IS ALL SIN THE SAME?
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By
Anita Worthen
Many
times I have stated that God does not see homosexuality
as the worse sin. While I still believe this to be true.
I now am wondering if in defending this concept I have
watered down the truth. Let me explain what has brought
me to this question.
Recently,
my niece's college professor was lecturing on social
concerns and tolerance. He made the statement that homosexuality
was sin, but to no greater degree than eating a whole
bag of cookies; God saw them both the same. My niece
said that she agreed with this statement and asked my
stand on this issue. I had to admit that I have not
given this issue much thought and that some might think
after hearing me speak that I would agree with such
a statement. Hearing this from my niece whom I love
and feel very protective toward, I really had to give
this serious thought. Is this what I believe? Put in
those terms, it seemed that it couldn't possibly be
true. If our young people see gluttony the equal of
sexual sin, what will keep them pure? I had to take
a closer look at what the Bible says before I could
answer her.
Does
the Bible say that "all sin is the same in God's
eves"? Surprisingly, we have a passage of Scripture
that does speak of both eating and sexual sin. 1 Corinthians
chapter 6 speaks to the issue of over-eating (verse
13) and then goes on in the following verses to the
issue of sexual sin.
"God
has given us an appetite for food and stomachs to
digest it. But that doesn't mean we should eat more
than we need. Don't think of eating as important,
because some day God will do away with both stomachs
and food. But sexual sin is never right; our bodies
were not made for that, but for the Lord, and the
Lord wants to fill our bodies with himself...Don't
you realize that your bodies are actually parts and
members of Christ?...Run from sex sin. No other sin
affects the body as this one does. When you sin this
sin it is against your own body." (Living
Bible)
I
realized that I was unprepared to give my niece a clear
statement on this issue. I have been so busy fighting
those who want to make homosexuality the worse sin that
I have lost sight of how grave a sin that it is. I thank
God for this challenge. Over the past year or so I have
added to my personal prayer time "God help me see
sin the way You do, to hate sin in myself and in the
world". Some time ago I saw myself becoming callous
to sin. I am exposed daily to so many people who have
made wrong choices. Sadly, it has become commonplace
to see people caught up in sin patterns. I also wanted
to be more aware of the sin that crept up in my own
heart. In some ways I see this question that has been
put to me as an answer to my prayer. I need to give
much more thought to the issue of sin. Does it hurt
to see sin the way God does? I can only speak from my
limited view, but yes, it hurts and it should hurt.
It gets us in touch with the broader picture. We get
a glimpse of the pain God feels over His fallen world.
The correct response to sin is not necessarily anger,
but grief. God grieves over our sinful condition.
"There
is no little hotter place in hell for homosexuals"
This is one of my favorite statements. I use it
when a parent is facing their own prejudices or for
a media interview.. .this is the statement that usually
gets in the paper. I still believe this is true, but
I now am open to correction or a different viewpoint.
Are we absolutely sure that God sees homosexuality as
no greater sin than heterosexual sin? Could my response
simply be a defensive reaction to those who would condemn
homosexuals? Certainly Jesus has said: " God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but
to save it." (John 3:17) Condemning someone
for their homosexual sin is never right.
I
am always uncomfortable when someone brings up the scriptures
in Leviticus chapters 18 and 20 which describe homosexuality
as being an abomination. It always seems that they use
these Scriptures to condemn, not to rescue. What a strange
word anyway. It is such an old fashioned word--who knows
what it means anymore? I found the Hebrew word (Io'ehhah)
to mean: "The highest degree of offense, abhorrence
and loathsomeness." Proverbs 28:9 states: "He
that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even
his prayer shall be abomination." Abomination,
in Scripture is linked with magic, divination and sexual
transgressions. All of these sins then are a high degree
of transgression.
Since
that definition didn't tell me enough, I went to my
Living Bible to see how it read. Lev 18:22; "Homosexuality
is absolutely forbidden for it is an enormous sin"
and in 20:13 "The penalty for homosexual acts
is death to both parties. They have brought it upon
themselves". I am aware that the laws in the
old testament are really strong and we don't abide by
them today. Good thing we don't, Leviticus 20:9 says:
"Anyone who curses his father or mother shall
surly be put to death" I don't think parents
of rebellious kids would get away with that one, these
days! But we can't dismiss this part of the Bible, as
I have done for years. I think we can agree that God
considers homosexuality a very serious sin. This makes
the good news of the New Testament even better for those
who turn from sin, we are forgiven totally. The impossible
laws in the old testament make what Jesus did for us
even more wonderful. This is the joy that we have to
share with the world. The old testament shows our need
for a Savior. We were lost and without hope before Jesus
came and made a way for its to be forgiven. Thank you
Jesus for the hope of eternal life.
Why
does any of this matter? Certainly we know that when
we exhibit an Old Testament attitude, we become judgmental
and critical of others. Not what Jesus desires us to
be. Jesus said that none of the laws would pass away:
"It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away,
than for one dot of the Law to become void and fail."
(Luke 16:17) But He also said: "1 have not come
to do away with or undo, but to complete and fulfill
them." (Math. 5:17) So the law remains true,
but something greater is now in effect, that is the
law of love. After repeating the first two commandments,
loving God and neighbor, Jesus said: "These
two commandments sum up and upon them depends all the
Law and the prophets." (Math. 22:40)
Yes,
homosexuality is rightly called an abomination, but
our response must not be one of condemnation and turning
away from the person involved in the abomination, but
to rescue that person from his sin. Yes, we must stand
on the side of truth, we can't white-wash the Bible
to make it easy to take. We must speak truth to those
who are waffling back and forth in and out of sin. In
pondering all this, I have come to the conclusion that
acting out sexually--involving another person--is a
higher offense than simply masturbating and thinking
homosexual thoughts, although both are sins in God's
eyes. If you belong to Christ, He lives in your body,
so do not take the Christ in you and join Him to another
in an unholy way. If we are falling into sinful fantasies,
we should recognize that these can be warning signs
of deeper sin up ahead. The answer here is not to condemn
ourselves, but to know our weakness and admit our need
for God. That is where the power to overcome all sin
comes from. The worst part of sin is that it is progressive
in nature but we have the power or at least we have
an avenue to that power that can halt that progression
toward sin.
Today,
we find that we must walk a fine line. In our generation,
the god of this world has been named "tolerance."
This is the god of secular humanism. It is a half-truth.
Christ does indeed want us tolerant of others, no question
about that, but He does not want us to tolerate sin.
Paul speaks to this issue in 1st Corinthians chapter
5. Here a man was obviously sleeping with his mother-in-law
and Paul speaks sharply to the church for tolerating
this condition. He says if this situation is not confronted,
it will multiply in the church: "Know ye not
that a little leaven Leavened the whole lump?"
He demands action to be taken against the offending
person. However, in 2nd Corinthians, he advises the
church to go after the man and restore him to fellowship.
This is the pattern we are to follow. We are not to
tolerate sin, but grieve over sin as God does. We are
to do everything in our power to turn the person away
from sin, failing in this, we are to continue on in
love, praying for them and always ready to be there
for them whenever they choose to leave their sin behind.
Paul
also warns us in the last verse of Romans chapter one.
After speaking about homosexuality and a number of other
sins, Paul says: "Though they are fully aware of
God's righteous decree that those who do such things
deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but
approve and applaud others who practice them."
(Amplified Bible)
We
must be very careful what we are tolerant of and not
give approval to sinful practices. Yet, let he who is
without sin cast the first stone. Walking a balanced
Christian life is never easy, but God wants us to thoroughly
confront the hard issues and seek Him for guidance.
He will give us wisdom and the balance we need.
Anita
Worthen is the Administrator at New Hope Ministries
and co-author of the book "Someone I Love Is Gay"
(IVP) March 1997
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