Reasons Why I Believe in the Biblical Definition of Marriage
1.
I have defied God regarding things in the Bible
that I didn’t like and didn’t want to obey. That never ended well because God
disciplined me (Hebrews 12:7-12).
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son
is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone
undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected
them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and
live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but
God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it
produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained
by it.”
2.
I found that God pours blessing upon me when I
do what He desires (Malachi 3:10)
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw
open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not
have room enough for it.”
3.
I am commanded to love my neighbor and know that
condoning his/her sin is to their detriment.
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:
6-7
4.
It isn’t loving to support someone whose sin God
says will keep him/her out of heaven.
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers not
male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor greedy nor drunkards
nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what
some of you were but you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to
death.” Proverbs 14:12
5.
I really love the ones who struggle with same
sex attraction and want to see them in heaven with me. I KNOW God loved me
before I repented of my many sins yet I was blissfully unaware that those sins
would send me to hell. It is obedience that pleases God and repentance that
saves.
“Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
Although I hate being called a bigot and judgmental I know
whom I serve and care more about pleasing Him than any whom falsely judge my
motives. So along with Jesus I say what he said regarding the woman caught in
adultery …” neither do I condemn you... Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:11
To find the Biblical definition on marriage try these
Scriptures:
Ephesians 4:22-33;Romans 1:26-27;
Matthew19:4; ICor6:9-10;Mark 10:6-10;Matthew
19:1-8;Galatians5:19;Ephesians5:3-7; Colossians3:5-7;ITim 1:10;Titus 1:16; Jude1:4,7,19;Rev21:27
I struggle with that fine line between loving someone who struggles with same-sex attraction and condoning it. I agree with what the Bible says about it, just as you have written here. My question then becomes is it a matter of expression of this Truth to the individual(s) and then loving them anyways? Are we as believers cleared of our conscience so-to-speak, once we've expressed the Truth? Jesus clearly commanded her to "...leave her life of sin"... doesn't say if she did. We want to believe that she did....afterall she met Jesus firsthand, but how many of us fall prey to sinning again even as believers? "I do what I know I aught not to do even though I desire to right... I would like to believe that the majority of the same-sex attraction culture falls into this place of weakness.. .they desire to be "straight" but "do what they aught not to do". Is expression of the Truth once enough? At what point does it become unexceptable if at all? Is it even our place with the "logs in our own eyes"? Can a person who is in a same-sex relationship tell me the Truth about my own sin? Would I listen to them or continue in my sin? I would like to think that I would accept the Truth, but depending on where and how God is working in my life at that time, would I really? I've just finished reading Isaiah and Jeremiah in the Bible and Lord knows, the Israelites would NOT listen to their prophets speaking Truth to them... I don't want to be an Israelite like that but this conversation shows me where I am exactly like them. I'm going to go pray and confess that now...
ReplyDeleteJen, it IS a fine line but if pressed into a corner I believe God would always have us error on the side of love - since it is the fulfilling of the law. Check out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - not everything that's loving is easy but it is right. I think once we've expressed what we believe we don't need to beat that dead horse BUT we maintain OUR right to what we're comfortable with (especially in our own homes). Just as WE should never try to force our views onto someone else, we should not allow someone else to force their views on US!
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago my sister, who is a Christian, was invited to a gay wedding. She agonized over whether or not she should go. Finally she decided that she cared enough about these two individuals to attend although she didn't condone. She chose grace - they knew her views and it touched them that she came.
Finally, my children have done some things that I don't agree with BUT I still love them unconditionally and I think they know that. As a parent our vocally "teaching them how to live" ends when they walk out the door as adults UNLESS they ask for our opinion. Our loving support of them NEVER ends regardless of their choices.