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Legislating Immorality
by Robert Driskell Gay marriage is now legal in Oklahoma. The pressure put on lawmakers to give same sex couples the privilege of being 'married' has manifested itself into law. Oklahoma was one of the last few holdouts where same sex 'marriage' was illegalnot any more. It has been said, and quite often by those who bristle at authority, that "you can't legislate morality". What is meant by this is that the human heart cannot be reformed simply by making a law against this or that. As a matter of fact, the sinfulness [rebelliousness, selfishness, and lustfulness] is the reason we must have laws in the first place. If not laws existed, and man simply acted upon every passion or desire that sprung up in his heart, anarchy would rule and we would be living in chaos. For Christians who believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, approving of same sex 'marriages' goes directly against the will of God and is in fact an act of public willful rebellion against Him and a rejection of His perfect standard. While many will continue to believe that homosexuality is okay, let's be clear that the Bible tells us that God calls it an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22 NASB). The homosexual act was a sin that warranted the death penalty for God's people in the Old Testament. The New Testament says that homosexuality/lesbianism is a departure from "the natural function" of men and women. These acts are "unnatural", they proceed from "degrading passions", and they are "indecent acts" (Romans 1:26-27 NASB). The Bible also says that the cause of these sins begins with rebellion against God (Romans 1:18-32). By passing this law, we are saying that our law (what we want) is more important than what God says is true. We pass laws permitting (sanctioning) sin when God says that these things are wrong. We have placed ourselves in God's rolewe believe ourselves to be gods. The court of popular opinion has trumped God and His Word. This is sad, tragic, dangerous, and suicidal. We are willfully cutting ourselves off from the ultimate source of life; then we pass laws to make ourselves feel better about it. As if merely by saying so, the will of God has no bearing on us anymore. As if we can pass a law that can insulate us from God and His impending judgment. As if the laws we pass nullify God's law. Instead of bringing ourselves in line with God and His will, we simply pass laws that we believe will change the rules; laws that allow us to live sinfully before God without consequences. Foolish behavior indeed!!! The Bible has stern warning to those who attempt to replace God's righteous laws with laws of their own, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20-21 NASB). True Christians do not hate homosexuals or believe that they should be treated with anything but respect. However, it is not loving to tell someone that what they are doing is not harmful when it is. It is not loving to allow someone to think they have the right to ignore God, create their own 'laws' to justify their sin, and continue in the very things that guarantee they will spend an eternity in torment separated from a loving God. It is the message of this writer to encourage those involved in willful sin to repent and trust in Jesus for forgiveness of their sins, and to devote their lives to loving God and loving others. The sin of homosexuality is a symptom sin, it is merely the outworking of a life lived in rebellion to God. The solution is to stop rebelling against Him, stop rejecting His love, and begin to live for Him. There is no law that we can pass in our human courts that will justify our continued sinful lifestyles. We must turn away from that life and turn toward God. Otherwise we are choosing a miserable eternity separated from any semblance of love (Matthew 25:46). No manmade law can prevent it. Seeking to introduce people to Jesus Christ and to help them become "transformed by the renewing of their mind." Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |