It's Legal, Now What?

After the Supreme Court made their ruling, by the slimmest of margins, 5-4, same sex marriage became a federal law in all 50 states, just like that! 

Emotions varied in the US, from joyful elation to empty sorrow.   

As a conservative Christian I am aware that many in our ranks are still wrestling with the decision and anxious about this verdict and what it will mean for the future of the church. Yet in spite of this anxiety, it is important to contemplate some important truths.  



1. God is Sovereign

Many wonder what will happen next to the church? Will we be forced to officiate same sex weddings in our buildings? Will we be sued for discrimination if we fail to hire members of the LGBT community? Will we lose our non-profit status if we don't comply, much like what happened to Bob Jones University in the 80's, when they refused to allow interracial marriage?  

In the midst of such anxiety we must remember one important reality. God is still sovereign! 

Jesus reassured his followers that the church will always prevail, even in the most difficult of cultural climates (Matthew 16:18). While we should grieve that God's intended design for marriage has been redefined (‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife' - Matthew 19:5), we cannot allow this decision to underscore the reality that God is still sovereign. 

We must remember that God's sovereignty shines brightest when we don't have control over an outcome and must humbly seek Him for guidance. We've had it relatively good in the United States for hundreds of years as far as influence, respect, and being a sought after commodity in our community, now God wants to see how we respond as a unwanted minority in a changing moral climate. 

The newness of the situation has stunned us; however there were 20 countries before us that had to make a similar adjustment. Believe it or not, God can still continue to establish His kingdom despite the increasing bias toward conservative Christians and their beliefs. 

Sadly, some influential Christian leaders want us to fight and call the LGBT community into repentance, but is that really the best approach? Will that lead to the best results? In reality, we have already gone that route on numerous occasions and have made little impact, whether in the courtroom or being a positive witness outside our Christian community. 

It is time to trust in God's sovereignty and seek to make adjustments on how we should engage our changing culture. We must abandon Christian cliches, regurgitating thoughtless rhetoric, and learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to lovingly share truth. We must confess, "I don't know what to do Lord, please speak through me so I can be Your effective ambassador, Your committed disciple, Your humble witness." Call me naive, but I am not overwhelmed by the verdict because I know God is sovereign, unlike the nine judges who preside on the Supreme court. 


2. Biblically, we should not be Surprised 

If we have studied our Bible, this ruling should not surprise us. In fact, the Bible clearly stated the realities of such cultural shifts thousands of years ago. Romans 1:26-27 reminds us that homosexuality is nothing new, along with its growing support and public approval (Romans 1:29-32). Institutionalizing same sex marriage on the federal level is just another reminder how reliable the Bible really is when it comes to truth. 

With the legalization of gay marriage in Vermont, year by year, more states adopted same sex marriage into their state laws. In fact, before the verdict, 37 states had already legalized it, despite our efforts to remove it from state ballots or overturn unwanted rulings. Yes, what happened last week is just a reminder of what Scripture has already revealed. 

Consequently, how one views the Bible becomes the central issue in this whole debate. Is it really God's inspired Word as He directed the biblical authors, or is it just a bunch of male religious authors attempting to explain God as best as they can within their own cultural context, blinded by their own personal biases?  

For those who uphold divine inspiration, the majority will stand by what God has communicated in Scripture, rather than their own personal feelings. Admittedly, this is hard, especially if you have good relations with others that are part of the LGBT community, but ultimately, we must submit, ensuring that God has the final say.  

On the flip side, those who see the Bible as a human book, will view it as instruction that no longer applies in the midst of our changing culture (or at least some aspects of it). They will see Scripture as a potentially harmful book that serves as a roadblock towards societal advancement and the goal of social justice. 

I view the Bible as a divinely inspired book. I believe the Scriptures are God breathed and useful for correction (2 Timothy 3:16). I believe that the Scriptures are not the product of human interpretation or their willful intention, but rather that God guided biblical authors, thru the Holy Spirit, to write instruction according to His will (2 Peter 1:19-21). 

As the Apostle Paul once wrote his apprentice, Timothy, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy :3)." 

Now, this is not meant to slam the LGBT community or those who view the Bible on some level as a human book, but rather to remind Christians, who hold to divine inspiration, not to be surprised by what is taking place in our rapidly changing culture. 



3. We Must not Lose Focus of the Mission


Now this does not mean we should hate and become defensive when it comes to liberals and those belonging to the LGBT community. The Bible also reveals heterosexual practices that we are also guilty of on many occasions, such as lust / pornography (Matthew 5:26), sex before marriage, (1 Corinthians 7:2), divorce (Matthew 19: 3-6), and martial affairs (Hebrews 13:4) to name a few. Conservative Christians must not place themselves on a pedestal, we have no room to sit in judgment. We are all sinners, saved by grace.

Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that our job is not to disassociate with those who aren't believers and choose not to follow our Christian "rules," whether they are straight or gay. Instead we must intentionally engage them so we can become better witnesses; otherwise we are truly just preaching to the choir (1 Corinthians 5:9-10). 

We must understand that people within the LGBT community have experienced hate in the worst ways, thus we must not add to that reality by intentionally hating, pointing fingers, or thumping Bible verses. Instead we must learn to demonstrate that despite disagreement, Jesus has transformed our lives and given us the ability to love others who hold different views well. 

In the past, I personally have spent time, having some of the most thought provoking conversations with those in the LGBT community, on their time, and on their turf. I have been treated with respect because I was willing to listen and dialogue, not become defensive. This doesn't mean I affirm their stance on marriage, but it shows I was willing to invest my time to listen, to share, so we could better understand each other. 

Ultimately, Jesus calls his followers to share his message to our prevailing culture, locally, regionally, and internationally (Matthew 28:18-19). Peter, one of the most influential disciples of Jesus, instructs us to share with others the hope we have in Christ, but to do so in gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). 

We must not be focused on the court decision; we must be focused on the mission. We must allow God through Christ to work thru us, just as he did when we thought and lived our lives differently. Transformation happens when we are willing to be used by God in mission. 




4. The Victory has already been Achieved

Back in the day, Monday Night Football was tape delayed on television by an hour in the Pacific Northwest, it was not live. I can't begin to tell you how this bothered me, especially when the STEELERS played. I could not find comfort watching the game because the plays that were unfolding before my very eyes had already occurred in the past. 

How did I deal with this reality? I listened to the live broadcast on the radio to hear the current score. Once Pittsburgh won the game (which they usually did), I watched the tape delayed television broadcast and guess what? I STILL stressed about the game. 

I found myself pacing, criticizing bad decisions, and even superstitiously standing up when they played defense, hoping that I could help prevent the other team from scoring, let alone getting a first down. 

Yet I knew in advance who ultimately won! The STEELERS!

Many times that is how we live life. We stress out with court decisions, its impact, and what will happen in the future. It is so easy to forget that Jesus has already achieved the Victory. The final score has ALREADY been decided.  

In the end, we may not know why things happen in life, but we must have confidence that God is in control. Yes, we will grieve, but we must remember that if we have accepted Jesus into our lives, everything will turn out, even if we don't see it now. 

Ultimately Jesus died for our sins, whether one is straight, gay, bisexual, or transgendered because he loved us enough to sacrifice his life. If you believe what Jesus died on the cross, you are already a member of the winning team. If you are a member of that team Jesus will change your life, not me. 

Ultimately, we must live our lives with this BIG PICTURE perspective in mind, otherwise we will continue to be shaken by current events. 

In the end, we win and our prize is much better than going to Disneyland. May we never forget whose team we are on when life brings us those unexpected twists and turns in life. Remember we already won.