After the Ruling, part 1

This is a series of articles about what to do in the wake of the wicked decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to force states to recognize same-sex unions as if they were marriages.  It’s time to stop compromising and get back to doing what is right.  It’s time to stop getting hung up on things that don’t matter and to prepare for what is likely to be a great persecution.

Introduction

OK so the sodomites and their black-robed cohorts have declared that government recognition of their perversion is “the law of the land”.  What do we do now?

We need to recognize that these sodomites are in need of a Savior.  Even though what they are doing is extremely wicked, we need to remember that Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”  Paul said, “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief… Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:13-16)

We need to recognize that no matter how high the court, no matter what legislative body or executive declares about marriage, the definition of marriage is not changed in God’s eyes and that’s all that counts.  Homosexuality is a perversion and that will remain true even if there comes a time when there is not one person on the face of the earth who agrees.  God trumps everybody.  And that is true on every issue, not just the gay issue. 

We need to recognize what the definition of marriage is.  I am not only talking about the “one man, one woman” part, but I mean what does a marriage covenant really consist of? Here is the definition:

Marriage is a covenant which satisfies the following properties:

1.      It is between a man and a woman and God.  (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:18,24, Matthew 19:5-6, Mark 10:6-9, Ephesians 5:31, Leviticus 18:22-23, and etc.)

2.      They must not be close relatives.  (Leviticus 18:6-18, I Corinthians 5:1, Acts 15:20, 29, 21:25)

3.      They must enter into the covenant willingly and without coercion.  (Otherwise, it would be rape which is vilest form of sexual immorality.  Deuteronomy 22:25-26, Judges 19:22-21:25, 2 Samuel 13:12.  Also all through I Corinthians 7 it is assumed that marriage is a choice for both men and women.)

4.      They must agree to love and care for each other. (Ephesians 5:25-33, Colossians 3:18-19)

5.      They must agree to be faithful to one another in regards to their sexual relationship.  (Leviticus 18:20, Galatians 5:19, Romans 7:2-3, I Corinthians 7:5, 39)

6.      They must agree to jointly take responsibility for teaching, discipline, and physical needs of any children they may have.  (Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20-21)

7.      It must be a lifelong commitment.  (Matthew 5:32, Romans 7:2-3, I Corinthians 7:10, 39)

In some cases, a relationship may qualify as a marriage in God’s eyes, but the decision to enter into the marriage covenant is unwise, sinful or even damning.  Two examples of this are when a Christian marries a non-Christian and remarriage after divorce. 

We need to recognize that SCOTUS has not ruined marriage.  The institution of marriage in America was ruined a long time ago.  It was not the government that did it; it was the church.  In 99% of the churches, people can get divorced and remarried for almost any reason.  They can change partners almost as often as they like.  Most churches may as well not even have marriage ceremonies, for the words spoken in them mean as little to them as the words Jesus spoke about this subject (Matthew 5:30-31, 19:9, Mark 10:12, Luke 16:18).  In those churches, people may as well just live together.  Marriage covenants have no teeth.  There is no accountability.  Let judgment start in the house of the Lord.  Until people start trusting in Jesus instead of the worldly view of marriage, things will never turn around.  Remarriage after divorce is adultery and those who do it without turning away from it afterward are in the same boat as the unrepentant homosexual:

Know ye 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, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

I Corinthians 6:9-10 (KJV)

Once one form of sexuality becomes acceptable in the church culture, it is only a matter of time before all others will become acceptable.  The SCOTUS ruling should not at all be a surprise.  Because most Christians have rejected Jesus’ position on adultery, we do not a have a leg to stand on when arguing against homosexuality. 

Sodomy is ultimately unsatisfactory for the homosexual.  It ultimately doesn’t fulfill their desires.  They end up looking for something more.  Some turn to pedophilia.  They think that if what they do is sanctioned by the government and accepted by society, then they will satisfied.  But this is a chasing after the wind.  They will likely continue demand more and more rights and they will probably be even more vocal and vicious about it.  Obama said in his speech following the ruling, “We still have a long way to go.”  Expect that the worst is yet to come.

But we also need to remember that Christ died even for the homosexual.  Even though they are filthy sodomites, Christ’s love is so great that he can even deliver them from their wicked ways if they will simply repent and put their trust in Him.  The above passage continues…

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

I Corinthians 6:11 (KJV)

Note the use of the word “were”.  It is past tense. 

We need to realize that when God changes a wicked individual, he usually uses believers to accomplish this purpose.  We need to understand where homosexual desires come from (besides the pit of hell).  Those who identify themselves as homosexual are much more likely to have been sexually abused as a child than those who do not.  Not having a strong male role model as a child is also a contributing factor in someone becoming a homosexual.  Some evangelical Christians argue that there is no “gay gene”.  Certainly none has been found or else this would be front page news.  But even if there is some genetic predisposition to homosexuality, that doesn’t mean that a person with those particular genetic markers has to become a homosexual.  It’s just like some who doesn’t drink alcohol, and never has drank it will not become an alcoholic even if they have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.  It is clear that, homosexual desires come about as a result of childhood experiences and that genetics is at most a small contributing factor.

We need to realize that God can use even something as wicked as this Supreme Court ruling for good.  It may serve as a wake up call, sparking a discussion on issues like remarriage after divorce and hopefully lead to a lot of repentance.  Some people who voted for Obama may repent and realize how selfish they were.  Others who refuse to repent will be exposed as false converts.  It will be almost impossible for someone who is still supportive of Obama to be sincerely wanting follow Jesus and merely misinformed about political issues.  Some judges are refusing requests to officiate same-sex ceremonies and some county clerks are refusing to issue licenses to them.  Some states may allow these individuals to keep their positions in defiance of the SCOTUS ruling.  If we pray and repent of our wicked ways, God may use this as opportunity to free our land from the tyranny of the federal government and restore a proper balance between the branches and levels of government.

But not seeing much evidence of a mass repentance, we need to realize that things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better.  Right now we are forced to subsidize sodomy every time we pay taxes at any level of government.  But soon churches may be forced to hire homosexual employees and perform same-sex weddings.  

So what are we going to do about it?  A political solution is unlikely.  The majority of the population has warped view of the institution of marriage.  I will discuss first what you should do as an individual, then what the churches should do, and finally (though it is unlikely to succeed any time in the near future) political solutions which do not involve changing the constitution, succession, an armed revolution or anything as drastic as that.

Click here to read the next part.

The Whole Armor of God, Part 12C

Today I continue my series of articles commenting on the concept and principles involved in the Armor of God, which the apostle Paul described in the New Testament. This is the topic of the Sunday school lesson I am currently teaching. This week I post part three of a three-part discussion on Ephesians 6:18.

The Armor of God – Pray. Watch. Persevere.

The word “Perseverance” means progressing under difficulty.

Does life seem hard for you? Consider what some of the great men of the Bible have said.

Eliphaz, “Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).

Job, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage (Genesis 47:9).

God told Adam, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:17b-19).

Jesus, who is God in flesh, did not escape difficulty. Isaiah prophesied, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:1-4).

We all encounter difficulty. What is important is to keep going even when all seems hopeless.

There is a God who rules over the universe. Mankind is the most important part of His creation, For He created Man in His own image. He gave His only begotten Son to die for all mankind and be the propitiation for their sins, yes, even yours! He loves each one of us individually.

With life so difficult we must rely on God to help us.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:23-25).

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children , hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalms 34:6-19).

King David of Israel wrote, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm 27:1)?

We must remember that it is not by our power and ability that things are accomplished but by God working in us, around us, and through us.