The Fallacy of Homosexual Love
Cramer says, “Could it be, perhaps that what is often called ‘homosexuality’ in Scripture is very different than the faithful, monogamous, same-sex relationships that we have seen in the Church?...they are…two people committing themselves to one another through self-giving love”.(1)
Essentially, Cramer says that God is pleased with homosexual relationships so long as they are faithful, monogamous, loving and self-giving. Several problems arise here. First, although God commands these qualities in a relationship, He does not command them in a same-sex relationship. The reason is because any homosexual relationship is prohibited by God. The very existence of the relationship and the practicing of homosexuality is sin no matter how monogamous, how faithful, how loving, and how self-giving it is. A heterosexual marriage is the only sanctioned relationship by God and it should display these qualities.
Second, the Bible says that it is not love, but lust between two homosexuals. In Romans 1:27 it says clearly that “men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another…” No matter how caring, monogamous, or committed two homosexuals are with each other it is lust that is driving them and not love.
Thirdly, the important thing to realize is that in verse 25 it says that they were guilty of idolatry, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator..” Someone who lives a homosexual lifestyle and claims to be worshipping the God of the Bible is deceived. Those whom Paul said were living homosexual lifestyles were guilty of idolatry – worshipping another god. Idolatry – not worship – led to homosexual living.
It becomes all the more clear when we realize what is pictured in a marriage between a man and woman. It is a picture of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:25-27). The Church is called the “Bride” of Christ. Christ is the Husband of his Bride. “He” (Christ) is married to “She” (the Church). So a marriage is symbolic even of the Gospel because it is through believing the Gospel that someone becomes a member of the Church and a part of the Bride of Christ.
That’s the glory of marriage – it represents Jesus Christ’s relationship with His Bride, the Church. A same-sex relationship distorts and undermines this picture of our relationship with Christ - as well as the Gospel. The marriage between Christ and His Bride is based on love, and a marriage between a man and woman is based on that same love. A same-sex marriage can never picture Christ because homosexuality is based on lust, not love.
(1)Cramer, Jared. “Scripture, sexuality and the Church’s call to faithfulness and reform.” The Grand Haven Tribune, [Grand Haven, MI] 24/06/2012: 24 Jun. 2012, http://www.grandhaventribune.com/content/cramer-scripture-sexuality-and-church%E2%80%99s-call-faithfulness-and-reform.
Cramer says, “Could it be, perhaps that what is often called ‘homosexuality’ in Scripture is very different than the faithful, monogamous, same-sex relationships that we have seen in the Church?...they are…two people committing themselves to one another through self-giving love”.(1)
Essentially, Cramer says that God is pleased with homosexual relationships so long as they are faithful, monogamous, loving and self-giving. Several problems arise here. First, although God commands these qualities in a relationship, He does not command them in a same-sex relationship. The reason is because any homosexual relationship is prohibited by God. The very existence of the relationship and the practicing of homosexuality is sin no matter how monogamous, how faithful, how loving, and how self-giving it is. A heterosexual marriage is the only sanctioned relationship by God and it should display these qualities.
Second, the Bible says that it is not love, but lust between two homosexuals. In Romans 1:27 it says clearly that “men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another…” No matter how caring, monogamous, or committed two homosexuals are with each other it is lust that is driving them and not love.
Thirdly, the important thing to realize is that in verse 25 it says that they were guilty of idolatry, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator..” Someone who lives a homosexual lifestyle and claims to be worshipping the God of the Bible is deceived. Those whom Paul said were living homosexual lifestyles were guilty of idolatry – worshipping another god. Idolatry – not worship – led to homosexual living.
It becomes all the more clear when we realize what is pictured in a marriage between a man and woman. It is a picture of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:25-27). The Church is called the “Bride” of Christ. Christ is the Husband of his Bride. “He” (Christ) is married to “She” (the Church). So a marriage is symbolic even of the Gospel because it is through believing the Gospel that someone becomes a member of the Church and a part of the Bride of Christ.
That’s the glory of marriage – it represents Jesus Christ’s relationship with His Bride, the Church. A same-sex relationship distorts and undermines this picture of our relationship with Christ - as well as the Gospel. The marriage between Christ and His Bride is based on love, and a marriage between a man and woman is based on that same love. A same-sex marriage can never picture Christ because homosexuality is based on lust, not love.
(1)Cramer, Jared. “Scripture, sexuality and the Church’s call to faithfulness and reform.” The Grand Haven Tribune, [Grand Haven, MI] 24/06/2012: 24 Jun. 2012, http://www.grandhaventribune.com/content/cramer-scripture-sexuality-and-church%E2%80%99s-call-faithfulness-and-reform.
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