In recent decades, a growing number of Christian denominations have embraced same-sex relationships and LGBTQ+ affirmation. The United Church of Christ has performed same-sex marriages since 2005; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ordains LGBTQ+ clergy and allows same-sex weddings;1 and the Presbyterian Church (USA) redefined marriage in 2014 as “between two people.” The Disciples of Christ, Community of Christ, and Moravian Church have issued similar affirmations, while independent networks like the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and the Metropolitan Community Church were formed with LGBTQ+ inclusion at the center of their identity.2 Even historic bodies such as the United Methodist Church, after years of debate, lifted its ban on same-sex marriage and clergy in 2024, though not without significant division. These changes reflect a broader cultural shift in how sexuality is understood, with some churches seeking to align their message with modern sensibilities of inclusion and affirmation.
Yet the deeper question is not where denominations stand but what God’s Word says. From the opening chapters of Genesis, marriage is defined as the covenant union of male and female. Genesis 2:24 presents marriage as a man leaving his father and mother, cleaving to his wife, and becoming “one flesh.” This design is reinforced by Genesis 1:28, where man and woman together are blessed to “be fruitful and multiply.” Jesus directly reaffirms this pattern in Matthew 19:4–6, grounding His teaching on marriage and divorce in the creation account: “from the beginning” God made them male and female, and “they twain shall be one flesh.”
By contrast, the Scriptures speak with consistent clarity about homosexual practice. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 18:22 declares, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination,” and Leviticus 20:13 prescribes judgment on those who practice it. These are not passing cultural taboos, but moral prohibitions tied to Israel’s call to holiness before God. In the New Testament, Paul expands on this theme in Romans 1:26–27, describing same-sex behavior as “vile affections” and “against nature,” the visible outworking of humanity’s rebellion against God. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, he warns that those who practice such acts—along with other sins such as adultery, idolatry, and theft—“shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” The key term arsenokoitai (literally “male-bed”) leaves no doubt about what is meant.3 Similarly, 1 Timothy 1:9–10 places homosexual practice in the list of behaviors that the law condemns as contrary to sound doctrine.
Taken together, these passages offer a unified biblical testimony. Marriage is honored as the covenant union of man and woman, while homosexual acts are consistently described as sinful. Importantly, this is not about singling out one sin as uniquely damning—Paul places it alongside many others—but it’s about recognizing that the practice is incompatible with God’s created order.
Some argue that affirming LGBTQ+ relationships is the loving response. But Scripture reminds us that real love doesn’t celebrate sin; it “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love warns, calls to repentance, and points to the hope of transformation in Christ. That hope shines even in Paul’s sternest warnings. After describing sins including homosexual practice, he adds: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified” (1 Corinthians 6:11). The gospel does not leave anyone trapped in their old identity; it offers cleansing, forgiveness, and new life.
The acceptance of homosexuality by some churches reflects cultural pressures more than biblical fidelity. Scripture is unambiguous: marriage is one man and one woman, bound in covenant love, pointing to Christ and His Church. Homosexuality, however widely celebrated in modern culture, remains outside God’s design. Christians must hold fast to this truth, not with cruelty or harshness, but with conviction and compassion, speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and inviting all people to find life, forgiveness, and renewal in Jesus Christ.
- Nolan Feeney, “3 Other Christian Denominations That Allow Gay Marriage,” Time, March 18, 2015, 2:42 PM EDT, https://time.com/3749253/churches-gay-marriage/. ↩︎
- GayChurch.Org, “Affirming Denominations”, accessed September 2, 2025, https://www.gaychurch.org/affirming-denominations/. ↩︎
- Tim Barnett, “Did Translators Wrongly Interpret ‘Homosexuality’ in 1 Corinthians 6:9?,” Stand to Reason, June 26, 2023, https://www.str.org/w/did-translators-wrongly-interpret-homosexuality-in-1-corinthians-6-9‑. ↩︎