesus’s silence on anything could be interpreted as his approval of it.

In closing, let me say this: As I always, we can’t expect people who don’t know Jesus to live a biblical lifestyle. Those of us who do know Jesus have a hard enough time living a biblical lifestyle. Even with all that the Lord has done in my life, I have stumbled and fallen into sin. Our first priority is to lead people to Christ. He is the one who convicts them of their sin. But, for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to help them fight for truth in their life, instead of compromising as the world tells them to do.

I’m confident that Jesus would not approve of any type of homosexuality. But what would he say to those who struggle? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).” And how should we respond to that grace? “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts. (James 4:8)”