Our Beliefs Position Statement on Homosexuality Our Beliefs Position Statement on HomosexualityThe position of Covenant United Reformed Church on
homosexuality is that taught by Scripture in Leviticus 18:22: "You shall
not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
Romans 1:26-27 says, "for their women exchanged the natural function for
that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural
function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with
men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty
of their error." God says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that "your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have known from God, and that
you are not your own."
Furthermore,
a “marriage” between a male and a male or between a female and a female is
not a marriage at all, even if the civil government were to recognize or declare
such “bonds” as marriage. God has established marriage as a sacred
institution that can only exist between a male and a female by covenant (Genesis
2:24, Malachi 2:14).
The extent of God’s laws on sexuality includes not
only outward acts but also private thoughts and desires. Jesus Christ taught us
in Matthew 5:28 “that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has
committed adultery with her already in his heart.” If Jesus Christ announced
God’s displeasure with heterosexual lusts directed outside of the bond of
marriage, it is unreasonable to believe that God is pleased with any homosexual
lusts. Part of God’s condemnation of homosexuality includes His explicit
condemnation of private homosexual desires (Romans 1:27).
Furthermore,
not only are homosexual acts and desires sinful, but also speech and actions
that promote or excuse homosexual lifestyles. These include public displays and
flaunting of homosexual lifestyles as is sometimes done in parades as well as
vandalism directed against public and private property. These also include
name-calling, threats and violence directed against those who criticize
homosexuality as well as against their families and their property. Every person
has a moral duty before God to encourage all others to obey God’s commands,
and not to tempt others to break those commands (Genesis 18:19, Exodus 20:10,
Leviticus 19:17, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Jude
23, Colossians 3:21).
God provides an abundance of
comfort for those who repent of their sins and who trust in Jesus Christ for
their salvation. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 states: "Or do you not know that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor
thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall
inherit the kingdom of God." Repentance is not only necessary but also is
possible for all of these sins — including homosexuality — as shown by the
next verse: "And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of
our God" (emphasis added).
This is God speaking, and this is God's will. God alone has the right to define what is right and what is wrong, and "He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man," the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31). God also tells us in Hebrews 10:30-31: "For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
We are not permitted to add to nor to take away from
God’s word: "And if any one takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy
city, which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:19). We plead with all
those who are guilty of homosexual lusts and actions to repent of them, to trust
in Jesus Christ for their salvation; and, in so doing, "
to flee from the wrath to come" (Matthew 3:7) at the day of judgment
(Acts 17:31).
Homosexual lusts and actions are sinful. God gave to His
Church and to all individual Christians the task of making His moral law known
to all peoples and to all nations (Deuteronomy 31:11b-12, Psalm 51:13, Isaiah
24:1-6, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 13, and 2 Timothy 4:1-5). However, some of the
responses that some professing Christians and others have made to homosexual
actions and lifestyles have also been sinful. Among these responses have been
unlawful acts of violence directed against homosexuals.
We confess that the actions of some professing Christians
and of some groups claiming to be Christian churches that have been made against
homosexuals have violated the laws of both God and men. No private citizen has
the right to take the law into his or her own hands. Instead, we are to submit
to the lawful rule of the civil government, which prohibits unlawful violence
against people and property, and which alone has the right to “bear the
sword” (Romans 13:1-7). By engaging
in such sinful and unlawful actions, these professing Christians have brought
dishonor to Jesus Christ and to His Church.
The Church's primary response to homosexuality and to those
who endorse or profess the homosexual lifestyle should be the preaching of the
full extent of God's revelation found in the Bible. That preaching should
include preaching against all forms of sin — including the sins of homosexual
lusts and actions — as well as the preaching of the gospel of salvation.
And because the Church and other
Christian organizations share God-given duties to preach and to teach against
homosexual sins, no church nor any other Christian organization should knowingly
employ professed homosexuals, who are unrepentant, in teaching or in leadership
positions.
Adopted by Council, November 1, 1999
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, ©
1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
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