Sexual Relations and Marriage
When God created the institution of marriage (Gen. 2:18-25), the sexual relation was a built-in feature.While the expression, “the two shall become oneflesh” (Mk 10:7-8) may be understood in reference to the marital union itself, it is clearly an expression that references the most physically intimate relationship that a husband and wife can have. However, man is often dissatisfied with what God has provided for him, and, as a result, he abuses and perverts what was once wholesome and pure. The question is: where does homosexuality place in all of this?
Is same sex marriage authorized by God?
The term “homosexual” is defined as “feeling or involving sexual attraction only to persons of the same sex” (Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder). A homosexual person is often referred to as “a lesbian” (if it is a woman) or “a gay” (if it is a man). Being that homosexuality is documented in the Bible as early as the book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) we come to the realization that homosexuality is not something that is new to the world.
Throughout human history mankind has engaged in various forms of sexual relations (whether good or evil): such as the heterosexual relations (male with female), the homosexual relations (male with male; female with female), bestial relations (man or woman with an animal), etc. But which does God approve of? One of them? All of them?
In the beginning God created a man and He created a woman to be the man’s wife (Gen. 2:7,18-25; Matt. 19: 4-5). Let the evidence show as “Exhibit A” that by God’s design a marriage was to be between a man and a woman from the beginning of creation (otherwise, why did He not make a man for the man or a woman for the woman?) In the New Testament the inspired apostle Paul said of marriage: “…It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:1-2). If God had intended this to include same-sex marriages, why did the Scripture not allow for a man to have his own man or a woman to have her own woman? These questions need to be answered.
Throughout Scripture one can find ample evidence that God approves of a heterosexual marriage, but nowhere in Scripture does God speak approvingly of a homosexual marriage. In light of this evidence, let us consider Hebrews 13:4, which says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
According to the Bible marriage is to be between a husband (man) and a wife (woman). According to Hebrews 13:4 any sexual relationship outside of that union is “adultery” or “fornication” (which is sin – Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10), regardless of whether it is heterosexual, homosexual, bestial (etc.). Honestly, friends, this biblical evidence is sufficient to settle the entire issue. However, in the spirit of a fair and just examination, we shall evaluate some other arguments and thoughts in future articles as we continue to answer the important question: “Is homosexuality really a sin?”