Homosexuality
- An Abomination
Elder
Roger D. Reed
Pastor
- Walnut Creek Baptist Church
Centerburg,
Ohio
An
article was written in the April 9, 1988 edition of my local newspaper
in Saturday's religious section, which was taken from the Knight, Ridder
Newspaper. After reading the article I was very upset and very uneasy for
days. I've read other articles on this unholy subject, but this one was
different. I couldn't get it out of my mind. It was like a heavy burden
hanging over me, and I felt the need to deal with it. So it is out of heaviness
of heart and concern for lost and misguided souls that this article is
written.
Before I go further I would ask the reader to read the article that was
written. It read and I quote:
"HOMOSEXUAL MINISTER
PLEADS FOR ACCEPTANCE"
"Nearly
20 years after he founded a predominately homosexual denomination, the
Rev. Troy Perry says he's still challenging other churches to accept gays
as fellow believers.
'When our denomination started 20 years ago, we were it: There was no alternative'
said the 47 year-old founder of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Churches, based in California.
'Now church groups nationwide are wrestling with questions of whether to
accept homosexuals as members or as clergy, and wondering how to minister
to those stricken with AIDS.
'It's not business as usual for churches in America,' said Perry.
Despite
some setbacks in civil rights for homosexuals in the past two decades the
onslaught of AIDS and a cautious distance between the predominately gay
Metropolitan churches and other Christian denominations, Perry said he
hopes for better relations between gay and heterosexual Christians and
for civil rights for gays.
Perry said this month's federal appeals court decision in California that
declared regulations barring homosexuals from military service to be unconstitutional
was a 'wonderful victory.'
About 200 leaders in the gay rights movement were meeting in Washington
last week to discuss political strategy.
'With the advent of AIDS, we're pouring so much energy into that,' he said.
'But we're still going to fight for gay rights.'
Perry, who was excommunicated from the Church of God in Cleveland, Tenn.,
because of his homosexuality, said the Metropolitan? Church believes in
a Trinitarian God, in Jesus as Savior and in the sacraments of baptism
and Holy Communion.
Metropolitan Church's 350 clergy are nearly evenly divided between male
and female. In addition, approximately 15 percent of its 40,000 members
are homosexual."
With much prayer and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, I would like to
comment on this article and the subject of homosexuality.
Let me first say I do not like the term "gay" to describe homosexuality.
There is nothing "gay" about it.
1.)
Perry says, "He's still challenging other churches to accept gays as fellow
believers." The Baptist New Testament Church will never accept gays as
fellow believers. God doesn't accept them. So why should the Lord's church
do any different? "And Abraham drew near, and said, wilt thou also destroy
the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within
the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for fifty righteous
that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay
the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the
wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do
right? And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the
city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes" (Genesis
18:23-26).
We see after more discussion with the Lord, Abraham goes from fifty to
ten righteous, look at verse 32. "And he said Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found
there, And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake." Only a true
believer in God could be righteous before Him. Now look at Genesis 19:24-25:
"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire
from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the
plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew upon the
ground." One can easily see there were none righteous or believers
as Mr. Perry would have us to accept.
Sodom and Gomorrah was filled with sin of all kinds including homosexuality.
The word "sodomy" is taken from the city of Sodom. It means, "any sexual
intercourse held to be abnormal, as between two persons of the same sex"
(Webster's New World Dictionary).
If you still have doubts that homosexuals were in those cities, look at
Genesis
19: 4-8; "But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the
men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people
from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where
are the men which came to see thee this night? bring them out unto us,
that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut
the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Behold now I have two daughters which have not known man, let me, I pray
you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes:
only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow
of my roof."
In verse 5 we see they told Lot to bring them out that they might know
them. The word "know" is used not to mean that they wanted to be introduced,
but to commit that unnatural act. I quote from John Gill, "As lawful copulation
with a man's wife is modestly expressed by knowing her, (Genesis 5:1,17,25);
so this unlawful and shocking copulation of man with man is expressed by
this phrase; and that this was their meaning is plain from Lot's answer
to them."
2.)
Perry says, "Church groups are wrestling with questions of whether to accept
homosexuals as members or as clergy." What is there to wrestle with? All
one has to do is read their Bible. Homosexuality is an ABOMINATION to God.
And a true born-again believer should have no trouble seeing that. It is
clear to me that Ham and the land of Canaan was cursed by God because of
what Ham did unto his father Noah (Genesis 9:21-27). Pay close attention
to verse 24. Now read Leviticus 18 and again pay close attention
to verses 22 through 30.
As for the clergy I think I Timothy 3 is sufficient to answer that
question for Perry.
He also stated that, "It's not business as usual for churches in America."
That's because they have their eyes off the Lord and not on what He left
for His church to do, to preach the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20). But
I don't think Perry understands the difference between the local New Testament
Baptist Church and other so-called churches.
I feel enough has been said about AIDS that I will not comment on it, except
to say, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
3.)
"What a wonderful victory that the appeals court in California declared
regulations barring homosexuals from the military service to be unconstitutional,"
Perry added. How very sad and foolish that this has happened. All I can
think about is the U. S. going to war and the enemy waiting for our military
to die from the AIDS virus.
He also said, "They are going to fight for gay rights." I believe that
Romans
1:32 says they have rights, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that
they that commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them." That is the only right they
have, death, if they continue in their sin. At least the church in
Tennessee had the good sense to excommunicate him.
Perry also said that his so-called church "believes a Trinitarian God,
in Jesus as Savior and in the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion."
So?, I was a Lutheran for eleven years before the Lord saved me and put
me in a New Testament local church, and I believed the same thing as he
does but I wasn't saved. There is a big difference in having head knowledge
and having heart knowledge. These people aren't saved: they are just playing
religion. They are professing but not possessing salvation. Far be it from
me to judge anyone, I just believe what the Word of God says. "For this
ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who
is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
(Ephesians 5:51). Any homosexual is unclean and an ABOMINATION in
the sight of a Holy God.
If the reader does not believe that homosexuality is a gross sin and an
abomination unto God then you are blinded and the "truth is not in you"
(I John 2:4). "Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not
in him For all is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth forever." (I John 2:15-17).
The acceptance of homosexuality in America is staggering and that saddens
my heart. The Bible clearly shows that it is sin and an ABOMINATION unto
a Holy God. No person that practices this gross sin will enter the kingdom
of Heaven. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23). I
Corinthians 6:9-10 says: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortions,
shall inherit the kingdom of God."
There is a lesson in all of this for the Christian. Matthew's Gospel
5:44 tells us to love our enemies. I like this verse because it shows
how God can change our hearts. We're to love these people. They are lost
souls and we're to preach the gospel to them. I didn't say to love their
sin, but we are to love the sinner and be concerned for their soul. Remember
your life before God saved you by His grace. Take time to read Ephesians
2:1-18, the words Paul wrote to the Church there.
God has called His children to do a work, to preach the gospel unto all
the world. In our church we sing this song 'Lead Me to Some Soul Today'.
May God grant us the love we need to tell the gospel message to everyone
that we come in contact with even the homosexual. And may God grant
us the strength to stand against the sin of this world.
To Mr. Perry I write, you need Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, to
see that you're a sinner before God, and repent of your sins and put your
faith in Him. "You must be born again" (John 3:3).
Return To Elder Reed's Page
Return To Baptist Authors
Return To PBC Home