Romans 1:26-27 (First, the bad news)

Romans 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

The Apostle Paul is very clear in this passage that homosexual activity is not only a sin and wrong, but it goes against nature. People know that it is contrary to nature. They do not have to conduct studies because it is obvious that it is a dysfunctional practice that the human body is ill designed to perform. Many practice this behavior and claim they were born with these desires. Others say that it is an alternate lifestyle that is just as valid as a heterosexual relationship. If this logic were valid, then any abnormal sexual behavior could be justified by a person claiming he was born that way or because it was an alternate choice. Polygamy, nudism, and whatever else people came up with, would also fit under the same umbrella.

Paul, in this passage, says otherwise when he says that natural relations were exchanged for those contrary to nature. He points out that those practicing such acts are shameless and consumed with passion. Therefore, they become obsessed at the expense of other human activities and receive, in this life, the due penalty for this error. Statistics bear out that homosexual activity brings increased diseases to those that practice the behavior. Aids, hepatitis, rectal cancer are a few diseases that take an increased toll on homosexuals.

Most in our secular culture validate homosexuality as normal and O.K. Also, many liberal and “emergent” professing Christians also assert that homosexual activity is valid as long as fidelity is maintained between the partners. Christians that take the Bible seriously view the practice exactly as Paul explains here in these two verses. For having this belief, conservative Christians are falsely accused of hating homosexuals. The fact is that all people, including believers, are sinners and struggle with sin. While hating our sin first and in others next is appropriate, hating sinners is not appropriate and would only mean a hatred for everyone on planet earth. We are to love all human beings, including those that practice this particular sin.

Praise God that his Word in its entirety enables us to form a Christian world-view that allows Christians to sort through all of the secular misinformation and Christian false teaching and come to a right understanding on the subject of homosexuality.