Today

I intended to post something else today, but providence decreed otherwise.  I wish to say four things that I think are important to remember today.

1.  I am a sinner saved by grace.  This must be the first and guiding principle in all self identity.  The only good that resides within is alien to me.  It was given to me by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.  "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [made alive] us together with Christ." (Eph.2:4-5)

The homosexual is a sinner in need of grace just like me.  The church ought never resort to ad hominem attacks toward any individual.  Any sexual practice outside of marriage between one man and one woman, God declares sin.  My lustful thoughts are as much sin as homosexual practice.  Both require the blood of Jesus to cleanse us.  Both require confession and repentance.

This means unbelieving homosexuals receive common grace.  "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)  They are capable, by God's grace, of contributing beneficially to culture.  The fact that their sinful behavior constitutes a detriment to society does not exclude their ability to perform well in other aspects of society.  We are alike human, fallen, in need of redemption, and engaged in the cultural mandate.

2.  I have repeatedly reminded the church that we lost our moral authority to speak against homosexuality when we stopped disciplining heterosexual sin.  When we abdicated the biblical position on divorce and remarriage, when we overlooked premarital sexual activity, when we tolerated adultery, we gave up absolute truth on sexual morals in favor of our own sexual preference.  We have created a two tier system of sexual sin.  The lower tier, which we are too willing to tolerate, we reserve for heterosexual sin.  The higher tier, which we condemn as perverted, we reserve for homosexual sin.  We loudly acclaim the punishment Leviticus declares against homosexual acts without mentioning that the same punishment applied to adulterers as well.  We justly look bigoted when we accept one sin but reject the sins of another.  The success of the homosexual agenda can be credited to the church.  In short, it's our fault.  Until we own that, we remain abetters to the very agenda we condemn.

3.  A Supreme Court decision does not limit the power of the gospel.  Don't get me wrong, the success of the homosexual agenda is not good for the government or society of the United States.  It burdens me.  I wish things were different.  Even so, I am not discouraged.  The God who can change Rome from Nero to Constantine can reverse the course of any country if He so wills.  He can do it through the faithful church.  He can do it through the proclamation of the gospel.

I see this as a tremendous opportunity to shatter the one wall that continues to block the witness of the church.  I do not mean the walls others put up, for only the Holy Spirit can break that wall.  I mean the wall we erect in our own heart against our own witness.  The most devastating attitude that hinders our witness is the concept of spiritual superiority.  We think we are better that unbelievers because of what we have received.  What absolute, devilish perversion!  What have we that we did not receive?  Why should we be proud that when dead God made us alive even when there was no good within us?

Until we wrap our head around the parity of moral imperfection between us and the homosexual, we will never succeed in the proclamation of the gospel.  They need grace just as we.  God's grace is the only thing that separates us, it is the one thing they need.  Unfortunately, it is the one thing we have not shown them.  Notice, I said "shown" not "told".  We tell people a lot, but we show them very little.  Until we show people what grace produces in us, until we show sinners our inability but Christ's ability for us, until we show other sinners God's everything for us sinners, we have not communicated the gospel.

Even in the midst of the challenge posed today, God reigns.  One person posted today, "Where God is overruled He will one one day rule."  God rules now.  Jesus has not abdicated His throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.  His plan is on schedule and operating for His glory and the good of His people.  Perhaps He will glorify Himself through the purifying of His church through persecution.  I do not know.  Perhaps He will glorify Himself through an explosion of the gospel to turn this country to repentance.  I do not know.  All I know is that He still reigns and the power of the gospel is not diminished one bit.

4.  "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)  Many are predicting times of persecution ahead for Christians in this country.  I think these predictions, for reasons stated above, are premature.  Even so, this is the time for decision.  Where will you stand?  Does it seem evil to you to continue to assert the equality of all sexual sin before God?  Does it seem evil to serve the Lord who only redeems people out of the perversion of sin?  Does it seem evil to worship one who puts the first commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," before the seventh "Thou shalt not commit adultery"?   Does it seem evil to affirm the sinfulness of all sexual sin if it lands you in jail?  Who will you serve?  By God' grace, I desire to stand with Joshua, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."