“Judge not…” Matthew 7:1
Apparently these two words are all some people need to know to become experts about the Bible, and the mind of God. For them it is enough information to dispense with a proven standard for marriage, and to invent a new right for something God never had in mind. It is not enough to tolerate their new creation. They expect everyone to celebrate it. Those who don’t are marginalized an ostracized as bigots.
My alma mater recently removed sodomy from their student manual. It is no longer considered inappropriate behavior for their students. Time will tell, but I expect the next step in this journey off God’s grid will be campus weddings for same-sex marriage. Toleration of sin is the first step towards the celebration of it. Those who don’t celebrate what they can’t tolerate will face the wrath of the tolerant.
People who attempt to quench their thirst at the well of self-gratification discover it leads to self-destruction. Hungering for the approval of others more than the approval of God leads to a famine of the soul. When it comes to the Word of God, ignoring the obvious and embracing the obscure leads to the ridiculous.
Justice Anthony Scalia wrote a powerfully prophetic and a scathing dissenting opinion to the recent Supreme Court decision. He accused the five lawyers of judicial arrogance, creating a right that never existed before in the mind of God or in the language of The Constitution. This will result in a floodgate of consequences. They have yet to hit the beach of this nation, but the wave is coming.
“It is one thing for a society to elect change; it is another for a court of law to impose change by adjudging those who oppose it hostes humani generis, enemies of the human race.” Justice Scalia
When Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land no one could possibly have imagined it would lead to the deaths of 60 million children. Creating rights that God never created is not creative, but judicial arrogance. Anyone who ignores the counsel of God and shreds The Constitution is blinded by the light of their own self-importance. It is always a dim bulb.
Comedians have wryly stated, “I have no problem with gay marriage. Gay people have every right to be as miserable as the rest of us.” Behind this humorous remark hides the proverbial sliver of truth that cuts to the quick and gets under the skin.
It is true. More marriages are made in heat than in Heaven. Therefore, it is hard to hold up the sanctity of marriage and the sacred bonds of matrimony while installing a revolving door at the marriage altar. Mountains of wedding cakes and miles of train from expensive bridal gowns have not produced indestructible marriages that model God’s standard.
“No fault” Divorce is another one of those flawed gems of bureaucratic language and governmental logic that lulled the church into thinking that ending a marriage without fixing the blame would fix the problem. It didn’t. Shame on us for taking the bait.
“But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery;…” Matthew 5:32
Critics of “same-sex” marriage have every right to refuse to recognize it as marriage. Jesus didn’t. He was very clear. Marriage is between a man and his wife. He didn’t create a new right. He died to give people a new life.
When the early church welcomed homosexuals into the church it was not based on a misguided toleration of their sin. Their presence was met with a celebration of their new life. There is a huge difference between toleration and sanctification. There is nothing to celebrate when the church changes the price tags of anything that cost Jesus Christ his life’s blood on The Cross.
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of Jesus.” 1 Cor. 6:11
On the other hand, heterosexual marriages that do not reflect God’s standard should not be tolerated or celebrated. The number of young people entering into marriage as chaste virgins is probably hard to document, but it is hardly an overwhelming statistic. The Bible has more to say about fornication and adultery than it does about homosexual behavior. This truth hurts, but it is meant to heal. It is time for the church to take its own medicine.
Church members have been negligent to abide by God’s standards, and pastors have been quick to break them. Hardly a day goes by without the news of another “evangelical” pastor who has been exposed as a heterosexual deviate. The gay community has grounds to say to the church.
“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye.” Matthew 7:5
The talking points of the secular media and the homosexual agenda are meant to shame conservative Christians into denying their Biblical root system in order to be accepted in this brave new world. The church is told they must move on and come down on the right side of history. This will bear bitter fruit if the church swallows this line of thinking.
History is HIS story. Removing something from a student manual doesn’t change God’s mind about it. What is in His Word still reveals His mind. HIS story has a happy ending for those who follow Him. It is a disaster for those who rebel against Him. Make sure you land on the right side of HIS story.
Creating something new out of nothing by court jesters doesn’t change the law of God. God will have the last word. He is The Judge. Not me. Not you. Not the media. Not the Supreme Court of the land. What is wrong, He will make right. If not here on earth, then certainly He will do it in the court of Heaven.
NOTE TO SELF: Don’t judge. Leave that to God. He is going to judge behavior that is out of line with His will. That includes yours. Don’t be intimidated by the pressure of the secular media, spineless politicians, and compromising pastors. You don’t’ have to move on. Moving in the wrong direction may be the path of least resistance, but it doesn’t avoid the judgment of God. Strengthen your marriage. Reflect God’s best in the worst of times. Challenge the church to stop ranting and to start repenting. This nation is where it is, not because it was led to this point by the gay agenda, but because it was abandoned by Christian apathy. Pray for mercy. You don’t deserve it, but you need it. So does your nation.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!