I received an
interesting but very veiled email from an author I highly respect. It was
veiled as one could read it and think he was either for gay marriage or against
it. It was a well-crafted email, however I suspect it was against gay marriage.
Everything he stated I agreed with and I see I am doing. I am not bowing to
culture in my stand for gay rights as I view gay people as fellow humans-- and
see this issue as a human rights issue.
Now, I can back up
my view from scripture though I know many will not get it at all, as they can
only see passages as they have been taught -- and they have not been taught
well how to read and understand the overall context of these passages. I will
be posting more in a synchroblog coming soon as to my view on gay marriage.
Suffice it to say; at this point, I am at peace in my view as I have followed
Jesus's lead in this. I see that Jesus is more inclusive than many want Him to
be. In fact, it appears many believers desire Jesus to believe and see things
how they want instead of asking Jesus to see the world how He does and follow
Him as He does His work in and through us.
I will say this
though. I noticed that many of us who understand grace seem to be on the side
of gay marriage. I find that interesting as it reveals that just maybe God's
grace goes beyond mere human understanding and must come from humble revelation
of truth from He Who is The Truth. Grace is not just defined as, “unmerited favor
from God” or “not getting what we deserve”, but also God’s emotions towards us.
[1]Yes,
God has emotions – where to you think we get them from?
Love is what drives
this emotion of Grace. Often we confuse justice and love. We want justice in
the form of revenge instead of having things set right. What justice truly is,
as God originally created us to be is – good. In fact, true justice is the realization
that we are not just good but very good as God called us when He created
humans. Now, we either believe God loves us as He still sees the goodness in us
or we believe the lie and rush to find new fig leaves to cover ourselves in
shame.
Shame is a noun
and a verb. First, it is the “painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused
by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” [2]
However, shame as a verb connotes the idea of one shaming another. [3] We
most often impose this definition on God. Jesus instead reveals that this is a
lie. Instead of shaming humanity, Jesus takes our shame to the Cross. Jesus
shows us that God’s love is greater than our shame.
When we shame others,
we are walking in the lie that God sees us the way we are seeing others. We are
not walking in the light of truth of love. Yes, at times people do shameful things,
but it is not our job to further shame them. Rather our job is to do all we can
to restore them to the God-given dignity they have lost. This is The Way of
Jesus – to love and not judge or shame. It is not, as some think, some gooey lovey-dovey,
caramel centered version of grace ala “cheap grace.” In fact, those of us who
discover this way find it a much harder path. Loving others as inclusive as
Jesus is radical. It is having the realization of the truth when Paul writes in
Romans 5:10, “10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through
the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by
His life.” Do we truly believe this? Do you understand that while you were
still God’s adversary God reconciled you unto Himself through Jesus?
Take that thought
with this verse, Matthew 5:43 – 45a “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your
enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for
those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven…”
One cannot separate
the ideas presented in these two verses. First, you were once an enemy of God
and yet, God still reconciled you to Himself. Secondly, Jesus clearly states to
love all, even those you consider your enemy. By the way, one cannot judge
another and love them; likewise, one cannot love another and judge them. Love
is full acceptance of the person. This does not mean we accept say one who
murders another in a way the murder was acceptable as it harmed another.
However, we forgive the murderer, as hard as that is, and allow God to work
that forgiveness into the heart of the murderer.
The definition of
sin is tricky. My definition of sin is simply "anything that is
adversarial in your life between you and God". This could be good things
as well as bad things. In addition, as Paul states, "everything that does
not come from faith is sin”. [4] Meaning
this; that often we are sinning and do not even realize it for our actions
toward others, as well as our own self is not coming from faith.
The Bible states,
that sin in sinful humanity, is clearly judged, and condemned, with Christ
Jesus on the Cross. Our sins were taken away as Jesus who had no sin, became
sin and the sin offering for us.[5]
However, for some reason, instead of returning this love and grace to those we
see still lost in spiritual darkness we desire to judge and condemn others.
Love is a valid choice to extend to others. Grace is a valid choice to extend
to others. It may be hard to do this but here is the secret. Look for what God
is already doing and not for what you think God should do. It is not our place
to decide what God is to do or is already doing. Judging and condemning perpetuates
the lie of shame. People are trapped in this lie of shame and as believers; our
job is to help them see Christ in them, their only hope of Glory. [6]
[1] Zimmerli.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Vol. IV. 7th. Edited by Gerhard
Kittel, & Gerhard Friedrich. Grand Rapids: Eerdman, 1981. I do go into this
more in my book Regarding Logos http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00P0KIK0M
[4]
Romans 14:23
[1] Zimmerli.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Vol. IV. 7th. Edited by Gerhard
Kittel, & Gerhard Friedrich. Grand Rapids: Eerdman, 1981. I do go into this
more in my book Regarding Logos http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00P0KIK0M
[4]
Romans 14:23
[5] Romans
8:2-4 1; John 2:1-2
[6]
Romans 5:1-2
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