G.Bibu, a lawyer, examines the following four points in his in depth article on homosexuality: 1. The Bible on the offense of homosexuality. 2. Passages in the Bible, misrepresented as favoring homosexuality 3. Christianity: It's Contribution to the Society in Dealing with Homosexuality 4. The Bible as the only source of Law and reformation for those practising homosexuality. This is the 4th part of a four part series.
The preceding point argues for the present. For where there is no knowledge of right and wrong, there cannot be a valid law forbidding that which is wrong. The source of such a law would then be the only justified claimant as the source of Law. Since we have already established that the Bible is the only source of knowledge that Sodomy is a sin, the proposition now made, that the Bible is the exclusive source of the law against sodomy, does not call for making. Nor does this argument stand alone in bolstering such a conclusion. Only let the pages of history be perused, let the laws of the ancient civilizations not influenced by the Gospel be scrutinized, let the numerous religions of the pagan world be diligently studied, and let the conduct of many a king and of many a god of the heathen be carefully considered, and what an abundance of evidence would there be furnished, not only of the conspicuous absence of any law against sodomy, but also of its avowed practice.
A. The biographies of almost all the Roman Caesars, is tainted by their effeminacy, and of the most infamous perversions they practiced. If such are the law makers, such will be their laws also.
B. The libraries of the "wise" ancient Grecians were filled with the writings of Epicurius, the stoics, and such other philosophers, advocating and teaching incest and sodomy, so that a boy even from the age of seven was taught and was subjected to the latter monstrosity. Note, that philosophy is the sole repository of Grecian "wisdom", and the philosophers are its source. Now if their wisdom consisted in such a folly, how great is that folly! If the light which was in them were darkness, how great is that darkness. It would then be futile to look for a law in all of their legislation's, which would not only transcend their wisdom, but would also forbid its fruit. No wonder, that we read of the army of alexander being composed of sodomites, a factor, which according to some historians, served the most in maintaining the bond of unity amongst them.
C. We have already established in the previous section, that any efficacious law against sodomy would be an impossibility under the ancient Hindu states, owing to the perverse practices of none less than their very gods.
D. Such being the case with the civilized Romans, the wise Grecians, and the ritualistic Hindus, what shall we say concerning the dark continent, the barbaric nations, and the savage tribals, who neither were wise, nor civilized, nor yet ritualistic, but were subjected to the untold ravages of an unfettered anarchy? Verily, they had no knowledge, nor law, nor any restraint upon their depravity and their potential corruptions and perversions of any sort.
E. The nations of the pre-gospel-economy, may not have been uniform in the extent to which sodomy was entrenched in their societies, since the degree to which the light of nature was discarded or obscured may have varied from culture to culture. But where perversion prevailed over the light of nature, as it often did as history confirms, there was nothing in the heathen world to testify to the doom to which the nations have subjected themselves, much less to restrain or to dissuade them from their perversity.
F. When the call of the Gospel went out in to the world, threatening the wrath of God, and calling for repentance, presenting the life-transforming faith in Jesus Christ unto them that were lost in the impenetrable darkness of ignorance, there was a great enlightenment concerning the moral values, which came by a realization of God's holy standards as set forth in the Bible. This effected a radical reformation in those societies which embraced the Gospel, and this gave birth to such a way of life among them as may uphold and preserve the standards which the Bible demands of a Holy Nation, a Royal Priesthood, a Peculiar People, consecrated unto the Lord, cleansed of all unrighteousness, and from all pagan corruptions and perversions. This moral revolution among other things provided for the necessary penal laws in eradicating sodomy, and punishing those practicing it.
G. Such a blessing was not confined to the Christian domains, but also availed to those nations which were partially influenced by its message, such as the nations under the papal control, or in the Islamic states. Thus by the medieval age, almost all the civilized nations began to recognize such statutory prohibitions against the offense of sodomy, as may drastically punish those practicing this offence.
H. At the dawn of the modern era, the imperialistic zeal of the British proved to be a blessing in disguise to many countries in the world, in as much as it gave way to a legal system influenced by the Gospel in to all their colonies, as touching all matters both civil and criminal. Take India for an example, which for the first time under the British rule was afforded with the privilege of a codified system of law. In the year 1860, India was gifted with a code of criminal substantive laws, clearly defining various offenses, and prescribing various punishments upon the delinquents. This code, among various other Biblical features imbibed in it, recognized sodomy as an offense punishable under law (Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860). Such an offense as this is rightly designated by this code as an unnatural offense, as it is contrary to the very order of nature in which God created man, and ordained the use of sex amongst the human race. To violate nature therefore is to violate the ordinance of God Himself who order the course of nature, as may be constructed from the expression "unnatural".
I. The Indian Penal Code is just one among many such examples in the world. By the end of the 19th century, there was hardly any civilized nation which did not have penal laws against the offense of sodomy, and it generally came to be recognized as an unnatural offense, and realized the inherent stigma and shame attached to it. What the nations do not realize however,, is their indebtedness to the Bible for such an invaluable contribution in moralizing them. But their ingratitude does not invalidate their indebtedness.
J. The moral degeneracy as witnessed as a somewhat recent development in the west, also stands as an evidence in substantiating the role of the Bible in preserving the moral values and standards in the society. As long as the leg
al system contributed by the Bible as shown above received an unquestioned adherence, sodomy and fornication of all kinds were effectively checked. The moment the Bible began to be discarded in preference to liberalistic and rationalistic thoughts, the very foundations of a morally sound legal system were removed, and the nations now are in the verge of sinking in to their former estate from which they were reformed. The compulsory instruction of ten commandments in the schools were abolished in the United States of America, from the year 1962, as a part of the secularistic pattern of the constitution, and precisely from this time on, statistics prove a degeneracy in the moral character of most of the teens in that country. There was an increased and unchecked rate of premarital abortions, and all forms of perversions witnessed among them in a manner as never before. This is just one such example of what has happened to those nations which once stood for Christian reformation, and served as a Christian witness to the world. Almost all of them are now in the verge of legalizing homosexuality and gay-marriages, the vary acts which were once so odious to them under the influence of the Gospel, that they called for punishments in their states, excommunication in their churches, and ostracism in their societies, upon them that were such. But it is quite the opposite now, since the rejection of the Bible by these societies. As some one has rightly remarked, if God will not judge these nations for having occasioned blasphemy against is name among the heathens, He will have to rise up Sodom and Gomorrah, and apologise to them.
Thus we have briefly explained the proposition, that the Bible is the only source of the law against sodomy. The ancient civilizations under the pre-gospel-economy, had nothing of the like in them in restraining sodomy, as was found in those nations influenced by the Bible under the Church age, and now as the world is quickly on the verge of sinking in to the hopeless darkness of a post-Christian-era, by a rejection of God's word in preference to the human philosophies, doctrines and theories, they are beginning to exhibit the same perversions of their predecessors, who had no knowledge of the Bible. No sooner does the sun set, than that which its dawning had vanquished, begins to reign.
3. The Bible As The Only Source Of Reformation For Those Practicing Sodomy:
What we mean here by reformation as a far greater deal than what that expression connotes in common usage. We do not by reformation mean an external purification of conduct, but we mean the very transformation of man's heart. What is needed here is not the chopping off of the tree, but of rooting it up. Many of our medical scientists are engaged in a futile process of investigation to discover the scientific cause of sodomy, so as to find a possible cure for it, which in their opinion is a disease. While some have attributed it to certain genetic disorders, others have ascribed it to certain psychological derangements. There are scientific and logical arguments which convincingly overthrows all such suppositions, as may be gathered from a treatise on this same subject by mr. George Antony Paul. It would suffice here to remark, that the Bible has a consistent record throughout its history, of having liberated men from the corruption of sodomy, and such other perversions, which stands as an incontrovertible testimony to its power as an antidote against such corruptions. This should at once signify that the diagnosis of the Bible is the most dependable one in ascertaining the cause of such corruptions, or how can it cure what it cannot detect?
The Bible teaches consistently that the heart of man as the source of all evil. Therefore it prescribes the treatment of the heart and not of the genes or of the mind. Consider what the Master said in this connection: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications," etc, (Mark 7:21). Now "fornication" is distinguished from "adultery" in the above citation, for obvious reasons. While adultery consists in the violation of marital purity, fornication includes all acts which pervert the natural use of sex. Jesus declares that fornication, one of the species of which is sodomy, proceeds from a man's heart. It is needless to mention that the "heart" in this context has nothing to do with that organ in the human body which pumps blood in to the system. It instead has reference to that faculty in a man which forms his thoughts, activates his will, and directs all his conduct. It is the very nature of a man that is here in view, which acts as the most powerful influence in framing his thoughts and actions. The Bible teaches, that a man's inclinations are by nature against the law of God (Romans 8:7), and therefore it is called the enemy of God.
The cause of the universal reign of this sinful nature upon mankind, is traced back to the alienation of our first parents from God, subjecting all their posterity with them, to this doomed estate. Now it is not just the gene, or the psychology, but the entire being of a man is subservient to this sinful nature. And this is the state of mankind universally, and not just with the sodomites. Sodomy is just one of the many manifestations of the corrupt and sinful nature of man. Such a sinful nature is evident in every man, if not in one form, then in another. "For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage" (2 Peter 2:19), and any form of evil by which he is overcomed renders him a bondservant to sin (John 8:34). The Bible teaches that all of mankind, without exception or distinction, are subject to this sinful nature (Romans 3:10-23).
Now "At what point does a person become this wicked sinner?. Is he born this way or does he learn it? Are babies born innocent and do they reach an "age of accountability" when they must take responsibility for their actions? Much to most people's surprise, the Bible claims that humans are born with these evil tendencies. They are not culturally inherited or learned. The evil imagination is intact and operative even before birth. 'Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me' (Psalm 51:5). 'The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies' (Psalm 58:3). This estrangement from God begins at conception.
The sins of the fathers are passed down to the sons and daughters by the blood of the parents. Children are guilty and come forth from the womb speaking lies, proving their sinfulness. 'This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead' (Ecclesiastes 9:3). Sin hits at the very core of our personalities and character. Sin does not begin with an external action, such as drunkenness, sexual misconduct, murder, or the like. Sin begins in our hearts and those deeds are simply the manifestation of the rebellion that already thrives wi
thin. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners" (Jim Mc Larty).
Hence sodomy is one of the many ways in which this sinful nature of a man is made manifest, and it is a sure indication like any other form of wickedness, that the one committing it is in a natural state of enmity against God. He may claim as vehemently as he may, that he believes in Christ, and that he does several good works, but none of it would avail in defending him from the vengeance which God has vowed against all His enemies, yea all of them who deny Him in their deeds. The scripture warns, that there shall not in any wise enter in to God's holy and eternal dwelling, any thing that would defile or work abomination (revelations 21:27).
A sodomite can then be sure of an eternal estrangement from God, for of Him it is expressly declared so (1 Corinthians 6:9). You may have heard this so often, and so it may cause you to shrink from it with a sense of familiarity to it, but hear it one more time. Jesus is coming soon, and He is coming to judge the world, and to assign to each man his eternal abode. You may have not been ashamed of your sinful deeds until then, but on that day you will have some shame. You may have not been moved with the magnanimity of His wrath, and of His furious judgement which shall devour all His enemies, but on that day you will. That is the day when wisdom shall mock you (Proverbs 1:24-28), since you paid no heed to her reproofs. In you will this saying be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord, "You shall seek me and not find".
Woe unto you who persist in sodomy, who having known the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death eternal, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1). But if you have read thus far, why not take pains to read the rest of it? Who can say if God perhaps would condescend to speak peace to your soul.
If the Bible were a mere source of denunciation against the sin of sodomy, its precepts would have a mere precautionary value against such a sin, and would not afford any prospects of reforming those who are already ensnared by it. But Jesus removed all uncertainty as to this matter when He expressly declared, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:12-13). And this is the primary intent of this article, to make known to you this physician who can deliver you from the bondage of sodomy.
He did not come to call the selfrighteous, but to show mercy in granting forgiveness and deliverence to those who ernestly desire it of Him. Jesus said, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast off" (John 6:37). A broken heart and a contrite spirit the Lord will not despise (Psalms 34:18, Isaiah 66:2). He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall obtain mercy (Proverbs 28:13). He that has declared sodomy to be a sin, and has sworn His fierce judgment upon them that commit it, has also promised His pardon for those who would forsake their sin and turn to Him in repentence. "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).
We have pointed out at the beginning of this section, that the heart of man is what needs to be treated to cure sodomy. This divine physician who promises to pardon every one who turns to Him in contrition, has also undertaken to perform for them this heart transplantation. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26). Only turn to Him in simple childlike faith, for faithful is He that has promised.
Today if you hear His voice harden not your heart. Lay down your wepons of warfair against Him at His feet, and submit to His Lordship. He is able to do for you what He has done for many sodomites in the past. After having declared that the homosexuals will not enter in to God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), in the very next verse the Holy Spirit most graciously adds, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (Verse 11). Now this was written to assure that there is hope for the sinner who turns to Him for pardon and a new life, even if he were a sodomite. Oh if you value your soul, dismiss it not lightly. Even now the sword of Divine Justice is drawn, and it only wais to strike that fatal blow, and None shall escape save those who have obtained reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ. How can you escape if you ignore so great a salvation?
We have claimed at the outset that Christianity is the only source of such a reformation for those practicing sodomy. It is not at all difficult to substantiate this claim. For it is common knowledge, that only He can forgive sins against whom it is committed, and it is committed primarily against the one who prohibits its commission. And since we have established in the forgone sections that the God of the Bible is the exclusive source of the law against Sodomy, only He can pardon its violation. Besides, it goes without saying, that the one claiming to be the source of pardon, reformation and regeneration to sinners, must Himself be without sin or blemish, and must have an uninterrupted record of an untainted holiness. There is no other God than the God of the Bible who can make such a claim with propriety. We have already established this claim in some of the foregone observations in this article. And who can declare with confidence as He does, saying: "There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:21-22). Depend if you will, upon balms which afford deceptive respites for a season, but nothing can remove the guilt of your past save Jesus Christ. Your alternatives prefered to christ, will all be stripped bare before you at His appearing, making a mockery of your confidence in them, but it will be too late then for all regrets. Oh dismiss it not lightly, considering your eternity which is at stake. You have no assurance of pardon and reformation, save in Jesus Christ. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Read the part 1 Christian Position on Homosexuality 2. Bible, misrepresented as favoring homosexuality and Part 3. Christianity: It's Contribution to the Society in Dealing with Homosexuality
We welcome critical evaluation and comments against what has been said.
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