There is strength in numbers, but in the past election the numbers weren’t on the side of those who care about Christian values. The lack of unity in the church has caused us to lose ground in the fight to keep the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.
This election saw residents of Minnesota, Maryland, Maine and Washington all vote their approval ofsame-sex marriage. Statistics suggest that even many self-identified Christians joined in this approval, while other believers either didn’t vote or chose to remain silent on the issue in the run-up to the ballots. Where is the wisdom in all of this? If the Bible says that the “fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10), then it is clear that as a nation we have lost the fear of God.
As a person who lived a homosexual life for many years before being freed by the power of Christ, I now have the privilege of helping those who struggle with same-sex attraction. I have received countless emails and calls from men and women who are battling this issue, as well as from families who feel hopeless because a child or loved one has decided to live a homosexual life. Many of those who have contacted me are couples whose marriages are falling apart and who desperately need support from their local churches.
I must confess that I am more than a little perplexed about how we are facing the sin of homosexuality in our churches. I find that many pastors will not speak about this topic from their pulpits because they are more concerned about some leaving their churches and their numbers going down than they are with meeting the needs of their congregations and their communities.
But when we stand before God, He will not ask us how many attended our Sunday mornings services, how many books and ministry “resources” we sold, or how many speaking engagement we booked in our lifetime. Instead, we will answer for the souls saved and the lives changed because of the ministry He commissioned us to perform. In eternity, that will be all that matters.
This issue is not about being black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or any other race or ethnicity. This is about winning souls and discipling those who come to Christ. Across the nation our churches are filled with tens of thousand of Christians who are afraid to reach out to those who are caught in the bondage of homosexuality, tell them there is hope and healing in Christ, and then walk that road to wholeness alongside them.
Many of these believers would be shocked to discover that those sitting with them in church week after week—even those they think they know well—are silently battling this sin all alone. And many are losing the battle.
Dear believer, how are we going to deal with this issue in our churches, in our communities and in our nation? Will history say we fought the good fight to push back the forces of darkness? Or will we ultimately be condemned as cowards?
It’s time that a united church body across the land stand up for righteousness and align ourselves with God’s truth. We are called to love all, and we must never compromise on that command. But in loving the lost we must also not compromise on the rest of Scripture, which makes it clear that
while God is merciful, He is also just and will ultimately punish those who are living in sin.
First Corinthians 2:5 makes it clear that our faith must not stand “in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
It is time for the church once more to boldly take its stand on God’s Word, empowered by His Spirit, declaring His mercy and truth to this generation.
