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It’s sure been a while! So as many, if not all, of you know, yesterday the world was completely turned upside down by a Supreme Court decision legalizing the marriage rights of homosexuals. I've seen article after blog post after interview spanning the entire spectrum of stances on the issue, and I've got something to say. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Seriously people? It's really SUCH a burden on you? Let me be clear, the "people" I'm referring to are those who stand behind "the word of God" and "wholesome christian values". The fundamentalist opinion that this being made legal has somehow demeaned your traditional marriage or made it meaningless is ridiculous. You want to use the bible and quote about the condemnation of such behavior, yet you fail to see your actions as mirroring those of the people Jesus spoke against! You want to stand behind His commandments, but when Jesus was ministering on earth He was asked what the greatest commandment was, what was His response? Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” We’ve all heard it, but what does it actually mean? The word love in verse 37 referring to our love for God is the word Agapao. When speaking of a person, it means to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. This same word is the one used when speaking of love toward your neighbor. The greatest commandment according to Jesus Himself was that we love other people as much as we love Him. Let that sink in for a moment. Is this the behavior being exhibited by the church today? Is this the kind of love the church has for those who have been given a legal right to do what they have already been doing? Nope. If we read further and dig a little deeper within the bible we find other references to our commandment to love. This one comes to us from John 13 where Jesus has just washed the disciples feet, becoming the perfect image of humility, and called out His betrayer. After Judas leaves, Jesus says this: John 13:34-35 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” We saw Him speak about love back in Matthew, is He saying the same thing here? In verse 34 He’s using the word Agapao, but in verse 35 he changes it up a bit. The word He uses is Agape which means brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence..love feasts. What what?? By this ALL (Greek word Pas meaning every single thing in the entire universe) may know that you are my disciples (Greek word mathayetes’ which means a learner or pupil) if you have love (Agape: brotherly love, good will, affection) for one another. So the world and everything in it will know that we are learners of Christ when we have Agape for one another. Ok, what does that look like? Is there anywhere that we can turn to that tells us what that is supposed to look like? Flash forward to 1 Corinthians 13. You all should know where I’m going with this. It’s used at just about every wedding on earth, yes, even the gay ones. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; Love is not arrogant 5 or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; Love is not irritable or resentful; 6 Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing* (*Greek word Adikia which means injustice), but Love rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Love is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way. Love is not irritable or resentful. When Jesus is talking to His disciples and effectively to us, His learners, He says "the entire universe will know you are of Me if you have Agape for one another; if you have 1 Corinthians love, deep heartfelt compassion and affection for one another. This is how the world will know you are Mine." This is the mark of someone who is truly in touch with their true identity in Christ. What does your stand against gay marriage do but alienate you from those who we are called to love with abandon? When did Jesus while on this earth make a stand against gays marrying? How welcoming is your bigotry to those who are seeking truth? What makes you any better than them? I got news for you, you can be gay and be a christian. You can be married to the same sex and still praise God! You raise yourself up to this self righteous pedestal just as the Pharisees did and expect them to fall to your feet seeking your forgiveness for their disgusting behavior. It sickens me. I know by writing this I have alienated myself from a good portion of people, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about bringing God’s truth to the LGBTQ community. But how do we show the truth of God without condemning them? Here’s how: Love them. That’s it. Invite them over for dinner. How bout you DON’T bring it up? How bout instead of feeding the beast that is this controversial issue, you just talk to them. Ask them how their day is going. Ask them what they like to eat. Ask them what kinds of movies they like to watch. Just be their friend! Show them what Christ is like by not beating them over the head with a 2000+ year old book. Just be with them. That’s all I have to say for now. Thanks for reading! The Other Guy 
9 Comments
Mitch
6/27/2015 07:29:36 am
Homosexuality is sexual confusion. The homosexual does not know who they really are and to promote the delusion is offensive. If you affirm somebody in their delusion you only promote further delusion. I know people who think they can sing and there are people that tell them all they can say when they can't. by telling them that they can you only promote their delusion. there are those that believe they are musicians and that they were born musicians but they can't Play a note properly. I know people who believe they are born introverted but they're just afraid to step out of themselves. We are not doing anybody any good by lying to them or affirming them in their delusion.
bruce waymack
6/27/2015 11:06:48 am
Mitch, you are wrong...
Doug Hampton
6/27/2015 02:50:42 pm
You danced all around this topic and never came close to the problem I and many others have with what has taken place over the past few days. The problem I have is with the so called Supreme Court. The Court has taken it on themselves to change and make new laws. The court can interpet the law but cannot make law.
gay guy
6/27/2015 02:58:23 pm
Get real ur time of racism is over deal with it or move to texas
Florence Davis
6/27/2015 10:09:04 am
Jesus spoke out against the self-righteous "delusional" crowd of religious folk too. Let's not stay silent, those of us who're able to discern the injustice & evil that's keeping church-folk "blind" to their own self-righteousness & lack of love! Let's luv 'em like any other disenfranchised group of folk & let's get 'em "saved" too!
Mark
6/27/2015 01:00:37 pm
"Jesus spoke out against the self-righteous "delusional" crowd of religious folk too."
Gary
6/30/2015 09:16:08 pm
1.Perhaps we should just quietly remove Paul from the New testament because we don't like his message anymore there in Romans.
mark t
7/14/2015 11:42:21 pm
I think its important that if we discuss this with gays from a Christian perspective that we lead with the gospel. If they're curious what I as a Christian think about it, I will start with the fact that they are reconciled to God and God doesn't count any of their sins against them. Whether its sexual sin or slander or theft. Thats a bigger headline of Christianity than "we can list what is good and what is evil". That being said, the government has no right, authority, or business to weigh in on sacraments. Separation of church and state. We are not talking about "civil unions" but rather marriage. And the government can't redefine a sacrament. Its like them making a law stating that baptism is doing cartwheels through a field of cotton. So from my perspective these people may think on the surface that they're married, but they are not. The reason Paul addressed this morality in Romans 1 is because we are punished by our sins, not for them. Paul makes clear our perfection in Gods eyes, and then invites us to begin living like we are perfect, because he loves us.
Crazy
12/17/2015 06:35:13 am
Whoa.. okay.. everyone, please stop pointing out sin.... Your sin and other people's sin. Jesus came to blot out all our sin, not shove them in our face. God doesn't need anyone dole out His law. What He wants us to do is share the good news of our righteousness and freedom in the Jesus Christ. To let everyone know His love for the world. And then His law will be written on their hearts and in their minds. Just share His love and He'll take care of the rest. BOOM..done. Leave a Reply. |
David MillerI am married to the most beautiful woman on the face of this planet, Ashley, and have had the privilege of having a daughter, Haniah. I love them with all that I am! Connect with MeArchives
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