Let me jump right into the recent discussion on gay marriage. The supreme court is hearing another argument on the subject today. Christians are divided on the application of the law, which is not only puzzling, but somewhat disturbing since it sends a message to non-Christians that we don’t really have any more of an idea about what God wants than they do.
All that aside, I view the topic in the same light as I do the law concerning abortion. Frankly, it is our fault that it has even come to this. Oh, I know some of you Christians will shake your fists and rant about the ungodliness of it all while others will do the same about the unfairness of it all. Think about it this way: if the church had done it’s job, I think that the abortion issue may have taken a completely different turn. Of course, there is no going back, and we can’t predict the future, so not many of us saw the abortion issue taking the turn that it did. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about gay rights. Many of us saw this coming 30 years ago. Yet here we are, facing another affront to our Christian heritage.
Here’s the solution: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” ~ Matthew 28:19
Huh. Who would have thought that the Bible would have contained the solution to an issue in our culture? I thought that the Bible only applied to church people, not our culture. Unfortunately, that is all too true. We have kept the Bible to ourselves. Inside the church. Instead of living it, we preach it. Instead of modeling it, we hit non-Christians over the head with it and proclaim ourselves exempt from its message of love.
Think about this: If we continue to do just that one verse, what difference would it make in the fight against abortion? If we made more disciples, there would be fewer pregnancies that would see abortion as an option, because their moral compass would be pointed toward the Bible as the standard of right and wrong. Therefore, there would be less teenage pregnancies, fewer affairs and more people who thought that life begins when the Bible says it does. The fight against abortion would not be what it is today because we would have less resistance in a society that regards the Word of God as absolute truth.
The same is true of gay marriage. Fortunately, the Word of God is very clear on this issue whether you want to believe it or not. If we, as Christians, followed our own standard and made disciples like Jesus commanded us to, I think that the gay rights issue would go the same way that abortion would. The onus is on US, not our legal system, to do what is right. Make disciples. Make disciples. Make disciples.
I’m not saying that we don’t need to make our voice heard. We do. But we also need to remember how to do it. Sometimes in our zeal, we come across as less than loving. Remember that Jesus died for the same people who are fighting for their rights. Our fight is not against them. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” ~ Ephesians 6:12
Our job is to make disciples. Let’s begin by praying against these “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world” and then pray for our natural authorities. 1 Timothy 2 says: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” Then let’s concentrate on making disciples and introducing them to the only one who can really help this world in the first place. Jesus.