[Steve Myers] What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? It's big in the news right now. It seems like our modern society has been developing, growing, and suddenly we're faced with all these new issues. Well, where do you go for the truth?

The problem is, is homosexuality really a new issue? You know, according to the Bible, it's not. The first century Church faced the issue of homosexuality. It faced the problems that came with that.

There's an interesting passage over in Romans chapter 1, right at the very beginning of Romans, verse 28. It says, "Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do the things which are not fitting." You might say, boy that's pretty tough. That's pretty hard. We have a harsh, mean God. Well, is that true? Let's think about that and see what the Bible actually says. In verse 29 it says, "They were filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetous, full of envy..." And it goes on to list all of these different types of things that they gave over—they were given over to this debased way of thinking. In verse 26 it says, "Even their women did change the natural use of that which is against nature." Verse 27 says, "Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another" (Romans 1:24-32).

You see God points out that's unacceptable. That is unacceptable behavior before God. If we claim to be Christians, it's unacceptable.

It's also interesting as the Apostle Paul addressed the church at Corinth, God's people, here's what he told them over in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. I'll write that one down. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and it's throughout the chapter, but beginning in verse 9. He says something interesting.  He says, "Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9).

Then he says do not be deceived. It's interesting how many times throughout the Bible when you read this phrase "do not be deceived" really you should step back and remember this is something that I could be fooled about, this is something that I might misunderstand unless God reveals it in His word. And so Paul specifically says watch out, be careful, beware, do not be deceived.

Well, what is it that we could be deceived about? Well, he says, "Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor Sodomites…" And then he expands that list to "Thieves, those that are covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). So none in those categories will have eternal life. They will not be a part of the Kingdom of God. They will not be in God's family. That is the straight scoop on all of those behaviors. They are unacceptable before God and we cannot be in the family of God if we practice those things.

But you know, he doesn't leave it there. Because this was an old issue, because this is not something new, Paul showed very clearly that there is a solution. You know what he said to those in Corinth? In verse 11—this is very important—in verse 11 after making that list and sounding very harsh, very hard, he says something interesting. He says, "And such were some of you." You see, some of God's very own people had been practicing those things. They were thieves, they were revilers, they were extortioners. Yes, they were fornicators. Yes, they were homosexuals. They were Sodomites. Some of them were those things. They practiced those things. And yet, Paul calls them Christians. Some of them in the Church of God, they were guilty of those things that he listed. But, he says this, "But you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

So in other words, God says that they came out of those lifestyles. They were no longer fornicators. They were no longer thieves. They were no longer homosexuals. They were no longer Sodomites—that they came out of that. They repented, they changed, and they put that behavior behind them.  They were converted in other words. And so they lived a life with the mind of Jesus Christ.

So could we say that God loves those people? Absolutely, God loves those that were thieves. God loves the revilers. He loves the extortioners. Right, Jesus Christ died so that these people could be a part of the family of God—for you and I to be a part of the family of God. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That is fact.

Now the thing is, He loves the sinner, but He hates the sin. And so we are called to come out of that kind of behavior. We are called to be washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. That's what's most important.

So do not be deceived. God does not accept those behaviors. That has to be something that we come out of so that ultimately we can say what those in Corinth were told. Such were some of us, but now we are clean through Jesus Christ.

That's BT Daily. We'll see you next time.