Gay Marriage: What is a Christian to Do?

As I have been putting a great deal of work into the launch of RWM’s new fitness campaign, I have been limited in how often and how extensively I post on different blogs, forums and social sites. I had to scale back in some areas in order to give the attention necessary to the new endeavor.

It seems that while I have been engrossed in the new campaign a hails storm of misrepresentation, perversion and hatred has overtaken the airwaves. I have prayed quite extensively about the best way to address this issue.

I am sure that I have ticked a great deal of you off concerning the manner in which I am pushing this campaign to battle obesity in America, well, I am about to tick some more of you off. It’s time to talk about homosexuality and Gay Marriage. Oh, before you holier than thou’s start interpolating your Amens, I have a word or two for you as well.

It seems that the issue of homosexuality and Gay Marriage has escalated over the past several weeks. It has become a topic of discussion in the pulpit and in the news room. It has political implications and spiritual undertones. It has sparked religious backlash and interfaith turmoil in the Christian community. Religious leaders have been called to task on how to address this issue. I will endeavor to bring clarity as to what should be the Christian’s stand and approach on this topic. Many may be surprised as to what they hear here.

This will not be a bunch of religious legalistic rhetoric and at the same time it will not condone any sinful act. My purpose here will be to lucidly express the manner at which Christians are to deal with issues of this magnitude.

I have never been a stranger to controversy, so it makes it easy to comfortably write this treatise without fear of reverberation and repercussive assault. In fact, this is the approach every believer should take when dealing with secular philosophies and paradigms. Far too many Christians have become consumed with finding the medium of a politically correct stance. Too many Christians have found themselves pondering at the pool of popularity. Secular world views have infiltrated the Christian faith and spawned non-biblical views that only weaken our impact in the world.

At the same time that some Christians have taken the route expediency others have taken the route of hatred and personal intolerance. Though scripture may back you in your position, it does support your methodology. Christianity is representative of a faith that is founded upon grace, mercy and love; not hatred. I think that ministers preaching from platforms of perfection that breed a congregation of holier than thou converts has stifled the impact of the body of Christ almost single handedly.

So, I will take a brief moment to address the issue on two major fronts; whether or not homosexuality is a sin (making Gay Marriage invalid) and how Christians are to deal with the hot topic while remaining in the will of God.

I will start by saying that as a Christian and Biblical Teacher, it is important to understand that I stand firm on the belief that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and it is the only completely authoritative source of God’s will for mankind. It is the standard by which all of mankind is measured.

¹⁶ Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

¹⁷ So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17, AMP)

With this having being established as my platform of engagement I will move forward.

The Bible lucidly expresses where God stands on the issue of homosexuality. There is no real ground for debate outside of declaring the scripture to be invalid. So, for those of us who accept the Bible as God’s infallible Word, the argument stops here. The problem is that too many believers have bought into a number of secular world views that have blurred the lines of holiness and purity. As Pastor Ed Young would say, “We have sipped the poisonous Kool-Aid!”

When we are being incessantly bombarded by worldviews such as Ethical Relativism (The belief that no absolute moral code exists and therefore man determines what is right in each situation according to his private judgment.), Liberalism (An educational system based on a Secular Humanist Worldview. A political tradition emphasizing personal liberties and equality over traditional moral concerns; specific policies include a  woman’s right to an abortion, promotion of same-sex marriage, redistribution of wealth to help the poor, etc.), Nihilism (The belief that life has no true meaning; we simply arbitrarily exist.), Relativism ( The belief that “truth” is relative to the individual and the time and place in which one acts; there are no absolute or objective truths.), Secular Humanism (A worldview based on atheism and naturalism in which “man” is the measure” of all things; man, not God, is the ultimate norm by which truth and morals are to be determined.).

The aforementioned are some of the major world views that exist and are propagated on a daily basis though every possible medium. Christians have become extremely susceptible to these fallacious views for a number of reasons. I don’t want to wonder too far off course here, but as Christians frenetically search for answers to the enigmatic issues they face daily as well as seek to circumvent the vicissitudes of life and are not met with sound biblical doctrine, they are captivated by these views that excuse and explain away they sinful behavior and minimize their sense of responsibility.

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inheritor have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality,

¹⁰ Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers andslanderers, nor extortionersand robbers will inherit orhave any share in the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9-10, AMP cf. 1 Tim. 1:10)

We only need to review the above passage and connected reference to see that homosexuality is a sin. If one would like to read further, the first chapter of Romans would be a good place to start. So, for the believer whose very faith is Bible based, the debate ends here. What I would like to point out here is that these scripture doesn’t only list homosexuality, but reveals a laundry list of sins. Hold on to that for a minute, I am going somewhere with it.

So, we see that based on biblical doctrine homosexuality is a sin. The question arises: With a political and social environment that is centered in being politically correct, how is the Christian believer to approach homosexuality or any other sin that has become socially acceptable? The answer is always for the Christian to live and respond to the issues of life in a manner that is reflective of our relationship with Christ.

The thing that is just alarming to me as the Christian ambiguity when engaging homosexuality is the Christians who have decided to use this issue as a platform of hatred and false superiority. Whatever the motive, there seems to be a movement of hatred boiling over into this heated debate. It is extremely important for our spiritual leaders to place God first in their approach to addressing their followers on this controversial matter.

As believers we must understand that our intolerance must be directed at the sin, not the sinner. We must never endorse or applaud sin (Romans 1:32), but we are never to cast condemnation; it is not our prerogative, but God’s. Our responsibility is to engage every sinner in love and introduce them to the very grace that rescued us from our darkness and sin. We must come down from our platforms of perfection and acknowledge that if it had not been for the grace of God, we ourselves would be lost.

I am confounded by the leaders who isolate this one particular sin without acknowledging that when it is normally addressed in the Bible it is surrounded by other sins (see 1 Cor. 6:9-10), including other sins of sexual perversion. We cannot speak against the homosexual while embracing and applauding the fornicator. We cannot cast away the homosexual while promoting the adulterer. We cannot pronounce doom on our Gay brother and sisters without pronouncing the same doom upon the liar and the cheat.

No, I am not saying that we are to accept or endorse any sinful behavior; what I am saying is we are to accept the person in love and draw lines in the sand of where we stand. As Christians we must be sure of who we are and where we stand at all times. The Gay Agenda has progressed along the subtle lines of the no harm no foul mentality. Many of us have accepted tenets of the Gay movement because we don’t want to be called to task on our own failures. Let me make something lucidly clear; giving another sinner a pass on their sin, does not excuse yours.

As I mentioned earlier, we have been inundated with secular world views that are diametrically opposed to the will of God and foster hedonism and unbridled sin. We must understand that it is through the paradigms we adopt that the enemy is slowly rendering the body of Christ without effect. It is time for a paradigmatic shift.

³ For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh andusing mere human weapons.

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,

⁵ [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), (2 Cor. 10:3-5, AMP)

Here Paul informs us that though we walk (live in a world that manifests itself in the physical) flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. Our weapons of warfare are mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds. That is awesome, but we need to understand where the battle is taking place. Where is this war being waged? We refute (cast down) arguments, theories, reasonings, and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself against the knowledge of God.  Play close attention to what Paul is revealing here. The battlefield is the mind. The enemy desires to neutralize the believer by infiltrating his/her thought processes with erroneous doctrines that if accepted remove the believer from the will of God.

We are explicitly told to rebuke all thoughts and reasonings that are against the knowledge (the infallible Word of God) of God. We are told to take every thought (this means there are no thoughts that are insignificant) into captivity. Every thought must be obedient to the will of God. You must understand that your actions are physical manifestation of your thoughts.

For those of you that have been convinced that as long as homosexuality (including Gay Marriage) doesn’t have any direct impact on you it’s nothing wrong with it, the Bible speaks about those that approve of wrong. The fact is it does affect you.

For those of you that are having a difficult time determining what is right and what is wrong, simply ask yourself: What does the Bible say about it? Despite what the world is saying, the Bible is still the only authoritative standard by which all Christians must measure themselves. It is not anachronistic or outdated, it is as true and applicable now as it was when it passed through the prophets and Apostles that wrote it.

For those of you that wish to cast judgment on this issue let us remember the exhortation of Peter.

¹⁵ For it is God’s will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons.

¹⁶ [Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.

¹⁷ Show respect for all men [treat them honorably]. Love the brotherhood (the Christian fraternity of which Christ is the Head). Reverence God. Honor the emperor. (1 Pet. 2:15-17, AMP)

First pay attention to verse 15 where Peter shows that it is our lives that silence the critic and convicts the sinner, not our harmful words. Verse 16 encourages us not to use our liberties as a covering for wicked behavior. Verse 17 establishes that we are to treat all people with respect. We are to share the love of Christ with everyone. My grandmother would  always tell me that I would catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Once I moved past the point of trying to understand why I needed to catch flies, I got the message. If you want someone to see your point of view, present it in love instead of condescending condemnation.

We are people of love, not of hate. We are to hate sin, not the sinner. Remember, we are simply sinners, covered by the blood of Christ. It is the Cross that provides and empowers our unique identity, not verbal proclamations of self-aggrandizement.

Be blessed,

Bishop Rick Wallace

Note: I want to give special acknowledgement to my pastor, Dr. Ed Young (Fellowship Church) for the masterful and uncompromising manner in which he addressed this issue this past week. Those of you in Dallas that may be looking for a unique way to experience the awesome love of Christ, a place where the walls of traditionalism and denominationalism have been obliterated, come out to Fellowship Church. Simply visit http://www.fellowshipchurch.com for times and directions.