It is always kind of interesting how the news cycle aligns with the panic cycle in Christian circles. Since the American portion of the body of Christ is largely disconnected from the burdens and leading’s of the Holy Spirit, we need to be informed by the “morally upright and holy” Fox News Corporation about the degradation of this nation’s civil society. Therefore, every once and a while a story causing us to run to the Lord is put forth. These stories usually deal with some new tipping point that will send the U.S. over the edge, into the abyss of divine judgement. I am not suggesting that this nation is OK with Almighty God, as it certainly is not. Nor am I suggesting the open sinful rebellion of this nation’s government and citizenry are trite; they are not. What I am suggesting is that we tend to panic with the news cycle, and then forget, getting back to our lives.
Take the whole uproar over gay marriage. Back in June it was all the rage. Politicians were speaking out about it, Christians were afraid and having vigils, and the news cycle was in full speed ahead mode. Yet, after a two-week push followed by diminishing stories lines over the next week, we were back to normal. Take the videos of Planned Parenthood harvesting and selling the body parts of murder children. Oh the politicians railed, we were aghast with horror and it looked like conservatives in government would now fight for the unborn. Yet alas it faded, till even those who railed against it signed a bill that would fully fund the satanic organization fully. Americans have been trained just like Pavlov’s dogs, to sit, stand, panic and relax. Maybe we should consider turning off the T.V. and internet, for it seems they are the bell signaling dinner.
Interestingly, last week in Alabama, we experienced a case where some had clearly not forgotten. Roy Moore, who is the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, handed down a document, which detailed all judges, in their state, should refuse the Supreme Court ruling legalizing sodomite and lesbian marriages. This document, is an appropriate interpretation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. We ought to all be thankful for their integrity to go against the grain of error and walk in the dictates of the Constitution. As a believer I applaud their efforts.
Although I applaud their efforts and would have done the same thing had I been in their shoes, there is a train coming that is about to run them all over. The majority of the Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate and Congress, the president and the majority of the population care nothing for the Constitution let alone God’s Word or His holy commandments. This nation is one that now mirrors the fall of the gentile nation sin Romans 1:18-31. I suggest you read it in its entirety, but to define how great a fall is America’s consider the last few verses.
Romans 1:28-32 (NKJV) And even as they did not like to retain God in theirknowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
One need only to look at the list of manifest transgression in Romans 8:31 to see the problematic nature of our society and its impending judgement. We are nation of dishonesty, death culture and sexual perversion. The issue of homosexual marriage is so important for it shows the normalization of the most egregious defilement of the image of God men are made in. For one to turn away from their God given part in humanity as a male or female is to declare that God’s design for life and sexuality is questionable at best. This is the train that is about to run people of faith over in this land, make no mistake about it. The largest bulk of the populace has accepted homosexuality as a viable option and are promoting it unchecked.
Interestingly, many who would look to promote the normalization of sodomite and lesbian “marriages” declare the Jesus never spoke against gay marriage. When in debate many Christian’s will unnecessarily capitulate on that point, but they are in error. Jesus did define marriage.
Mark 10:6-9 (NKJV) But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Clearly Jesus defines marriage as being between a man and a woman and clearly it is an arrangement that has supernatural implications, “and the two shall become one flesh”. This quotation speaks of the supernatural and physical counterparts (male and female), which brings the ability to procreate. Although Jesus word’s deal with hardness of the human heart leading to divorce, what is spoken of deals with God’s definition of marriage from Genesis 2:24. Another instructive passage spoken by the Lord Jesus from Matthew 24…
Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV) But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
We often gloss over these words not understanding the depth of what Jesus was prophesying. Let’s for a moment remember what the days leading up to the flood were like and what actually brought on the flood. Genesis 6:5 declares that as God looked upon humanity He was grieved in His heart because every intent of the thought of men’s hearts were only continually evil. How widespread was this degradation? Only Noah, his wife, his sons and his son’s wives were saved. The evil probably looked a lot like Romans 8:18-32. The scriptures declare that is was sexual perversion that brought this condition of heart and it started with angels who chose to leave God’s created purpose for them and take woman for their wives, this led to perversion a plenty (Genesis 6:1-4; Jude 5-9). Jude tells us this is similar to what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah with homosexuality.
As we view this context Jesus words in Matthew 24:37-39 “For as It was in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking (gluttonizing) and marrying giving in marriage (same sex marriages? Why not)”, make a bit more sense. It would make no sense that Jesus would mention eating and drinking and marrying, which are perfectly God ordained activities, unless they were lustily being perverted. The times before the flood were filled with violence, selfishness, sexual immorality and most likely the open practice of homosexuality (maybe even married homosexuality).
The scriptures are replete with condemnation for sodomy and lesbianism, it can be reasonably assumed the attempted “marriage” of those practicing these sins of sexual immorality would fall into condemnation as well. It should be clear that in any age God does not condone but condemn these acts if un-repented of. Yet in spite of this truth, the train is bearing down on those who follow Jesus in this nation. So what do we do? How are we to respond? In the first place we must understand what this is primarily about.
In this nation, the gay marriage crowd is looking for legitimacy through status. They want to live free of civic and religious conscience concerning their sin. If enough people believe they were “born that way” or that “you can’t choose who you fall in love with”, then they have the freedom to live and lust without public shame or legal sanction. In this nation sodomites and lesbians, thanks to the entertainment industry and a public that lives “if it doesn’t affect me, live and let live”, already have that kind of status. Yet for the sinful human heart we have been born with, that will never be enough. Therefore, they need to seek more legitimacy, and that means they need to have the same rights as every other citizen. Homosexuals already had equal civil rights, except for the right to marry. One might say that they already had civil unions, so what the deal?
Civil unions do not afford the monetary benefits and tax breaks (federally) that are afforded to male and female married couples. Essentially, the next bastion of legitimizing their particular perversion, is gaining economic sanctuary through tax breaks. Some would tend to conjecture that homosexuals enjoyed these kinds of benefits where businesses capitulated to pressure, and began to extend benefits to same sex couples for the last decade. The height of this egregious error was when the Salvation Army began to extend benefits and perks to same sex couples employed by the ministry (if you can still call it that). How sad that the Salvation Army, which used to proclaim Salvation by faith in Christ, unto a holy life, now proclaims and blesses licentiousness in its employee’s. Although these benefits were afforded it was not enough.
Even now that legitimacy has been gained in the nation, by the Supreme Court ruling, and even though it will lead to the economic shelter of tax breaks, enough will never be enough. Although at this hour churches will be left to invoke religious conscience to refuse marrying gays, how long will that last? Don’t be fooled friend the time has already come where the churches conscientious objection status concerning this issues has begun to erode. We can complain, but truth told, we are part of the problem, as we Christians seldom learn from history, therefore we are doomed to repeat it. In my next installment we will explore this further “Where Do We Go from Here”
*This writing is not to vilify human government (as it is God ordained for specific purposes) nor is to vilify those who choose to practice sexual immorality in the way of homosexuality. We followers of Christ ought to spend less time worrying about how gay-marriage is going to affect our bottom line and freedom and invest that reclaimed time in reaching the lost—including those who choose sexual immorality. I still believe that God will forgive any sinner who believes on Christ’s finished work, repents of their sin and receives His grace to live for Him. God is not willing that any would perish but that all would come to repentance.
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