Does God want Unbelievers to Die?

Richard Hollerman

There are a number of professing “Christians” who are saying “loud and clear” that their unbelieving friends and neighbors are wrong. And not merely wrong but that they should “die” for their faith (or perhaps I should say, their lack of faith). But is this right? Should we have this attitude?

It is true that in the Law of Moses we find severe warnings against homosexuality: “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). We also read at Leviticus 20:13: “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them.” It is true that sodomy (homosexuality) and lesbianism (a women and another woman who has sex with each other) is sinful and wrong. This was clear and it was something that must be punished. (Hebrews 10:28-29)

But are we missing something here? We think that there is. Consider these facts:

First, this was under Moses (for those we know as Jews) but it was only meant to be applied from the time of this illustrious leader (about 1450 BC) until the time of Christ (and He died about AD 30 (Matthew 27:50). We are not to apply this today!

Second, this was instruction meant for Jews, or we might say Israelites, and not for others. Today, we are to go into all the world and bring the whole world to Christ and His salvation (cf. Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 23:46-48; Acts 1:8).

Third, it is true that one who committed homosexuality was wrong and sinned, it was to be a literal or physical death, but today it is to be a spiritual death! The one who “practices” such sins as sodomy is “worthy of death” (Romans 1:32) and the one who commits sodomy is wrong and sinful before God, but it is not something that should result in physical death. We read that those who commit any sin (including sodomy) are “dead” in “trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1; cf. 2:5; Colossians 2:13).

Fourth, we must remember that sodomy was not alone as sinful behavior and state, but this was only one among many, many other sins. We must not pick out sodomy as being sinful and other sins as being acceptable. All sin will lead to eternal death (Romans 6:23), whether sodomy, adultery, lust, lying, greed, and a hundred others wrongs.

Fifth, we must remember that adultery itself is reprehensible and was out of the question until “no fault” divorce became acceptable and was legalized (about the 1950s). If adultery was wrong and accepted as wrong even by society, why should we select homosexuality as being worthy of physical death when society around us seems to accept another sin? One may say that sodomy is not only sinful, not only opposes the will of God, but it is also a perversion. This may be true, but the sin of adultery and other sins brought God’s judgment as well.

As we view all of this and consider these facts, we must point out that all sin (including the sin of homosexuality) is wrong and under God’s judgment. We refer to fornication between the unmarried, adultery of those married, adultery of those who marry again, transvestitism, transgenderism, pedophilia—all sin! Let us view things as God does and understand His Word in a way that we don’t pervert this Word.

From all of this we must conclude that God doesn’t want us to kill sodomites (homosexuals). He doesn’t and He doesn’t want us to do so either. Instead, He wants us to love and reach them for God. In this way, they can be not only forgiven of this evil sin but also they can thereby be saved for all eternity!