AMERICA'S MARRIAGE DILEMMA
1-15-2004
The Supreme Judicial Court of
the State of Massachusetts recently ruled in favor of same-sex
marriages, and it would take a constitutional amendment to overturn the
court’s opinion. The soonest a constitutional amendment could end up on
the ballot is 2006. Until then, gay couples can get married as early as
May of this year in Massachusetts. It’s the state’s law (Springfield
News-Leader, Jennifer Peter, Associated Press, 2/5/04).
As a pastor, called by the divine
Creator of heaven and earth, I must deal with the question: “How shall I
function if the state of Missouri should follow suit?” My answer: “The
same way that I do now.”
The myth about the separation of
church and state becomes the issue every God-called leader in covenant
with Father God must deal with. The State of Missouri requires a marriage
license—it’s the law. A state recognized judge can officiate the marriage
vows that the marrying parties desire. That is their constitutional right.
What the state joins together is legal. If the married couple should later
decide to get a divorce, the legal state authorities can make that happen.
The courts can also decide who gets what concerning the property rights
and child custody. Here is the key to the whole issue of separation of
church and state: Spiritual biblical law is a higher law than man-made
constitutional law. We must deal with “Caesar and God” in our
present-day American society. It’s an issue of conscience.
As God-called pastors, we stand
under God’s authority. His moral law requires that we obey Him
regardless of the personal cost. Believing leads to obedience. In his
book Truth & Power, J.I. Packer explains how we must be loyal to the truth
and act according to our convictions:
Martin Luther said at Worms,
“My conscience is captive to the Word of God; to go against conscience
is neither right nor safe; here I stand, there is nothing else I can do;
God help me; amen.” The privilege of knowing God’s truth with
certainty and precision carries with it the responsibility of obeying
that truth with equal precision. Christianity is no armchair faith, but
a call to action.
The pastor and elders or deacons
of the local church must discern and judge who to confirm or endorse in a
biblical, blood covenant marriage between a man and woman. Scripture says,
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we
shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1).
I believe I am one of the best
American citizens in our land. I abide by local, state, and federal laws
until my God-trained conscience says otherwise. This would be where
accepting and participating in same-sex marriages comes into view. God
sent His Son to die for people who are in bondage to sin of any kind—including,
in my view, the sin of homosexuality.
When Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Son
of God/Man, was on earth, “He was a friend of sinners.” A good
friend will tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not, because
of the true covenant love that has been placed in his/her heart by the
Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
We have a friendly heaven. God
is not angry with sinners. He has reconciled all things on earth and
heaven unto Himself and made peace through the blood of the cross of
Christ (Col. 1:19-20).
Christianity in Massachusetts has
its work cut out for it, so does Christianity in the other 49 states in
America. The Word and Spirit of God tell me the best is yet to come.
That’s my bottom line as one of God’s prophetic voices of present truth.
