The last couple of weeks there's been a lot serious postings and debates among the Christian blogs and social media sites regarding World Visions' announcement that they were going to hire homosexual couples and then within a day or so their reversal of that policy. It created a firestorm of discussion with accusations being tossed at both sides of the issues. Not overlooked in the not-so-friendly dialogue was the fate of the many innocent children who would be affected if support was withdrawn. The moral dilemma began to take on a lesser of two evils scenario. Some argued that the starving and homeless children should be the focus. That to withdraw from them would be an injustice and an abomination before God. Others took the stance that not to uphold the principles of heterosexual marriage was immoral and an abomination before God. Thus the discussion zeroed in on the sin of homosexuality and the legality of gay marriage in God's eyes.
What's a Christ Follower to do? What is he/she supposed to think? What should be our response? Tough questions because there are valid points to each argument. There is also no doubt that our culture and societal influences play into this discussion.
In my lifetime I have seen divorce go from being a stain on a persons community and social standing, making them a virtual second class citizen to an accepted status where approximately fifty percent of marriages now end in divorce. I have witnessed homosexuality go from an absolute societal taboo, believing that person was a morally depraved degenerate to gay marriage being legal in several states. In my younger days, when a girl got pregnant outside of marriage it was disgraceful and a family shame. Today sex outside of marriage, adultery and living together seems to be the norm and almost expected behavior. It causes me to wonder what the status of pedophilia will be in coming years. It's totally unacceptable today. Yet the rise of the child pornography and teachers having sex with their students should give us an insight into the coming path. Ridiculous you say. That's what they said about homosexuality just a couple of decades ago.
Societal norms and cultural practices should not be the standard by which we measure truth. Since God is truth, His word is truth; His statutes are truth. That means that the practices and patterns of our life should pursue His truth, His statutes or precepts. It really doesn't matter where society goes or what society endorses as acceptable norms of behavior. As a former college professor of mine once said, "Truth is truth whether anyone believes it or not." Generations ago societal truth said that the world was flat and the the sun orbited the earth. Let's be honest, society doesn't always get it right no matter how many people believe and experts testify about it.
Two thirds way through the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, the writer pens these words about the statutes or precepts of God. He begs God to give him discernment so that he may understand God's statutes. He proclaims his love for the commandments of God and values them more than any amount of monetary gain. There is something refreshing and pure and right about them. And following them brings about a greater fullness and peace and satisfaction in life. The psalmist acknowledges that the culture has abandoned God's precepts and prays for an intervention by our creator. In comparison to the principles God lays out, the author expresses disdain for the path/paths the world upholds.
So in answer to my previous question "what's a Christ Follower to do?", the answer is simple, pursue the statutes of God, value them first and for most. I have to live my life by God's commands and precepts to the best of my ability relying on the Holy Spirit to give me direction. I cannot base my life on where the world is going or what everyone else is doing. As my mother always challenged me, "If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you do it to?" It has to be about me and my pursuit of a relationship with God. As a Christ Follower, my life isn't my own any longer any way. Jesus is my commander. I do what He directs me to do. Jesus said, "If you love me you will obey my commandments." Not out of duty but out of love. If I truly love Jesus, I will love His truth. If I don't love His truth, then I don't truly love Jesus.
Should I have sex outside of marriage? What does Jesus say? Should I support the hungry, the poor, the starving children? What does Jesus say? Should I accept homosexual marriage or relationships? What does Jesus say? Questions like these should cause us to dig deeper into His Word with the prayer of this psalmist on our lips, "give me discernment that I may understand your statutes."
God, life is sometimes complicated. We face moral dilemmas all the time. I need your truth to guide my life. I want to understand your statutes and precepts. I want to mold my life around Your Word. I want my decisions to sync with your principles. Give me discernment. I don't want to be a legalist, but I do want to completely follow your path and lift up your truth with love and grace.
What's a Christ Follower to do? What is he/she supposed to think? What should be our response? Tough questions because there are valid points to each argument. There is also no doubt that our culture and societal influences play into this discussion.
In my lifetime I have seen divorce go from being a stain on a persons community and social standing, making them a virtual second class citizen to an accepted status where approximately fifty percent of marriages now end in divorce. I have witnessed homosexuality go from an absolute societal taboo, believing that person was a morally depraved degenerate to gay marriage being legal in several states. In my younger days, when a girl got pregnant outside of marriage it was disgraceful and a family shame. Today sex outside of marriage, adultery and living together seems to be the norm and almost expected behavior. It causes me to wonder what the status of pedophilia will be in coming years. It's totally unacceptable today. Yet the rise of the child pornography and teachers having sex with their students should give us an insight into the coming path. Ridiculous you say. That's what they said about homosexuality just a couple of decades ago.
Societal norms and cultural practices should not be the standard by which we measure truth. Since God is truth, His word is truth; His statutes are truth. That means that the practices and patterns of our life should pursue His truth, His statutes or precepts. It really doesn't matter where society goes or what society endorses as acceptable norms of behavior. As a former college professor of mine once said, "Truth is truth whether anyone believes it or not." Generations ago societal truth said that the world was flat and the the sun orbited the earth. Let's be honest, society doesn't always get it right no matter how many people believe and experts testify about it.
Two thirds way through the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, the writer pens these words about the statutes or precepts of God. He begs God to give him discernment so that he may understand God's statutes. He proclaims his love for the commandments of God and values them more than any amount of monetary gain. There is something refreshing and pure and right about them. And following them brings about a greater fullness and peace and satisfaction in life. The psalmist acknowledges that the culture has abandoned God's precepts and prays for an intervention by our creator. In comparison to the principles God lays out, the author expresses disdain for the path/paths the world upholds.
So in answer to my previous question "what's a Christ Follower to do?", the answer is simple, pursue the statutes of God, value them first and for most. I have to live my life by God's commands and precepts to the best of my ability relying on the Holy Spirit to give me direction. I cannot base my life on where the world is going or what everyone else is doing. As my mother always challenged me, "If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you do it to?" It has to be about me and my pursuit of a relationship with God. As a Christ Follower, my life isn't my own any longer any way. Jesus is my commander. I do what He directs me to do. Jesus said, "If you love me you will obey my commandments." Not out of duty but out of love. If I truly love Jesus, I will love His truth. If I don't love His truth, then I don't truly love Jesus.
Should I have sex outside of marriage? What does Jesus say? Should I support the hungry, the poor, the starving children? What does Jesus say? Should I accept homosexual marriage or relationships? What does Jesus say? Questions like these should cause us to dig deeper into His Word with the prayer of this psalmist on our lips, "give me discernment that I may understand your statutes."
God, life is sometimes complicated. We face moral dilemmas all the time. I need your truth to guide my life. I want to understand your statutes and precepts. I want to mold my life around Your Word. I want my decisions to sync with your principles. Give me discernment. I don't want to be a legalist, but I do want to completely follow your path and lift up your truth with love and grace.
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