“Christians Practicing ‘Bigotry’ Against Homosexuals OR Evidence of Christian Love (and the Proper Application of Law and Gospel)?”by The Lutheran Watchman © 8/3/2012
God, Himself says homosexual activity is sin. (Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13)
God, Himself declares the homosexual is unrighteous, worthy of death and shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
According to the Law of God as recorded in Scripture, God hates sin and the sinner. (See Psalms 5:5, Isaiah 63:10, and Jeremiah 12:7-8.)
God, therefore indeed hates homosexual sin and the homosexual.
In Romans 1:18-32 we read: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 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: 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 recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." And in First Corinthians 6:9-10 we read: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
Hence, Scripture is clear in it's righteous condemnation of homosexual sin and the homosexual; just as it righteously condemns the sin of fornication and the fornicator, the sin of adultery and the adulterer, etc. Thus, homosexual sin is to be treated the same as any other sin and the person that commits any sin is always to be treated according to the dictates of Holy Scripture. Yes, it may properly be said that the sin of the homosexual is no 'less' and no 'more' condemning than any other sin and the impenitent homosexual is no 'less' and no 'more' condemned than any other impenitent sinner. Every impenitent sinner is ultimately guilty of unbelief and unbelief condemns the impenitent sinner to eternal damnation.
Therefore, according to Scripture, which is the orthodox Christian's only source and norm of Christian life, it is neither 'bigotry', 'unloving', 'hateful' or 'unchristian' to withhold the Gospel of Jesus Christ and apply only the Law of God to those who remain impenitent. (Impenitence can be determined by the sinner's own public confession; including verbal demands that others recognize their (sinful) activities as a legitimate and moral "lifestyle choice", boasting and/or flaunting their immorality and the further testimony of their own actions of persistently engaging in this sin, particularly after having been properly admonished.)
To apply the healing balm of the Gospel where there is no confession of sin and no sorrow over sin, is to comfort the sinner in his sin, effectively offering the sinner what he will ultimately in error and subsequently in further sin, view as a 'license' to continue in his sin of homosexuality. In such a case, the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ is trampled and the sinner remains in unbelief and under the just and righteous condemnation of Almighty Creator God, who has declared this sin of homosexuality, as He has declared ALL sin, to be an abomination before Him.
Let me be clear! Until the homosexual has repented, the Law and only the Law must be applied. No spiritual comfort or solace may rightly be offered to him. No 'congratulatory expressions' on the occasion of his same-sex 'marriage' may rightly be awarded, (for these so-called 'marriages' are sin as well) and certainly no hand of Christian fellowship should be extended. To do otherwise, is to become a partaker of his sin and guilty of the same. For what is at stake here is no mere trifling or temporal laughing matter. What is at stake is the disposition of the sinner's precious immortal soul at his physical death; his eternal salvation or his eternal damnation!