Pride Month is celebrated annually in June in honor of the Stonewall Riots.  The riots, lasting for a period of six days, took place at the Stonewall Inn, in New York, and were a violent response to police raids of gay and lesbian bars.  Many historians state that it was the real beginning of the Gay Rights Movement. Stonewall Inn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, was made a landmark by New York City in 2015, and was declared a National Monument by the National Park Service in 2016.

The federal government first recognized June as Pride Month in 1999 when President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.” In 2009, President Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month. On 1 June 2021, President Joe Biden declared June LGBTQ Pride Month.

June 2021, designated “Pride Month,” by many, has come and gone.  Consider just some of the things that took place this last month.

The National Park Service chose to honor those in the LGBTQ+ community, stating “The rich histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Americans are pivotal in telling a more complete history of the United States.”

The National Football League produced a video declaring that football is gay.  The thirty second video declares their support for the gay community.

Kellogg” s released its “Together With Pride” cereal, resembling heart shaped fruit loops with edible glitter.  One of the cereal characters is waving the pride flag.

Mattel has produced a set of Uno playing cards called the “Play With Pride Edition.”  The cards have a rainbow design that celebrates the LGBTQ community.  The cards are advertised for players seven years old and up.

Apple has produced a line of watches featuring faces with rainbow colors.

Lego, makers of toy building blocks for young people, has produced a set called “Everyone is Awesome.”  It features eleven colors inspired by the rainbow flag.

What was once recognized as sin is now considered by many to be an acceptable lifestyle.  The media now recognize the homosexual lifestyle as a valuable contribution to diversity.  Even many of those in the religious world are now recognizing same sex marriages.  Some even allow homosexuals to serve as “pastors.”

With all of this in mind, let’s see what the scriptures have to say about homosexuality.

From the Patriarchal Period.  Genesis 19:1-11 “Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom.  When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.  And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.  And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.  But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house.  Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.  Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.  And they called to Lot and said to him,  “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.  So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!  See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.  And they said, “Stand back!”  Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.”  So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.  But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.  And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.”

While some try to make the men of Sodom guilty of nothing more than inhospitality, the objective, unbiased reader of the Bible is forced to conclude that God destroyed the men of Sodom on account of their sinful practice of homosexuality.  It is noteworthy that when Lot urged the Sodomites not to do “so wickedly” he was accused of being judgmental.

From the Mosaic Period. Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.”

From the New Testament. Romans 1:26-32 “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions.  For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;  who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Notice from this text that not only is God displeased with those who engage in homosexual behavior, he is equally displeased with those who support such behavior.

Also consider 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 –  ^“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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

It is often said that “God made them that way. They were born homosexuals.”  Not true! Homosexuality is a learned behavior. Consider Genesis 18:25 along with Leviticus 20:13.

Genesis 18:25 – “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13

Question: Would God make someone a homosexual from the time of his birth and then require him to be put to death because he was made that way?

It is true that someone may have certain dispositions toward homosexual behavior.  (Example: as a result of childhood sexual trauma, inadequate parental relationships or permissive training as a child).  However, that is entirely different from saying someone was born a homosexual. No one is born a homosexual and none of these dispositions change the fact that homosexuality is sinful.

As Christians, what should we do about the issue of homosexuality?

First, don’t compromise. More and more, homosexual activists demand complete and total acceptance of their lifestyle.  If a person refuses to accept the homosexual lifestyle he is labeled as a homophobe, mean spirited, unloving, hateful or bigoted. Yet, I refuse to accept the homosexual lifestyle. We need to remember Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:10-11 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  We need courage to speak where the Bible speaks.

Second, reach out to homosexuals with the gospel.   They need to be made welcome to hear what God says about homosexuality.  They need to know that God loves them and has shed His blood for them, just as He shed His blood for everyone else.

Third, we need to understand and teach that homosexuals can change.  Just as homosexuality is a learned behavior, homosexuals can also learn a better behavior.  Can a homosexual be saved from his, or her, sins?  Of course!  Notice the following from I Corinthians 6:9-11 – “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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  Many of those who previously practiced homosexuality had now changed!  They separated themselves from this sin and were washed of their sin. 

The blood of Christ has the power to cleanse man of any and every sin he has committed.  But no one can be saved from his sin as long as he persists in his sin and refuses to repent.