Hello friends,
As I sit to write this post on Saturday morning, I am still asking the Lord to give me His words for it. Over the past few hours I have spent significant time in prayer and pondering on the events of Friday when the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down a ruling on, so-called, marriage equality.
I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone who is a regular reader here at LeahAdams.org that the ruling was a huge disappointment to me. I assumed the ruling would be in favor of homosexual unions, but had held out hope that the court would not try to re-define marriage. I was not surprised at the ruling, and neither was God. Eons ago He knew this was coming. He is not wringing His hands over it, nor should the body of Christ be wringing theirs. He will use it to bring about His plan and purposes for our generation.
With that said, I do want to take a moment to tell you my thoughts on the topic of homosexual unions and what this ruling is seeking to do. I had an opportunity on Friday evening to have a bit of a ‘discussion’ on Facebook with one of my nephews about the topic. He is a supporter of the ruling, and felt that this was long overdue. His words were that the government should not be able to tell people how to live their lives.
My husband replied to him with the following: So where is the governmental line drawn? They tell you to pay taxes, they tell you that you must have insurance or be fined, they tell you what speed you can drive, they tell you that you must attend school until age 16, they tell you what ages you have to be to vote, drink, drive etc. , and on and on. So the government does, in fact, tell you how to live your life.
My nephew replied that a lot of what Greg referenced is done for the ‘benefit’ of society, and referenced the sharing of benefits between a married couple. At this point, I tossed in my two cents worth. Today, I am tossing that same two cents, plus a few pennies more, out for you here.
This [ruling] is about so much more than benefits. But with that said, I’m not sure how gay unions benefit society, except that it allows people the LEGAL right to do something that is unnatural and against the natural order that God established. This issue is about changing something that has been the bedrock of society since time began. Marriage has been defined as the union of a man and a woman from the beginning of time, so what was legalized today is not MARRIAGE.
There are lots of reasons for marriage being between a man and a woman, not the least of which is creating children. That cannot be done by two women or two men. Another reason is also purely physical. Men and women were created to be sexually complimentary. One completes the other. One is perfectly fitted to the other. Homosexual sex, just like sex outside of marriage for heterosexuals, holds a high probability of causing health problems, as well as emotional problems.
God is very, very clear about the fact that homosexuality is outside His will and plan. It was when it occurred thousands of years ago, and it still it. (See Genesis 19:1-7, Romans 1:18-32, specifically 26-27.) Just because the SCOTUS says something is legal, doesn’t make it right in the eyes of God. God has not changed His mind on this issue, or any other issue where sin in involved. So, the issue for me is whether I believe what God says in the Bible, or not. Personally, I am siding with God on this one.
I want to make certain that I am not misunderstood here. Because I disagree with what seems to be a very popular ruling does not mean that I hate homosexuals. I do not. I do not hate anyone. I know what hate feels like because I was in a stronghold of hate toward another person for many years earlier in my life. I do not have hatred toward anyone. I am no better than anyone else, and I am not judging anyone. I am simply taking Scripture and applying it to today’s world. God is doing the judging, not me.
I believe that Christ-followers have a huge opportunity for sharing the love of Jesus in these days. These days do not call for name-calling and rancor. That is not becoming of a Christian, and we must not be found acting that way. These days call for following the example of Jesus; for responding in love and truth. We must stand firmly on our biblical convictions of right and wrong, yet do so in LOVE. Jesus never shamed anyone, other than the Pharisees.
I have friends who are homosexuals, and friends who are heterosexuals who support gay unions. I care deeply about them all, and want to continue those friendships. They know how I feel about homosexuality, and we can agree to disagree on the topic. Yet, I can still be their friend; I can still care deeply about them; I can still pray that they will understand that the lifestyle they have chosen is not one God can bless. This would be the same for anyone who is choosing a lifestyle of sin, be it sex outside of marriage, lying, stealing, gluttony, and many other things God calls sin.
I do not claim to be a prophet, but one thing I fear. This ruling could well be the beginning of the first wave of persecution against the American church of Jesus Christ. First it was bakers, then wedding venue operators and photographers. It is only a matter of time until it is pastors who are persecuted and jailed because they will not perform homosexual union ceremonies.
The rubber has hit the road, friends. It is time to decide whether you will take God’s side or the world’s side. No longer can we, in the church, sit on the fence.
If you would like a bit of insight into how the justices who did NOT support the ruling felt, please click HERE to read an article that gives the top 10 quotes from those justices. Very insightful.
