By Bishop Dohn A Bernards
If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them -Leviticus 20:13.
Homosexuality is an abomination with God’s command that those who practice such should be put to death. Homosexuality is sin. It is a terrible, dreadful, shocking and horrible practice and an awful sin. It is also disgusting, it is an unpleasant, and horrific atrocity before God and humanity.
God did not consider the lives of those who practice such inhuman and shameful sin. He never considered the sponsors of such outrageous acts when He gave order to execute men who look at each other and admire themselves leaving behind 3.8 billion pretty single ladies. He didn’t deliberate about His creation before and after ordering the execution by stoning homosexual and lesbian offenders to death. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of the wicked acts(Genesis 19:1-29).
The King James Bible says: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination”- Leviticus18:22.
It is not only an abomination but inexcusable, an unspeakable, atrocious unforgivable and unpardonable sin. It is intolerable, indefensible, uncalled-for and a brutal wickedness. The lives of offenders and their nations are also in great danger for the sin of two men can surely destroy the entire nation.
Nations are defiled and dishonoured where such detestable and disrespectful sin is committed against God and humanity. The nations suffer. Nature is revolting against such sacrilege with epidemics and pandemics. Watch what happens in nations that sponsor such evil against God’s command.
No matter the fashionable, stylish and designer names the world may call it, “gay” and “lesbianism” are sins. Those who engage in it practice evil together with their sympathisers, supporters, well-wishers and followers. We have to look into the lives of those groups who support such wickedness. The Bible condemned it, so from which Holy book do those who practice such abominable acts learnt it from? The Bible is against it and every other religion condemns such national threats and practices.
The church’s position
An important and common question Christians ask is: What is the church’s official teaching on homosexuality, lesbianism and homosexual activities and same-sex marriage?
Some churches refuse talking about it because their leaders may be practising the horrible sin themselves. But it’s important to ask: What is the church’s official teaching on this issue? Church teachings on various topics should address bi-sexual and trans-gender and homosexual activities. Gay and lesbian people, to be more precise. Whatever God calls abomination is truly an abomination, no matter how those who practices it may approach it with their smart methods.
But when most people ask questions about “church teachings”, they are not only referring to this question, but the restrictions on homosexual, or same-sex activity as well as the prohibition and prevention of same-sex marriage. Homosexual acts are, according to the word of God, basically chaotic and contrary to natural law therefore.
Therefore, under no circumstances can homosexuality and lesbianism can be approved in the church, Christian conferences, Tabernacle meetings, religious institutions and social gatherings.
You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind. It is an abomination and it proclaims terrible sin. The abomination of homosexuality, however man sees it, is an abomination to God. May God help this sinful world to see the awfulness and gruesome consequences and dangers of homosexual practices that same-sex marriages pose to families and nations.
Neither shall you lie with any beast to defile yourself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto; it is confusion – Leviticus 18:23.
Concerning this sin, the necessity for the prohibition of this shocking crime, for which the Mosaic Law enacts the penalty of death, will appear all the more important when it is borne in mind that this degrading practice actually formed part of pagan worship.
Defile not yourselves with any of these things: for by all these the nations are defiled, which I cast out before you and the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the punishment of its iniquity thereof upon it and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants- Leviticus 18:24-25.
You shall therefore keep my Statutes and My Judgements, and shall not commit any of these abominations neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger who sojourns among you. For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled – Leviticus 18:26-27.
That the land spue not you out also, when you defile it as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God -Leviticus 18:28-30.
Basically, God sounded these warnings to Israel and the rest of the world. The penalty for homosexual and lesbian acts is death to both parties; they have committed abominable sin and are guilty of capital offences as stated by Leviticus 20:13. If God condemned it, why should human rights organisations support it? In all these, who is more powerful, God or human rights organisations, sympathisers, supporters, well-wishers and sponsors?
The Bible defines marriage in Genesis 2:24 as a union between one man and one woman. Jesus Christ supports this definition of marriage in Matthew 19:5, as does the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:33. Any and all sexual activity which takes place outside of this context is treated as sinful, what Jesus calls ‘sexual immorality’ in Mark 7:21-23.
Further to this, same-sex practice is specifically highlighted as sinful a number of times in Scripture. In God’s Law, for example, condemnations of same-sex practice are given in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. Further references are made in the New Testament.
For example, in Romans 1:24-32, amid echoes to the Genesis creation account, both male and female same-sex practice are treated as sinful. Further references to the sinfulness of same-sex practice can be seen in 1Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10.
The Scriptures are, therefore, consistent in their prohibition of same-sex sexual activity, across different periods of salvation history and within different cultural settings. Although the Scriptures are clear on sexual ethics, they also tell us that the viewpoint of forgiveness and eternal life is held out for anyone who turns from sin and puts their faith in Christ Jesus (Mark 1:15).
No matter how they may have fallen short of his good design for sex and marriage. This list of commands against sexual sins includes extremely harsh punishments. Why? God had no tolerance for such acts for following reasons:
1. They break the mutual commitment of married partners;
2. They destroy the sanctity of the family;
3. They twist people’s mental well-being and;
4. They spread diseases.
Sexual sin has always been widely practised, but the glorification of sex between people who are not married to each other often hides deep tragedy and hurt. When society portrays sexual sins as attractive, it is easy to forget the dark side. God has good reasons for prohibiting sexual sins. He loves us and wants the very best for us.
He is building the Nation of The Gambia to make a positive influence on the world. God did not want The Gambia to adopt the pagan practices and slide into debauchery, wickedness, mischief or face natural disasters and the wrath of God. So He prepared the people of The Gambia for what the nation would face years to come by commanding the entire nation from the leaders to the general populace to steer clear of sexual sins.
God gave many rules to the nation but not without reason. He did not withhold good from the nation; He only prohibited those acts that would bring the nation to ruin. All of us understand God’s physical laws of nature. For example, jumping off a 20-storey building means death because of the law of gravity.
However some of us don’t understand how God’s spiritual laws work. God forbids us to do certain things because He wants to keep us from self-destruction. Any time you are drawn to a forbidden physical or emotional pleasure; remind yourself that its consequences might be suffering and separation from God, Who is trying to help you from destruction so that you and the nation prosper.
Remember and always bear in mind that homosexuality and sex without marriage attract both physical and spiritual death. Be mindful of it and save yourself from destructions.
Bishop Dohn A Bernards is a Professor of Ministerial Ethics and the executive chairman of Pastors Intercessory Fellowship International. He is based in The Gambia.
