Everybody is talking about the Supreme Court decision to make marriage legal between those of the same sex in all states within the United States of America trying to get a reaction from people and see if it will garner more support or resistance. Simply put, there are just some things that are right and some things that are wrong no matter who signs off on it saying that it is okay. A common parallel in this country is the dishonoring of marriage in general.
Quick foundation for the biblical purpose for marriage: The Biblical purpose for marriage is found in Ephesians 5 where marriage is called a mystery that is to reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church (Those of us who follow Christ).
The scriptures plainly say that a man is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself for it, and the woman is to respect and submit to her husband as the church is to submit to Christ. Ephesians 5:25-32
Non-Christians who are straight will not have this understanding nor seek to reflect this in their pursuit of marriage. Just like gay people will not understand nor seek to reflect this either with man and man and woman and woman.
Simply put man and woman together were made in God’s image. Genesis 5:1-2
Therefore, there is no need for debate, convincing, questioning or any such thing. It is plainly laid out in scripture and in nature. Homosexuality goes a bit further because it goes against the very course of nature. A person doesn’t have to be a theologian to know that there is something wrong with homosexual relationships.
Straight people or Christians dishonor marriage when we walk in our selfish lusts practicing fornication or seeking marriage only to satisfy our selfish lusts and not seeking to honor God with our covenant. Also, when we get married and trade in our spouses for the next hot thing because our wives or husbands just don’t do it for us anymore. Or the man who is married to a woman, but beats the daylights out of her or the woman married to a man, but emasculates her husband.
All of these things dishonor marriage which represents covenant and love. God represents covenant and love. The Bible says that God is love and greater love has no man than this than that a man would lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
Although, we separate ourselves from God with sin, God calls us his friends. The story is told in the Bible of the woman who was caught in the very act of her sin. She was dishonoring marriage through adultery. The scribes and pharisees bought the woman to Jesus to accuse her, and Jesus’ response goes like this:
He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone. The scripture says that everyone left one by one putting down their stones. It was only Jesus and the woman left together and Jesus asked the woman where are your accusers. She said they are all gone. He said neither do I accuse you either, go and sin no more.
Jesus’ response declared all men under sin and in need of forgiveness. No one had the power to accuse the other. We are all alike at the very mercy of God. The whole point of this blog post is that we all fall short. We all do things that are not right even if it’s just an inappropriate thought. Jesus revealed himself not to accuse the world, but for those that would believe in him and come to him, they would have life and that more abundantly.
There is nothing too hard, or too big for God not to be able to handle. I am currently reading in the book of Isaiah and the below scriptures stand out to me:
Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Isaiah 1:18-20
In this particular chapter of Isaiah, God was upset because his people kept offering him sacrifices. Similar to what we do in America by praising God with the Hallelujahs, Thank you Jesus’, and glory to Gods. God was saying he doesn’t want that. He has more than enough of that. What he wants is to settle the matters in our lives that we are looking past as if they are okay. God doesn’t want to hear a thank you Jesus and we are in bed with the same sex, or a married man slapping his wife around and praising the Lord as if it is okay. God is saying no bump all that. Let’s settle this not with the Supreme court, not with the preacher or the Christian brother or sister that we look to in order to justify our sins, but with God himself the one who made us.
He is the one who has the power to forgive sins and to cause us to sin no more when we come to him in a manner of being willing to be obedient. He makes up for the rest of what we lack. That’s what grace is and that’s what real love is. It’s Jesus Christ and we all need him. Amen!
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