Where Do You Get Your Information?

The Friday (1/11/13) edition of The Tennessean reports that only 37 percent of Americans now believe that homosexuality is a sin, which is a significant change from just one year ago. These findings come from surveys conducted by Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The full results of the November, 2012, survey show that when asked whether homosexual behavior is sinful, 37 percent said yes, 45 percent said no, and 17 percent did not know. When that same survey was conducted a year earlier, 44 percent said yes, 43 percent said no, and 13 percent did not know.

Why have the opinions of Americans on this subject changed so rapidly? In just one year, there has been a radical shift away from the long-standing belief that homosexuality is sinful. Something or someone must be moving Americans' opinions in this direction. It is not happening by chance.

For certain, this shift in opinion is not based on the Bible, for the books of the Bible remain unchanged since they were written. The Scriptures' denouncement of homosexuality is unequivocal and crystal clear. For example, it is impossible to honestly misinterpret 1Corinthians 6:9-10, which says:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Likewise, Romans 1:26-27 clearly shows the sinfulness of homosexuality, saying:

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

These are just a sample of the Biblical case for the sinfulness of homosexuality, which is consistently described in the Bible as an abomination (Lev. 18:22).

The change in Americans' beliefs concerning homosexuality is clearly unbiblical, so Americans must be getting their information from sources other than the Bible. Lifeway Research suggests that President Obama's changed opinion about so-called marriage between homosexuals is responsible for the shift in beliefs, but this is just one part of the tremendous influence and pressure that has come to bear on the American public concerning this issue. The homosexual agenda has permeated the entertainment industry through television, movies, music, and the internet. It has advanced rapidly in recent years through both state government and the federal government. It is taught to children in the public schools and to young adults in the universities. In all of these ways, Americans' beliefs about homosexuality are being reshaped in favor of the practice, and at the same time the Bible is being rejected.

The lesson of the hour goes beyond this issue of homosexuality, for it truly is a fundamental matter of how we form our beliefs. If we allow Hollywood, government, and academia to determine our standards of morality, then we will soon find ourselves at odds with our Creator and Judge, Jesus Christ the Righteous. However, if we cling to the unchanging word of God, then we will show ourselves approved of God as men and women who do not need to be ashamed (2Tim. 2:15). Hence, the Scriptures exhort us to keep the word of God as our standard. In Romans 12:2, we are commanded, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." In Colossians 2:8, we are warned, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." Only when our minds are transformed and renewed by the will of God and our hearts are captivated by Christ alone can we stand justified before God in what we believe and practice.

Dear Christians, be warned. As the opinions of the world degrade into rebellion against God, these matters inevitably seep into the church and the homes of Christians. We must resist this rising tide of godlessness with all of the strength endued to us by Christ. Only 3.5 percent of Americans are homosexuals according to a 2011 study by UCLA, but now 45 percent approve the behavior. The Scripture speaks on this situation, for Romans 1:32 says, "And although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." Also, Romans 14:22 says, "Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves." Whether it is homosexuality or any other issue, let us always look to the word of God as the basis for what we believe and what we approve.

Stacey E. Durham