Question:
Does Jesus say that a homosexual will not enter into Heaven? I have read in Romans 1:26-32 also 1Cor 6.9 concerning homosexuality. But Jesus only speaks to us in the four gospels, doesn’t he, so therefore Jesus did not say that a homosexual wouldn’t enter into Heaven. Am I right?
Answer:
This questions has lots of “mini” questions embedded in it, so let me see if I can dissect them.
First, you state that Jesus only speaks to us in the Gospels. NO, you are wrong. Jesus does NOT only speak to us in the four Gospels. Jesus directly and physically speaks in Acts and Revelation as well as the Gospels.
However, the foundation of the question is wrong to begin with. The entire Bible is, in the very real sense, all the words of Jesus. Jesus is “the Word” (John 1.1), Jesus is God… the Bible is the inspired, “God-breathed” Written Word of God. To imply or believe that something the Apostle wrote is not “binding” because Jesus own words aren’t recorded as saying the same thing, is to open up the door to discard 90% of the Bible.
So no matter where we find it in the New Testament, the commands/instructions/principles are binding for Christians.
Will a homosexual enter heaven? No. And neither will fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, nor those who are being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; those full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents who are undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving and unmerciful (all contained in the same verses about homosexuality).
It’s far too easy for Christians today to single out and demonize homosexuality while ignoring our own common sins which are just as horrible in God’s eyes. The Church is full of sexual immorality, gluttony, materialism, laziness and hypocrisy.
But let a struggling homosexual come into our midst, and we will cast down hellfire and brimstone to get the evil Sodomite to renounce his ways.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. Homosexuality is wrong. It is a sin. It has horrible and devastating effects on the individual, and on our society. It is an abominable, detestable and utterly degenerate practice (just as all sin is in God’s eyes).
A homosexual who has never truly repented of their sin will NOT enter heaven. And neither will any unrepentent, willful, practicing ___________ (fill in the blank from the list above) enter heaven either.
No one who dies in their sin, having rejected Jesus Christ will enter heaven. Christians have done a poor thing by spotlighting homosexuality as the “sinner of choice” to beat up and stigmatize.
The doors of your Church should be a welcome refuge of comfort and hope for the homosexual who is desperate to find “something more” in life. We open our arms to broken families, recovering addicts and all sorts of people whose lives are messed up…
But let a known homosexual walk into our churches wondering what “Jesus” is all about, and we recoil in disgust and discomfort. It’s almost as if we want them to “get right” before we will minister to them which is BACKWARDS because they have been drawn to Jesus BECAUSE they feel that something isn’t right.
(I can hear the protests of “not my church”; maybe my personal experience is wrong about this but in general I find Christians to be VERY hard and condemning towards the struggling homosexual).
Beloved, homosexual sin is no worse than the rampant “lust fest” we have going on in the Christian body today. Even in our fundamental, evangelical churches, the ladies, and especially our young ladies, wear provocative and alluring clothing (by God’s standard, not the worlds); our entertainment is just as sensual as the average non-saved person and our opinion of lust has been watered down significantly.
It is the “dirty little secret” that we are just beginning to expose and discuss that multitudes of Christian men (and women) are struggling with lust and sexual immorality of which there is to be NO HINT of in our lives (Eph 5.3). NO HINT, none. So if you are “good” compared to the next guy, it doesn’t matter. NO HINT means NO HINT.
Why am I getting on such a “soap box” about this? Because I have FAR TOO OFTEN listened to Christians condemn, insult and ostracize “homosexual sin” while ignoring the “accepted” sins of today’s church.
Matthew 7:5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (NKJV)
Two lessons: 1) The struggling homosexual needs the same love, mercy, grace and compassion as any other person seeking “new life”, and 2) we should not ignore our common sins (lust, gluttony, pride, etc.) while smugly condemning others for their sin that we don’t struggle with.
There are many other social, historical and moral issues to be discussed about homosexuality, but as far as salvation goes, they are as much a candidate for God’s redeeming love as any other sinner.
(Note: this is not specifically addressed to the reader who wrote this question; remember that my answers are general in nature, and not directed at who submitted the question).