Unless you're one of the few who has never gone to a public school, worked for a large corporation, been to a coffee shop, watched television, or had access to the Internet ... then you've seen and heard the arguments by homosexuals being proclaimed from the rooftops.
Just what are the arguments?
(1) Same-sex marriage is marriage equality.
(2) It is a civil right.
(3) How can you honestly deny us happiness by denying us the same rights as straight couples?
(4) The only argument against it are religious reasons - don't try to force your religion on me.
The truly sad thing today is that any one of these arguments, by itself, would silence most opposition in our society. Especially the younger generation, who simply keel over at first hearing this kind of persuasion. No critical thought is applied whatsoever. I saw a poll on CBS that found 73% of people under 30 support gay marriage. I mean, what do you expect from an entire generation raised by a generation of secularists?
Since our President took office a second time, the realization hit me that we are losing the cultural battle ... if we haven't lost it already. We may have lost the cultural battle, but we have not lost the argument. More importantly, the gospel of Jesus Christ is just as relevant as ever, and we as the people of God ought to be eager to discuss sin, repentance, and the hope found solely in the Lord.
If it's okay with you, I'd briefly like to discuss the same-sex marriage arguments listed above. Because the first time I heard them, I was a bit surprised. After all, who wants to deny equality, civil rights, or the happiness of others? Or even, impose religious beliefs through legislation!
As a Christian man I don't hate homosexuals. But I do believe those behaviors are sinful, as described in the Bible. God is the Maker of heaven and earth, and He alone has the right to tell us how to live, who to love, and how to express that love. Furthermore, the Lord designed marriage as the first institution as that of one man and one woman. Marriage will always and forever be between a man and a woman, no matter how much our culture wishes to redefine it.
Redefinition is really what this is all about. Redefinition, and recognition. It is not enough that Christians tolerate homosexuals, we must approve of their behavior by calling it marriage. Others have rightly pointed out the inconsistency of the advocates of same-sex marriage who claim they want marriage equality. They don't want equality; not really anyways. If they did they would open the floodgates to allow anyone to marry any number of any thing he or she (or it) wants to marry.
But the vast majority of homosexuals would not support polyamory (polygamy), incestuous adult relationships, bestiality, or pedophilia. The question needs to be asked, however ... why don't you support these groups' civil right to marriage equality? They are also people with hopes, dreams and desires, who only want to be happy in this life. Do you want to deny them this? You're kidding yourself if you don't see the slippery slope the arguments for same-sex marriage have created. This is not to say that because paving the way for other redefinitions of marriage makes same-sex marriage sinful, it is just to point out that others will (and are) use the same arguments to further expand what marriage is.
The gay-marriage debate is not the Civil Rights debate from the 1960's. Christians are not saying that gays are unequal in value or human dignity as compared with the rest of the human race (unlike those 50 years ago). We are not denying services to homosexuals. What we refuse to do is redefine marriage to be something completely different. Because you claim to love someone does not inherently give you the right to marry that someone.
Are we trying to deny you happiness? If we hated homosexuals we would promote homosexuality and same-sex marriage, because it is sinful and is, therefore, the worst thing for you. But it is because we love God and our fellow man that we cannot endorse sin.
No amount of legislation, or government backing will make marriage something other than between one man and one woman. Western Civilization might call a same-sex relationship marriage, but it can never be marriage, not truly. God is the ruler of this universe, and has rightly ordained how His creatures should live.
So what message do we offer to the homosexual? What is our response to their arguments? Simply this: that they, along with the whole human race, are born sinful and guilty of the wrath of God. Homosexuality is a sin, and they are guilty of other sins as well. Because of their sin, they ought to be judged by the Lord, found guilty, and condemned to pay for those sins forever in Hell - where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Christians were born just as guilty as they are, and were once unbelievers who likewise hated God and refused to worship Him and give Him thanks.
But God, being rich in mercy, entered into His own creation and humbled Himself by taking the form of a man - Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus lived a sinless life, and kept God's requirements of the Law that we are hopelessly unable to keep. He was also crucified on a cross to pay for the sins of God's people.
Death could not keep him, and three days later was resurrected for our justification.
Because we are hopelessly unable to keep the perfect standard that God requires of us, we all fall short of His glory and are deserving of judgment. If, however, you turn from your sins unto Christ, and trust in Him through faith (not by your own works/good deeds) to deliver you from the consequences and lifestyle of sin, you will have your sins forgiven, and a new relationship with the true and living God, being spared from the wrath to come. All those who have faith in Jesus have been justified - declared not guilty of their sins - and have a lasting peace with God that cannot be broken. Jesus bore His people's sins on the cross and fully paid for them; His righteousness is considered to be yours through faith alone, which is how you have a right-standing before God. Not by your own works, but by the works of Jesus Christ.
My prayer for you is that you will turn from your sins, unto the true God of the Bible. I pray that He might save you from your sins and your sinful lifestyle, and that you would come to know the one true Lord of all creation. I pray that the words of Paul, found in his first letter to the Corinthians would become true of you:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NASB).
Thanks for reading,
Metzger
