I’ve had a number of conversations over the last week about
how believers should respond to the gay marriage issue. Most of us have been caught off guard
by how quickly public opinion seems to have swayed. We hear people talking about it at work and in the
neighborhood, we read threads online, and we are bombarded with it by the news
media. Because the issue has
rushed so quickly to the front of the national stage, many believers feel
unprepared to discuss the topic from a biblical perspective. Others of us have been struck by how
unbiblically some believers are thinking and interacting on the issue.
Below (in no particular order) are my thoughts on how the
Bible would instruct us. This is
not an exhaustive discussion, but just a few principles from Scripture. Most of my thinking on how to interact
with the culture on this comes from 1 Peter, which is an excellent primer on
how to live as “elect exiles” in a world bent against us and our God. As homosexual marriage more than any
other issue threatens to put Christians at odds with the world around us, 1
Peter seems like an excellent place to turn for guidance.
1.
We must count it a privilege and joy to be
persecuted for the cause of Christ.
The believers to whom Peter wrote his first epistle were under some form of
persecution that apparently was expected to intensify. Peter exhorted them to “rejoice insofar
as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when
his glory is revealed” (1 Pet 4:13).
The apostle was not calling anyone to do anything he had not already
done – having been beaten for proclaiming the gospel, Peter and the other
apostles rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the
name” (Acts 5:27-42).
Granted, at this point in America
believers are only experiencing what we could call "soft persecution" –
ostracism, defamation, ridicule, etc.
Things will most likely get worse.
Regardless, the biblical exhortation to us is the same. When we are persecuted for our message,
we are to rejoice.
2.
As believers, we should view this debate not
primarily as a threat to our religious freedom, but rather an extraordinary
opportunity to share the gospel. It is
a threat to our religious freedom and we are called to be sober-minded and watchful. But conspicuously
absent from 1 Peter is the admonition to fight for our own freedom. That does not mean that it is wrong to
be involved in the political process, to support politicians who espouse our
views, to lobby Congress, etc.
Those things are fine.
However, our primary objective
as disciples of Jesus Christ is not to defend ourselves or our freedoms, but to
spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We should view ourselves not first and foremost as a special
interest group under attack, but as a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for his own possession” tasked with proclaiming “the excellencies of him
who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9).
3.
We must speak the truth in love. The temptation to remain silent will
grow stronger as acceptance of gay marriage becomes more and more the norm. We are already seeing what happens to
people who stand for biblical marriage.
They are ridiculed in the media, they lose professional opportunities,
they experience strained relationships, their reputations are damaged, and they
are labeled as bigots. But silence
is not an option for us. We cannot
keep quiet in the face of the normalization of debauchery as if sin no longer
condemns sinners. We must warn
people about the judgment of God and give the gospel as the only hope for
salvation.
Further, we must regard it as
unloving to not speak the truth.
What could be more cruel than to withhold the gospel from those who are
doomed in their sin just like we were?
Just because we assume that someone will disagree with the truth or
react unfavorably is no excuse to be quiet. Only God knows who will receive the gospel and who will
reject it. Our responsibility is
to cast the seed far and wide.
We also need to remind ourselves that it
is unloving to not speak the truth in
love. It must be clear that
what we communicate comes not from a heart of judgment or anger or spite, but rather from a heart of concern for the souls of all.
4.
We must treat conversations about gay marriage
as a one-way express lane to the gospel. Every time the topic comes up, we should regard it as a gift.
Our tendency may be to try to make
an apologetic argument for traditional marriage, which is fine, but we can’t do
only that. Apologetic arguments are not going to turn the tide. Only changed hearts will turn the tide,
and only the gospel can change hearts.
We cannot simply address this issue from a moralistic perspective. We must speak the truth that homosexual
behavior is an abomination to God, but that it is merely one of a plethora of
sins that have condemned all of us to hell. All people are born sinners and stand condemned by their
sin. The difference between us and
the world is not that we are morally superior, but that we have found grace, forgiveness,
and life in Christ (1 Pet 2:24). We must
present ourselves as sinners saved by grace pointing other sinners to the only
source of life. The biggest
mistake we can make is to condemn homosexuality and leave it at that. We must follow the example of the Bible
and place judgment and salvation side-by-side.
5.
We must understand the issue biblically and be
prepared to answer questions and challenges. When someone asks, “what’s so wrong with homosexual
marriage?” or “how does homosexual marriage threaten you?” we need to recognize
not only the slant with which the question is asked but also how to give a
biblical response. In my opinion,
natural law arguments are not going to hold water in a relativistic
culture. We must appeal to a
transcendent source of absolute truth, God’s Word. That will require us to understand what the Bible teaches
about God as the creator, ruler, and lawgiver, about marriage, gender roles,
homosexuality, sexual sin in general, the family, and a host of other topics.
But we need to guard against
getting involved in a traffic jam on the gospel expressway. Remember the ultimate objective is to
get to the gospel. In 1 Peter3:15, we are exhorted to be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks for a
reason for the hope that is in us.
Traditional marriage is not the reason for the hope that is in us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is, so that
needs to be our main message.
6.
We must keep our conduct among the world
honorable (1 Pet 2:12). In other
words, we need to live godly lives even as we are being maligned for our
beliefs. This is a repeated theme
in Peter’s first epistle, and the reason is simple: when we live godly lives in
the midst of persecution or unjust treatment, our conduct testifies to the
truth of our message and puts our revilers to shame (1 Pet 3:16). Peter even predicts that on the last
day our accusers will glorify God because of our good deeds (1 Pet 2:12). Christ also suffered unjustly, leaving
us an example that we might follow in his steps. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he
suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who
judges justly” (1 Pet 2:21-23).
Our focus should be on glorifying God in our words and conduct. Nothing will discredit us faster than
ungodliness.
Again, this is not an exhaustive discussion, but hopefully
some will find it helpful.
If you have any questions about the issue or you have
received questions from others that you don’t know how to answer, please either
email them to me or ask them in the comment section of this post. I’ll respond as soon as I can.
Don't let these things drive you to anxiety. Rather, "humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (1 Pet 5:6-7).
Posted by Greg Birdwell
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