What the Bible says about Homosexuality and Transgenderism

The Bible predicted in the last days that terrible times would come and that lawlessness would increase. The Apostle Paul warned that the “mystery of lawlessness” was already at work in his day but that as the end of the last days approaches that the lawless work of the coming Antichrist would increase. One of the manifestations of this is evidenced by nearly all nations being overwhelmed, as never before in history, by the worldwide cult of homosexuality and transgenderism.

We live in a day when the wicked are boldly challenging anything that God says in His written word. For example, the Bible says:

“Male and female He created them…”  (Genesis 5:2) The world tries to say “no” to that, claiming that their are multiple genders, including no gender. That is not only utter nonsense, contrary to biology, natural law, and common sense, but it directly contradicts Holy Scripture, which asserts that God has created us with two genders, male and female.

Transgenderism

The Bible also says:

“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5)

“Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.” (1 Corinthians 11:14-16)

From these two scriptures we see that it is a sin to dress and/or fashion one’s hair to try to appear as the opposite sex. Satan and his demons have inspired and influenced (in some cases even demonically possessed) people all over the world to dress up and behave as the opposite sex. The devil does this because he knows that getting them to defy the laws of God puts them on a fast track to Hell. Drag Queen shows have become quite popular and are often used to groom children to the homosexual / transgender lifestyle. All of this is part and parcel of living in the last days when the world abandons the God of the Bible.

1 Corinthians 6:9 specifically lists two classes of people that will not go to heaven – “effeminate and homosexuals.” The Greek word translated effeminate is malakoi, which has more than just the meaning of “effeminate” behind it. It is unfortunate that malakoi was ever translated as effeminate, for it is not true that everyone with some effeminate mannerisms will go to hell. Some boys grew up without a father and inadvertently developed some mannerisms that were patterned after the mother. Without trying to act like a woman or even imagining they are a woman, they have some effeminate attributes to their behavior. God is not condemning of such people.

The real meaning of malakoi is, “a male dressing and behaving in an effeminate manner while pretending or believing that he is a woman.”  The Roman empire often had such people as heathen temple prostitutes specifically available to entertain men who preferred a homosexual encounter with a male acting like a woman.

When the apostle penned the word malakoi he understood its meaning as referring to the type of sexual deviates that were becoming increasingly common in the Roman Empire before its fall. One example is Elagabalus, who became emperor of Rome when he was a 14-year old boy and reigned from 218 to 222 AD. After a short time he imagined he was a woman, or as those of the woke cult would say today, he transgendered into a woman. He delighted in being called the mistress, wife, or queen of his lover, a homosexual man by the name of Hierocles. The emperor wore makeup and wigs, preferred to be called a lady and not a lord, and offered vast sums to any physician who could provide him with a vagina. Emperor Elagabalus was what was called a malakoi when the New Testament was written and this is the sort of person the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote that no malakoi would have a part in God’s kingdom.

Today, Elagabalus would be called a transgender. When our English Bibles were translated, the word “transgender” did not exist. The word was not coined until 1966 and it did not gain widespread usage until years later.  If the word had been available in English long ago, then the English translations of the Bible would translate 1 Corinthians 6:9 thus:

“Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor transgenders, nor homosexuals…will inherit the kingdom of God.”

The Bible is clear: Dressing and behaving as the opposite sex is a sin, as is homosexuality.

Transgenderism and homosexuality are related, for they both involve homosexual sex.  For this reason 1 Corinthians 6:9 mentions them together, saying that “transgenders and homosexuals” have no part in the kingdom of God.

Not the Cause

In order to excuse and pardon those involved in the transgender lifestyle, many people have postulated that transgenderism has some sort of natural biological cause. This idea is postulated for both transgenders and homosexuals. “I was born this way” is a constant refrain. This entire idea is a lie from Satan. It is tantamount to saying that murderers should not be considered to be sinners because there is likely some, yet undiscovered, biological reason that they were born to be killers.

There is no scientific proof that transgenders or homosexuals were “born that way.” It is all just a supposition put forward by the LGBTQ community as an attempt to legitimize their sexual deviancy. The entire idea is a denial of the freewill of mankind. Homosexual activity and transgender activity are choices. The Bible clearly and emphatically says that those choices are sinful. Having particular leanings and temptations can have numerous causes, particularly the childhood home environment, but having inclinations are not sin. It is the choice to engage in homosexual or transgender activity that is sin.

Fighting the Holy Spirit

The job of the Holy Spirit, according to Jesus is to make people aware of their sin, so that they can repent. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

“And when he comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” (John 16:8)

As can be deduced from the above scripture, the Holy Spirit is ever working and desirous that LGBTQ people recognize that the homosexual / transgender lifestyle is sinful. God wants this because he loves them and wants them to repent and come to Jesus so they will be saved. However, when people aid in manufacturing excuses for homosexuality or transgenderism they are actually fighting against the Holy Spirit.

Being at cross purposes with the Holy Spirit is a very serious matter. Gamaliel once warned the high council to take care, saying, “You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” (Acts 5:39). In Acts 5:3 Peter says, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3) Ananias then dropped dead at Peter’s feet. And Jesus warned of the unforgiveable sin: Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:29)

Thus we can deduce that working counter to the Holy Spirit is a very serious matter. Those who suggest that there are biological reasons for homosexuality and transgenderism and suggest that these things should not be called sin are fighting against the work of the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit is trying to speak to a wayward person’s conscience, that their sexual activity is sinful, others are inventing excuses for what they do. Fighting against the work of the Holy Spirit puts these people in a very dangerous place. 

The Bible plainly says that such actions are sin and to suggest otherwise is calling God a liar. I would counsel anyone grasping at excuses for sin to consider what the Apostle Paul said to Elymas the magician for arguing against Paul’s presentation of the Gospel to the proconsul: “Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil! You enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy! Will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.’ Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.” (Acts 13:10-11)

The Cause of Homosexuality and Transgenderism

The Bible teaches that all people have a fallen nature. This fallen nature is genetic. We inherited it from Adam and Eve because they sinned in the garden of Eden. The New Testament says in 1 Corinthians 15:45 that Adam was the first man and that this inherited fallen nature is what causes all the evil and death in the world.   We are born with this fallen nature because we are all descended from Adam. That is why why we all have tendencies and temptations to do things we ought not. Having such tendencies is not sin, it is temptation, due to our fallen nature. But following those impulses and engaging in an activity that the Bible says is wrong, is sinful. To claim that homosexuals are “born that way” is saying that God made people without free will who cannot stop themselves from committing sexual sin.

Even though we have this fallen nature, we are still responsible for our actions. We always have the choice to do right or to do wrong. Thus, we are responsible before God for our actions. We can’t help facing temptation from time to time but we can help what we do with that temptation. The Bible says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34) Sin is addictive, especially sexual sin.  1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” Sex is a big deal. It is powerful. It affects the body: “Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.'” (1 Corinthians 6:16)

Sex has a powerful binding function that affects the mind, emotions and spirit. It was intended that way to bond a husband and wife together. When homosexual sex is experienced, it affects the mind and soul of the one engaging in it. Such a one becomes prey to the sin and it twists their mind.  They are likely to want more of the same. They become a slave to their sin, just as Jesus said would happen. Furthermore,  the passage in Romans Chapter One that discusses homosexual behavior specifically lists a debased mind as an integral part of the homosexual lifestyle:

“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 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. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” (Romans 1:26-28)

Because of the powerful influence of sex, and because of the perverted nature of the sex, homosexuals are utterly taken captive by their sin. It twists them inside in a way that God never intended, resulting in them feeling as if they were “born that way.”

Homosexuality

The Bible so thoroughly denounces homosexual acts that there is no debate that it is condemned by Holy Scripture. Frequently, those captivated by this sin will deny that the Bible condemns it. Those who make this claim do not know the Bible, nor do they have a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is what the Bible says:

“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. (Leviticus 18:22)

“Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor transgenders (Greek: malakoi), nor homosexuals…will inherit the kingdom of God.”

“If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.” (Leviticus 20:13)

“The ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious…the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality…” (1 Timothy 1:9-10)

“But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

“Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them, which like them committed sexual sins and pursued homosexual activities, serve as an example of the punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)

“So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie…That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.” (Romans 1:24-27)

The Last Days

The following passage describes the last days and it is what we see today on the evening news:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:1-17)

The rampant spread of this vile sin is a marker of the final days before the Lord Jesus returns and judgment day arrives for those who are unbelievers. It was predicted that false religious leaders would go from bad to worse, “deceiving and being deceived.” We see this today with even mainline denominations ordaining homosexuals and transgenders to ministry. It is the rise of the false religion spoken of in Revelation Chapter 17 that is described as a woman, “holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.” 

It is the duty of every Christian to stand firm and hold forth the truth of the Gospel, despite the persecution that will come from standing for righteousness. They hated Jesus for doing that and they will hate us as well. So be it.

The Cure

As we present the truth that homosexual and transgender activity is sin, we must also hold forth the entire counsel of God, which is that God desires that none should perish but that all come to repentance. As explained above, 1 Corinthians 6:9 teaches that transgenders and homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God and also urges that no one be deceived into thinking otherwise. This tells us there is deception out there that will try to say such people are going to heaven. They are not and that is why the Bible warns us specifically not to be deceived about that.

It is important to note that the very next sentence (verse 11) says, “And such were some of you.”  Think about that. Paul is saying that the Corinthian Church had people who used to be transgender and homosexual! And then it goes on to say, “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 other words, they were cured by the power of God.

This is the answer for homosexuals and transgenders. God will not only forgive them but will change them from the inside out. He will cure their mind and fill the emptiness inside them with His love. Hear what the Bible promises:

“I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.” (Ephesians 1:19-20)

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him.” (2 Peter 1:3)

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“For the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

The Apostle Paul was a murderer of Christians before he met Christ. And when the Apostle Peter met Jesus, Scripture records, “he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8) But Jesus did not reject Peter or Paul. Instead he changed them. He wants to do the same for anyone in the LGBTQ community. If they repent and believe in Christ, God will forgive them, clean them up, make them a new person – what the Bible calls being born again. If God can fix killers, surely he will do no less for homosexuals and transgenders. Nothing is too hard for God.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” All anyone needs to do in order to be saved and changed, is to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus. A simple prayer like this will do it:

Lord God, please forgive me of my sins. I turn away from them. Please help me to live for you with your power. I believe in you, Jesus. I surrender to you God and I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead so that we would know to follow Him. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I surrender. Change me. Make me new. I want to be born again. Amen. 

And that is the cure…for everything.

 

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