Yesterday I had a lively conversation with someone special in my life about the homosexual “marriage” issue. She has been very busy with her own life and doesn’t usually watch the news. I informed her that there have been lawsuits filed by homosexual activists who felt “discriminated against” because certain Christian business owners refused to participate in homosexual “marriage” ceremonies.
Even though hundreds of flower shops (and/or bakeries in other cases) would be willing to service them, the two homosexual men (in the case of Baronelle Stutzman) decided to file a lawsuit against her. In fact, several flower shops offered to provide flowers free of charge to the two men! But that wasn’t enough to satisfy them. They needed to go through with a lawsuit in order to “teach her a lesson,” run her out of business, destroy her livelihood and possibly even take away her home!
I ask, where is the tolerance in that?
I shared the story of Baronelle Stutzman which can be seen in the video below.
I explained most of what was shown in the above video to her, and she did say that what was happening to Stutzman “wasn’t right.”
I was glad that she ended up understanding what is at stake in the homosexual “marriage” agenda vs. the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of association rights of Christian business owners.
Ultimately, the decision made by the Supreme Court will come down in favor of either religious liberty or “special rights” for the homosexual legal agenda.
I told her that I fear for this country if the Supreme Court makes a sweeping decision (like Roe. vs. Wade regarding abortion becoming legal in all 50 states in 1973) that demands the recognition of homosexual marriage without any freedom of religion, speech and association exclusions for those with religious objections towards being involved in such “ceremonies.”
This morning, I awoke with the following thought in my mind.
“The day that Jesus is not close to me is a day that doesn’t exist.”
It was very comforting to me! I think that it was a message from the Holy Spirit of God to help me focus on Jesus and to remind me that I am “not of this world;” just as Christ stated in John 8.
I know that the promises of the Bible are real and enduring. No matter what transpires in this fallen world, God is with me…always! And no one can ever take away my salvation which has been obtained through Jesus Christ!
Rom 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have [fn] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 5:2
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rom 5:3
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
Rom 5:4
and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Rom 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Rom 5:6
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Rom 5:10
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Rom 5:11
And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Rom 5:13
(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Rom 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Rom 5:15
But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
Rom 5:16
And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
Rom 5:17
For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Rom 5:18
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
Rom 5:19
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Rom 5:20
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
Rom 5:21
so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Update:
I wrote this blog post late last night. This morning, I found a new Christian blog that had a great post which explains what Barronelle Stutzman mentioned in the video regarding Christ being the Groom and the church (all born-again Christians – not a specific denomination or building) being His Bride.
Grace Life Thoughts: Thinking About Marriage.
Read it all at the link!
Here is an important excerpt:
Jesus Christ often taught about marriage during His ministry on earth during the early part of the 1st century AD. The Pharisees used the issue of divorce from marriage as a way to trick Jesus. Jesus supported the traditional definition of marriage from the Genesis account in His answer to the Pharisees.
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.’ They said to Him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?’ He said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Matthew 19:4-9
Jesus added the words, ‘Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate,’ to the understanding of marriage. Many pastors still use those words during marriage ceremonies.
Marriage, from a biblical perspective, is between a human male and human female. Two life events can dissolve a marriage: death and sexual immorality.
“A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:39
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Matthew 19:9
Since God invented marriage with its true meaning and physical boundaries, God is the only Being who can change marriage. Will He change marriage? Here’s how Jesus answered a group of Sadducees who tried to trick Him with a question about marriage and the resurrection. Keep in mind that the Sadducees didn’t even believe in a physical resurrection, which makes their evil intent even more obvious.
“The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: ‘Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’ And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.” Matthew 22:23-33
God designed ‘male to female’ marriage for human beings on earth. God designed no ‘human marriage’ in the resurrection from the dead. So, is that the end of marriage? It’s only purpose is for human males and human females on earth? After death there’s nothing more to the meaning of ‘real’ marriage?
There is much, much more to the meaning of marriage and it is in that ‘reality’ we find the eternal meaning and value of marriage.
Mystical Marriage
‘Mystical marriage’ is that aspect of marriage that is both spiritual and mysterious.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:22-33
The reduction of marriage to just a ‘legal’ ceremony misses the point of the ‘reality’ of human male and human female marriage. It’s about Jesus Christ and His Church. As Paul wrote, ‘This is a great mystery.’ The reason for ‘purity’ in marriage (human male and human female) is because of the purity of the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Church. True ‘marriage’ can never be about human male to human male or human female to human female because it does not display the ‘great mystery’ concerning ‘Christ and the church.’ If you are a Christian and disagree with that statement, please read Ephesians 5:22-33 again. It is a ‘mystery,’ but God has chosen to reveal many of His mysteries to His children.
[You can learn more about how and why God reveals ‘mysteries’ to His children by reading Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, especially Chapter 3]
The ‘Marriage’ Debate
Understanding this ‘great mystery’ does not make the ‘marriage debate’ easier for Christians. In fact, it makes it more difficult because we are dealing with a great many people who do not believe in God or at least not the God of the Bible. That tension is to be expected with non-theists.
However, what is not to be expected is the debate about marriage among Christians. Even though physical and mystical marriage are explained clearly in Scripture, there are many Christians who disagree with God’s purpose and design. Why is that? Why would any Christian disagree with God’s purpose and design for something as important as marriage? Especially a truth that has eternal implications?
It is my hope that all Christians will ‘think’ seriously about God’s purpose and design for marriage and agree with Him. It is vital that Christ’s Church be unified on the ‘reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.’ Amen.
Update on 6/18/15:
Western Journalism: Legalized Gay Marriage Will Have This Huge Impact That No One Thought About
Talk Wisdom 