Tuesday, November 06, 2012

The Gospel of Traditional Marriage


THE GOSPEL OF TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

Many evangelical leaders are wringing their hands over traditional marriage. In fact they have made it THE issue for them. Franklin Graham supports Mitt Romney because he is opposed (at least now) to gay marriage. The article is HERE. Here is a quote from that article.

“In an interview, Franklin Graham said Mr. Romney’s opposition to same-sex marriage trumped any concerns over his faith. “We have to remember we’re not voting for a pastor in chief,” he said.”
Imagine for a moment that gay marriage was not an issue. Imagine for a moment that there was only marriage between a man and a woman. How much more saved would lost people be? Now imagine gay marriage was legal and there were thousands of men with men and women with women marriages. How much more lost would lost people be?

Now here is a legitimate question. If professing Christians promote Biblical morality in an unbiblical, secular culture, how does that affect the message of the gospel? And if professing believers were able to institute some Biblical moral issues in this culture, what are the risks for the gospel? If we as believers become politically active and by joining forces with unbelievers and believers of all stripes we are able to pass laws that reflect some Biblical issues of morality, what does that subtly and openly suggest to the culture?

First, let us define the gospel and what it says and what it means. Jesus, God in the flesh, came to die for the sins of the world and rose from the dead to prove He was victorious over death and hell. And whosoever believes on Jesus shall be saved and have eternal life. The entire world has fallen and is separated from the Creator and can only be reconciled through personal faith in Christ. And any person who does not believe on Jesus cannot know God and is blind to sin specifically and in general.

Now against that Biblical backdrop, where should the energies of the church be focused, and what message should the church be presenting? What eternal benefit is there to use political leverage to shoehorn some Biblical issues into the culture, not via personal lives changed by the gospel, but by sheer legislative and democratic force? That may provide some moral comfort to professing believers and conservative unbelievers in the short term, but it may present a false gospel in the long term to the lost culture which now sees the battle as specific moral issues.

It cannot be overlooked that the church is not energizing to make divorce illegal, or to make greed illegal. The western church has now separated a few issues and presented them as the lynchpins for a moral society. If these issues fall the church suggests that the country will fall, and some use Biblical hyperbole and say God will judge the nation. Of course that ignores the fact that the majority of Americans are already dead in their sins and are enemies of God, but it does provide some convenient Old Testament language which can be used to excite the base and ultimately blind us to our own grievous sins.

Just look what this self serving moral war has done. Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham and head of the Billy Graham Association, said that Mitt Romney’s opposition to same sex marriage trumped any concerns over his faith. So if Romney was a member of the Church of Satan but opposed gay marriage, we as believers could still support him? Do you see what has happened? It isn’t the liberals that have made a wall between church and state, it is the evangelicals who suggest that nationalistic issues can be addressed without a concern over Biblical matters. Moral issues take precedence over issues of the Person of Christ and the gospel. How did we ever get to this point?

The path to compromise leads to the path to apostasy. But every path has a beginning, and in this case its nationalism. When people love a nation and pledge their allegiance to the same they voluntarily place their hearts in harm’s way. And the church at large has adopted America as a replica of the Old Testament country named Israel which is absurd. And now the Person of Jesus Christ must take a back seat to America. We are at the very end of it all. I do not intend to be sensationalistic, but the church has now turned its back on Christ Himself. No longer a friend to sinners and no longer a conduit of redemption, the church is now a force dedicated to defend moral structure in a fallen culture. We have lost our calling and have learned the ways of the heathen. The gospel is only a doctrine but politics is for the culture.

The day has come and it is sad to see. I truly feel sorry for men like President Obama and Mitt Romney. Romney feels his industriousness makes him approved of God, while President Obama feels caring for the poor will gain heaven. Both are wrong, but since the church has become a political organization, both men cannot hear the gospel. They only hear angry voices concerning economic and moral issues. Sad.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

15 comments:

Wayfaring Stranger said...

It seems to me that you try too much to defend homosexuality. I question that in anyone who calls themselves a man of God. The fact that Billy Graham/Franklin Graham have endorse Mitt Romney does not support your claims that they have exchange morals beliefs for following God. Do they really have a choice. Obama has shown his wickedness for four years and counting. Only Obama or Romney have a chance to win this. Romney says he is anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage. What choice do we have. Obama is pro evil. You need to rethink the stands you take as it appears you are fighting on the wrong side. You are more worried about gays being judged than you are about what will happen to their soul if they are not judged. A sexual sin is a sin against your own body. Your body is the temple of God. We should fight against the legalization of sexual sins. Reading your posts gives me a bad feeling in my spirit. God would that we are hot or cold. He will spew the lukewarm out of his mouth. Yes divorce is wrong as all other sins are wrong, but those sins should not be used as a grounds to support the sin of homosexuality as being picked on. Homosexuality will destroy the core of the family and our bodies, ie. temples of God. Please rethink the battles you are fighting. Speak out against all sin, including homosexuality with fervency. May God lead you in your future posts.

Anonymous said...

I get a bad feeling in my spirit when I read your posts. You seem to defend Homosexuality as a sin that is picked on. Should we not speak out against all sin, not use other sin to defend on that will destroy marriage, the family, and the temples of God? What choice do the Grahams have in who they vote for? Should be vote for the current president who has shown his evil? Who kills babies and has no regard for God and his institution of marriage? God will spew the lukewarm out of his mouth. May God lead you in your next post.

Rick Frueh said...

No, we should not vote for Obama. In fact, we should not vote at all. May God lead you in your next comment.

Anonymous said...

Great reply Rick!

Robert

Diane said...

I wrote a long comment that I accidentally deleted. I have two main points:

Bro. Rick does not "defend" the practice of homosexuality. You would do well to go back and read some of his previous essays regarding this, as well as the ones about making America an idol. Some of it is hard reading, but it will make you think. Maybe some of the ideas you hold so dear are not really in tune with the heart of Jesus for His people.

Secondly,I will not vote for Pres. Obama, but neither can I vote for Gov. Romney, who is a priest in the cult known as Mormonism. If you feel compelled to vote for Romney, please read this first, so you will be choosing deception with your eyes opened. This article is written by a former Mormon:

http://saintsalive.com/resourcelibrary/mormonism/the-mormon-plan-for-america-and-the-rise-of-mitt-romney

Rick Frueh said...

Thank you, Robert and Diane. I have consistantly said that homsexual behavior is a sin. But as you both can see, it is such a straw man that people think I am defending it when in fact I am exposing our own compromises. Than you for understanding that.

shannon said...

Good post Rick! Also appreciate the comments of Robert and Diane and your follow up comment.
Many are attempting to fix the world by changing the moral values. These are only symptoms of the disease called "sin".



Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope

kelli said...

Wayfaring stranger said:
God would that we are hot or cold. He will spew the lukewarm out of his mouth.

This is speaking to those who have the world's goods and have no need of Him. These are people who are not saved.

What hope are these politicians giving to the people? Are they caring for people's spiritual welfare?
What hope are you sharing with those who are of the world by voting for a type of Caesar? So now, even born again believers are pointing to the world system for redemption, when the Lord has subjected creation to emptiness and vanity.

Anonymous said...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/04/14837739-nonvoters-theyre-too-busy-fed-up-or-say-their-vote-doesnt-count?discussion=true&isMobile=true

I am so happy that I am not voting for the "lesser of 2 evils." I have a link in this comment box about people choosing not to vote. -Noel

Rick Frueh said...

"So now, even born again believers are pointing to the world system for redemption, when the Lord has subjected creation to emptiness and vanity."

Very insightful. Indeed.

Anonymous said...

God is gracious enough to give me free will. I am able to choose whether or not I will obey him and suffer the consequences. I hope I am gracious enough to allow others to exercise their free will whether or not I agree with them. They too, will suffer consequences of poor decisions, but this is the greatest opportunity for being a witness for Christ. He came to save sinners, not the righteous.

Rick Frueh said...

Good point. To artificially attempt to create a moral structure through legislation, human influence, and majority tyranny is a subtle way to side step the gospel and to promote a more self satifying atmosphere. But until we all see the distinct divine fire wall between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness we will continue to attempt to swim in the kingdom of darkness while claiming we are not getting wet.

TheDude said...

I don't understand why some well meaning Christians want to pick homosexuality as the sin of all sins and elevate it to preferred sin status in God's eyes. Yes, homosexuality is a sin, no doubt about it, but pointing out homosexuality as sin is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Passing laws to impose morality on a lost generation does nothing to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is unless you are one of those that believe that it is our duty to usher in the Kingdom of God here on earth. That kind of thinking is heresy.

Brother Rick speaks the truth and I applaud him for his boldness.

Anonymous said...

I agree w/TheDude -noel

Anonymous said...

Just one thought on what you wrote at the end of the post: "....President Obama feels caring for the poor will gain heaven". I'm not sure if he believes this, because I never, as far as I can tell, heard him speak about how to gain heaven. But, I've heard lots of self-professed christian candidates talk about who they believe gains entrance to heaven.

I agree pretty much that elected leaders and candidates can become idols. But, the difference between the candidates that the church leaders elevated, are men that carry the banner of Christ. They claim themselves ambassadors of Christ. President Obama, to my knowledge, has never claimed his christian walk as his banner; he's never made the statement that his politicies were done from a christian conviction. He came on the stage as a secular candidate, with a secular mission, which included concern for minorities, the poor, middle class, and those who are treated like misfits of society.

I find comparing President Obama to candidate Romney like comparing apples to oranges. One claims he represents Christ and uses Christ in several of his rallies, as a means to influence evangelicals to rally for him. The other, never used Christ as an exploitation tool to gain votes. He never received endorsement from a mega-church pastor or minister, to my knowledge.

There are two men. One claims he is of Christ, talks about his credentials as a missionnary, etc. The other, a liberal secularist doesn't brag about his personal spiritual accomplishments. Maybe he knows the Lord as his savior or maybe he doesn't, but we as children of God have no right to cast aspersion on a man who never tried to exploit the Lord. The ones who are doing disservice to the name of Christ, are those who USE him for votes.

Since the beginning in 2008, I've witnessed the continual of christians who blame President Obama for so much, and they blame him in the way they would blame a living apostle. They are barking up the wrong tree. They like to hurt a man who has never tried to exploit Jesus.