A Line Drawn in the Sand
I'm not sure you can read much online or turn on the news and not see something about whether or not gay marriage is right, should be legal, where churches should stand on this, etc. I have remained silent on this issue because I know where I stand. I don't feel the need to put it out there on my Facebook wall or anything like that. However, due to a conversation I had recently I wanted to put some thoughts down.
The question was can a church say to one part of their congregation it's OK to support gay marriage, let them do their thing, and then have another group along side NOT supporting it? Can they worship in harmony, can they do church together? Is it OK to say to the one group, "you go ahead and believe that, be blessed by us, but we're going to go a different direction." Can you do this?
I've been thinking about it a lot since that conversation. And I think the answer is no. I thought it at the beginning and after thinking on it longer I still think the answer is no. Here's why. I believe a homosexuality is a sin. It is only spoken of in Scripture as a sin. It is never spoken of in a positive light, or even something that could be a possibility of a good thing. We see no examples of blessed same-sex relationships. Because of these things I believe it to be a sin. Does this mean that I go to the extreme of then HATING people who don't agree with me? Do I hate those who live this lifestyle? Of course not! Don't be absurd! But, that's the conclusion we've come to, isn't it? It seems we think you can't simply "love the sinner, hate the sin." I think you can. I mean, God loves me. I'm a sinner. He loves you, you're a sinner. Am I a lesbian? No, but I have other sins in my life.
You see in scripture time and again people are made to choose God's way or not. The Israelites in the Old Testament had to choose. Moses pretty much drew a line in the sand and said, "if you're for God stand on this side, if not, stay where you are" (I'm paraphrasing, but the story is found in Exodus 32). Jesus always told people after he healed them to change, stop sinning, don't return to your previous life. Paul, in the New Testament was always writing letters to the churches that they needed to be united in the Lord. They weren't to be swayed by public opinion, or what was popular, or culturally acceptable. He was always urging the churches to take a stand.
With all of these examples very plainly written out in Scripture I don't see any way around it. We, as Christians, have to take a stand. We can't sit on the fence. I don't know where you stand and right now I don't really care. We all have to stand before God one day and answer for ourselves.
And, as a church, yes, I think you have to take a stand. I think you have to say we either do or don't agree with this issue. Does this mean you hate, ridicule, disrespect, etc the person(s) who is gay, or thinks differently then you? NO! And, I'm not really sure why we think that is supposed to be the way it is. But, what it does mean (to me anyway) is that as a church you're taking a stand. In this church we do not condone homosexuality. We will not perform marriages that are same-sex. But, we will love you, as we do all sinners.
Bottom line, Christ came to save the sinner and the last time I checked that is ALL OF US! Some sins are more obvious than others, but we're all sinners. Thankfully, Jesus died for all of us and we are all responsible for our actions and words. Only God knows our heart. And, only God can judge man and woman.
The question was can a church say to one part of their congregation it's OK to support gay marriage, let them do their thing, and then have another group along side NOT supporting it? Can they worship in harmony, can they do church together? Is it OK to say to the one group, "you go ahead and believe that, be blessed by us, but we're going to go a different direction." Can you do this?
I've been thinking about it a lot since that conversation. And I think the answer is no. I thought it at the beginning and after thinking on it longer I still think the answer is no. Here's why. I believe a homosexuality is a sin. It is only spoken of in Scripture as a sin. It is never spoken of in a positive light, or even something that could be a possibility of a good thing. We see no examples of blessed same-sex relationships. Because of these things I believe it to be a sin. Does this mean that I go to the extreme of then HATING people who don't agree with me? Do I hate those who live this lifestyle? Of course not! Don't be absurd! But, that's the conclusion we've come to, isn't it? It seems we think you can't simply "love the sinner, hate the sin." I think you can. I mean, God loves me. I'm a sinner. He loves you, you're a sinner. Am I a lesbian? No, but I have other sins in my life.
You see in scripture time and again people are made to choose God's way or not. The Israelites in the Old Testament had to choose. Moses pretty much drew a line in the sand and said, "if you're for God stand on this side, if not, stay where you are" (I'm paraphrasing, but the story is found in Exodus 32). Jesus always told people after he healed them to change, stop sinning, don't return to your previous life. Paul, in the New Testament was always writing letters to the churches that they needed to be united in the Lord. They weren't to be swayed by public opinion, or what was popular, or culturally acceptable. He was always urging the churches to take a stand.
With all of these examples very plainly written out in Scripture I don't see any way around it. We, as Christians, have to take a stand. We can't sit on the fence. I don't know where you stand and right now I don't really care. We all have to stand before God one day and answer for ourselves.
And, as a church, yes, I think you have to take a stand. I think you have to say we either do or don't agree with this issue. Does this mean you hate, ridicule, disrespect, etc the person(s) who is gay, or thinks differently then you? NO! And, I'm not really sure why we think that is supposed to be the way it is. But, what it does mean (to me anyway) is that as a church you're taking a stand. In this church we do not condone homosexuality. We will not perform marriages that are same-sex. But, we will love you, as we do all sinners.
Bottom line, Christ came to save the sinner and the last time I checked that is ALL OF US! Some sins are more obvious than others, but we're all sinners. Thankfully, Jesus died for all of us and we are all responsible for our actions and words. Only God knows our heart. And, only God can judge man and woman.
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