If you have looked through your social media outlets over the past couple of days, or have paid attention to the news, then you most assuredly have noticed the ruckus that has been caused by the Supreme Courts decision in favor of gay marriage.  As I skim through my news feeds, I’ve seen a number of different responses, both for and against the decision.  I’ve seen well written blogs, as well as horribly thought out tweets/posts/etc. regarding this decision.  So I thought I would add to the discussion by expressing some of my own thoughts.  So here it goes!

1.)  Is Anybody Really Surprised?

I know that some Christians may still hold on to the idea that America is a Christian nation, but in reality I don’t know that it is fair to say that America has ever been a truly Christian nation.  Now sure, there were times where a majority of Americans made better ethical and moral decisions, and thus there may have been an appearance of Christian like character.  But good behavior, and good ethical decisions does not make someone a Christian!  In fact, this sentiment, I believe, has done lots to damage the American church, because we have turned Christianity into a performance based religion as opposed to a gospel based faith.  So the fact is, if we are banking on our good moral decisions to run this country then we will fail every time!  You see for the past several decades a majority of parents have told their children to NOT do this, or NOT do that.  But they have not told them what they ARE to do, and that is to run to Jesus!  Put your faith in the gospel: that we are utter sinners, and that God has brought salvation to those who would believe in Christ and in what He did on the cross and the resurrection.  And if you do this, you will then have a desire to live in obedience to Christ and his Word!  But instead we have skipped the gospel part, and moved right to the obedience part.  And thus, the next generation does not know why they need to obey.  So what happens next?  They rebel against everything!  And that is exactly what we are seeing today!  The SCOTUS marriage decision has been a long time coming!  And that leads me into my second thought…

2.)  The Biblical Definition of Marriage has Already Been Destroyed in America

In the Bible there are many places that speak against the idea of homosexuality.  For example…

Romans 1:26-27:

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10:

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous^[b] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,^{[c] 10} nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

And Jesus defines marriage in this way:

Matthew 19:5:

“‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?”

That’s just a few verses.  So yes, anyone who affirms the authority of Scripture must understand that a homosexual lifestyle is a sin.  However, let’s take a closer look at Matthew 19.  In verse 6 it says this:

^“6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

“Let not man separate…” Hmm… Does that sound like it matches up with the American culture when divorce rates have been hovering around 50% (give or take 10%) for over a decade now?  I don’t think so.  And divorce is just as much an affront to God’s definition of marriage as homosexuality is.  So God’s definition of marriage has already been redefined by the culture when the culture says it’s ok to get a divorce! Thus redefining marriage is nothing new!

3.)  The Decision did Not Catch God off Guard 

The SCOTUS decision was not news to God.  He wasn’t on his sovereign throne saying “Oh wow! I didn’t see that one coming!  How could those people do that to me?” No, He was fully aware of which judge would vote which way.  And He has been fully aware of the direction which America and so many other nations are headed.  In fact I believe that Romans 1 can very much apply to our culture today:

^“21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

“²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,”   

^“26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.”

“²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.”

This is exactly what I think is going on in America.  God is saying, fine you really want this??  Ok, I’ll give it to you and you can live with the consequences.  God is giving them over to what they want!

Now before I close, I want to say this: homosexuality, divorce, and any other sexual sins are not unforgivable!  I feel that Christians (especially in the Baptist tradition) often times set the sin of homosexuality on some sort of pedestal, and forget about sins like gluttony and gossip, both of which are also an affront to the gospel!  So yes, we need to be walking in obedience to the Word of God, but we also need to walk in humility and love, understanding that the only reason we are children of God is because of the grace of God.  Other than that, there is no difference!

So with all that said, I’d like to end with a quote from my cousin, and radio host of Baldwin McCullough Live, Kevin McCullough, who said this in regards to the SCOTUS decision:

“For those who believe God and oppose same-sex marriage nothing has changed. For those who believe in same-sex marriage and oppose God…nothing has changed. In short, nothing has changed.”

So despite what many people may be saying, there’s really nothing new here folks!

Sola Deo Gloria