Can a Christian Be Supportive of Homosexuality/Gay Marriage?

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that all states must recognize homosexual marriage as a legal union. Needless to say, people were vocal in their reaction to the decision. I was not surprised by the reaction of most Christians; sad that our nation had turned even further from God. I was not surprised by the reaction of most non-Christians; celebrating it as a victory of “love” and “tolerance.”

What never fails to surprise me is the group of folks who fall somewhere in the middle; those who identify as Christian but are happy about the ruling. So I thought I'd take a minute to examine, in light of the Scriptures...

Can a Christian be supportive of Homosexual Behavior/Gay Marriage?

First of all, they'd have to reject the judgement of God on such behavior...

Romans 1:26, 27, and 3226 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
...
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Of course, some might say, “Well yes, I know it's wicked, and I wouldn't partake in it, but who am I to tell someone else not to do it? It's none of my business what they do. That's between them and God. Right?” True, they will answer for their own sin, but God has always charged His children to proclaim the truth, that sin might be revealed to those who are engaged in wickedness.

“When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” - Ezekiel 33:8

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” - Isaiah 5:20

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” - Ephesians 5:11

That word “reprove” means “to expose or refute.” It is to point out sin, and to call it what it is. To be clear where God stands on the issue.

We are committing sin when we keep our mouths shut in regards to wickedness. We are not to mistreat those engaged in it, or be rude and make fun of them, but we are to warn them that what they are doing is evil. We are to make it clear that God has condemned such behavior, and that, if they don't repent and trust Christ, they will perish (spend eternity in Hell). As we know, that is not God's will for them...

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9

God is long-suffering. He could smite the homosexual (or truly anyone who has committed any sin and not yet accepted Christ) immediately, but He is giving them time to turn from their sin, turning to Him for salvation based on what Christ has done on the behalf of all who will accept Him.

John 3:16-20
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

The facts are simple:

1. God has already condemned the act of homosexuality.
2. God has given man free will to either reject His word or accept it.
3. You can, in your free will, reject God/Christ, but you cannot do so and avoid Hell.
4. The job of every believer is to warn those engaged in wickedness that they are standing in opposition to God.
5. All we can do is warn them. It is up to them to turn from darkness to light, from sin unto the Saviour. That is God's will, but he will not force it on anyone. You can choose sin and Hell, or you can choose Christ and Heaven (and a life enjoying God's presence and blessing).

The one thing you absolutely cannot do is say, “I'm a Christian and I love Jesus,” while at the same time saying, “I have no problem with homosexuality and will not speak against it.” You cannot love God and reject the commands of His Word.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” - 1 John 5:3

I'd like to leave you with the text of a post I made on social media in the wake of the ruling.

     "I'd like to say I'm surprised by the Supreme Court's decision, but I'm not. As an individual, it doesn't change a thing. I would never perform such a marriage before, and I will never do so in the future, regardless the consequences that could eventually be imposed. What bothers me is that we, as a nation, are putting ourselves (or really HAVE put ourselves) in a position that God will not bless. God will always take care of His people, and He will continue to bless individuals who are saved and living in His will. However, God had always blessed America when, as a nation, we had the testimony that we were a Christian nation, built on the principles of His word, and defending those principles. Why would God ever bless and prosper a nation that, as a whole, thumbs their nose at Him and His word? The answer: He won't.
     If you are a Christian, and living according to His word, don't worry. God will continue to take care of you no matter what happens around you. But please, pray for our nation, and especially for the next presidential election, that the people might choose for themselves a leader who fears God. And remember, national revival begins with local church revival, which begins with personal revival. How is your relationship with God?"

I Don't Believe in Forcing My Child to Go to Church

“I don't believe in forcing my child to go to church. When they get older they can make that decision for themselves.”

     How many times have you heard this from a self-proclaimed “Christian” friend?  Maybe you've even said it yourself.  It is most often stated with confidence that this parenting choice is more open-minded than that of the typical Christian parent, or sometimes even more spiritual because “If I force them to go, then they'll just rebel later.  This way their faith is more personal.  They'll resent me if I force them.”  I'm glad this parent is apparently concerned that their child has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but they are terribly misguided.  Most importantly, it goes against scripture...

Ephesians 6:1-4
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

     And I wonder, is it even consistent with how we handle other areas of our children's upbringing?  Let's consider a discussion of a child's physical health...

Preacher: Do you force your child to go to the doctor when they are ill, even if they don't want to?

Parent: Yes.

Preacher: Why do you do it?

Parent: Because if they don't get help, their sickness could get worse, and maybe even permanently affect them. They could die if the illness is serious and goes untreated long enough!

     Do you realize that the greatest problem that can exist within your child is sin?  The Bible says in Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”   Your child is a sinner, both by nature and by choice.  We all are.  I know we like to think our children are perfect little angels, but the Bible is clear; “ALL have sinned...”  And if your child is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, they are old enough for God to hold them accountable for their sins, just as their earthly parents do.  If they don't learn the remedy for their “sin sickness” (Jesus Christ, the Saviour!) and accept Him, they will die and go to Hell for all eternity.  Even in this life, a wall of sin standing between them and God prevents them from enjoying a life of his guidance and blessing.

     And if they are unsaved, are you willing to gamble with their eternal soul from that time they are accountable for their sin until they (on their own by some miracle) decide, “Hey, maybe I ought to go to church.... even though my parents didn't go... even though they didn't seem to think it was important that I go when I was a kid?”

     Here's the simple fact:  If you don't have your children in church at a young age, they likely will never go.  According to Barna research, “The data shows that if a person does not accept Jesus Christ as savior before the age of 14, the likelihood of ever doing so is slim."  Barna Research went on to say, "if they’re not saved by age 13, they probably never will be.”  Less than 1 out of 4 Christians actually accepted Christ after their 21st birthday.  Not having your child in church at a young age, and consistently throughout their youth (as long as they are under your roof) is giving Satan a huge advantage in the fight for that child's soul.

    I know. The next argument is, “but what about the parent whose child has made a profession of faith at a revival, vacation bible school, youth rally, etc. They have accepted Christ, so it doesn't matter as much, right?”  WRONG.  Read Matthew 13:1-9 or numerous other passages concerning someone who has just received the gospel.  The hardest time in the Christian life is immediately after you've accepted Christ.  That first day, month, year, etc.,  Satan knows that you are still relatively ignorant to God's word.  You know what Jesus died for you, but you don't know how to fight off evil influence, avoid temptation, stand strong in our faith, confidently serve God as He's called you to do.  The best thing Satan can do, even if he has lost his chance at your child's soul, is convince them that there is nothing more to the Christian life than salvation.  He will tempt them into all manner of sin, and use their life as a stumbling block for others.  If he can convince a Christian to live like the world, then others look at that person and say, “See? There's no difference in them. There is nothing to this 'Jesus' stuff.”  Every Christian lives as a testimony of Jesus Christ. Either our life shows His power and goodness, or it lies to the world about who He really is and what He can really do in the life of others.

Ok, another imaginary conversation:

Preacher: Do you force your child to go to school, even if they don't really want to go?

Parent: Yes, of course.

Preacher: Why?

Parent: They need an education if they want to succeed in life. 

     That is very true. Our children need an education.  My question is this: Why do you want them to be prepared for life in every way, except spiritually?  No matter what your child will achieve in their lifetime, no matter what occupation they choose, no matter how much money they make, the most important thing they can have is a solid knowledge of God's word.  It is this knowledge that will help them have peace in the midst of a difficult life.  It is this knowledge that will keep a gun or drugs out of their hand when everything around them falls apart.  If you truly are a Christian, I guarantee there has been some point in your life that, without your faith, you don't know what you'd have done.  If you haven't been there, you will be.  Why do you think that this precious knowledge is not as important as “reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic?”  You wouldn't let your child grow up without the knowledge found in imperfect textbooks, so why are you are willing to let your child grow up ignorant of God's perfect word?

Alright, last one...

Preacher: Does your child play a sport?

Parent: Yes.

Preacher: Do you insist that they be committed to their team?  Do you make sure they are at the practices and games?

Parent: Of course.

Preacher: Why?

Parent: Because part of the value of sports is that it teaches children how to be part of a team.  They need to learn commitment and teamwork.  They have a responsibility to their team and teammates.  It gives them good character. 

     I wouldn't argue with any of these things.  My son is a baseball fanatic.  He loves it.  I enjoy helping coach him however I can.  But why does that insistence on commitment only count for a sports team and not for the body of Christ?  No Christian is called to be a lone ranger for God.  The local church is a body of believers.  If your child is saved, they are a part of that body.  They can be a benefit or a hinderance to that body.  You, as a parent, are either a benefit or a hinderance to that local church body.  Consider what God's word says about a local church assembling together:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

     God's word plainly tells us that when the local church is assembled together, we are not to forsake it.  We are to be there with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  This verse says that there are “some” who forsake the assembly, but we are not to be that person.  We are to be there “exhorting one another.”  To exhort is to encourage or strengthen.  We know a sports team is stronger and encouraged by the presence of the individual teammates.  The local church is no different.  And there is no more important team for your child to be committed to than God's team.  Why stress commitment to a group that seeks only a trophy or personal fulfillment, but not to the group that is fighting for the souls of mankind?

     Let me leave you with an uncomfortable truth:  Most parents who say “I won't force my child to go to church” are not truly worried about rebellion later in life, or resentment from their child.  They say so to excuse themselves.  If they insist that their child be faithful to church, that child will realize the hypocrisy of their parents, who pawn them off on a neighbor, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc. to get them there.  If you insist that your child be faithful to church, common decency dictates that you must be faithful as well, and that's the real reason many won't insist at all.  “I am not going to force my child to go to church” really translates to “I'm not ready to stop rebelling against God myself.”

• You “force” your child to maintain their physical health. Insist they maintain their spiritual health as well.
• You “force” your child to go to school and learn about the world. Insist they go to church and learn about the Creator.
• You “force” your child to be committed to a sports team/club so they aren't a hinderance to their team. Insist they are there for their church family so they're not a hinderance to the work of God.

     Stop using an excuse (and that's really all that it is), and if you really don't think church is important, just say so.  Stop lying to yourself.  But I think you know better.

     Better yet, stop making excuses and get in church, and bring your kids with you!  Even if you are already saved, it will change your life and theirs for the better.  After all, there's a reason God didn't take you to Heaven the moment you accepted Christ.  He wants to use you (and your child) for His glory for the rest of your time here.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

Church - Light in the Midst of Darkness

Genesis 1:1-5
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Here we have the very beginning of creation. I wonder if you've ever paid attention to the latter half of verse 4... “God divided the light from the darkness.” God saw the light, that it was good, and immediately divided it from the darkness. From the first page of our Bible, He was laying the foundation for this truth...

2 Corinthians 6:4
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (emphasis added)

I find it very troubling that so many churches in our communities are trying to be less and less different from the outside world. Often the reasoning is based in the following scripture:

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

What Paul says here is he made himself “servant unto all.” He was willing to go amongst these people, in service to them (and primarily service to God) by sharing the gospel. To say that he actually acted as these people acted is incorrect, easily proven by a look at verse 20. He says he “became a Jew.” Paul already was a Jew. He was a Pharisee who held men's coats while they stoned Steven. He did not literally become a Jew again, submitting to the authority of the high priest. He spoke explicitly against people submitting to the Jewish leadership or taking part in their rituals and traditions after the death of Christ. What DID Paul do for the Jews? He went to them, and gave them the gospel. He wasn't afraid to be like Jesus and “dine with sinners” that he might see their souls saved. However, he never would have made the church like a synagogue so they felt more comfortable there. That would have been blasphemous to him, and rightfully so. He went to them, but did not act like them, or conform the church to their habits in order to win them for Christ.

Unfortunately, this one verse is misinterpreted and used as an excuse for worldly behavior amongst the church. Churches are employing worldly methods of ministry, with music that sounds like Top 40 radio, rock bands leading “worship,” light shows, a church service that feels more like a concert, a dressed-down minister who looks like he would fit in on stage at a music festival better than in the house of God. Children's ministries that are simply parties with the name of Jesus thrown around, or sung in the midst of a hard rock beat. Trendiness trumps modesty. The philosophy of the day is this, “Let's make church less different than what they want or are used to, in order that we might entice them in, then hit them with the gospel.” Some churches are even removing the word “church” from the sign. “Church” is too stiff, too strict, too... *gasp* holy.

That is not the ministry you'll see in Biblical examples. Ministers in the Bible recognized that they existed, were saved, and were called to please God. The moment the church begins to focus on pleasing attendees instead of pleasing God, they'll head down this dangerous path.

Don't get me wrong; I understand where the human reasoning comes from. Going back to our (or actually God's) illustration of light and dark, when we leave a dark room and enter into bright light, it hurts our eyes. It is hard to adjust quickly. I believe that's why so many churches have tried to “dim” their light. The church can be uncomfortable or shocking to someone living in darkness... but what does the Bible say?

Matthew 5:14-16
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Our light is Jesus. It is a light of holiness and righteousness. It is a light in stark contrast to the darkness of the world. When we utilize worldly methods, those methods become the bushel over our candle. The Christian, and church (the body of Christ, after all) are to be a bright light in the midst of darkness. We are to be starkly different. “Worldly” church is an oxymoron. I know, I know, typically these churches/ministries won't call themselves worldly. They'll use the term “relevant” or “contemporary” instead. Both of these words can be defined as “adapted to the current world or culture” i.e. worldly. What does God's word say about the things of the world?

1 John 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Yes, John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world...” but that verse is speaking of the people of the world, not the culture of it. God loves lost sinners, but hates their sin.

The simple “bible truth” (Hey! That's got a nice ring to it!) is this: The church is God's. It was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. It exists to do His will in His way. Our job as ministers, deacons, youth leaders, church members, etc. is to create a safe haven where people who love Him can come and worship him (and learn how to best serve Him) in spirit AND in truth. The church is to be made acceptable to God, not acceptable to the sinners of the world.

2 Corinthians 6:17,18
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God bless, Bro. Chris

(BTW, if you need a good church, I know of one... www.bibletruthbaptist.org)