Voiceover: Next on That’s in the Bible!
[Video question]
Leslie: My question is if God loves gay people or not.
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There are genes that can predispose both genders to be homosexually inclined. Does this mean there are evil genes?
Brother Bob: If God created man, then this would include the flawed genes. According to the Bible, what should happen to homosexuals? It’s not for us to judge whether a homosexual or whether a drunkard or whether a thief, or anyone else for that matter, would enter into the kingdom of God. That’s not for us. Why so? Because God is the one who issues the decree. God is the one who issues judgment.
[Show open]
Brother Bob: Hello, I’m Brother Bob Pellien. Thanks for joining us in this episode of That’s in the Bible. Our first question for today comes from Leslie Vang of Kent, Washington. Here’s Leslie’s question.
[Video question]
Leslie: My question is that if God loves gay people or not.
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Does God love gay people or not?
Does God Love Gay People?
Brother Bob: Thank you, Leslie, very much for your question. We do receive quite a few questions here in the program concerning homosexuality. So, today in this episode, we’ll try to address a few of those issues and questions that we often receive. God of all is the purest manifestor of love. God’s love is not only for people who commit sin or have various lifestyles that may oppose the lifestyle that God had commanded for His people; His love was manifested in a very, very unique and specific way. What way? 1 John, chapter 4, verse 10, reads…
This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
[1 John 4:10 God’s Word Translation]
Brother Bob: God loves people so much that He gave His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to be the payment for sin. God loved people so much; He sent His son to answer for the sins of sinners. But, and here’s the thing, Leslie, what’s one of the many things that a person must do to ensure that they’ll be a beneficiary of God’s love, instead of being a recipient of His anger or His punishment? We turn once again to the Holy Scriptures. This time, the writings of the Prophet Isaiah, which says:
Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have love, pity, and mercy for him, and to our God, for He will multiply to him His abundant pardon.
[Isaiah 55:7 Amplified Version]
Brother Bob: How then can one truly be a beneficiary of the love that God intends for people? He must be willing to return to the Lord, must be willing to obey His laws, His teachings, His commands, and then God said he would have His love, he would have His mercy, and He would multiply to him an abundant pardon. If then, dear friends, we show our love to God by obeying His ways, is there any chance that we would be on the losing end? Is there truly a benefit for being faithfully obedient to God’s ways? 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 8 and 9. Let’s listen together to what the Holy Scriptures says:
You love him even though you have never seen him; though not seeing him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with the inexpressible joy that comes from heaven itself. And your further reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
[1 Peter 1:8-9 The Living Bible]
Brother Bob: One is not on the losing end, dear friends, if one resists all the temptations in the world around us. If one is inclined to commit any kind of sin and resists and remains loyal and faithful to God, He promises an inexpressible joy that comes from heaven itself, and the reward of salvation.
So, what then, dear friends, does God want for all of us? Remaining in the same writings of Apostle Peter, this time we turn to chapter 1, and let’s read together verses 14, 15, and 16:
Obey God because you are his children; don’t slip back into your old ways – doing evil because you knew no better. But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who invited you to be His child. He Himself has said, “You must be holy, for I am holy.”
[1 Peter 1:14-16 The Living Bible]
Brother Bob: Dear friends, there’s a lot of questions that come up concerning homosexuality, and we want to address all of them. So, let’s move on. Clearly, thus far, God made clear–He loves people, wants to bless, wants to forgive, only asks that we return to Him in faithful obedience.
Kyma from London, England also posed a question concerning homosexuality and in fact, it’s a multi-fold question. Here’s what she wrote:
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Question: Are we not created by God in His own image? There are genes that can predispose both genders to be homosexually inclined. Does this mean there are evil genes? But if God created man then this would include the flawed genes?
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Question: According to the Bible, what should happen to homosexuals?
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Are we not created by God in His own image? If so, what about the “evil” homosexual-linked gene?
Aren’t We Created in God’s Image?
Brother Bob: Well, we thank you for that series of questions, and let’s take a look at them one by one. First, regarding being created in God’s image–well, we can say right at the outset that is very true. But what we must be careful of is not to make the assumption that this is referring [to the fact] that man has been created in the image of God’s physical nature. Surely then, when we look in the mirror, all of us are not seeing the reflection of what God looks like, and we’re very sure of that because of what the Lord had recorded in John 4:24, which teaches us that God is a Spirit.
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
[John 4:24 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: And in the book of Luke, it makes mention that a Spirit is without flesh and bones.
“Behold My hands and My feet, that is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
[Luke 24:39 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: So, we’re not created in God’s image in the context of what He looks like, or the nature of what God is made of–He’s a Spirit. So, in what way then are we created to be in the image of God? We turn to the Bible wherein it says, also in the writings of Apostle Peter; Apostle Peter wrote in chapter 1, verse 16. 1 Peter 1:16 reads…
because it is written “Be holy, for I am holy.”
[1 Peter 1:16 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: If we look in the mirror, we’re not going to see what God looks like physically. But yet, we were created and intended to be in God’s image of holiness.
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Reflect in our life – in our lifestyle – holiness.
Brother Bob: God is holy, and He expects us to reflect in our life – in our lifestyle – holiness. Our Creator is holy, and He asked us also to reflect that holiness by being faithful and obedient to His ways, to His laws, to a lifestyle that He has commanded and given to His creation to live, therefore, reflecting the image of God in the life we lead each and every day.
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What should happen to homosexuals?
What should happen to homosexuals?
Brother Bob: Now, Kyma, also asked what would happen to homosexuals.
If you’re asking us to be the judge, that is not a right or privilege that God has given to us. It is only God who can judge, it is only God who can say what will happen to any one of us.
So, here’s what God says regarding those that would be allowed and those that would not be allowed to enter into the kingdom of heaven. For example, in Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he writes in 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, beginning in verse 9:
… Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.
[1 Corinthians: 6:9-10 Holman Christian Standard]
Brother Bob: It’s not for us to judge whether a homosexual or whether a drunkard or whether a thief, or anyone else for that matter, would enter into the kingdom of God–that’s not for us. Why so? Because God is the one who issues the decree, God is the one who issues judgment. And concerning since the question specifically honed in on homosexuality, God’s made very clear that those who are practicing homosexuality would not enter His kingdom.
There may very well be those who feel inclined to drink and become a drunk, but they will be judged whether or not they move on those inclinations, and drink and become a drunkard. There may be those who are very tempted and inclined to shoplift and be a thief, and when they go in the store, they’re very tempted – that’s their inclination. But they will not be judged whether or not they are tempted to steal; they will be judged whether or not they are thieves.
There may be those who are inclined to live whatever, many different kinds of sinful lifestyles, but it is not their inclination, nor temptation, that they will be judged for, but how they react, how they put into practice their daily lives. Now there are those–and it was also part of the question–who have the way of thinking that well, when it comes to homosexuality, that they were born that way. Some even tried to put the blame on God Himself and say, “Well, it is a biological anomaly, therefore, it’s not my fault.” There have been a lot of scientific studies in the realm of neuroanatomy, which concerns the brain.
[On-screen text graphic – Source: Dictionary.com]
neuroanatomy: The anatomy of the nervous system.
Brother Bob: No study of neuroanatomy indicates any anomaly of the brain in those who are practicing homosexuality; they cannot blame that as something wrong with their brain. They cannot blame their inclinations nor their temptations and tendencies on an anomaly in their brain. There are those who study psychoendocrinology, which is the study of hormones, and how hormones react in the human body, nor have there been any studies indicating that hormonal imbalances or such would lead anyone towards homosexuality.
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psychoendocrinology: The study of the relationship between the endocrine system and various symptoms or types of mental illness.
Brother Bob: Nor in the study of genetics has there been any proven evidence scientifically, or even close to such wherein there are genetic anomalies that incline a person towards homosexuality. It leads one then maybe to say, “Well, they were just simply born that way. They may have nothing wrong with their brain. There may be nothing wrong with their hormonal balances and such. There may be nothing wrong with their genes. They were simply born; it was in their mind before birth that they were a woman in a man’s body, or a man in a woman’s body. It is innate in them.”
We are sure the scientific studies indicate no such biological anomalies, nor will we accept that it is innate in a person before they are born because we believe in this very important biblical truth. Recorded in the book of Ecclesiastes 7:29, which reads…
“One thing I have learned: God made people good, but they have found all kinds of ways to be bad.”
[Ecclesiastes 7:29 New Century Version]
Brother Bob: From the very beginning, God made or created man good, or correct, without any biological anomalies inclining them to automatically commit sin against Him. No, there is no such thing like that.
What then, dear friends, must happen to anyone who feels tempted? Maybe there’s one who’s tempted to—because of money, they might deceive people, or they just can’t help themselves because they’re so inclined to gain money. Or maybe there’s those who are so inclined just to be angry and fight against people, or maybe there’s someone who just seems to be inclined for sexual immorality of whatever kind. Inclined to drink, inclined to gamble… other people may say, “I’m not tempted in those kinds of things,” but another will say, “I’m very tempted in that.”
Whether it’s homosexuality or any other kind of sin that one may feel inclined towards, what has to happen, dear friends, according to the Holy Scriptures? Allow me to cite from the book of Romans, chapter 12, to conclude our episode, our study for today. It is recorded in verse 2, and it says this…
Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.
[Romans 12:2 Today’s English Version]
Brother Bob: What must happen, dear friends, one must allow God to transform them. If one will say, “But I’m inclined this way,” God says, “let me transform you.” The first step that a person must take is an acceptance that they need to be transformed, and then God says, “let me transform you.”
Don’t conform to the standards of this world. If this world has made clear that homosexuality is alright, and same-sex marriage is alright, and all such things that oppose the instructions and commands of God, well, we must allow God to transform us. And believe He can and will do so in your life.
Well, that’s all we have time for today. But if you, too, have questions that you’d like answered, e-mail us. And we’ll use the guidance of the Holy Scriptures to help you find your answer, the truth that’s in the Bible.
Brother Bob: Thanks for watching. I’m Brother Bob Pellien, and we’ll see you again next time.
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