HomeBiblical Perspectivessins of sodom – what the bible really says

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sins of sodom – what the bible really says — 28 Comments

  1. All BS. I dare you to write me so I can put you straight. You quote Eze 16:49-50 and insisted that there was no reference to the homosexual practice of the city as a special reason for God’s judgment, but you clearly chose to ignore this phrase “committed abomination” before me. Disgrace!

    You claim that God is not judgmental…what? The judge of the earth is not judgemental…hogwash. From human perspective judgemental may imply arriving at conclusions without the supporting evidence but God judges righteously with the facts and the truth. Go read Judges 19:22. You will see that this heinous crime (no worse than adultery) is occurred in other places with the same destructive consequences.

    Would you invite a self-declared practicing child-molester (who believe that children regardless of age has a right to making their own decision about sex) into your home with your young children? You most certainly will not. Not because you do not have faith but as a responsible parent, you recognize that your children are vulnerable and impressionable, and that the alien perspective may sow a seed of divisiveness and rebellion. Believe what you may, but be very very careful what you preach!

    Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” (Eze. 16:49-50)

    • Glendon, there’s a differnce between judging righteously (as God does, because He knows the heart) and being “judgmental,” which is judging others by appearances and our imperfect knowledge, thereby making ourselves appear better. By definition, God is not “judgmental.” But when we assume to take on the perogative of God, we are being “judgmental.”

      You use the word “abomination” in Ezekiel as a demonstration that God was referring to homosexuality, but that is merely your opinion. The Bible does not limit “abomination” to homosexuality.

      Do you know that a “proud look” and a “lying tongue” are also abominations. Your prayer may even be an abomination. Please look up all references to “abomination” in the Bible, so you can know what you are talking about. There’s a little help for you in the post, “What Is an Abomination to God?

      Do you think maybe before we refer to the sins of others as “abominations,” perhaps we’d better surrender our own sins to God? I’m not totally sure that I’m free from all “abominations,” are you?

  2. What about this passage? 1 Corinthians 6:7-11

    7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

    Its hard not to judge when the Bible has already done so. Do we promote sin or denounce it?

    From our current study, Christ is loving but draws a line when sin is involved. His loving words are found in John 8:10-11…

    10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

    11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

    And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

    Amen.

    • Dear Rick,
      I’ve been puzzling over your reply and how it relates to the topic of the “Sins of Sodom – What the Bible Really Says.” Perhaps you can clarify?

      I concluded that “Sodom was destroyed for sins that are not uncommon in today’s affluent society – sins that are rooted in self-sufficiency and flaunted in rebellion. Sexual sins were part of the problem, no doubt, but it is unworthy of Christians and misrepresentative of the Lord to wrest Scriptures in order to make someone else’s sins appear as greater than our own more common sins of pride, hypocrisy, gossip, and a judgmental spirit.”

      You do say that it is “Its hard not to judge when the Bible has already done so.” If God (or the Bible) has already done so, it would appear not to be our job, would it? The Lord didn’t give us the job of judging. He did give us the job of sharing the gospel invitation with all sinners, and that does not exclude gay people. And I appreciate what Ellen White had to say on the subject:

      Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.” (Ellen White, Ministry of Healing, p. 143)

      I haven’t seen judging and condemnation meet with much success. Have you? (You can Google “Westboro Baptist Church” to see how successful they are in converting gay people.)

  3. My sister. I have read your lengthy article and all see is your feeble attempt to justify homosexuality through your distortion of the scripture. It beats any form of comprehension why there’s so much preoccupation in the West to make homosexuality an acceptable way of life. We are bombarded in the media day in day out with these messages about embracing gay people and it is very saddening to see the Devil infiltrating God’s remnant church with the “love the gay people” gospel. Beware what you’re spreading among God’s people. All sin must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. May I remind you that going to heaven isn’t like a walk in the park.

    • Dear Were, I have given arguments from Scripture.

      You have given opinion – only your opinion.

      I believe Scripture is a better guide for behaviour than human opinion – yours or anyone else’s.

      (I realize that we each interpret Scripture, but let’s at least deal with Scripture, not just unfounded opinions.)

  4. Great response to Glendon, Inge. I absolutely love the illogical manner in which he ended his diatribe with that Ezekiel text.
    Keep opening eyes and some hearts will open.

  5. Sis Inge I agree with Glendon, the homosexual act is a perversion and an abomination of GOD’s design. Like unto may other aspects of GOD’s design and creation, whenever we move away from GOD’s design for mankind we are partaking in abominable practices. Sin itself is an abomination of GOD’s law of life and love. Inge you do have a passion for saving the lost, however be very careful of the strategies you publicly suggest as a person of influence. We must always be mindful of the fact that Jesus had a bond with the FATHER that allowed HIM to read the hearts of men (not just their actions). Give the love to ALL sinners..while you remain totally reliant on the FATHER thru the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wisdom from GOD is paramount to our actions.

    May the Blessings from GOD be with you both Inge and Glendon while you walk the earth.

    Delroy
    By the way… we are all sinners. However, when we receive GRACE we call sin by it right name-SIN

    • Bro. Delroy, thank you for your comment. Are you sure that we receive grace for the purpose of pointing out the sins of others? From what I read in the Bible, it seems to me that God offers grace so that we may reflect the character of Christ.

      And when sinners see the goodness of God, which can be reflected in us by grace, then they are led to repentance. (Romans 2:4) Telling them they’re sinning is generally ineffective. (Think back on your own experience.)

      I appreciate that you recognize that all sin is an abomination to God, because that’s what the Bible clearly teaches. And that means we have to ask God to cleanse us of our own “abominations.” And while we allow Christ to cleanse us, we can share with others where to go for cleansing. If they see that it’s working for us, they’re more likely to listen.

  6. Anderson,
    Your argument seems crafted to appeal for compassion and understanding of those that are into the gay lifestyle I get that and accept the point. However, it also appears to minimize the abomination conclusion that Glendon presented. For example, part of your reply reads “The Bible does not limit “abomination” to homosexuality.”
    Then the Bible, does include homosexuality as an abomination. Your interpretation might be as tortured as the issue you are attempting to correct

    • Anthony, the purpose of this study was to examine what the Bible says about “the sins of Sodom.”

      Indeed, the Bible includes homosexual sex as one “abomination” among many others. The point of the article was that the sins of Sodom are not that much unlike the popular sins of today.

      You call my argument “tortured,” and if you think it so, please point out anything unbiblical you find in it. I am eager to correct any mistakes you find. Thank you.

  7. what about these verses?

    1 Corinthians 6:9-10 GNT

    Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God’s Kingdom.

    • Thank you for your comment, Farrel. Are you suggesting I should add these sins to the list of sins comparable to the sins of Sodom?

      1. Immorality
      2. Idol worship
      3. Adultery
      4. Homosexual sex
      5. Theft (even on tax returns?)
      6. Greed
      7. Drunkenness
      8. Slanderers (gossippers?)

      It does seem that the Bible puts all these in the same category. This passage just does not specifically mention Sodom, and I was dealing with the popular misconception that Sodom was destroyed because of the men’s request to rape the angels who appeared to them in male form. And now that I put it that way, I should probably point out that homosexual rape is not quite the same as a consensual relationship, though neither is approved in the Bible.

      (I thought that Point 4. was already taken for granted by most readers.)

  8. Inge,

    Thank you for clarifying about Sodom- the city and perhaps the misconception about Sodom, Sodomy and homosexuality. However the point is you steered clear from pinpointing clearly that is evil [homosexuality and lesbianism] and God does not encourage such vices. In other words when someone reads your first article you have come short of pinpointing the true Biblical facts on homosexuality thus giving an image that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality which is what Rick was passing across.

    • Hello Isaac,

      My post was not intended to address the subject of homosexuality, but the subject of the sins of Sodom and what the Bible really says about the subject.

      I cannot understand how you can reach the conclusion from my article that the Bible does not condemn homosexual sex. (Homosexuality as a sexual orienation is a whole other subject.) The only way you could possibly reach that conclusion is to argue with the writers of the Bible regarding the sins which they either attribute directly to Sodom or put on the same level as Sodom’s sins are not condemned either. As I referenced them, they are:

      • Jerusalem’s tongue and doings are against the Lord (Isa 3:8-9)
      • Committing adultery
      • Walking in lies
      • Strengthening the hands of evildoers
      • Pride (Eze. 16:49)
      • Fullness of bread (gluttony?)(Eze. 16:49)
      • Abundance of idleness(Eze. 16:49)
      • Failure to strengthen the hand of the poor and needy(Eze. 16:49)
      • Filthy conversation 2 Peter 2:8 KJV or “lawless deeds” 2 Pter 2:8 NASB)

      Now, are you saying that these sins, which the Bible puts on the same level as Sodom’s sins, are not condemned in the Bible??

      Or is it only that you would like confirmation that those engaging in gay sex are worse sinners than those who are engaging in any of the sins listed above?

  9. Dear Sis. Inge,

    I request that you clarify a few issues

    1. Is homosexuality sin or not?

    2. Does embracing my gay friends mean that I should not point them to Jesus i.e encourage them to sin no more?

    Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. All of us are sinners. Does that mean that if a brother is overtaken in a fault I should not point it out.

    Jesus association with sinners led to repentance. They did not continue sinning.

    • Thank you for your comment, John.

      1. It seems to me that it should not be too difficult to judge, even from my post.
      2. I believe that embracing your gay friends does mean especially that you should point them to Jesus and also that you should model the love of Jesus in your own life. When sinners met Jesus, they felt condemned in the presence of His purity at the same time that they felt He loved them. When they feel the same way in your presence because of the holiness of your own life, you can do the most effective work for your gay friends.

      Paul’s instruction in Gal 6:1 needs to be read in context. It was counsel to the members of the church to “restore such a man in a spirit of meekness.” The individual to be restored would apparently be a church member, and I would think that the primary goal of restoration would be to re-connect the individual to Christ. It would be more appropriate to confront a church member about an apparent sin than to do this to someone who is not a member and just learning about Jesus. But even in such a situation, we should be very careful not to jump to conclusions and, rather than focusing on sin, we should focus on restoration and a relationship with Jesus – just as Paul indicates. And we should do this “in a spirit of meekness,” realizing our own weakness and that we all stand in like need of the mercy of the Savior.

      Perhaps this passage from Desire of Ages can help:

      Jesus had convinced her that He read the secrets of her life; yet she felt that He was her friend, pitying and loving her. While the very purity of His presence condemned her sin, He had spoken no word of denunciation, but had told her of His grace, that could renew the soul. (See Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 189. I suggest reading the whole passage and possible the chapter.

  10. Inge,
    I was not only disgusted by the attacks on you but want to comment on the way those attacks illustrate how smug sanctimony repels the sinners Jesus came to rescue. The remnant are those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of of Jesus but those who SAY they keep the commandments of God are the hardest for Jesus to rescue because they don’t see their own need.

    When I say I am a Seventh-day Adventist, do people think I mean I am a commandment keeper?

    Maybe there are some things I need to rethink!

    • Hi Roger,

      Thanks for the affirmation, Roger. 🙂 I assume you are referring to what happened on another Adventist site?

      Yes, indeed, before we are in a place where Jesus can save us, we need to recognize that we all stand on equal footing at the foot of the cross. Any feeling of superiority to any other kind of sinner is displaying the attitude of the Pharisee, “who prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’” (Luke 18:11-12)

      Note that this man did not go home justified. Only the tax collector did. (Luke 18:13-14)

      “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

        • James, I didn’t say anything about disagreeing with me. Please read again:

          Any feeling of superiority to any other kind of sinner is displaying the attitude of the Pharisee, “who prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’” (Luke 18:11-12)

          Do you really disagree with that?

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  11. Inge,
    Thanks for the article on the sin of sodom. I would like to request you, if possible, to write another article on ‘Homosexuality and the Bible’ to outline the clear teaching of the bible on the subject of homosexuality.

  12. I am afraid of what is happening in our churches. It is unfortunate that our theologians have disappointed God for accepting the acts of Satan into the church as a virtue. God killed Sodom and Go. because of same sex. Why should we cherished these? God have mercy. Keep on promoting these, the judgement of God will soon visit the earth.

    Oh SDA church! where is the spirit of the pioneers? I think the GC should be dissolved because they have failed to uphold the purity of the church. I am not suprised because the church will appear to be more secular, why? It is because the church has compromised with evil.

  13. Read the books of Moses and then read the Gospels. The same God wrote both and they are in harmony. We know God never changes. There is only one difference,In the books of Moses,judgment most times came quickly and decisively.In the Gospels Jesus gives more time to see our faults in hope we repent. If we continue in our sins we will pay the price. Judgement is differed to a latter time. [Irrelevant sounding-off portion of comment redacted.]

    • The article explores not only the books of Moses, but also other passages in the Old Testament as well as what Jesus Himself said. We encourage you to read the article, rather than just sounding off regarding whatever is on your mind.

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