 We know that committing homosexual acts are sinful, but the question now is, if a person is same-sex attracted, is that also a sin? There are a lot of different sins and a lot of different sinful thoughts that are out there and the Bible covers a great multitude. There are sometimes though where it is sometimes for some people, not for all, but for some people where there may seem to be a gray area or an area that's not necessarily covered or an area that might be exempted. One such area that may, depending on who you are, it may cause you to wonder is this issue of same-sex attraction. Obviously the act itself, according to the scriptures, is a sin, though there are some that would disagree and try to skew what the words mean. But I think most people understand it's clear that same-sex attraction that's acted upon is a sin. But what about if a person is just merely attracted to that person? Is that a sin? One chapter later we see that sin enters the world. There are our own parents' rebellion and it corrupts absolutely everything in the cosmos, including God's intended design for male and female, God's intended relationship for male and female in marriage. And so here's the question that this narrative presents kind of at the outset. When we speak of homosexuality, when we speak of bisexuality, when we speak of transgenderism, when we speak of those issues, we have to ask if those presentations of humanity, those behaviors are reflective of the corruption that came after the fall or are they reflections of the image of God that precedes that corruption? Some of this particular pastor is getting at his asking and answering the question. I'm not totally sure yet if I agree with all of his points, but he seems to be getting to that the fact that because of the fall there are a lot of presentations in us that are a result of the fall. He mentions the fact that he's nearsighted, he'll cover that in just a second, but also other things that happen and that's not what our true intent is or God's true intent for us. And so he also kind of ties that a little bit with someone who has a same sex attractiveness. Is that on the same level? Theologically, that's the question. That's the question and that's the root of the disagreement and that's the heart of the issue. Now, when I say is it a result of corruption? I don't mean by that that God punishes you by making you gay. I don't mean that God punishes you by making you a certain way. I don't mean that you are a certain way because you did something. Any more than I'm nearsighted. It's always my eyes get older. That's probably, apart from a miracle God, not going to get any better. But I've been nearsighted since I was five people. God didn't do that to me because of something I did when I was three. That's not punishment. There's nothing deficient in me inherently as a human being because I have that particular issue going on in my life. However, I think most of us would agree, nearsightedness was not a part of God's original plan on the creation, right? God intended. We will have perfect sight when we get the glory. And so when we say, is this a reflection of the corruption? That's what we're talking about. And when we understand it that way, it brings us to another understanding orientation in and of itself. It's not sinful. Now, I'm a little bit hesitant to use that word orientation because orientation, to some people, it may kind of give the connotation or they understand the belief that this is still you having something to do with it. Orientation doesn't just spring up. I think it's pretty safe to say, some will agree, obviously, that orientation I think is still something that could be learned, that could be introduced or become a part of you because of maybe your environment, what you've been exposed to. Because I don't think that naturally, naturally normally that boys are oriented towards boys or girls are oriented towards girls, females are towards females, males are towards males. I don't think that's natural. As a matter of fact, the Bible calls that unnatural. So, biblically speaking, I think that's safe to say. That really should not be controversial at all, but it kind of is, right? People come to me and they go, well, is it, is it a sin to be gay? Well, if by that, what you mean is, I happen to be attracted to people of the same gender, and that's all you mean, then the answer is no. No. I don't have your particular struggle. If that's you, I'm heterosexual, finding the opposite sex attractive is not sinful. It's the meaning of heterosexual. All right? Everybody got that? All right? Who you find attractive? Those are, that's, that's not the question. The question is, is it a sin to act on those attractions? So now, to get to this last question, is it a sin to act on those? Obviously, that is the case. But to the other point, is it a sin to be gay? And the problem is that Jesus himself throw, seems to throw a little bit of a monkey rich. What he does is he increases the standard for us recognizing sin. This is what Jesus says. He says that not only, because we talk about an orientation, a male can be oriented towards a female, which is normal. That's the natural way, but finding someone attractive is a little bit different than having a lustful view of them. So notice what Jesus says in Matthew 5, 20, and you all have heard this before. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Now, this is his orientation. He has a orientation towards females, but this goes a little bit further than that. Jesus is speaking about this lust that a person would have. And this lust is just a desire, but it's a little bit stronger desire. It's a desire that's increased. And so the more you think about this desire, you kind of long for, you want. And as the Bible says, when this desire is in your mind, according to James, just follow the natural pattern that James goes through, it's in your mind, you mold over it, then it becomes something in your heart that you ultimately end up acting on it. Well, it's not a sin the moment you act on it. It's a sin as it's already been conceived and grown in your heart that started off with this thought, this belief, this view in your mind. Are you with me? And so yes, I would think it's safe to say that even though you don't act on the orientation, if that orientation, that thought, that attractiveness becomes a lust, well, then obviously that becomes sin, at least according to Jesus. Now Paul also addresses this even more so in 1 Corinthians 6-9. He says, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? And he covers a lot of different people, a lot of different sins and so forth. And so he says, Do not be deceived that neither fornicators, a sexual sin or pornoi, which is where we get the word for pornography, but this is just wrathful people. These are people who do, I'll just leave it at that, nor idolaters, nor adulterers. Notice what it says, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals. And the homosexual, this is the word for arson of coitide. This is for men who bet other men, those who actually do it. But then the one before that, the effeminate, the melancholy, this is those that are soft, effeminate. They have a fancy for this. Now these might be people that have not acted upon it, but they present themselves in a certain way. And so how you show yourself to be. And even Jesus, he talks about that these Jewish leaders, these people regarding John, the Baptist comparing them, how he dressed with them. He calls, that he says that they dress effeminately or in soft clothing, these luxury clothes. And so just being a melancholy, just being effeminate, that also is a sin, not even, not even taking into account if there's action upon that, but just being that way. And so does that, this being, this being effeminate, is that a part of a person's orientation could be? Seems like it obviously. And is that just something maybe the opportunity hasn't shown up to where they could do something? Because again, doing the sin does not negate from you thinking about the sin. And so the issue is going to be, does this person in their attraction, are they mulling it over? Are they thinking about it? That can be the problem. We'll get to that just a little bit. But remember, what we don't want to do is, because there is a place to say that if there's someone that's struggling with a sin, is that person that's struggling with a desire, is that necessarily a sin? No, not in and of itself. But we don't want to be the person in the position where we are giving approval to the sin. In other words, saying that a person who is struggling, it's okay to struggle with a sin. It's okay. It's not even okay to struggle with a sin. We don't want that. Is it a punishable act that the person is going through where they are struggling with something or they think about something they shouldn't be thinking about? Maybe, maybe not. But we want to be careful that we don't give approval to something that can ultimately become an unnatural and a sinful act, such as what Paul brings up in Romans 1 in 32 he says, and although they know the ordinances of God and that those who practice such things, those that are doing these things, are worthy of death. They not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. And what ends up happening is, I've seen this before, maybe you have too, where someone is trying to hold as close as they can to the text, but also to the world. They're trying to have it both ways and not to be offensive. So they give approval to someone, maybe make it like for them to say that we all sin, we all struggle and so forth, or just having the thoughts. Because what about a person that's watching something that they have no business watching? Is that also sinful? Well, sure it is. Sure it is, because again, we're looking at the lustfulness of it. Now, Paul kind of addresses also, well, matter of fact, not kind of, he does address this. All of us have a struggle with something. All of us deal with something. And the issue isn't that we do certain sins. That's the issue. The issue ultimately is those who desire to do those things, who want to do those things. For example, if a person has desired, if a person is struggling with their sexuality, but they don't want to, first is a person who is struggling with their sexuality and has given and says, you know what? I'm going to be homosexual and gay. I'll embrace both. That's the problem. What Paul brings up in Roman seven is that though we all might end up struggling, he himself is, he says that there are evil, wicked things that he even practices. But the difference between him practicing versus a sinful person practicing is the desire. Notice what he says in chapter seven verse 18. He says, for I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh. For the willing, there's that word or in this case, the lane, which is the desire be wanting to, the desire is present in me, but the doing the good is not. So I wish to, I desire, I really want to not do the simple thing. I really want to do good. He says, for the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil thing that I don't want to do. So he himself calls it evil and that he practice those things that he didn't want to do. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want in the word for want is a fellow. So the thing that I'm doing, I don't desire to do those things. I am no longer the one doing it, but sin, which dwells in me. And so at least what Paul is saying that I'm doing these things, but I'm not doing it because I really desire to do this. I want to be this sinful Christian. I want to be a lying Christian. I want to be a vengeful or lustful Christian, or I want to be a homosexual Christian being the sinful slash Christian, whatever adjective that you subscribe to it cannot be. And so having the thought going back to the question, is having an orientation, a same sex attraction? Is that a sin? It may very well be because it's going to depend upon where this person is taking these attractions to, what they're doing in their mind with these attractions. Because it's one thing for anyone to notice male or female homosexual or heterosexual, that someone else is attractive. But now we're talking about you being attracted to that person. Well, I'm attracted to that person in what way that might need some fleshing out. I'm attracted, I'm attracted to them out sexually. Then I think it does become sinful. I think that is the issue. Now, if there's a, if there's a fighting, I desire not to have that will find we can deal with that. I think that goes into what Paul says. But if the person's like, I'm really am attracted to this person, I really want to, and it becomes a longing, it becomes a lust. That's where Jesus brings us up and it becomes sin, whether it be heterosexual or homosexual. So yes, the act is a sin. And also if the attraction is lustful, and you're thinking about this, well, then yet that also too is sin. But remember, wherever you are in this plane, if there's a legitimate struggle and you want to move past it, even though it's difficult in practice, it's simple in application. It's just being consistent with it. And that is, as James says, Peter says the same thing. If we draw to him, resist the evil, that's harder. But the way that you can do so is to draw closer. How do you draw close to him? By focusing on his word, by reading, by praying, by having fellowship with him, by having fellowship with your brothers and sisters, being accountable to someone. Those are the things that we can do to grow close to him. As we close to him, there's no one that I know better at removing any unnatural or sinful thoughts or attractions. There's no one that I know that's better at it than God himself. Amen.