Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 1/21/2011

Question
Hi, I'm a 58 year old mom to 2 daughters, 20 and 22.All of us have gay friends on Facebook and we also like Adam Lambert, who is openly gay.We have been to 2 of his concerts.My girls attend a youth group at their church but my oldest daughter thinks that if she has gay friends or likes Adam Lambert that she is not 'good enough' for God and I know that God loves the sinner but not the sin.I shared an article about Adam talking about gay marriage on my Facebook page and a man wrote "WRONG!!,this is NOT what the Bible says" I'm against gay marriage,but we try to befriend the gay youth that have been bullied and need someone to talk to.Plz help me & my daughters understand this.Thanks! Debbie

Answer
Dear Debbie,

Thank you for writing. None of us are “good enough for God.” We are sinners, and if it weren’t for Jesus’ death in our place, we’d all die for our sins. Only if we accept Jesus as our Savior and Intercessor can we stand before God, because Jesus presents His spotless life to God as though it were ours.

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So accept Jesus as your Savior and He will give you “everlasting life.”

Why do you and your daughters enjoy befriending gay people? Do you have a secret wish that you could be like them? I know that many of them receive some adverse treatment, but there are many other gays who can stick up for them and comfort them. Why would you want to get involved?

Actually, the Bible reveals that God HATES the sin, but LOVES the sinner. Remember that the sins of gay people, along with those of you and I and everyone else, murdered Jesus on the cross. It wasn’t the cross that killed Jesus: it was the weight of our sins that killed Him.

1 Pet 2:24 (KJV) Who his own self BARE OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Do you know what the Bible says about gay and lesbian behavior? Here is the record:

Gen 19:1 (KJV) And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
Gen 19:2  And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
Gen 19:3  And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Gen 19:4  But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
Gen 19:5  And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Gen 19:6  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
Gen 19:7  And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Gen 19:8  Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
Gen 19:9  And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
Gen 19:10  But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
Gen 19:11  And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

The angels saved Lot his wife and two daughters and then destroyed the city. God evidently felt they were unredeemable.

Lev 18:22 (KJV) Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

As you can see this is a direct prohibition of gay behavior.

Lev 20:13 (KJV) If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

God deemed the actions of gay behavior worthy of death!

But you say, that was Old Testament. What about the Christian era?

Rom 1:26 (KJV) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

God is no respecter of sexes: Lesbian lust and behavior is ranked just as sinful as gay lust and behavior.

And behavior is not the total extent of the sin. Jesus told us that the sin begins in the mind before it is ever acted out in the life.

Mat 5:27 (KJV) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

I pointed out before that God is no respecter of sexes. This text applies just as much to women as it does to men. And you can plug in the particulars of homosexual lust as well. This precept of Jesus is based on the 10th commandment: “Thou shalt not covet . . . .” Coveting is a synonym for lusting.

Is there any hope for someone who lives this lifestyle?

1 Cor 6:9 (NIV) Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
1 Cor 6:10  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 6:11  And that is what some of you were. 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.

In this passage homosexuals are listed among the wicked who will not inherit the kingdom of God—they will be lost. But you’ll also notice that these people can be washed, sanctified, justified in the name of Jesus. Homosexuals can be saved, but they will need to surrender their lustful thoughts and gay/lesbian lifestyle.

There is another aspect to your question that needs to be considered. How does this affect your own relationship with God? The Bible says:

2 Cor 6:14 (KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

We usually interpret this text as it relates to marriage. And it does point out the dangers of marriage between a Christian and one who doesn’t believe. But it also applies with our associations with unbelievers. This type of association will not draw the unbeliever towards Christ; it will instead, draw the Christian to become an unbeliever. You’ll find that this was the case throughout Bible times. Israelites who married idolatrous people always sank into the idolatry of the ones they married.

I fear for your daughters. In close friendship with those who are living in open sin, they will come to think of it as less and less offensive to God, until they will come to think that God accepts their sin. When this happens they will be on the broad road that leads to destruction.

I appeal to you to separate yourselves from these people. Warn your daughters to stay away from them. They may say that they believe, and attend church—even be baptized. But as long as they consider themselves gay, they do not have their names written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) book of life, and will be lost.

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead [they’ve been raised to life, vs. 5], small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

So you see, it’s quite serious. The only safe course is to avoid associating with those who are living in known sin.

I recommend that you spend much time with the Bible. Reading the Bible is so important to the Christian. It would be very difficult to maintain a saving relationship with God without it. And learning about God and His requirements for us would be nearly impossible without some connection with God’s Holy Word.

Actually, if we watch for Him, we’ll find Jesus Christ in almost every passage of the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes He’s known as the Creator (cf. John 1:1-4, 10, 14); sometimes He’s known as “the Angel of the LORD” (Ex. 3:1-14; cf. John 8:56-58); sometimes He’s known as the “servant” (Isa. 52:13-53:12); and sometimes as the Messiah. Often He’s behind the scenes, working through those who live according to His will.

If you have difficulty understanding the Bible, there are many aids available to help you do this, (see list below). But above all, read your Bible for yourself, and pray that God will help you understand it.

Feel free to write me at my personal e-mail address if you have other questions about this or any other subject.

Stay close to Jesus.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
PettyPress@gmail.com
www.PettyPress.com (20 Books; 42 Bible Study Guides; more)

Sources of Bible study aids and answers for your questions:
Mail order Bible lessons: Amazing Facts Bible Lessons, PO Box 1058, Roseville, CA 95678
Telephone questions answered: 3ABN 1-800-752-3226 (pastoral dept., ext. 1)
On-line: Bibleinfo.com; Itiswritten.com (Bible studies/Discover Bible Guides)
Television networks: HOPE Channel (Direct TV #368); 3ABN (Dish Network #9710)