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  • United Church of God

    If a person primarily has a strong same-sex attraction (SSA), it is usually impossible for that person to experience a change to having opposite-sex attraction. Having SSA is not a sin as long as the person does not act on it and engage in sexual interaction with anyone. The only sexual intercourse that is not a sin is that between a male husband and female wife who are married to each other. Any other sexual interaction is immoral and sinful.

    Besides those who have strong SSA, there are people who are bisexual and experiment with a variety of ways to experience sexual interaction. Such immorality is inexcusable and sinful in God’s sight.

    Again, having same-sex attraction (SSA -- a homosexual orientation) is not a sin as long as the person doesn’t engage in any sexual contact or actions. The same is true of opposite-sex attraction (OSA). A person with OSA is not sinning just because he is sexually attracted. But if he engages in sex with anyone besides the person to whom he is married, he is clearly breaking the Seventh Commandment and sinning.
     
    Thankfully, God is very merciful and forgiving of past sins! God will forgive any kind of sin once the person repents.

  • United Church of God

    Hi Jacob, what kind of makeup do you mean? Do you mean facial makeup, the kind of makeup a woman generally does, such as lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, and other cosmetics? 
    God created human beings male and female and He expects everyone to maintain their rightful gender identity. That means God wants men to look like men and women to look like women, and that still allows a great deal of variety in choices of clothing, jewelry, hair styles, etc. See Deuteronomy 22:5 that forbids transvestitism (cross-dressing). And see 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 where the apostle Paul is explaining that a woman’s head should be “covered” with longer hair while a man should have shorter hair. So in principle these scriptures show that God does not want a man to try to look more like a female with female-type makeup.
    However, if the purpose of the makeup is simply to cover up blemishes or scars, that is certainly okay. And it is okay for men and women to seek to be more tanned by exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light or

  • United Church of God

    ... continued
    People through the ages have sought comfort from the ancient songs found in the book of Psalms, finding them as refreshing as a cool cloth on a fevered brow. For the person dealing with emotional pain, the message is multifaceted. Some Psalmists felt that God had forsaken or abandoned them, but they came to see that God was there and that they needed to persevere. You may find Psalm 13; Psalm 23; and Psalm 143:4, 6, 8, 15, 17-19 of comfort. I encourage you to spend time on your knees as God can build a confidence and peace of mind in us as we persevere in prayer and place our requests before His throne (Philippians 4:6-7). I urge you to also give thought about the blessings and positive things you have and even list them.

    God is aware of the suffering of His people. But He allows us to suffer even for a while at times, that we might learn and be prepared for His kingdom. “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).

  • United Church of God

    We are sorry for the loss of your mother! I have taken this to God in prayer and have asked Him to send you healing, strength, and encouragement. You may find the article, “Depression: Ways to Win the Battle” helpful (http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/depression-ways-to-win-the-battle).

    You asked if you would see your mother again, according to Jesus Christ, yes (John 5:28-29)! The study aid “What Happens After Death?” might be helpful to you (http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets).

    Sometimes God allows trials to come to His people in order to develop confidence in God first to reveal things to us (Matthew 11:28-29), and to prepare for His Kingdom (1 Peter 5:10).
    Continue...

  • United Church of God

    This "Bible Question and Answer" post has been updated to help address some of the comments and questions raised over the past number of years.