Something significant has happened. The
ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States last Friday has forever
changed the way in which our government views marriage. In a 5-4 split the top court of our land has
ignored thousands of years of historical precedent, the will of the people AND
the Biblical teaching regarding marriage as it voted to require all fifty
states to sanction same-sex Marriage.
This change has only made “official” what has been a long, steady, yet seismic
shift in our culture over the understanding of marriage. No doubt this change has been unsettling to
most of us and a cause of more than a little concern. I have been profoundly disappointed in our
government with this decision and since I am sure I am not the only one who
feels this way, I felt the need to form a response.
As
a man who takes Romans 13 seriously, I believe in respecting and submitting to
those in authority insofar as I am not called upon to violate the Laws of
God. Sadly, this is becoming an
increasing conflict within me. Let me
assure you of this. At Washington Street
we still believe in God’s ideal for marriage expressed numerous times in
Scripture- one man and one woman for life (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Eph.
5:31). The fact that the SCOTUS thinks
one way about “marriage” does not change the Christian’s thinking of
marriage. It is a holy union, a covenant
between one man, one woman and their God.
We cannot redefine what God has determined. Further we understand that the practice of
homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.
That
being said, let me also say this. Our
posture towards all people and the homosexual community in particular remains
one of loving compassion with arms outstretched , eager to share with them the
good news of God’s redeeming love.
Indeed I believe that “love wins” and only the love of God can overcome
any of the sins of which we are all guilty.
The love of God is too strong to leave us in the sinful state He finds each
of us in, but calls all of us to repent of our sin, to come to Him and because
of His love, He will make us new. To my
friends who struggle with the temptation of same-sex attraction, I want to
re-affirm God’s love for you, but I also want to remind you of the way our
enemy, the devil, deceives and holds us
captive to sin. He wants nothing more
than the destruction of our souls.
For
Christians who are disheartened by the decision of the court, I am reminded of
the book of 1 Peter. Peter writes at a
time in which it was not easy to be a Christian. Yet Peter calls on his hearers to live in
hope, gentleness, and love among the nations.
We know that the imperial Roman culture was saturated with absolutely
non-Christian values, practices and traditions (homosexuality just one of
them.) These shaped every aspect of
their culture- education, entertainment and even their civic government. Christ-followers could not escape the
realities of living as “foreigners” and “aliens” in this kind of culture. Yet, Peter called on believers to be a people
saturated with goodness and hope.
12
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing
wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12
NIV
