After last Friday's ruling by the US Supreme Court making gay Marriage the law of the land there have been many calls for action from evangelical Christians. Many have expressed surprise disappointment and fear. Personally I was unmoved by the decision as it was exactly what I expected from this court. I have predicted that the court was poised to make this decision and have clearly stated that gay marriage stands in opposition to Christian teaching and will destroy our culture. It is now obvious that we live in a Post-Christian nation. Not only was marriage re-defined by the court so was religious liberty. Some conservative politicians are proposing legislation and constitutional amendments to either reverse the affects of the ruling or expressing there angst about it. Church leaders are warning of inevitable persecution. There is little hope for reversal of this decision through politics or civil disobedience. This post on Samson's Jawbone will reflect on how we are to live in a culture that has now rejected its Judeo-Christian heritage and is hostile to our way of living.
Remembering how God has worked in the past we can expect one of two things to happen: either God will raise up a prophet or prophets for our time and we will experience a great revival, or our nation and our people will cease to be a people uniquely blessed by God or be judged by him. Although there are actually some indications that the former may happen, more than likely it will be the latter. Very soon the God-fearing people in this country are going to be treated as pariah. Our traditions, institutions and jobs will be threatened. Many gay advocates are all ready calling for penalties for churches that refuse to open their facilities and programs to gay couples. To those who are saying pastors will never be put in position where they are penalized for not performing gay marriages it is time to wake up. That day will come sooner than we think. For me the question is not how to fight gay marriage as much as it is how to continue to live by faith and be a city on hill in a pervasively dark culture. How can I engage the hostile culture with the message of redemption without compromise?
God's people have been in this position before. For most of history those who have held to a biblical view of life and godliness have been persecuted. We will be called to make different responses toward society and government. While Elijah openly opposed Ahab, Obadiah worked within his political system to preserve and protect Israel's divine heritage:
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) (1 Kings 18:2-4 ESV)While some of us will be called to activism and like Elijah to confront the political system, most of us will be like Obadiah attempting to protect and preserve our way of life in a system hostile to it. What ever role God calls us to our objective is not to win or persuade but to be city on a hill (Matthew 5:13-16) to be a light to an ever darkening world. We are called to love our enemies to be ready to make a defense for the things of God and to expect persecution. Since the decision I have not been as concerned with the theology of marriage or the political consequence of the decision. I am asking myself, "Gay marriage - what now?"
In the Old Testament God spoke to the faithful about how to live in a culture that had moved so far away from God that they had fallen under judgment. For me those verses give us guidance for living in a decadent culture:
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to Love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8 ESV)
The prophet asks how he is to live a life that is pleasing God in a decadent society? His first thought is that he would focus on his personal and community worship life and let the world go it's way. He speaks of bowing himself before God. Are we to be more pious, more focused on worship and community? "Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?" It is a reference to the liturgies and rituals of sacrifice that were important to atonement. "Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?" Does God want us to be concerned with rituals of cleansing and empowering? Is our focus to be on developing a healthy walk with him. As our society becomes more decadent should we simply withdraw into our own little religious communities and pray, and worship and wait for God to act? The prophet soon realizes that God takes no pleasure in religiosity, rather we are call to engage our culture and to walk before them in godliness and truth.
There are three ways we engage homosexuals and others who treat us as pariah. We are to "do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God?" Our engagement with those around us is of greater concern to God then our liturgies and worship. God principally communicates his love and grace in our daily interaction with people. We are not going to reverse the depravity of our culture politically, only the Holy Spirit can redeem that which is lost.
There are three ways we engage homosexuals and others who treat us as pariah. We are to "do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God?" Our engagement with those around us is of greater concern to God then our liturgies and worship. God principally communicates his love and grace in our daily interaction with people. We are not going to reverse the depravity of our culture politically, only the Holy Spirit can redeem that which is lost.
In a culture where they were persecuted and hated God says their first concern is to "do justice" to those around them. Rest assured the world is not going to treat believers justly. The recent Supreme Court decision showed a complete disregard for religious expression, and virtually vacated the power of all 50 states. Everywhere I turn on the Internet I am seeing articles by Christian leaders espousing that somehow homosexuality (and by implication homosexuals) is a different kind of sin (and by implication those who practice it have somehow fallen deeper or farther). That it is somehow different or worse than others. It is precisely that attitude that cause homosexuals to feel judged by the church. Although some actions have greater social consequence then other. There is no difference in people's culpability for sin:
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23 ESV)
"For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin:" (Romans 14:23 ESV)
"For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it:" (James 2:10 ESV)
"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin;"(James 4:17 ESV)
"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4 ESV)
A lesbian's sin, is no worse than a gossips. They both sin because they are sinners not because one has fallen further than the other. We sometimes treat homosexuals unjustly because we have an attitude of spiritual superiority to them. For example if a Christian owner of Limousine service, refuses to provide a Limo for a gay wedding, following a week where he had provided a Limo for a couple who had cohabited, been sexually active before marriage, were unequally yoked, or were remarrying following an unbiblical divorce, why is the former a greater compromise of his principles than any of the latter? While I believe any business owner has the right to run their business according to their Christian values, if we are going to stand for the sanctity of marriage, then we need to be consistent in our delineations.
While I believe any business owner has the right to run their business according to their Christian values, if we are going to stand for the sanctity of marriage, then we need to be consistent in our delineations.
While I believe any business owner has the right to run their business according to their Christian values, if we are going to stand for the sanctity of marriage, then we need to be consistent in our delineations.
Homosexuals and heterosexuals are human beings who bear a corrupted image of God and who sin because of it. One is no more condemned than the other, and both stand within the scope of God's grace. So in all of our dealings with homosexuals we need to be consistent and uncompromising in how we live out our values, while showing the forbearance that comes from God's grace. When deciding on how to respond to a homosexuals request for service, we ask God for wisdom for how to set moral boundaries,(James 1:5) while still showing God's love. Although we may chose to refrain from participation in a homosexual marriage, we are to treat the couple with the same dignity respect and standards we would for anyone else, and be an advocate for their equal rights to life, liberty, and property. Christians should defend gays against hateful retaliatory acts. We are to be just in all our human relationships, because it is the loving thing to do.
When the Supreme Court decided gay marriage was a human right they redefined traditional marriage and rejected biblical love.. When I here professing Christians argue that any two people who love each other should be allowed to marry it convinces me that we who are leaders in the church have failed to describe biblical love. The love of God is one of the most difficult concepts to understand. How can a loving God allow a group of Egyptian Coptic Christians who are looking for work in Libya to suffer beheading? How can the loving God of the Old Testament order the destruction of Canaanite men women and children? How can the loving God of the New Testament kill a husband and wife for refusing to surrender their property to the church? How can a loving God send supposedly good, moral patriotic, Republican Americans to hell? I was confronted recently with the difficult doctrine of God's love when I was called to counsel parents of new born twins. One of the twins had a fatal condition in utero that would be fatal to both babies if carried to term. The parents had aborted one baby to save the other. In addition to the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 (which is a description of how humans are to love one another) the most famous descriptions of how God love's us are:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life; (John 3:16 ESV)
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us: (Romans 5:7-8 ESV)
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins: (1 John 4:8-10 ESV)
Each of these verse describes how God's acts on our behalf to save us, they are not a description of the totality of God's character, nor is love the motive for all God does.The Bible says God loved Jacob but hated Esau (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13). So while God has acted in love to save us, not all of his actions toward us are loving. So the idea that because God is love, and sent his Son any act done in the name of love meets with God's approval, misconstrues love and disrespects God. The fact that two men or two women love each other does not bring God's blessing to their union.
But those of us who have experienced God's loved are in the words of the prophet "to love kindly." This a form of the Hebrew word "hesed," usually translated in reference to God as "loving kindness." This is what most people refer to as "God's love." Hesed usually describes an action of God rather than his nature or character. The prophet call us to act with hesed towards people in society. When the gay couple moves in next door. We welcome them the same way we would any new neighbor. We welcome with grace and kindness those who visit our churches. If they need help around the house we help them. We show an interest in their lives. Send gifts and cards to them on special occasion. We show compassion and care for those with AIDS. Our arguments and politics is not going to change the lives of these people only seeing Christ's life lived in us will bring about change. Our main concerns should be on how we live.
The last admonishment of the prophet to the people is "to walk humbly with your God." I appreciate the description of a godly life as a "walk." A walk is something we do, though we live by faith, that faith is transactional. We participate in it:
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)
The apostle Paul describe the Christian life as "the working out of what God works in us." In a culture where we are persecuted our power will not likely come from our corporate assembly. Our power to endure will come from obeying God, trusting him with each decision and to seek to please him rather than being politically correct or popular. It also requires transparency and a willingness to confess sin.
As much as many of us love America, we may be forced to decide whether to follow God or men.
follow God then follow the words of the prophet and the example of Christ. Now that gay marriage has come we are to live in the face of persecution the way the first century church did:
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:19-23 ESV)
