My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2022 (8)

Question 1: We have two questions with regards to homosexuality. Thus whilst it is claimed that medical science has evidence that an individual born with a certain brain size is more likely to have such a homosexual tendency, this is still disputable. However, it is not so disputable in the case of babies born with both male and female reproductive organs (aka a hermaphrodite). Thus, our questions:

(a) Would not the proponents of the homosexuality theory use the evidence of hermaphrodites to reinforce or support homosexual tendency theory?

(b) What should be our view on hermaphrodites with respect to “blame” and/or “cause”?

Answer 1: (a) Homosexuals are not hermaphrodites. Like many sins we see in our world today, homosexuality is the result of idolatry. The Bible teaches this in Romans 1:20-32: “For 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: Because 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. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And 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 recompence of their error which was meet. And 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; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who 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.” [Emphasis added]

We need to love all sinners including the homosexuals. To condone their sin is not love. It is actually hate because when a person is in sin and we know it and keep silent as if all is well with his soul, it is deception. The Bible is clear on this sin and other sins that we commit. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

All the above were sins that the Corinthian Christians committed before their salvation. They were washed by the blood of Christ and were saved from these sins. It is not homophobic to tell homosexuals the truth that God loves them just as He loves all sinners and Christ died for their sins and rose from the dead for their justification.

(b) It is not a sin to be a hermaphrodite. No blame must ever be attributed to anyone when a child is born special. We need to show Christ’s love and not make any unkind remarks or form any sinful judgments within our heart just because someone is born different from us. All humans are born in sin because we are conceived in sin. It is the sinful nature that we are all born with. We are all born with the original sin of Adam who was our representative man. Romans 5:12-19: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Homosexuality is the fruit of a desire of the sinful heart, like the sins of fornication and adultery. It is not a physical issue but a moral and spiritual issue, even though the sin of homosexuality like all sexual transgressions are committed in the flesh.

Question 2: If a Christian commits suicide, will his soul go to heaven?

Answer 2: God’s perspective of salvation is that there is no undoing of it. Once a person is truly saved, nothing and no adversity in heaven and on earth can ever separate him from God because of the finished work of Christ at Calvary! In other words, once a person becomes a child of God and part of God’s family, he will forever remain as God’s child. Romans 8:35-39: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Therefore, not even suicide can separate a born-again believer from God. To say that it can separate implies that the security of salvation based upon the finished work of Christ is incomplete and God should not have raised Christ from the dead as death will still have the last word! Thank God almighty that is not the case!

Will a Christian commit suicide? The answer is no. The reason is that the Holy Spirit in him will convict him of the severity and finality of the sin of suicide. Suicide is unlike any other sin committed against God and man. This is a direct sin committed against himself and the Holy Spirit who dwells in him. The Holy Spirit will not allow it to happen.

However, having said that, we know that believers are not spared any disease including mental ones. [NOTE: If believers are spared from diseases, then sinners will believe in Christ for the wrong reason and not for their sins alone.] When a believer is afflicted by a mental illness, he will no longer be himself especially when he loses his cognitive abilities. He cannot recognise people, faces and events and may even hallucinate. Under these circumstances medication can help, and without the medication he loses himself. Under such trying circumstances when he is no longer himself, even though he is still a child of God, he might do something foolish like hurt himself including suicide.