184942592We first looked at what the bible says about Marriage, Sexual Sins and Homosexuality. Then we looked at 5 Myths that are presented by the gay movement. In this issue we want to look at
‘Why this is important?

There are many reasons but let’s look at three major reasons why this is so important.

1. BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
Albert Mohler, a leader among Southern Baptists puts it this way, ‘Every biblical reference to homosexuality affirms its sinfulness, to deny the sinfulness of same sex relations is to deny the authority of scripture.’

Actually it is as simple as that. The issue behind the issue of homosexuality, for bible believing Christians, is the authority of scripture. That is why today, there is such an onslaught of books and utube videos, such as Matthew Vines utube video ‘God and Gay Christians,’ seeking to declare that homosexuality is scripturally approved.

Consequently, they come up with all sorts of weird interpretations of scripture, including that David and Jonathan were gay lovers, the centurion’s servant that Jesus healed was really the centurion’s gay partner. Then of course, the implications are made regarding Jesus and John, the disciple whom he loved.

If you want to examine more of this unsound scriptural interpretation and the biblical response to it, see Michael L. Browns book ‘Can you be Gay and Christian?’

The argument most used is that we are called to love. Who is going to argue against love? But what we need is both love and truth. It is not love to hold back on declaring truth.

Michael L. Brown has this interesting thought,”The Word of God is clearly against it. Personally, I am convinced that if you gave the Bible to one million people who had never read it before, and if they could read the original texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, if you left them alone to study God’s word for one year, virtually none of them would come away with the idea that God approved of homosexual relationship or would ever endorse same-sex ‘marriages.’ It is only when the Bible is read through the eyes of same-sex desires or through the contemporary understandings of sexuality in the aftermath of the sexual revolution that anyone would come away with the notion that homosexuality was a gift from God or that He approved of men having sex with men or women having sex with women.”

So ultimately, the issue is authority – the authority of Scripture. Howard A Snyder, in his sensitive book ‘Homosexuality and the Church’ writes “In each case, once homosexual practice was endorsed as acceptable for Christians, other compromises on Biblical authority followed. A line had been crossed. The Bible no longer carried the authority it has nearly always had when the church was vital and faithful. So homosexuality is indeed a key issue. Biblical fidelity requires viewing homosexual practices as sinful and a violation of God’s law. It also requires unlimited compassion and understanding towards homosexual people in the spirit of Jesus. and the sensitivity and power of the Holy Spirit.”

2. CONSCIENCE
With more and more acceptance of gay marriage, it is only time that more pressure will be exerted and churches will have to take a stand one way or another in regard to what they believe. A recent report relates that the parliament in Denmark voted through a new law on same sex marriage, by a large majority, making it mandatory for all churches to conduct gay marriages.

One wonders if it applies to mosques and synagogues or just Christian Churches. Now Denmark is not the quite the same as here is America. Denmark has a national church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is supported by taxpayer money. But the day may come here in America, where churches who refuse to marry gays may lose their tax benefits.

We are living in an era, not much different to the years before the second world war when the church in Germany was unwilling to take a stand against the government of it’s day.

3. CHILDREN
Perhaps the most serious issue relates to children. The media does not give you the full picture and the high court did not give it the significance it deserved. But more and more research has gone into the well being of these new family forms (i.e. two mothers or two fathers). Mark Regnerus, a professor at the University of Texas in Austin, bearing in mind that the idea is presented that children are no different in same sex families as normal two sex families, concludes that this is not so, “Every other family form that is not married mother and father raising their own biological or adopted children differs in terms of optimum child well being outcomes.” (Citizen Magazine April 2014) i.e. They turned out worse socially, emotionally and in relationships. It is not a surprise that this study was viciously but unsuccessfully attacked by gay advocates. The best place for children to grow up in is with a married couple – a father and a mother.

A WORD IN CLOSING
The temptation in this day and age will be to put your head in the sand and ignore the issue. As Larry Tomzack notes, “We have influential ministers who, in their churches, on radio, TV and interviews, downplay the entire gay issue and smile, explaining that its not really part of their ministry. Their silence is deafening, as they prefer to remain quiet and uncontroversial while not ‘offending’ people they’re trying to draw into their growing ministry.” But it’s not just for the big boys. It is for all of us who believe what the Bible teaches about sexuality. It is time to take a stand.

We have to show love but we have to proclaim truth. The world needs both. Let’s pray that this will happen!

Recently, at Church on the Hill in Chaska, MN, we invited Steven Uggen of Trinity Works to speak. He gave a powerful word about biblical sexuality and also followed up with a testimony from a colleague who had been gay. He also shared about an outreach in Minneapolis at the end of June to the Gay Pride Festival and a number of our congregation volunteered to be a part of a team of 350 people or so. Pray for them and this outreach as they seek to present both love and truth.

RESOURCE MATERIAL
Two books that I would recommend –
Michael L Brown’s book ‘Can You be Gay and Christian.’ Responding with love and truth to questions about homosexuality.
Howard A Snyder’s book ‘Homosexuality and the Church.’ Defining issue or distracting battle.