KINGSTON FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Not like other sins – Why we are
opposed to Same sex marriage
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of
God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God.”
Dear congregation,
As I am sure you are all aware, there is to be an Australia wide
postal vote about Same-Sex-Marriage. You will, undoubtedly, have been already exposed
to proponents of both sides of the argument, each making their case as to why
their opinion should prevail and be enshrined in law.
Though, as the church, we are in the world but not of the world,
yet we find ourselves embroiled in this current controversy over so-called
‘marriage equality’. It should be noted that this is not a debate that was
started by the church, but one into which we find ourselves being dragged by
the moral revolutionaries of today. This question, which seems to be at the
forefront of our culture, has come about only within the last generation, and
is intent on overthrowing what has been the worldwide position on marriage from
the beginning of time, namely, that marriage is a God-given institution between
one man and one woman.
We are facing a true moral inversion – an implosion of the
morality that has been the bedrock of society for millennia. Within the last
thirty years homosexuality has been transformed from being almost universally
condemned to being widely accepted and celebrated. Now, it would seem, that the
only sin attached to homosexuality is the sin of opposing it. The new moral
authorities have one central demand for the church: get with the new program.
As Born-Again Christians, committed to the authority of Scripture
as the inspired Word of God, we find ourselves at odds with the rapidly
changing society in which we live.
A Polarizing
Debate
Some would like to see this whole issue of same-sex-marriage divided
into two distinct camps: those who celebrate it and those who hate it, and both
of these groups certainly exist in our society.
There are the growing numbers of people who support same-sex-marriage,
for a variety of reasons.
Some because they believe in it, others because it is the latest cause
célèbre to be attached to, and no doubt others who feel pressurised by a society
that is quick to label as bigots those who don’t agree with them. There is huge
pressure and intimidation heaped upon those who refuse to conform. On the other
side, there are people who hate the whole LGBTQ narrative, with the most
bigoted rationale and apart from any Christian concern.
The current debate is plagued by this polarization. Those who
agree with same-sex-marriage try to lump everyone who disagrees with them into the
most extreme opposing position. After all, if you are not for love, you must be
for hate. “Marriage equality” is the
latest catchphrase to be thrown into the same-sex marriage debate, but the term
“marriage equality” is an attempt to shape the conversation and assign a
certain level of unreasonableness to those who oppose same-sex marriage. What
right thinking person would oppose ‘equality’ is the suggested emphasis?
Another Path
But true followers of Christ will walk neither the path of
approbation nor condemnation. We have something to say that no one else is
saying, or can say. Distancing ourselves from both the lovers and haters of SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE,
we won’t celebrate their homosexual practice nor leave them reprobate, as those
predestined to damnation; we will, however, endeavour to ‘speak the truth in
love’ (Ephesians 4:15). While we acknowledge God’s clear revealed word that it
is sin, we don’t hate those who embrace homosexuality; we love them enough to
not just collapse under societal pressure and prop them up in their folly. We seek
to speak the truth in love into this confusion, saying, simultaneously, “That’s
wrong” and “I love you.”
The remedy of
the Gospel
We seek to bring the remedy of the gospel into this controversy,
your sins have separated you from God, but Christ has come to seek and to save
sinners (Isaiah 59:2; 1 Timothy 1:15). It is worth noting that “God commends
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”
(Romans 5:8).
So, when God tells us we’re wrong, that the wages of sin is death,
that unrepentant rebellion means judgment, that our rescue required the cursed
death of his Son (Romans 6:23; John 3:36; Galatians 3:13), but also that we’re
loved, that even while we were sinners, Jesus died for us, and suffered in our
place, that though we were destined for wrath, Jesus would welcome us into
glory (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 2:1–7), may we come in repentance of
our sins, and embrace the one who truly loves us and who gave himself to die
for us (Galatians 2:20).
That’s our message in this debate, when society’s elites despise
us, when the mainstream media vilifies us, when no one else has the resources
to say anything outside of two extremes, we have this unique opportunity to let
the gospel shine, to reach out in grace, saying: you’re wrong but you’re loved.
What does the
Bible say?
The easiest way to summarize the Bible’s teaching on sexuality is
to begin with God’s blessing of sex only within the marriage covenant between a
man and a woman. Then, just remember that sex outside of that covenant
relationship, whatever its form or expression, is explicitly forbidden.
Christians know that these prohibitions are for our good and that rejecting
them is tantamount to a moral rebellion against God Himself. We also know that
the Bible forbids all pre-marital, extra-marital, and same-sex, sexual acts and
behaviours (Exodus 20:14). Thus, we know that homosexuality is a sin, and that
blessing it in any way is also sin (Romans 1:32), and that normalizing sin
cannot lead to human happiness.
Jesus died so
that sinners, both heterosexual and homosexual, might be saved.
Since our sexuality is created by God, we must allow him to
instruct us as to how it is to be experienced in holiness and joy. It is God’s
will that a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and that
the two become one flesh (Mark 10:6–9). In this union, sexuality finds its
God-appointed meaning, whether in personal-physical unification (Genesis 2:24;
Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31), symbolic representation of Christ and his church
(Ephesians 5:22-33), sensual jubilation (Proverbs 5:18), or fruitful
procreation (Genesis 1:28). God created marriage. No human being has the right
or authority to redefine it.
For those who abandon God’s path of sexual fulfillment, and fall
into homosexual intercourse or heterosexual extramarital fornication or
adultery, Jesus offers astonishing mercy.
“And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1
Corinthians 6:11)
We are being offered, freedom from sin, cleansing away of our
guilt, and peace with God. Who would not want such things?
So, if all
sexuality outside of male-female marriage is wrong in the sight of God, why
just focus on homosexuality?
Homosexuality is not the only sin mentioned in 1 Corinthians
6:9–10, but it is different from all the others, at least right now. At this
moment in history, in contrast to the others sins that are listed in that
passage, homosexuality is celebrated by our society and is being promoted as an
acceptable and normal lifestyle. Undoubtedly, society at large has no issue
about sin in general. Countless people are idolaters, not to mention those who
are sexually immoral, or who commit adultery, or who steal and are greedy and
get drunk, and revile neighbours, and swindle others. It happens all the time.
And each of these unrepentant sins are the same in the sense of God’s judgment.
They all deserve his wrath. And we’re constantly reminded that “such were some
of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
But as far as I know, none of those sins is applauded so
aggressively by whole groups of people who advocate for their normality.
Adultery is still frowned upon by many. Accusations of greed will still smear a
candidate’s political campaign. Theft is still not openly embraced and
advocated, and there are no new legislations being proposed saying it’s okay to
go take things that don’t belong to you. There’s no such thing as a drunk
agenda yet. There aren’t any petitions before the government to abolish the
driving restrictions of intoxicated individuals. Reviling others still isn’t
seen as the best way to win friends and influence people. Swindling, especially
on a corporate level, usually gets someone thrown into jail.
Perhaps excepting fornication, these things are still seen as evils
by decent society. But not homosexual practice, not by those who are now
speaking loudest and holding positions of prominence. According to the emerging
consensus, homosexuality is different. Today people want to pass into law the
active promotion of that which God has called sinful, and they expect us to
rejoice with them.
The celebration and approval of homosexual sin is nothing new.
Homosexual behaviour has been exploited, and revelled in, and celebrated in
art, for millennia. What’s new is the normalising of this sin and the push to
legalise it and the criminalising of the opponents to it. The push for same-sex-marriage
is effectively saying that this is no longer a sin for which you must seek
forgiveness from God. While society’s view toward such behaviour has changed,
it should be noticed that God’s has not!
A Call to Weep
As Christians, we are to be as salt and light to our communities
(Matthew 5:13,14); to have a preserving effect upon our society by the sharing
of God’s glorious gospel of good news for sinful men as revealed in His Word.
May we be as “the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to
know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).
Christians, more clearly than others, can see the awful judgment
of God that is coming to a rebellious society (Colossians 3:6), and we cry out
for them to flee from the wrath which is to come (Matthew 3:7). We know what is
coming, not only because we read it in the Bible, but because we have tasted
the sorrowful fruit of our own sins. We are not exempt from the law that we
reap what we sow. Our marriages, our children, our churches, our institutions,
our societies — they are all troubled because of our sins.
The difference is: We mourn over our sins. We don’t celebrate
them. We don’t legislate for them. We turn to Jesus for forgiveness and help.
We cry to the Lord to deliver us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
And in our best moments, we weep for the world, and for our own
nation, that they might be saved (Romans 10:1). In the days of Ezekiel, God put
a mark “upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that be done in [Jerusalem]” (Ezekiel 9:4).
This is what I am praying for. Not political action, but love for
the name of God and compassion for the city marked for destruction.
“Rivers of waters run
down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law” (Psalm 119:136).
Yours in Christ’s Service
Rev. W. R. Hall
