Chick-fil-a, "gays", and the Gospel

Did you pay attention to the Chick-fil-a controversy this week? Interesting trends when mayors have the power to deny businesses the right of starting new franchise locations in their town because of the CEO of Chick-fil-a's statements and beliefs regarding the biblical definition of marriage. It should be noted that is what he made statements about, not opposing gay and lesbians personal decisions, just opposing the change in the long-held definition of marriage. Before this week I really liked Chick-fil-a and now their sweet tea and chicken sandwich provide a moral reason to like them too!

See story here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/chick-fil-a-controversy-heats-up/2012/07/27/gJQAGJXJEX_video.html

How should Christ's followers respond to all of this? I mean, besides going through the drive-thru next Wednesday. First, we should be bothered by this. I am bothered by sin. It dishonors God. I dislike lust, lies, murder, oppression, and hatred. I labor to communicate God's plan of having sent Christ to die in our place for the punishment of sin and to set us free from sin. I need to be bothered most by my own sin. I despise racism - it takes place when people are identified as less/more valuable based on their culture/color/nation. I believe we are all one race, Adam's. I am opposed to sexism - no gender is better or of more value to God. I believe God created us male and female, gave us the law, and that Satan, as always, tries to blur the distinctions in God's laws and His creation. I do not believe in the oppression of people. I do not equate mistreatment of ethnicity's or genders to be the same as opposing a redefinition of marriage. Gay is not
the new black. I do oppose mistreatment of sinners. I do think this issue poses some interesting questions as to how Christ-followers are to respond.

What does the Bible say? I believe God defines marriage in His Word. (Ephesians 5 and Genesis 2 for starters) God also describes in Romans 1 that the individual that denies God will be demonstrated in many evil ways, one of which will be homosexual tendencies and lifestyle. (1:26,27). This means that homosexuality along with a host of other God-denying lifestyle choices (1:29-32) is sin. Why does it surprise us that a nation that does not know God, would begin to ignore God's definitions or His Word. Should we really be surprised by what we have heard this week?

So what can Christ-followers do? This sounds really simple but I'm going to say it... we need to start by obeying God. When I say that I am not conjuring up images of rallies to Washington or letters to our elected officials. Those may have their place, I just think they lose their weight when not backed with sincerity and our own life example of cross-bearing obedience. So what type of obedience am I talking about? How about these for starters...loving.... loving God.... loving your spouse.... being reminded of the definition and characteristics of marriage we find in the Bible, and then living them out.... mirroring in your marriage Christ's love for the church.... allowing Christ-followers to be defined as those people who actually keep their promises, even their marriage covenants. Does it make sense for us to enter the public and political arenas fighting for the definition of marriage when we fail to live out the very characteristics God commands a biblically defined marriage to have? What's worse a broken marriage covenant or same-sex lust and union? How sad if a homosexual relationship is far less broken than a marriage that supposedly has followed God's way. Both have failed God's standard to reflect Christ's love for the church. Both have broken God's law. Both can be repented of? And just as a reminder, following God's way means far more than two different genders uniting in a covenant relationship.

So should we mistreat homosexuals? Of course not. Do we mistreat each other for sinning? Not mistreating sinners does not mean we stand idly by and not speak out and live out what Christ in us is to look like, nor does it mean we should fail to live out and speak out about what natural and healthy marriage looks like. It doesn't mean that if you own a nationwide corporation that you must remain silent concerning your beliefs. Christ-followers must not be shy about God's definition of marriage; nor should we try to redefine God's words if we don't like them. God didn't get it wrong when he put a man and a woman together for the first time in Genesis 2:21-25. It was also no accident that He said "a man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh." This was a universal directive, He chose to say "a man" and "his wife" not "Adam" and "Eve" - these instructions were for all God's children. Let us not falter as His followers in this area.

In closing, I pose one more question though, "Should we expect the world to get it right (the marriage definition) when they don't know God?" Romans seems clear in reminding us that this is one of the characteristics of a people that deny God and worship themselves. It serves us well to note that any spiritual battle to be fought is best raged with a firm grasp on the gospel and its power to transform rather than on a political agenda promoting godly morals on a people that have no ability to live it out.

So let us communicate the gospel. Share the truth that all (even us) are sinners, and not just because of who or what one chooses to lust after. All of us are unable to do anything to earn forgiveness and the favor of our Creator. Let us communicate that this is why Christ came to die in our place. Let us tell of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus, for our sins. Let us tell people that they can trust Christ and live and breathe in a daily relationship with their Creator. Let us tell and demonstrate that this relationship with God never ends because of His promises and His power to follow through for eternity. And then in our lives and marriages let us live out Christ: forgiving the way Christ forgave, forbearing the way our Sovereign God forbears, and advancing daily to love our spouses the way Christ loves us.

and in a much less meaningful step, enjoy Chik-fil-a.