Friday the Supreme Court changed the landscape of America. I am not sure anyone should have been surprised by the outcome, but the reality of crossing that threshold where marriage has been redefined in every state will have far reaching changes to the culture of this country. While I understood the possibility and grasped the impact intellectually the reality of the ruling on Friday left my emotional side overwhelmed and shocked. If anyone felt that the homosexual or gay lifestyle was promoted in overdrive before this ruling then all will see it become ingrained in every institution from preschool to the workforce to Government regulations. What I would like to look at today is the response from those who fear God and those who put their hope in Him.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:22-25 ESV

 First Christians must understand that the society and world that we live in is at war spiritually speaking and that our neighbors are in the dark to the reality. God in His wisdom and in His timing has allowed our country to be turned over to its lusts and selfishness. Our materialism, disobedience to parents, and our capacity for selfishness is bringing the culture to ruin. Christians even have been caught up in the lie of this world that we must store up treasures here on earth. We are at a point where the larger culture serves itself rather than God. God has relented and given the culture over to the foolish desires.  

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32 ESV

 Christians will enter into a period of defensiveness. Christians will be asked to participate in the celebrations of this newfound way of life. Christians will be pressured to support and champion the new order because the world wants approval. Christians must not be angry or depressed or even seek to withdraw from the culture. Christians must stand in the face of social pressure, attacks, and persecution. Christians must continue to love their neighbor and the Gospel of Jesus Christ must become our standard flag as we pray for those neighbors. 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 ESV

 For Christians in America standing against the now institutionalized reality of same sex unions will be overwhelming as the culture that once was aligned with Godly values has left the Christian foundation that was once enjoyed. Are Christians ready to be unashamed of the good news of Christ? Are Christians ready to live by faith? Are Christians ready to stop building treasure in this life and put their hope in the eternal? What if corporate America becomes a place where Christians are no longer welcome? Are we willing to lose our jobs and our material lifestyle just for posting a blog like this one I am writing today? (If you think I am being over dramatic click here.) For Christians it is time to read the red letters of the Bible and understand how Christ operated in a world that hated him. If you are shocked to learn that the world hated him remember that the world put him on a cross to die for being Jesus. Understand also that the world will hate those that follow him. For those Christians who love God, are unashamed, and are living by faith our response to the world must be in love and longsuffering.  

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5 ESV

 One last word of encouragement to anyone who might be tempted to support this new order or maybe even be silent before it. Be encouraged from the example of our spiritual forefathers who were also ordered to be silent in a culture that hated them.  

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:29-32 ESV