By Brother Michel Lankford
First, let me point out that it is YHWH Almighty God’s Will and Desire for every person to be saved; that nobody would be required to be condemned for wickedness; but that everyone would repent, turn away from evil, return to YHWH Almighty God, and for them to be and to do what is good in His Sight, so that they will abide in Eternal Life, (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23; Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-17; 1 Timothy 1:15; Luke 19:10).
The reality that YHWH desires every person to be saved, and that He went to such great lengths to purchase our ransom from sin and our salvation through the death and resurrection of Messiah is reason for both joy and terror at the same time; because what that means is that if a person ends up going to hell and eternally separated from YHWH’s Eternal Presence, Love, Blessings, and Joy, it will NOT be because YHWH Almighty God desires or WANTS them to be condemned. No, if a person winds up going to hell, it will be because THEY CHOSE the path of sin, death, and hell; despite every attempt that God made to save them; despite every roadblock that God threw up in their path to stop them from going to hell. If a person winds up in hell it will be because they loved their sin and their wickedness more than they love God, and they chose to keep their sin, rather than to allow God to change them by the power of His Love, and the power of His Holy Spirit. If people end up in hell, it will be because they wanted to keep their sin more than they wanted to be with God. Let us not lose sight of that crucial fact.
Second, people get awfully hung up on discussing homosexual sin these days, but what they conveniently forget is that homosexuality is NOT in a class of especially bad sin by itself. Homosexuality is NO WORSE than any other abomination that will lead to condemnation. From God’s perspective, the person who commits and practices adultery without turning away from it, is no better than the homosexual. The adulterer will be just as equally guilty, and just as condemned as a homosexual. The person who loves and practices LYING and does not overcome it will be just as guilty and just as condemned as any homosexual.
As It Is Written:
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19–21 NASB95)
As It Is Written:
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9–10 NASB95)
Notice that from God’s point of view, all people who practice these things are just as equally evil, and just as equally guilty as any homosexual sinner is. From God’s point of view all sinful abominations are equally bad and equally condemned.
As It Is Written:
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
(Revelation 22:14–15 NKJV)
As It Is Written:
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
(Revelation 21:7–8 NKJV)
Yes, sexual relations between people of the same gender is a sin. (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Romans 1:21-27). It’s a detestable abomination in the sight of God, there is no getting around that; but so is all sexual immorality. Cheating is also an abomination, (Micah 6:10). So, a person who practices cheating without repenting is as wicked and just as guilty as a homosexual. So is a person who is sinfully proud, (Proverbs 6:16-17). So are the prayers of a person who refuses to hear God’s Commandments, (Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 5:20-24). So are people who practice oppressing the poor and vulnerable who cannot defend themselves, (Ezekiel 18:6-13). The point is, altogether there are about 60 distinct wicked things and about 75 passages that Scripture specifically describes as being an abomination to YHWH Almighty God. God calls us to repent and turn away from all these things. God calls us to overcome these things by the power of His Word, and by the power of His Holy Spirit helping us to overcome these things. He promises to forgive us when we confess our sins, (1 John 1:8-9). He will help us to repent and to do right if we choose to do so. He promises to accept us when we come to Him, (John 6:37; Romans 10:13; Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 7:7-8).
So, it is our decision whether we will come to God, repent of our sins, overcome our wickedness with His power, or whether we will choose to love our sin more than God, and we will be condemned. The choice and the consequences are ours.