Staying the Course in a Shifting Culture
/RESPONDING TO THE LEGALIZATION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
On June 26, 2015 The Supreme Court of the United States handed down a ruling that made Same-Sex Marriage a constitutional right for all Americans. Those who hold to an historical view of marriage and a biblical view of human sexuality are faced with a great challenge as to how to respond to our culture in a way that holds fast to the Words of Jesus while also modeling the Way of Jesus. Below you will find several resources that we believe will help you as you develop biblical convictions over this issue and will empower you to faithfully respond in grace and truth.
Resources from Church at the Cross
Sermon Series: Jesus, Same-Sex Marriage and Human Flourishing
Resources from The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Russell Moore, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission responds to the ruling
http://erlc.com/article/erlc-president-russell-moore-responds-to-scotus-ruling-to-legalize-same-sex
Interview with Rosaria Butterfield, Author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc8wPOHksYs
Resources from Pastor John Piper at Desiring God
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/so-called-same-sex-marriage
Resources from Dr. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY
The Gospel Coalition, But What does the Bible Say? by Rev. Kevin DeYoung
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2015/06/26/but-what-does-the-bible-say/
As the Church, nothing has changed for us. We still will seek to bring all of our life under the good and saving rule of Jesus, ordering our everyday lives and loves around Him. He rules us by His Word and Spirit and we will seek to submit to his Word and conduct our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is important to remember that our neighbors are not our enemies. We will continue to share the message and mercy of Christ, demonstrating and declaring his gospel to all without discrimination or distinction. We will contend for biblical marriage by speaking reasonably and logically about it, while also modeling the beauty of it in faithful, permanent, exclusive, sacrificial covenant love between a man and a woman for the purposes of gospel proclamation, joy, and procreation. We will learn the art of spiritual friendship as we welcome the same-sex attracted who are seeking to follow Jesus in patient abstinence, being for them an intimate family. We will call our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus, who lived a full and contented life of love as a single man, reminding us all that Jesus is the lover of our souls and sufficient for each of us. May God give us the grace to live these things.