Sodomy or homosexuality has been in the news often during recent years. There has been a concerted effort to remove all stigma from this practice. Homosexuals seek social acceptance, political power, and even religious approval. Then came the AIDS scare, followed by a publicity campaign aimed at making sodomy safe. Is it really safe and sane, or is it sinful, shameful, and destructive?

In Genesis 19, Lot received two male guests into his home. "The men of Sodom compassed the house round, both old and young," demanding to take Lot's visitors for homosexual purposes. In desperation, Lot offered his own daughters to these men who were insane with lust, but they continued to demand instead the men inside. The visitors were actually angels or messengers from God, and they struck the men of Sodom blind; These poor souls were so inflamed with lust that still they tried to take Lot's visitors. The angels announced to Lot the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven." Lot barely escaped with his daughters. In Jude 7 we learn that God destroyed Sodom for homosexuality in order that it might remain an example all through history, "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." The anger of God against this perversion pursues the sinner not only in this world but even in the next! Sodomy is not safe and sane, and we can never make it so. The story of Sodom stands to remind us that homosexuality is self-destructive and destroys respect for our fellow man.

Romans 1 teaches that men fell into such sins when they rejected the true knowledge of God from their lives.

For this cause God gave them up to vile passions: for their women changed 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 unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due (Rom. 1:26-27).

The context of this passage confirms what we see happening all around us. Homosexuality is associated with the grossest sins and perversions, destroying respect for God, for others, and for self. To live and die in such sins is to judge ourselves unworthy of everlasting life and to condemn ourselves to an eternity in hell (Gal. 5:19-21).

The good news in Christ is that God is ready to forgive the sin of sodomy as well as all other sins! He sent His Son into the world to die in order that we might have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 teaches that some of the early Christians had been "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with mankind," which refer to the sins of homosexuality.

And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11).

They were washed, sanctified, and justified by believing the gospel of Christ. This true faith caused them to repent of all their past sins, to confess Christ as God's Son, and to be immersed in water for the remission of their sins through the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38).

We can never make sodomy or any other sin safe and sane! A slogan widely used in the current anti-drug campaign says, "Just say No! " Rather than trying to make sin safe, we need to "Just say No!" to sin and say yes to God. Through the power of the gospel of Christ, He will save us from all sins.

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 16, pp. 483, 503
August 20, 1987