God invented marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman for life. This is the bedrock of a stable society. This bedrock is developing some big cracks as many countries re-define marriage to suit the radical gay agenda.

1 – The nature of the family itself

The change in law has brought about the destruction of marriage in some countries in Europe. Marriage in both Scandinavia and the Netherlands is in deep decline. In Denmark, a slight majority of all children are still born within marriage. In many countries cohabitation is no longer viewed as just a prelude to, but increasingly as a substitute for legal marriages.

In France there are civil pacts that allow homosexuals to file joint income tax returns, etc. These had to be made available to everyone. These are easier to enter into and get out of than marriage. People are using these civil pacts rather than marriage. This does not provide stability for children.

The outcome is likely to be that polygamy will eventually be allowed. Adultery will not be seen as unreasonable. Marriage will have little meaning to many. We see increasing mention of “swinging” – where a married or otherwise committed couple engages with another couple, multiple couples, or a single individual. Even faithfulness in marriage is being undermined.

2 – Freedom of religion?

We have “hate speech” or “orientation discrimination” regulations which force us to keep our opinions to ourselves. In the US some Catholic adoption charities (E.g. Catholic Charities of Boston) are reluctantly moving out of the adoption business as they are under pressure to put children with same-sex couples – in opposition to the stance of the Church. There is likely to be increasing pressure from government for the church to conform.

Those who oppose homosexuality are seen as promoting hate speech. Homosexual rights are holding sway over Freedom of Religion. Those who oppose same-sex marriages are being labelled as “homophobic” or “bigots”.

3 – God is not neutral on Homosexuality

God has made up His mind on Homosexuality despite those who would seek to soften or explain it away. Some examples from the Bible are below:-

• “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” Leviticus 18:22.
• “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them.” Leviticus 20.13.
• “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:” Romans 1:26.
• “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:27.
• “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:32.

We are prone to sexual sins and the Bible is clear in warning about the deception of sexual sins. People are more interested in what their heart tells them is right than what the Bible says is right. The human heart is deceitful. In Jeremiah 17:9 we are told that the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”; and that the Lord is the judge who “tries” the human heart. There are three things we need to recognise about homosexuality:-

• We need to recognise our own sins. We must realise that adultery, lust, lying, greed, hatred, etc is as bad as homosexuality. See Galatians 5:19-21 & 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. We need to repent. In many cases people have gone into homosexuality due to being abused when they were young and developing a love or hatred for men.
• It is debate and not hate. If someone is about to walk back over a cliff do we not warn them? The Bible is God’s Word and He has ordained marriage. It takes a man and a woman to give birth and to provide the best environment for raising children.
• The Church and forgiveness. Homosexuality is not an unforgivable sin. The ground at the front of the cross is even. It is possible from a thief to stop being a thief. It is possible for a homosexual to stop being a homosexual.

4 – Concerning children

Throughout the world, children belong to the parents who gave them birth. There is generally a family unit consisting of a man, a woman and their children. The male and female genders are for each other. It is an obvious “natural” law. Adoption is never the ideal for children.

Can two loving Lesbians not raise children? Yes. Yet this child may suffer from gender confusion. Sons of lesbians may be generally less masculine and daughters may generally be less feminine. Gay couples cannot produce their own children and so the danger is that wombs will need to be rented and children will not know who their biological parents were. God says that both a mother and parent are relevant to a child. It cannot be achieved by two men or two women. We must work towards the ideal. See Genesis 2:18, 21-25.

5 – The pressure we are under

There is pressure to accept same-sex relationships. They want equal rights. There are some assumptions that are not true.

• I am born that way – There has been a search for a “gay” gene and almost an assumption that it exists. The thinking is that gay people are not responsible for their gayness. That they are born that way and are only being true to their genetic makeup. It is God who has made them this way as they were created this way. The fact is that no scientific study has discovered a “gay gene”. It does not exist. There is a difference between genes and our desires and disposition. We are responsible for our behaviour even if it is genetically motivated. Surely homosexuals do not want to admit that genetics has made them into robots that can make no real choices on how they behave? They are moral agents and responsible for their lifestyle. What happens if we discover a gay, arsonist or paedophile gene? Will this render human beings incapable of taking responsibility for their actions? I don’t think so! Since the fall in the Garden of Eden we all have a predisposition to sin whether we are heterosexual or homosexual. Our fallen desires or lusts must be channelled, directed and denied the fulfilment they crave. We are to be sexually faithful if we are married and to be sexually chaste if we are not. We cannot argue that all our desires are from God and therefore worthy of fulfilment. “Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey ‘people.’ People say different things: so do instincts. Our instincts are at war… Each instinct, if you listen to it, will claim to be gratified at the expense of the rest.” C. S. Lewis.
• Homosexuals cannot be changed. This follows on from the belief that they are born that way. That avenue of hope is cut off and homosexuals are often ignored by the Church. Exodus International can give thousands of examples of people who have changed. The replies from committed homosexuals are that they were never truly homosexual. The mantra is that “you cannot change”. Even if a homosexual finds they cannot change, does this justify the homosexual lifestyle? See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. There were the sins of today in ancient times. The Gospel changed these people. We are not told that all homosexuals became heterosexuals. Many may have been committed to a life of chastity. Not everyone is cut-out to be married whether homosexual or heterosexual. We all have to struggle with our desires whether homosexual or heterosexual. God can give us the grace to remain single.

6 – The response of the Church

There are eight things that the Christian church can do in response:-

• Strengthen our own families – The number of Christian divorces is a cause for repentance and shame. The Church needs to do more to help and not shoot the wounded!
• We must lead the way in adoption – This could be foster care or permanent adoption.
• We must carefully nurture and protect our young people – Environmental factors are important with young people in determining whether they become homosexual or heterosexual.
• Parents must stand against all modern sex education curriculums that suggest that young people explore their sexuality. Watch out for “gender diversity” thinking. We must protect our children from such propaganda.
• Singles are important to the Church – They can be the backbone of the church. They are or can be born to be single for different reasons. God will give them something better than sons and daughters. See Isaiah 56:3-5.
• Every Christian is to be an activist taking a firm but loving stand on the issues. We need to witness about the healing power of Christ in a world inflicted with a disease called sin. We need to apply our values to every situation so that others will be convicted.
• We need to work within the political system to support those who are opposed to same-sex marriages. This has to be done in a loving way with physical restraint.
• The church needs to repent. There is pride in the hearts of some. See 2 Chronicles 20:3- 30. We live in a world of mixed up values. Unborn babies are being killed and people are willing to defend it. Only the intervention of God can save us. Are you willing to take a stand against same-sex marriages? God’s marriage involves one man and one woman.

Categories: Acts