Thursday, September 3, 2015

4 Things Christians Should Remember When Thinking About the Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about gay marriage. This follows this post about school shootings. This follows this post about Alaska. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
Please follow me here for continued posts.

4 Things Christians Should Remember When Thinking About the Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision

Login or Create an Account

With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later!
Sign In | Sign Up
×
After the Supreme Court stuck down the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, it felt inevitable that marriage between homosexuals would become the law of the land. Since then, various states had enacted laws recognizing same-sex marriage themselves, while others had enacted bans on it. This ruling by the Supreme Court strikes down those bans and guarantees the rights of gay and lesbian couples to be married, and for those marriages to be recognized by every state in the Union.
“The court stood on the right side of history,” said the Anti-Defamation League. That feeling echoed all over Twitter alongside hashtags of #lovewins and #loveislove. Like I said, this decision felt inevitable given how things have been going the last several years.
So what’s a Christian to think of it all? Here are four things to keep in mind if you feel yourself beginning to be confused or upset about it:

1. We know how the story ends

As Christians we know how the story ends—God comes to dwell with mankind on a new earth for eternity (Revelation 21:1-4 Revelation 21:1-4 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
American King James Version×
). At that point, which do you think will be the right or wrong side of history on this issue?

2. God’s opinion of homosexuality has not changed

God’s opinion of homosexuality has not changed—it’s never been okay. Some people feel homosexual feelings now, just as some people have through all of human history. God asks us as His children to choose the right way to live, no matter what hand time and chance deal us in life—whether that be urges to murder others, burn things down, cut ourselves, rape somebody, pursue homosexual relationships, steal someone else’s property, or whatever. That said, it is not our job as Christians to condemn the world or the people in it who don’t choose to come under God’s direction and influence (1 Corinthians 5:9-13 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 9 I wrote to you in an letter not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortionists, or with idolaters; for then must you needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortionist; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not you judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
American King James Version×
).

3. Marriage is not an old human institution

Marriage is not an old human institution, as Justice Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion for the Supreme Court:
“It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. ” —Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Marriage is God’s institution. He invented it. So sure, America will now recognize same-sex marriages in every state, but the truth is it’s only in the sight of God that a marriage exists in the first place. You can call a sailor’s hat a cowboy hat, but that doesn’t change what it actually is.

4. Love really does win

#lovewins might be a fun way for America to pat itself on the back for being a progressive society, but I don’t think the people using it know what love winning would actually look like. Because you know what? Love does win. God is love, and He conquers every enemy—including every type of sin (1 John 4:8 1 John 4:8He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
American King James Version×
; Revelation 21:27 Revelation 21:27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
American King James Version×
; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 9 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
American King James Version×
).
When we read about the pride of our country in embracing the morally wrong, we can shed a tear for people turning their backs on God’s way. But we should never despair. God is in charge and has something larger in play than we can really comprehend right now , even as we know the outline given us in Scripture. We must live righteous lives, trust Him to let Him work His purpose and cry out for Jesus Christ to return.

No comments: