Christ or Culture?

By: American Decency Staff

   

This week, the Southern Baptist Convention met and decided to maintain their Biblical stance on traditional marriage.

From the president of the SBC, Ronnie Floyd, "We stand strong on what the Scripture says about marriage between a man and a woman. At the same time we do know that we have this issue facing our culture. But due to the situation today, we must hold the word of God in one hand and the love of God in the other, and have compassion and love to bring people into the fellowship."

The convention was faced with the decision after one of the denomination's pastors in California, whose son came out to him as gay, announced that he and the church he pastored would affirm same-sex relationships.

Indeed, this is an issue that every church will be facing in our sex-centered culture. Approving homosexuality is the litmus test of whether or not anything a pastor, or really any Christian, has to say is worthwhile to those outside of the church.

 Is he "tolerant" of the gay agenda? If yes, we can hear him out. If no, he's a crazy bigot who ought to be ignored.

As Albert Mohler explains so well, there is no "third way."

 "…It has been increasingly clear that every congregation in this nation will be forced to declare itself openly on this issue. That moment of decision and public declaration will come to every Christian believer, individually. There will be no place to hide, and no place safe from eventual interrogation. The question will be asked, an invitation will be extended, a matter of policy must be decided, and there will be no refuge.

…A church will recognize same-sex relationships, or it will not. A congregation will teach a biblical position on the sinfulness of same-sex acts, or it will affirm same-sex behaviors as morally acceptable. Ministers will perform same-sex ceremonies, or they will not."

Some, most notably author Matthew Vines, have tried to retrofit the Bible to be compatible with the modern view of homosexuality.

In an excellent article, Mohler also debunks such attempts. It is well worth a read in its entirety, but here's an excerpt.

"Here we face the most tragic aspect of Matthew Vines’s argument. If the modern concept of sexual orientation is to be taken as a brute fact, then the Bible simply cannot be trusted to understand what it means to be human, to reveal what God intends for us sexually, or to define sin in any coherent manner. The modern notion of sexual orientation is, as a matter of fact, exceedingly modern."

Another excellent review of Vines' argument, and by association many others' as well, comes from former homosexual Christopher Yuan.

"For Vines, 'sexuality is a core part of who we are.' This perspective makes his experiences (feelings, attractions, desires, orientation) essential to his identity. Our society may place a great emphasis upon a sexual identity, but Scripture does not. As a matter of fact, our identity should not be placed in anything (such as our sexuality, gender, or race) other than Jesus Christ."

The church then, must make a decision – Christ or culture? This dichotomy is not a new concept for churches around the world. It is only in the West, where our culture has to an extent been shaped by Christianity – but more recently divorced from it – that we must refamiliarize ourselves with the idea.

The challenge to the Christians and churches who stand on the Biblical principles of sexuality will be to, as Ronnie Floyd said, "hold the word of God in one hand and the love of God in the other, and have compassion and love to bring people into the fellowship."

We must remember why we have the law of God – to uncover out all of our sin and point us to Christ.

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photo credit: mystuart via photopin cc

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