Thursday, July 24, 2008

Discernment Needed

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Christianity Today sends out a list of blogs on a regular basis, usually I don't take the time, but one caught my eye the other day. I have been bothered deeply by it. It was a Pastor in California who had been invited to a g*y wedding. He had concluded, based on Jesus' words to the Pharisees, that he should attend the wedding as a loving representative of Jesus Christ. That he would be being a Pharisee if he didn't. Then he opened it up for comments.

My first "red flag of discernment" was to question the Pastor's reasoning, which was that by not attending the wedding, he was being self-righteous (that is what the Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees for). Would that then mean that if you were reaching out to someone who was into the occult and they invited you to a se*nce and you didn't attend, it would be self-righteous? Or if you were reaching out to one who was a thief and they invited you to join "a job" you would be self-righteous to refuse?

Other arguments for going to the wedding were that when those who have sinned before marriage get married we wouldn't stay home from thier wedding. But think about it, when a couple who has crossed the line before marriage gets married, they are getting things right with God, they are coming under His authority. When a g*y couple gets married they are desecrating an institution ordained by God with perversion. It is actually spitting in God's face. (See Romans 1) rebelling against His authority.

When we attend a wedding, we are there as witnesses to give our approval. The Pastor (used to)ask if anyone objects to the couple being married before he pronounced them husband and wife, insinuating that there is great worth in the approval of the witnesses.

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. Acts 8:1
The above passage shows that even though Paul didn't throw a stone at Stephen, he was, by approval, a part of his murder. With that I conclude that we actively participate in that which we give approval to.

Remembering that weddings are sacred ceremonies estabished by God to represent Him and His Bride and that there is a covenant being made in God's Presence, we dare not take this lightly.

If the Pastor has already established to his g*y friends that he loves them, and then he does not attend their wedding, but keeps loving them afterward, he is showing the true love of God which never negates his justice. When we agree that the law is good we are not being judgemental, we are upholding the perfect law (Romans 3:31). We love His law! (Psalm 119).

I don't know if anyone else has seen it, but it seems alot of Christians are calling other Christians "judgemental" these days if they take a stand on something. Oh God, give us more Light and keep us in Your Truth!!



6 comments:

Robin said...

You and I talked about this theme at She Speaks - you know my situation - and I agree with everything you said. That pastor is not truly being loving at all if he is condoning or celebrating a sinful lifestyle/behavior. There is a difference between loving and condoning. You can love someone deeply and not participate in their sin.
I've been bothered for sometime about the loose interpretation of grace in church circles lately. I totally believe in grace, I appreciate grace, I need grace; but grace is cheapened when it is used as a means to do whatever we want because "God's grace will cover it". God must just weep when he sees how we prevert is beautiful gift.
You are not wrong in your thinking at all. I applaud you for taking the high road.

Starr LaPradd said...

OH, I sooo agree with you 1000%!
Seems everyone is to afraid of not being "politically correct" these days. We have got to stand up for what we believe in, even if it looks unbecoming by worldly standards. Jesus certainly would not have been an attendee at that wedding.
Blessings,
Starr

Angela said...

You are right to be bothered. The Holy Spirit has given us abundant love but a deep aversion to sin. I had to turn down a friend to be roommates recently because she is having premarital sex..I still love her, but I couldn't condone or facilitate her behavior. We are not called to be popular or well-liked, and we will get called names (judgmental being at the top of the list). I think it is important to know that homosexuals are people just like straight people, and to respect them and love them, but we are not to reinforce their choice of sinful lifestyle (yes, CHOICE). We have to stand up for the truth so that we do not blend in to our ultra-tolerant society. Being "nice" is not doing anyone any favors. Thanks for this post, Kathy!
Angela

Angela said...

Kathy,
I am tagging you to post six random things about yourself. Please go to my page to see the rules. I think I'll stay on your page and listen to the music for a while!
Angela

Aunt Angie said...

Kathy I quite agree with you. I could not in my right mind attend such a function which by attending---in my opinion would be putting my stamp of approval on the whole affair. It is NOT something I condone.HAve not, should not and will not ever either. I happen to have a relative that is g*y-and I love the person---but not the sin. Which is what it is. I have been listening to a study by Kay Arthur---which I highly recommend for any group of young women---before dating---and during dating---called "return to the garden". It calls it like it is. No prettying it up at all. She has blown me away with her testimony at the beginning---which I never knew before---but she passes on her knowledge of experience and what the LORD has burdened her heart with for our young women of this society. It is awesome. I have listened to it all week driving to and from work. She talks about the society in which we live---the sin and sinner---being at such a place--as having a reprobate mind---going after their own l*sts. It is a timely message. It is a short study---and has a work book; video sessions; cd version as well.
I didn't mean to do a commercial...but there you go!
I love you girl! AND love everything you write!

A Stone Gatherer said...

As usual I agree with you!

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