In a
decision last Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has now made it
legal in the United States for same-sex couples to be married. All weekend, I
expect that there will be great celebrations all over America. A lot of joy,
many words of congratulations, and much talk of the “great victory” for gay
rights.
But some of
us are solemn. Some of us are subdued. Some of us feel that men and women with
same sex physical attraction have lost yet another friend and ally in their
lives – that of the federal government.
In God’s message
to us, he mentions that governments are meant to have positive influences on
society. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: “Let every person be in subjection
to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and
those which exist are established by God…For rulers are not a cause of fear for good
behavior, but for evil” (Romans 13:1, 3).
That is the
ideal. That is when government is doing its job. Historically, our government
has been quite good at this, recognizing those things which are in harmony with the
way we are meant to live under the higher law of God, and discouraging actions
that are contrary to God’s plan for society. But in this case, our government
has now failed.
God has also
made it plain in his word that he has a design for society, and the recognition
of homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle is not part of that plan. If this
be the case, we then ask, “Why has he made some people who have same-sex
attraction? Why has he made some people who believe they are of one gender in their
physical body, but the other gender in their soul?”
These are
legitimate questions and one that I, at least, am not able to answer. However,
I do know that we all have aspects about us in our nature that are not
acceptable to God. All of us have tendencies that, if we would let them loose,
would turn us against God.
I think at
least part of the answer to the two questions above, is that some of our purpose
here on this earth is to realize that our relationship to God is of preeminent importance – above all else in
our lives. So important is it, that we will fight against any natural tendency
that we have that is contrary to God’s society.
We should
not think that God is “singling out” homosexuals. There are many other things
about our natural tendencies that are contrary to God’s society.
Here is
something else that the Apostle Paul wrote: “Do you not know that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, no adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor
the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NASB)
That is
quite a list, and I can tell you, there are at least a couple of those
tendencies in that list that I have struggled with. Quite frankly, there are one or two that I still do struggle with. However, there is a difference between struggling
against unrighteous tendencies and giving in to them; even having pride in them.
When a
person is struggling against some of these, they need all the help that they
can get. A government that promotes these things is not a help. In fact, the government
then becomes their adversary. In the list above as written by Paul, we see that
for all but a couple of them, our government is doing what it can by making
them illegal, or at least discouraging them. And it is at least partially
effective. There is only one of these that have become proud of their tendency,
and in fact associate the word “pride” with it.
I am sorry
that the Supreme Court has now taken away an ally of those who struggle against
homosexual tendencies in their lives. In spite of the fact that the gay
community sees this as a great victory, I believe a friend of theirs has been
taken away.
I am
thankful that the evil that is within me is still recognized by society as a
whole as something that is indeed harmful. I take no pride in those things and
I continue to seek to live my life in a manner that is accordance to God’s
society. After all, I shall one day live my life fully in the kingdom of God, so I may as
well do some cross-cultural preparations.
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