Currently the Supreme Court is debating a case which has
been called “the Roe vs. Wade of
marriage” and which concerns Ohio’s ban on gay marriage. If Ohio’s ban is
lifted, this may lead to federal legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states.
Fine. Do it.
If our society is at this point, making it legal or illegal
won’t make a difference in the level of immorality. The root of the problem is
in society, not in the laws. As Christians, we really need to wake up and
realize that we can’t legislate godly lifestyles. So if that’s what our society
wants, then that’s their vote; legalize it.
Would I support that decision, as a Christian? No, for a
variety of reasons. The homosexual lifestyle is incredibly damaging to health.
Children raised by gay or lesbian couples miss out on having a mom or a dad.
Worst of all, rebelling against God’s design invites God’s judgment. Romans 1
talks about this:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all
the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their
wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has
made it plain to them…For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as
God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish
hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man
and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful
desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies
with one another…Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural
ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and
were inflamed with lust for one another… Furthermore, since they did not think
it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved
mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind
of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, and malice.”
Seems harsh? Well, yes. Truth isn’t always easy to swallow.
What this passage (which I recommend you read in full) is describing is what it
looks like when humans reject God; God says, “Okay!” and they get what they
think they want, which is life devoid of God, his design, and his goodness.
Sometimes the worst consequence God can give us is letting us go our own sinful
way.
Does this mean it’s time to get our signs and join Westboro
in hateful demonstrations? Good heavens, NO! God doesn’t like giving out
judgment, but his just nature demands that punishment be dealt out for sins. He
is sad when people choose selfishness instead of him, but because he loves us
and respects our free will, he’s not going to force his goodness on people who
don’t want it.
So how can we, as Christ’s ambassadors, respond to
homosexuality?
We’ve got a few options:
- Join Westboro picketers (see above)
- Completely avoid the topic, and rightfully earn the label
“homophobe”
- Embrace homosexuality in the church
- Address the issue with grace and truth
Avoiding the issue is immature and cowardly, while embracing
homosexuality as acceptable disregards the truth and, when you consider the
consequences, not very loving. But finding the balance of grace and truth can
be difficult for many.
A story may help here.
---
At dawn Jesus appeared again in front of the church, where
all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The seminary
professors and fundamentalists brought in a woman caught in homosexual
behavior. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this
woman was caught in the act of sodomy. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone
such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in
order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the concrete
with some chalk. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said
to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a
stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the
older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing
there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one
condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and
leave your life of sin.”
---
Well, what do you think?
“Hey, she just took that one passage of debatable
reliability out of John and changed a few words to make it more modern.”
Or perhaps you’re thinking I’m a heretic for making the
issue Jesus dealt with homosexuality instead of adultery. I shall counter that
with the fact that both call for the death penalty in the Mosaic Law, and both
are sexual sins. The point is that while Jesus let her go, he told her at the
end to leave her life of sin. He
didn’t tell her that what she did was okay, he just made it clear that she
wouldn’t be condemned for it. Jesus showed the adulteress mercy and called her
to make different choices. He gave her a chance for repentance and redemption.
We don’t need to condemn sinners, fortunately, or we’d be
too busy pointing fingers at each other; condemnation is God’s job. However, as
Christians, we are to be the salt of the earth, and part of that duty is to
exhort sinners to repent. We certainly should vote no on legalizing gay
marriage, if that is our conviction, but we must recognize that if the votes
are cast and the majority says yes, there’s a bigger problem that runs deeper
than our state legislatures. Let us therefore go out and make disciples, and be
a city on a hill shining with the hope that comes from the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment