To say that God is only a God of love is to distort God. God is also holy. One attribute is not above another. They all are equal within the Godhead. Romans 7:12 reads, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." The law is holy because the giver of the law is also holy, just, and good. God is the one that legislates and defines what is sin and what it is not. Man is to obey the commands and precepts of God. Anything else is lawlessness as 1 John 3:4 explains, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." To transgress is to go beyond what was prohibited. In other words, it is to trespass boundaries.
Psalm 5:4-5 describes what God thinks about all such, "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." It is plain that He hates sinners. What else could a worker of iniquity be? Psalm 7:11 further says, "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." Obviously this God of love is not too pleased with the wicked. If He was, then the Lord Jesus Christ died in vain.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "abomination" as, "Extreme hatred; detestation..." Leviticus 20:13 reads, "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." This act is an act of defiance against God and His order. God requires the death penalty for the sodomite. If God did not hate them, then why does He require the death penalty for them? Based upon the definition of "abomination," God has extreme hatred towards these wicked perverts.
Romans 1:19-31 says, "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." When one refuses to acknowledge God even though he knows the truth, he heads down a dark path that increases and intensifies in wickedness. In other words, no sin is too degrading.
Romans 1:27 in the Amplified Bible reads, "And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another–men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrongdoing and going astray, which was (their) fitting retribution." When sodomites get sexually transmitted diseases, they are receiving what they deserve for their wicked and shameful acts. The sodomite is consumed with lust. He is going to burn himself out trying to prove that there is no God. He is the most consistent sinner. He is out to commit suicide.
Look what happened to Israel during King Rehoboam’s reign in 1 Kings 14:22-24, "And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. 23For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel." The children of Israel had now become like the Canaanite. They allowed sodomites in the land. They did not put them to death.
Conclusion
God’s solution to the sodomite is simple, the death penalty by the civil government. This is what Paul affirmed in 1 Timothy 1:9-10, "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." The civil law was instituted to deal with such sinners.
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