Human Judgment or Divine Judgment
To many homosexuals, any opposition to a same-sex lifestyle simply HAS to mean that that person has a biased fear of or hatred for homosexual people. In fact, should a person make the claim that homosexuality is a sin, that person will generally be accused of using “ hate speech. ” But is that really true? Now friends, all because someone may be opposed to the same-sex lifestyle does not necessitate that that person hates someone who may be involved in it. Those who do not understand this concept confuse speaking out against sin with hating the sinner.
Is it hate speech to criticize homosexuality?
According to the Bible, while it is true that God loves the sinner (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8); it is equally true that God hates sin (cf. Zech. 8:17; Prov. 6:16-19). Additionally, while it is true that the Lord will “judge” (eternally condemn or save) in the last day (2 Cor. 5:10; Jn. 5:28-29), it is equally true that God has already passed judgment against sin. Various biblical commandments are a witness to this fact: such as, “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal” (Exod. 20:13-15; cf. Matt. 5:21-30), etc. Commanding us not to murder, commit adultery or steal necessarily implies that to do them is to sin.
Now with that said, the same God who already passed judgment against sin commands the Christian to not only oppose sin, but also to expose it for what it is. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11). Additionally, while we are to love all men – yes, even the sinner (cf. Matt. 5:43-48), God calls upon the Christian to hate sin (just as He hates sin). “Abhor what is evil” (Rom. 12:9); “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22). Now friends, to abhor and abstain from evil involves judging. But mind you, such judgment must be according to the will of God, not the will of man. Jesus never said, “Do not judge” (period). He said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24). You see, the Christian has to judge life matters. When Paul said, “Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22), the idea is that we must judge all things by what the Bible says about them. Based on the evidence of Scripture, we are either to hold fast to something (if it is proven acceptable to God), or we must abstain from it (if it is proven to be unacceptable to God). Plain and simple.
The question is where does homosexuality fit in all this? As we already discovered (in previous articles), both the Old Testament (Lev. 18:22; 20:13) and the New Testament (Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10) regard homosexuality as a sin. If, therefore, God regards homosexuality as a sin, then He has already passed judgment against it. Since God hates all sin, how could homosexuality be approved by God? Ephesians 5:10 tells us to “prove what is acceptable to the Lord.” In light of the fact that nowhere in Scripture is homosexuality spoken of with divine approval, then the only conclusion is that God is not for it, He is against it.
Now I realize that this topic is controversial in our day and time (and so I speak the truth in love, Eph. 4:15), but please understand that the truth never changes. “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Ps. 119:89). God’s desire is to save all men (1 Tim.2:1-4), for He loves them so (this is the purpose for which Christ died – Jn. 3:16). Yet God also reveals that if the sinner refuses to repent they will perish eternally (Lk. 13:3, 5). “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). Friends, this is not hate speech, this is love speech! “‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord GOD, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (Ezek. 18:23). “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19).