Maybe you should catch up…
I know you might be a little behind on this series. We’re currently in a deep dive into Paul’s harsh language about what sin really is and how it affects each of us. It is a tough one, and really not understandable without the critical foundation that Paul lays at the beginning of this section.
I wanted it to be easy for you to catch right up, so we’ve created a page just for that purpose. On our Romans page, you’ll find the three messages I did on Paul’s critical foundation here. Do yourself a favor and listen through those as you are driving, exercising, or whatever.
There is also a lot more there. All the Romans messages to date, and a couple of messages for good background on this passage.
Have the discussion
When was the last time you got really, really lost?
Where were you trying to go? Where did you end up instead? How did it happen?
What should you have done differently?
I feel like our nation… Our world… Has gotten lost from the truth of God. In our Romans study, Paul points to this in a really big way:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 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.
Romans 1:18-27 ESV
Sure.. This is a sensitive topic. For a lot of reasons. I know this might make us all feel a little uncomfortable. We each have our own viewpoints on homosexuality, depending on our worldview, our background, even the influences of our families and friends.
All of those things are important, but the only viewpoint that really matters is God’s, right? He is the “author and finisher.” He is the “Alpha and Omega.” He is the designer of it all.
Our relationships… Our marriages can honestly be pretty mysterious. Why would God design us to relate to each other this way? Thankfully, he explains it to us in this passage:
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:25-32 NLT
31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.
According to this, your marriage is designed to be a picture of something much bigger than the sum of it’s parts. How is your marriage to be a picture of the gospel?
What implications does this have in regard to same-sex relationships?
The bottom line is that God intentionally made us male and female… Equal but distinct. (not a popular viewpoint today, it seems.) The illustration of the gospel breaks down when you try to shift around the characters- the drama becomes distorted and confused.
Look back at Romans 1:18-27 (above) What does Paul specifically point to as evidence that humanity has denied God?
How should this help us understand the issue of homosexuality?
Is there a difference between same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior? How should one deal with this?
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT
Is homosexuality greater than any other sin?
Is homosexuality an unforgivable sin?
Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians (above) that no sin is unforgivable, but that people characterized by these behaviors will not enter the Kingdom of God. That means that if your life is marked by continual, unrepentant sin, you won’t spend eternity with Jesus.
But he gives great news in verse 11. What is that great news?
Why might it be important for us to remember who we were before coming to Christ? (v. 11)
Why might doing so be particularly important when sharing the gospel with homosexual people?
Paul points to the Corinthians church, engaged in lots if different kinds of sin, and he says that ” you were cleansed (washed), made holy (sanctified), and made right with God (justified.) In other words, they may have blown it badly, but there is no sin too big for Jesus.
How are we to maintain a faithful witness in the face of incredible pressure to conform what we believe?
Why is it important for us to really live in all three of Paul’s principles, listed above (cleansed, justified, sanctified)?
What would happen if we loved one, but neglected another?