What’s the Big Deal?
Those of us who were shocked, offended and other wise scandalized by the SCOTUS decision defending same sex marriage have found ourselves being told we are intolerant, biased, or prejudiced against those of the LGBT community. By making a big deal out of this immoral, sinful behavior we have become societies neanderthals! Advocates for the LGBT lifestyle look at us with furrowed brows and say, “What’s wrong with you people, what’s the big deal?”
I think maybe there are millions of church folks feeling the pressure to give up and join the latest march into cultural darkness. Even though they are Christians, they too may be asking, “What’s the big deal?” I am hopeful that pastors and biblical theologians everywhere will do as I am doing here today. I will tell you why this SCOTUS decision is a BIG DEAL.
Jimmy Carter
This past week, former US President Jimmy Carter, threw in the towel by saying publicly,
“If Jesus Christ were here today, He would applaud the Supreme Court decision.”
There are great numbers of Christians like Jimmy Carter who agree with him. They are also very wrong in doing so!
Jesus and SCOTUS
It is a big deal to serious Christ followers because we do not recognize the U. S. Supreme Court as the highest court in the land. No sir, we do not. We believe our U. S. Constitution was violated by the SCOTUS same sex marriage decision. Like the four dissenting judges, we do not agree that the court has the right to re-define marriage. Only God can do that. We believe this nation and our laws are “Under God” and in Him do we trust. That “trust” includes God’s Word as His inspired, infallible and reliable guide for faith and practice. Therefore any law that violates God’s Law is to be resisted and rejected.
Jesus and Scripture
Here is where even many Christians are being sold a bill of dirty goods. We are being told by the liberal bible denying left that sweet Jesus loves everyone. There are LGBT churches preaching that Jesus was gay and that there is nothing abnormal nor sinful about gay sexual behaviors. What they have done is separate their Jesus from the Book that testifies to Jesus. They have created Jesus in their likeness rather than let Jesus and His word recreate them into His likeness.
Can we rationally and reasonably separate our beliefs about Jesus Christ, from the book that tells us who Jesus really is? No, not if we are honest. Before you can create a gay Jesus you must deny the Bible’s witness to Jesus. In John 5:39 & 46 Jesus said to the Jewish theologians of his day, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me…For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me.”
There can be no doubt that Jesus himself believed he was the promised fulfillment of the entire message of the Old Testament. He believed He was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, the living Word of God. Therefore, anything the Law of Moses teaches about homosexual sin (it is an abomination in God’s eyes), Jesus Christ affirmed because He wrote it in the first place. You cannot separate the teachings of Christ from the Law of Moses. He came to fulfill Moses!
In Leviticus 18: 22, 23, Moses tells his people that homosexual sex is an abomination to the Lord. Further New Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ tell us that the Holy Spirit wrote the New Covenant. The Apostles all tell us they were inspired by the Spirit of Jesus to write their witness to His deity. Indeed, the Book of Revelation is titled, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The book of Revelation is John’s recorded vision of Christ Himself. The words John records are the revealed words of Christ. Therefore when we read in Revelation 21:8 that all who practice such sexual abominations and do not repent of them will be cast into the lake of fire at the last judgment; we must acknowledge this is Jesus speaking. It is intellectually dishonest to separate Jesus Christ from the book He wrote! If the book says marriage is between a male and a female and that homosexual sin is an abomination-then we believe Jesus said it and taught it as truth.
The Domino Effect
Have you seen those guys who line up thousands of dominos to create beautiful sculptures, then touch the first domino and the whole beautiful thing comes tumbling down? That is what is going on here with the LGBT agenda to legitimize gay sex. They want to destroy the one who is calling them “an abomination.” If they can either discredit the Bible, change it, or marginalize it by calling it “fables”, then they can create their own sweet, loving, gay Jesus who loves everybody and has no concept of sin or righteousness.
This is why the Supreme Court’s decision to make same sex marriage the law of the nation is the domino that will tumble down our Judeo-Christian culture if we do not fight against it. If we accept this SCOTUS decision then we must admit the Bible is wrong, that Jesus Christ is wrong, and that the whole concept of God as a God who has revealed Himself in His Word is false.
Render to Caesar?
In concluding this short essay, let us be clear about what we are saying: the Biblical message is that God loves sinners so much that He sent His Son to redeem us from all sin, including all types of sexual sins. God teaches you and me to love the sinner and hate his sin; which by His grace we must do. However, what we must not do is misrepresent what God says in His Word, nor condone what God condemns.
This leaves me is an awkward position. How can I be a good man and a good citizen at the same time? How can I be true to my Lord Christ, and render to Caesar at the same time. My struggle is your struggle- when your allegiance is to God’s Higher Court; how do you obey the Supreme Court of your nation. Just men cannot obey unjust laws and sleep well at night. The Holy Spirit and conscience will not allow it.
