Elders’ Statement– Mayfair Church of Christ
July 5, 2015
There has been much discussion in our country over the recent Supreme Court ruling that made marriage between same-sex individuals a fundamental, legally protected right. Jason Bybee has shared some key truths from Scripture regarding this issue from the pulpit this morning. Your shepherds also want you to hear from us.
We have sought God’s wisdom in prayer. We affirm Jason’s message and offer the following additional thoughts:
First, as Christians, we should not be entirely surprised by this ruling and the forces in our society that have brought us to this point. This attempt to redefine marriage from its original,God ordained design is not unexpected. We live in a world where increasing numbers of people do not believe in God or, if they profess some belief, do not hold a high view of His Word. Standards of right and wrong grounded in the very nature of God are no longer honored or even acknowledged to exist. The influence of those opposed to such standards is strong today. When this is the case, what is regarded as “right” and “allowable” changes with the tide of popular opinion. We are saddened and disappointed but not shocked.
Second, the Supreme Court decision may have settled the question of who in our country may marry legally, but it does not settle that question morally. We believe in One whose authority is far above any court or governmental body. The leadership of this church is committed to the Bible as God’s authoritative Word to us and for us. Its message about His way and His purposes for our lives will continue to be our guide. This is certainly true as to its message about marriage as a relationship created by God to be a lifelong union between a man as husband and a woman as wife.
In fact, the issue really is more about what marriage is to be, according to God’s intention, than what it is not. Scripture is clear that a same-gender sexual relationship, whether in or outside of what may now be called “marriage,” is wrong. It is, of course, not the only sin, but it is sin. When man’s laws and God’s laws conflict, our course must be to follow the path of the early apostles, who said through Peter, “we must obey God rather than man.” Acts 5.29
Third, we urge members of our church family to resist the temptation to simply accommo.date unbiblical views on this issue. We must guard against accepting the opinions and practices of the world out of fear of being called “judgmental” or simply because that’s the easy option. And closer to home, there is a danger that some bel ievers will “reinterpret” Scriptu re and announce that it really doesn’t mean what Christians have for centuries believed it meant. This process is already underway. We must be wary of any movement within the broad Christian community to redefine morality and marriage according to any presumed “more enlightened”current thinking or according to what has been called “the new way of seeing things.”
Fourth, as people of faith, we must continue to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God. We must be clear on our convictions, based on Scripture. And we must be willing and able to
.share these convictions in a thoughtful and caring way with those around us, including, especially,
our own children. This will take patience – we’re going to have to stay the course, over time. And it
will take courage, as we refuse to be silenced by intimidation. We may lose in the courts and legislative bodies. We may not prevail in the popular media or culture. But God’s truth stands. It is compelling when presented to one who will listen with a heart that is not closed. It is, after all, “true.” More than ever, we must be bearers of the message of God, a message that includes both divine grace and human accountability.
Finally, and this is important: For all of us, how do we respond to those advocating same-sex marriages and related practices? What do we do when some, because we differ with them on these issues, are antagonistic toward people of faith? We can expect this to become more common and more intense. What we must not do is to respond with hate or animosity . Kindness and compassion are always the prescription for our dealing with anyone who regards himself or herself as our enemy. It was Jesus himself in Matt. 5:44, who taught, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” When we speak and act, this must be our heart.
And what do we do with our friend or co-worker or even someone in our midst who perhaps quietly or privately is caught up in with this life-style? Or who is struggling with being drawn to it. The answer is the same. And our approach must always be bathed in humility. Paul reminds believers that “when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son . . .” Rom. 5.10. We have all been guilty of rebelling against God’s ways. So, yes, we may find ourselves at war with Satan and his dark forces. But our primary task with respect to any person who, for whatever reason, is separated from God is to work, not for that person’s ruin, but for his or her redemption. God extends grace to all who surrender to him.
Our challenge is to be faithful to God. It is to work to win the minds and hearts of our neighbors and friends with faithful testimony about the wisdom and blessedness of God’s plan, testimony that should be both spoken and lived out.
So, we must always come back to God. He is trustworthy and good. His design for our lives, including the marriage relationship, is wondrous. It is this design that we must seek and reflect.
A verse in Psalms 25 is particularly pertinent to our situation today:
Show me your ways, 0 LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Ps. 25.4
Yes, our hope is in our sovereign God. Today, in the days ahead, and always.
Scriptures to Consider
Rom. 1.18-27
1Car. 6.9-11
1Tim. 1.8-11
- Acts 5.29
- Rom. 5.6-8
- Luke 5.31-32, 19.10
- Eph. 4.22-24
- Col. 3.5-10
- Matt. 5.44
- 1 Thess. 4.3-8
- Eph. 6.12
- Psalms 25.4 Bob Rieder, for the Elders