Many Christians have been branded “close-minded”, “hateful”, “phobic”, “intolerant”, etc., and some do come off that way when they voice their opinions. My goal here is simply to lay out some of my thoughts and explain that I am not any of these. I am not perfect at wording what I think and feel, so keep that in mind if you choose to read the following entry. Also, please know that I am extending grace and love as I write all of this. If you choose to respond in any way, please do so with the same measures.
This constant rain and all of the flood warnings are reminding me of the fact that God displayed a rainbow as His promise to never flood the whole earth again.... yet our society has turned this into a symbol of pride. In fact, a symbol of pride for something that is not Biblical. And it makes me think of how often we, God’s created beings, take what He has given us and twist it into what it was never meant to be. For me, this isn't about actively opposing the recent change in legislation to legalize gay marriage - and I have no interest in all the arguments - it's simply about what I hold as truth… 1. I believe the Bible is 100% true and without error. And it is still applicable to our lives. 2. I believe that God is Love. That we are called to love as Christ loves the Church. 3. I believe that we live in an imperfect world, and all people live sinful lifestyles, in some way or another. 4. I believe that all people are beautiful. All people are children of God, created in God’s image. 5. I believe that I can love all people without approving of the ways in which they live… Just as God can love all of us without approving of our sin. 6. I believe that, though God is incapable of creating anything imperfect, we are imperfect people because of freewill. God gave us freewill in order for us to make the choice to love Him. As a result, we were given the choice to sin. Our sin is what separates us from Him and His perfect love. 7. I believe that God is enough. That in God, there is freedom. 8. I believe that I am a fallen person. That I am no better and no worse than anyone else. However, I know that Christ paid the price that I owe, and I have seen the work of redemption in tangible ways in my own sin-laden life. 9. I believe that the availability of forgiveness does not make it acceptable for us to continue living in sin. Our acceptance of redemption means we must make a real effort to reform our lives and live in holiness. 10. I believe that I am called to live in this world but not of it. I am to set an example of love and purity… to influence the world, not to let the world (and what it says is popular) influence me. So, based on these statements, everyone reading this should be able to conclude that I do not hate, nor have a phobia, of anyone in support of gay marriage. I do, however, believe that God created marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and homosexuality is a sinful choice, as it is clearly stated in the Bible. I know that many people will find this offensive, but I am simply stating my beliefs just as everyone else is stating their beliefs. Even if you are offended by this, know that I still love you for who you are. I may not agree with your way of life, but I recognize that we are in the same boat. We both have lives of sin, but are both worthy of Love that can save. In conjunction with this, I want to make it clear that I am not writing all this for the purpose of shoving my beliefs down anyone’s throat. You can disagree with everything I say and I will still love you, still hang out with you, still be downright solid friends with you. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t. But, I will still believe what I believe. Also, when I see that rainbow, I do think #lovewins… but not based on the Supreme Court’s decision. I know that Love won thousands of years ago, when He died on a cross, rose from the dead, and defeated sin, Satan, and death to show me how much He loves me despite my dirty, nasty, sin. That rainbow will ALWAYS be my God’s creation, reminding me to fall to my knees in humble dependence on Him, not rise up in pride against Him. All of this being said, there are choices that I must make. I am not here to argue about our history and the principles on which our country was founded. Our country has taken a million turns away from what our Founding Fathers probably wanted. But our world in general has changed a hundred fold since then. Therefore, this is not the point. The point is that I believe God’s Kingdom is above all. I do not bow to any earthly government because I know that all of them fall in the end. But, in this time that I am here, I am called to live without “fear and timidity” (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, I will stand for my faith. I will serve my government where service is due, just as Jesus commanded (Romans 13:7), but if that ever reaches the point that following the law goes against God, than my faith comes first. Church and government are separate entities. The government can give rights to people who believe differently than I do, but they cannot take my rights away at the same time. This is a double standard. If this ever happens, you can bet I will stand firmly on my faith, no matter the result. Because I fear God, and God alone.
1 Comment
Teri
6/28/2015 07:21:51 pm
Thank you for your #lovewins -on the chase . Well said I've some close friends and will always respect their right of choice and hope that they will respect mine . Jesus knows each heart and it's his love I hope all will desire before the end of time
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AuthorHi, I'm Katie... just a girl, living this adventure for the glory of God. Thanks for reading! Archives
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