Prohibitions* against sexual relations with...
- Mother (verse 7)
- Step-mother [father's wife] (verse 8)
- Sister and half-sister (verse 9)
- Granddaughter (verse 10)
- Step-sister (verse 11)
- Aunt [father's sister] (verse 12)
- Aunt [mother's sister] (verse 13)
- Aunt by marriage [father's brother's wife] (verse 14)
- Daughter-in-law (verse 15)
- Sister-in-law [brother's wife] (verse 16)
- A woman and her daughter (verse 17a)
- A woman and her granddaughter (verse 17b)
- Wife and her sister [wife must be dead before sister can become wife] (verse 18)
- A woman menstruating (verse 19)
- Another man's wife (verse 20)**
- Against child sacrifice (verse 21)***
- A man (verse 22)
- An animal (verse 23a)
- A woman with an animal(verse 23b)
- Pagans of the land did these things but God's people were not to--they were to be holy (verses 24-30)****
* Prohibitions are from the perspective of a man. Women are addressed in verse 23. However, it can be inferred that women should also not willingly participate in these sexual unions which are prohibited for men.
** This whole section could be summarized as "Do not have sex with anyone or anything other than your wife." Sadly, because of our own wicked hearts, God has to get specific to show us there are no exceptions.
*** Not a sexual prohibition since it is against child sacrifice but much of idol worship was tied to fertility, prosperity, and immoral acts.
**** God's people are to still be holy. If you are practicing any of these then repent, turn to God before it is too late. There is hope for those who put their trust in Jesus. 1Cor. 6:9-11 "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
4 comments:
So what should a man who is not attracted to women do? If I'm gay and I love God and want to honor him with my whole life, where does that leave me? Should I lie? Fake it? Marry a woman and pretend? That doesn't seem like a way to honor God, it just seems like a way to mock the sacrament of marriage - what could be more immoral? Should I just be alone my whole life? The first thing God created that he said was not good was for man to be alone. It's easy to criticize and thump your bible. But do you have any real answers?
Mr. Happy,
Thank you so much for asking a thoughtful and serious question. I will do my best to answer. The only real answers I have are the ones from the Bible, the word of God. So I am trying to answer with God's truth and not my own flawed understanding.
Let me point out first that I do not think it is any easier for a heterosexual to not sin sexually than someone who has a homosexual attraction. "Straight" people are tempted to rebel against God by going outside of His boundaries of sexuality in a monagamous marriage, too (Romans 1 would apply to them also). Adultery, divorce, fornication, etc. are rampant among the "straight" population. And an honest look at Leviticus 18 would show that these people have broken God's law and will experience His eternal wrath UNLESS they turn from their sin and put their trust in what Jesus did on the cross to cover their sins. It is not a sin to be tempted to sin sexually. It IS a sin to ACT on that temptation and break God's law. I do not think lying, faking, or marrying a woman is the answer. Be honest before God with your struggles and ask for His grace and strength to live a life that would show you follow Jesus. As for your real needs for companionship and intimacy, trust that God will supply them in His way. But do not try to satisfy them apart from Him. I believe that 1Cor. 6:9-11 is a precious example of how God can change lives through faith in Christ. Make sure you are in the faith first, it makes all the difference: http://www.amireallyachristian.com/
Paul,
I am going to pull your comment down about generational curses because it is lengthy and off-topic. May God bless you as you follow Him.
It's funny. Ten years ago, I would have written an answer very similar to yours. Much has happened to me since then. Straight people have one distinct advantage in that they can go to the church, seek the wisdom of Godly men and count on their support in their trials. Gay guys usually just hear condemnation and Lev. 18. I know that straight people don't really have to think through the issues gay people face, and I'm glad for them. But I had to. I can't believe that God would put me in a no win situation that tore me up for most of my adult life.
I humbly ask two things: One is that you don't remove my post so that if any other gay guy who loves God should see it, they can check out my blog and see where I came from. So that you know this is not a rhetorical comment, there is an entire ethos of unreached people here in the US who have heard nothing except condemnation from Church, who need God more than you can imagine and who are facing life without him convinced that he doesn't want them. These people are more important than the sound bytes in Lev 18 or 1 Cor 6 or Rom 1. I know these scriptures answer all of the questions for you. But they don't for them.
Second, if you can stomach it, at least give my perspective a fair hearing. Check out the Christian Math section of my blog, start at the bottom and work your way back up. See if I'm so wrong. If there is any hope for the gay world, it is going to come from the church - the only hope for the whole world - and from people like you. At least understand their plight and at most reach out to them with God's love just as you would a third world country where people are starving.
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