It has been clear for quite some time that the family and particularly the God-created and ordained institution of marriage is under assault. Now the President of the United States has publicly unveiled his position on the matter of same-sex marriage, I thought it would be helpful to you to pursue some research that will provide you with some cogent and biblical thinking on this matter. Too often, we Christians simply shrug our shoulders and allow the culture to go where it will without being the salt and light that God has called us to be in the nation in which He has placed us for His own glory and the good of the society we are a part of and are called to be a blessing to (regardless of whether the majority thinks we are such or not as we publicly espouse a Christian worldview). The issue of homosexuality, lesbianism, same-sex marriages are not “civil rights” but moral issues. The problem (at least a big part of the problem) is that our society has jettisoned (by and large) the moral compass (particularly as embodied in the 10 Commandments of the Bible). Therefore, the culture is adrift in a sea of moral relativism which is ultimately nothing more than every man doing that which is right in his own eyes. The folks at the Manhattan Declaration have provided the following web sites that you may find enlightening as each of us considers how we may best respond to those who embrace a hedonist and pagan value system where the issue of same-sex marriage is concerned much less the Bible’s unvarnished condemnation of sexual perversion and immorality in all its forms. Though we must “speak the truth in love,” we must also be as personally winsome as possible. Anger, ugliness, and venomous talk has no place in the rhetoric of the believer. Neither should we speak disrespectfully of those who take the opposing position from our own whether that be the President or a neighbor down the street. God has called His people to be a leavening influence in the world but never to do so in a hateful manner.
May the Lord bless you as, by His enablement, you boldly stand for the truth of Scripture while loving those who have eyes but cannot see and ears but cannot hear. Pray earnestly and remember that the real issue is not nor ever has been homosexuality or adultery or whatever other manifestation of a depraved heart you can think of. The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. The real goal is that each of us might love our neighbor enough to share the life-changing truth of the gospel with him/her so that they might have new life in Christ. A changed mind will occur when there is a transformed heart.
One final point if I might – please make sure you are carefully and persistently teaching your children what God’s Word has to say about these issues that are before us. Even our younger children are intersecting with schoolmates who have same-sex parents. Our covenant little ones must be taught what God’s standards are and why they are always best for us while also being taught to be kind to their friends who have no choice about who “mom and dad” are in their life.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:11)
What is Marriage?
by Sherif Girgis, Robert George, and Ryan T. Anderson
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1722155
Why I'm Optimistic About Natural Marriage
by Andrew Walker
http://www.mereorthodoxy.com/why-im-optimistic-about-natural-marriage/
Why Is Marriage Important? (video)
by John Piper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd3AmKexugM
Who Needs Marriage?
by Chuck Colson
http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/colson-files/17606-who-needs-marriage
Marriage in Society: The Generation Clash (pps. 47-57)
by Matthew Lee Anderson
http://issuu.com/thecity/docs/thecitywinter2009/47?mode=embed&layout=http://skin.issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true
What Would Bonhoeffer Do?
by Eric Metaxas
http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/call-response/15129-metaxas-what-would-bonhoeffer-do
Dennis Prager Debates Perez Hilton on Same-Sex Marriage (Warning: YouTube contains objectionable content)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTE9zWaQc_Y
Religion, Reason, and Same-Sex Marriage
by Matthew J. Franck
http://www.firstthings.com/article/2011/05/religion-reason-and-same-sex-marriage
A Marriage in Full
by Gary A. Anderson
http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/04/003-a-marriage-in-full-3
On Marriage and the Moral Limits of Human Sexuality
by Metropolitan Jonah
http://orthocath.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/metropolitan-jonah-on-marriage-and-the-moral-limits-of-human-sexuality/
Quotation:
Modern culture is a mighty force. It is either subservient to the gospel or else it is the deadliest enemy of the gospel.
For making it subservient, religious emotion is not enough, intellectual labor is also necessary. And that labor is being neglected. The Church has turned to easier tasks. And now she is reaping the fruits of her indolence. Now she must battle for her life.
... J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937), The Princeton
Theological Review, v. 11, 1911, p. 13
See the book at http://cqod.com/b/r3532
Pastor Gary
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