You're browsing as a guest. Create a free account to unlock all features — no credit card needed.Get started free
Ask any question about the Bible and get answers drawn directly from Scripture.
Every answer is drawn directly from Scripture — no outside sources, no speculation.
The Bible consistently presents a clear and unchanging standard regarding sexual conduct, defining marriage as a covenant relationship exclusively between one man and one woman, and identifying homosexual acts as contrary to God's created order and holy will. This teaching is not an arbitrary cultural construct but is rooted in the very nature of God and His design for humanity.
The foundational understanding of sexuality is established in Genesis, where God creates humanity as male and female and institutes marriage. Genesis 2:24 states, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Jesus Himself affirms this original design in Matthew 19:4-6, referencing Genesis and emphasizing that God "made them male and female" and that the two shall become "one flesh." This divine blueprint for sexual union is heterosexual and monogamous, intended for procreation and companionship within the sanctity of marriage. Any sexual act outside of this specific union is considered by Scripture to be sin.
The Old Testament law explicitly prohibits homosexual acts. Leviticus 18:22 declares, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." This prohibition is reiterated in Leviticus 20:13, where such acts are described as deserving of capital punishment under the Mosaic Law. These passages are not merely cultural taboos but are presented as violations of God's holy standards for His people, distinguishing Israel from the surrounding pagan nations whose practices included various forms of sexual immorality.
The New Testament unequivocally upholds the Old Testament's condemnation of homosexual practices. The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, addresses this directly in Romans 1:26-27, stating, "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." Paul identifies these acts as a consequence of humanity's rejection of God, leading to unnatural and dishonorable passions. Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul lists "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with mankind" (often translated as homosexuals) among those who "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." This does not single out homosexuality as an unforgivable sin, but rather places it within a broader category of sexual immorality and other sins that separate individuals from God's kingdom without repentance and faith in Christ. As Mike Winger often emphasizes, the Bible's condemnation is of the act of homosexuality, not the person who experiences same-sex attraction, and all people are called to repentance and holiness.
For you today, this means understanding that God's standards for sexual purity are unchanging. The Bible calls all people, regardless of their struggles or attractions, to live in accordance with His holy design. This calls for repentance from any sexual sin and a commitment to holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit. For those who experience same-sex attraction, the call is to chastity outside of the biblical definition of marriage, just as heterosexual individuals are called to chastity outside of marriage. God offers forgiveness and transformation to all who turn to Him in faith, enabling them to live a life pleasing to Him. The church is called to minister with both truth and grace, upholding God's word while extending compassion and love to all.
The Scripture reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Let us therefore submit to its authority and find our hope and guidance in its eternal truths.
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
"And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
"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."
"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."
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"