Suicide is a grave sin equivalent to murder (Exodus 20:13; 21:23), but it can be forgiven like any other sin. And Scripture says clearly that those redeemed by God have been forgiven for all their sins – past, present, and future (Colossians 2:13-14). Paul says in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. So if a true Christian would commit suicide in a time of extreme weakness, he or she would be received into heaven (Jude 24). But we question the faith of those who take their lives or even consider it seriously – it may well be that they have never been truly saved. I say that because God’s children are defined repeatedly in Scripture as those who have hope (Acts 24:15; Romans 5:2-5, 8:24; 2 Corinthians 1:10, etc.) and purpose in life (Luke 9:23-25; Romans 8:28; Colossians 1:29). And those who think of committing suicide do so because they have neither hope nor purpose in their lives. Furthermore, one who repeatedly considers suicide is practicing sin in his heart (Proverbs 23:7), and 1 John 3:9 says that “no one who is born of God practices sin.” And finally, suicide is often the ultimate evidence of a heart that rejects the lordship of Jesus Christ, because it is an act where the sinner is taking his life into his own hands completely rather than submitting to God's will for it. Surely many of those who have taken their lives will hear those horrifying words from the Lord Jesus at the judgment – “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). So though it may be possible for a true believer to commit suicide, we believe that is an unusual occurrence. Someone considering suicide should be challenged above all to examine himself to see whether he is in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
John MacArthur

The Origins Of Homosexuality 6

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series The Origins Of Homosexuality

The Origins Of Homosexuality

The Origins Of Homosexuality 6

ORIGENS OF HOMOSEXUALITY

  • Part 6

We have written about the four components of homosexuality in another of our publications. To review, they are:

  1. Psychic Response: Having a sexual attraction for those of your same sex;
  2. Behaviour: Participating in homosexual sex acts;
  3. Lifestyle: Entering into social relationships with other gay people through gay bars, parties, living in a gay ghetto area, etc;
  4. Identity: Accepting the label homosexual on your life.

As people have come through our ministry, we’ve taken an informal survey and asked them just how they entered into the homosexual world.

We have found that the highest number entered through psychic response.

Although we suspected this to be the case, we were surprised that only forty percent of the time was this true. Our guess would have been closer to eighty to ninety percent. Many gay people can remember back even to three years of age when they had attachments to people of the same sex. Naturally, we do not believe that this is something sexual, but was simply a longing for unconditional love, a desire for attention.

Thirty percent said that they entered homosexuality through sexual acts.

This means that, up to this time, they had no special interest in those of their own sex. But they enjoyed the sex act and found that it met a special need in their life. It is here that those who have an empty space in their life, those who have the preconditioning package in place, will find the emotional fulfilment in the closeness of sexual acts. They are willing to make the trade-off: sexual behaviour for attention and what they feel is some degree of love. Those who have felt secure in their identity, who have felt love and acceptance, will find no additional fulfilment from the sex acts and their lives remain unaffected by such encounters.

Then, to our surprise,

thirty percent said that they entered homosexuality through identity.

They felt that they could not cope with the demands placed on their lives to fulfil their assigned role. In the case of young men, they were the ones who were left behind by their peers. Poor in sports, unable to share the same interests, they came to see themselves as failures and misfits. Through the process of elimination, they decided that they were not normal. Therefore, they must be something else. We have something like this:

Thesis: Men are good at sports.
Antithesis: I am not good at sports.
Synthesis: Therefore, I must not be male.

At this point, hopelessness sets in and the male role is abandoned.

If you are counting, you will see that this has already reached 100 percent and we still have “lifestyle” to consider.

In our survey, no one said that they entered homosexuality through the lifestyle.

This means that no one socially related to gay people and then found the lifestyle so appealing that they began to engage in homosexual sex. Of course, our survey was extremely limited and quite unscientific, so this possibility still remains. However, it is interesting that this possibility had not taken place in enough lives in our group to register some percentage.

To clarify, we are saying that a certain component was simply the doorway through which the person entered entered into the homosexual world. We are not saying that psychic response does not develop in the case of acts or identity. With homosexual acts, the psychic response (sexual attraction to the same sex) usually develops quite rapidly A new door has been opened and it is only a short time before conditioning sets in. Whatever provides attention and significance becomes sexually attractive. With identity (labeling oneself a homosexual, even when no sexual acts have occurred), the psychic response may come after much struggle to place a label on one’s identity. It is difficult for this person to accept the fact that his sexual feelings may be towards his own sex. The struggle to deny this reality may last for years — even decades. It is here that the helping hand of parents, peers, and church is so vitally needed. No one should be forced to accept the homosexual identity through default. The Body of Christ must become so trustworthy that this deep emotional problem can be shared and the light of Christ brought into a dark, despairing area. The unspeakable problem must be confessed to God and man, and the wonderful hope that Jesus Christ offers for change must not be withheld.

For further information about homosexuality or about other areas of sexual brokenness, please contact:

LOVE IN ACTION
G.P.O. Box 1115
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Phone (08) 371-0446

This article is reprinted by permission from:

Love In Action
P.O. Box 2655
San Rafael California 94912
U.S.A.

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