prophet said:
God reiterated in Romans 1 His view, and I, for one, am not opposing Him on it.
The main point of Romans 1 is not homosexuality. The main point there is idolatry. The gross immorality mentioned in that passage is but a side-effect of what the idolaters did in verses 21-23. They didn't like the true, holy, and righteous God, so they invented gods of their own . . . gods who would accommodate their sinful lifestyles. When they did this, "God gave them up . . ." (v. 24).
For the rest of the chapter, Paul places emphasis on the sin of immorality (especially homosexuality, etc.), but he also mentions several other sins. The point is that when men persist in idolatry, God gives them up to that lifestyle and all the consequences of it. As long as they persist in idolatry, they will be lost in those consequences.
What are the consequences of idolatry?
--Immorality and homosexuality (vv. 24-27)
--Unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispering, backbiting,
hating God, spite, pride, boasting, inventing evil things, disobedience to parents, lack of understanding, promise breaking, lack of
natural affection, implacability, unmerciful (vv. 29-31).
Many people like to point to verse 28 and say that a homosexual cannot be saved because God gives homosexuals over to a "reprobate mind." Such an interpretation is foreign to this passage (and verse 28). The verse states the reason that God gave them over to a reprobate mind, and that reason is not homosexuality. What was the reason?
--"They did not like to retain God in their knowledge"
--In other words, they persisted in their idolatry, trying to rid their minds of their accountability to the true, righteous God.
I have often heard people point to Romans 1 as their proof-text that homosexuals cannot be saved, but why do they believe homosexuality is the only sin on this long list that is unpardonable? Look at the list! I never hear anybody point to Romans 1:28 and say . . .
--PROUD people cannot be saved and are "worthy of death" (v. 32)
--Disobedient children cannot be saved
--Those guilty of envy cannot be saved
--etc. (You get the point?)
In Romans 1, idolatry is the problem. God says, "All those who persist in their idolatry will be given over to a reprobate mind. Here's what they are going to do in that state. They are worthy of death."
Some Christians try to change what God says here. They WANT God to say, "All homosexuals will be given over to a reprobate mind. I'm going to mention a host of other sins, but only the homosexuals are worthy of death and cannot be saved."
Why do they change the interpretation of God's Word this way?
--Because homosexuality is the sin that truly turns the stomach. We can live with a little pride, disobedience, envy, etc. We can
understand how God could pardon those sins. But homosexuality? God could never forgive THAT sin. It's disgusting!
What should be our attitude about this?
--We should understand that all the sins on this list are 1,000,000x more disgusting to our Holy Father than homosexuality is to us.
--We should acknowledge that God forgives any sin when a man repents of his idolatry and turns to Christ in faith.
--We should pray for and seek to share the gospel with any sinner . . . without regard to what kind of sins he is guilty of!
--We should strongly rebuke anyone who calls himself a Christian and shows un-Christlike hatred toward sinners.
