I had a light bulb moment on Thursday of last week. You know, those moments when something hits with startling clarity, and you think, ‘why have I not ‘gotten’ that before now?’
Before I go further, I want to offer a disclaimer:
This post is NOT about homosexual ‘marriage’, although that is one of the examples I will use. This post is about so much more than that issue.
Okay, with that flung out there, I want to set the stage for you.
In the Old Testament, God was painfully clear with the nation of Israel what His standards were for their lives. Purity, holiness, obedience to His commands, and hearts that were completely sold out to Him. Those same standards apply to you and me today in 2015. The books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy are replete with those commands. He totally gave the Israelites (and by extension, you and me) free will to obey or disobey, but He was very clear about the consequences of those choices:
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 (NIV)
So, let me break this down:
Obey God’s laws and commands ——> blessings
Disobey God’s laws and commands ——> curses
The choice was theirs, but it all boiled down to whether they believed God and were willing to choose God’s standards as their own.
Now, here is the video that gave me my light bulb moment.
Dr. Anderson clearly presented the reason why marriage is not possible for homosexuals: marriage is between a man and woman, two physically/sexually compatible adults, a mom and a dad. That is God’s standard, and it has been for several millennia.
As I watched Dr. Anderson’s conversation with this man, it occurred to me that sin and rebellion of ANY KIND is nothing more than making a conscious choice against God’s standard. It is really that simple. It is not about rights or legality or warm, fuzzy feelings, or entitlement or anything else. Choosing sin says that I choose against God and His standard. It says that I know better than God what is best.
Let me give you some examples:
- God commands us not to lie. When we lie, we choose against God’s standard.
- God commands us not to commit adultery. When we commit adultery, we choose against God’s standard.
- God says he hates pride. When we live in pride, we rebel against God’s standard.
- God says not to be a glutton. When we gorge ourselves on food or drink or anything else, we rebel against God’s standard.
- God says he hates divorce. When we break our marriage covenants, we choose against God’s standard.
- God commands us not to steal. When we take that notepad or stapler from our workplace, we are choosing to rebel against God’s standard.
- God commands us to not murder. When we choose to take the life of an adult, or a baby via abortion, we choose against God’s standard.
- Either we choose God’s standard, and are blessed, or we choose to rebel against God’s standard and reap the consequences of our sin.
Ultimately, all sin has its roots in pride. I think I have a better plan than the one God established millennia ago, so I choose my plan rather than His standard. Then, I seek to justify my plan and make it sound right and good and legal. I think I am all-cool and inclusive because I have turned what is black-and-white in God’s economy into fifty shades of gray in man’s economy. But, really, what I have done is make a choice that tells God I reject His standard.
So, friends, we have black-and-white choices to make every day. God’s standard or man’s. Blessings or curses. Life or death. Choose well. Choose God.
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Linking up today at Grace & Truth. #GraceTruth
