What Does the Bible Say About Polygamy? Pedophilia? Bestiality?

Although these issues may not be widespread in our current days, there has been both previous cultural embracement of such sin and clear biblical condemnation of such sin (Deuteronomy 17:17, Genesis 2:24, 1 Timothy 3:2,12, Titus 1:6, Ephesians 5:22-33; Galatians 5:16-21, Romans 1:31, 2 Timothy 3:2, Matthew 18:1-14; Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 18:23, Leviticus 20:15-16, Deuteronomy 27:21).  We are warned by Scripture that history repeats itself so we must be prepared for such a repetition of unlawful and unholy sexual activity.
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV)

 

What about gender identity issues?

Similar to same-sex attraction, gender confusion itself is not a sin.  When someone embraces a gender identity apart from their biological, God-given identity, it is sin.  God created mankind “male and female” (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139, 1 Corinthians 6:9) so when someone identifies or dresses themselves as an opposite gender, they have rebelled against God’s creative plan.
“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 ESV)

What should I do if I am struggling with same-sex attraction or homosexual sin?

• Trust in Christ if you never have.  Moralism, or being good, does not save you.  Only an ongoing, trusting relationship with Jesus can save you.
• Test yourself to ensure you are in the faith.  If you have a habitual, ongoing sin read the book of 1 John.  If you say you are a Christian, but you continue to walk in sin, you show you love the darkness and the world more than you love the light & Christ, and you are not be a Christian at all. (1 John 1:6)
• If you are a Christian and are struggling with sin seek help.
• Recognize that your sexual feeling is not your identity, you are much more than your sexuality.
  • Confess – Confess your sin. Be honest and open with God. (1 John 1:9)
  • Repent - Turn from the evil you’ve been practicing.
  • Be In God’s Word – It has all the answers.  Discover them.
  • Recognize that singleness is a gift from God (1 Corinthians 7).  Ask God to remove your same-sex attractions and to change your desires and attractions towards the opposite-sex.
  • Be In Prayer – Ask God for help.  You have God’s Spirit alive in you.  Stop grieving Him and start talking to Him.
  • Be In Church – Connect with a local, Bible-teaching church.  Outside of the church is referred to “Satan’s realm.”  Be connected with Christ through a local body of believers.
  • Be With Believers – Confess your sin struggle with a Christian.  Ask them to pray for you.  Ask them to help you.  Seek their encouragement.

How should we treat family and friends who are in homosexual sin?

Love them.  Do not hide the truth from them.  Do not avoid them, but be careful not to be drawn into whatever sins they are in love with.  Show them you care for them.  Be compassionate.  Be humble.  Be prepared to give answers to the questions they may have about God and His good plan of sexuality.  Pray for them. Intercede to God on their behalf, that God changes their hearts.  It is never too late for the Gospel.

Should Christians be for or against homosexual marriage, unions, and adoptions?

Is it right to “force” biblical beliefs on a nation that is primarily non-Christian?  

The Bible is described as God’s voice.  Even though our nation and others are not primarily Christians, God is sovereign over them.  When a nation’s leaders or people disregard, disrespect, and disobey God, there are consequences.  When we ignore the Bible it shows we are ignoring God by shutting our ears to His voice.
God tells us through the prophet Samuel that: (1 Samuel 12:14-15) “If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. [15] But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.”
We (Christians) should want it to go well for our country, its people and its leaders.  We don’t want our God against our nation.  Moralism will not save our nation.  A God-centered heart will rescue our nation from further consequences of our sin.  We need to pray that our nation begins to fear, serve, and obey the Lord and stop rebelling against His good plan.
Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

Can someone be a gay Christian?

No.  It is not possible to simultaneously embrace or identify with a sin while simultaneously claiming to having yielded their lives to Christ’s lordship.  It is possible to be a Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction yet recognizes homosexuality as sin and actively resists their fleshly desires.
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. [10] By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:9-10 ESV)
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Is same-sex attraction a sin?

No.  Same-sex attraction describes the temptation towards choosing the sin of homosexuality.  When homosexual attraction is embraced as an acceptable desire, action, or identity, then it becomes sinful intent.  When same-sex attraction is recognized as leading towards sin, dishonorable passions, and unnatural actions, it can be resisted through the power of a relationship with Christ.  Thus, same-sex attraction is not a sin in itself, but is a temptation that must be resisted.  Accordingly it is often more helpful to refer to people as experiencing same-sex attraction rather than to identify them by the sin of homosexuality.
In a similar way, heterosexual attraction is not sinful in itself.  When heterosexual attraction is embraced as an acceptable desire, action, or identity outside of God’s plan of marriage between one man and one woman for life, it becomes lustful and adulterous sin (Romans 1:24-32, James 1:12-15, and Matthew 5:27-32).