On Friday the Supreme Court handed down an edict declaring that all 50 states must now recognize so-called same-sex marriage as marriage.
The reality is that in many ways nothing has changed:
1. Marriage is still the one flesh union of one man and one woman as established by God in Genesis 2:24. Nothing else has ever been marriage. Nothing else is marriage now. And nothing else will be marriage in the days to come.
2. Sexual perversion still exists today just as it did on Thursday before the ruling, and as it always has. You do not have to read very far in the book of Genesis to discover that there is nothing new under the sun.
3. The sovereign God of the universe is still on His throne. He has always been on His throne, and He will always be on His throne. He did not take a break on Friday and come back to discover what had happened while He was out. He is not out of control. Though the culture all around us may feel like sinking sand, we can stand firm on Christ the solid rock.
4. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is still for all kinds of sinners who would repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus. This is the message we must carry forth. We must be clear about what sin is. And we must be clear about what grace is. None of that has changed. May we continue forth as ministers of reconciliation, calling people to be reconciled to God in a world that is broken in many ways, including but not limited to sexual brokenness.
While there are many ways in which nothing has changed, there is much that has changed:
Make no mistake. Friday's expected decision was a big deal.
1. It means that the laws of our land now contribute to the confusion experienced by so many who feel attracted to people of the same sex. Those five justices who represented the majority in this decision have blood on their hands. The President celebrated (complete with rainbow lights on the White House) a decision that will lead people further down the path that leads only to destruction.
2. It means that religious liberty is and will be in jeopardy in the days to come. We have seen it already with a few individuals who have chosen to stand on their convictions rather than bowing to the new sexual orthodoxy. I don't mean to sound like an alarmist. I am not concerned that someone is going to bust open our doors today and prevent me from speaking the truth of God's Word. I am concerned that there will come a day when churches and religious institutions begin to lose their tax exempt status for standing firm on God's Word. I am concerned that many of you will be forced to make difficult decisions in the workplace about whether you will stand firm in what you believe and refuse to do certain things that violate your conscience.
3. It means that the wrath of God is upon this nation. I do not mean that God's wrath is going to fall because of this decision, though certainly it may. I mean that it has already fallen with this decision. Romans 1 is very clear that one of the ways God pours out His judgment and wrath is by turning people over to their own desires. America has been turned over to her own desires. A radical shift has taken place in public opinion over the last 10 years. America got exactly what she wanted on Friday. Those five justices did not find a right to so-called same-sex marriage in the constitution. They found a desire for it among the people of this country. And they ruled with the people.
As your pastor I commit to helping us think through these things in the days ahead as we navigate the rough waters in front of us. But now I want to pray and ask God's help for all of us.
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