Since this is a running blog let's talk about running real quick.
I ran 3.8 miles at a 9:11 pace on the treadmill. Tested out my new shoes!!!- which I'll talk about tomorrow. My MCL on my left leg is hurting a lot, I think due to my stupid stupid hip, so I'll be googling later. Oh, I know you can't wait!
But let's talk about something else. I know. It's hard to imagine that runners think about much else besides running... and food.. but we do. I swear! Heck. There's a lot of alone time in the sport.
I would like to voice my opinion about how I feel about same sex marriage. I know, who cares how I feel right? I'm sure most of you don't, but I am a Christian woman and I proudly claim that I am a christian woman. But I am also open minded and a lover of all people and way's of life. My husband and I call ourselves right wing hippies. I'm sure most people that know us would agree.
So I struggle often with how to express my opinion to others about same sex marriage.
I SUPPORT SAME SEX MARRIAGE.
Hands down. If two people want to get married, who's you or me or the little people in the big white house to say you're not aloud to. Your not hurting anyone. Pass a law that says you can be gay, but not kill people.. I'll vote for that one. You can be gay, but not drive drunk.. I'll support that one too.
So why is gay marriage illegal?
Because in Leviticus 18:22-23 "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
And the United States of America was founded upon Christian principals. So if it says you can't do it in the Bible then you can't do it in the law.
However in Leviticus it also states “Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood. “Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft. 27 “Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards. 28 “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."
Man, Leviticus is kind of a downer huh?
How about alcohol?
9 “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
Yep, good old Leviticus...
Divorce??
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
That was Luke
But then we decided as a nation that we would do this thing called the separation of church and state. So here is where I get confused.
I have to admit. I wish so much that we would have remained a nation that stuck to our Christian principals and obeyed God's law. I mean, it would be so much easier if everyone around me believed what I believed right? But as were passing all of these laws according to the Bible, our biggest ad campaign became "America, Land of the FREE" and encouraged people from all different backgrounds to come.. be welcomed... we won't judge. Democracy, not dictatorship.
So which one is it. We either are going to judge you and say no, or not judge and get over it.
And boy, we are NOT a nation that likes to just get over things are we?
But who gives us the right to pick and choose which of God's laws matter and which don't? Either go in full force or not. How is it that we can say gay marriage is illegal, but not divorce? The Bible down right condemns both of those issues. And how are we to say your bad for your sin, but I'm not bad for mine? I'm divorced, I have umpteen tattoos, I'm an ex alcoholic, and let's face it. I don't help the poor as much as I should.
THANK GOD that he sent His one and only son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and bless us with Grace.
(Did you know this weekend is Easter?? Go to church people)
Don't hate somebody because they sin differently then you do...
The tricky thing about gay marriage is that it is a very public sin, where as you seem to be able to hide your affair quite well.
God knows.
So what does God want US to do? In the Bible it states in 1 Corinthians (read 1 and 2 Corinthians, they are great)
1 Corinthians 4:4-5
My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Let's let God judge the sinners and their hearts, and not us. God doesn't give us the authority to slap people on the wrist, publicly humiliate them, or say NO! YOUR NOT ALLOWED.
I would sure hate for someone to look in my closet.
So what do we do about it?
I was listening to a sermon from my pastor the other day and he was talking about immigration and the question was asked [paraphrased] "Pastor, if I know that someone is an illegal immigrant, how should I treat them. I know God wants me to obey the law, so should I not be nice to these people? I'm conflicted"
And the pastor responded [paraphrased] "God will never look down upon you for being KIND to someone. No matter who this person is, no matter what their sin may be, you are always always aloud to
BE KIND"
You said:
ReplyDelete"But who gives us the right to pick and choose which of God's laws matter and which don't? Either go in full force or not. How is it that we can say gay marriage is illegal, but not divorce? The Bible down right condemns both of those issues. And how are we to say your bad for your sin, but I'm not bad for mine? I'm divorced, I have umpteen tattoos, I'm an ex alcoholic, and let's face it. I don't help the poor as much as I should."
No one has the right to pick and choose. The Gospel is that Jesus died for our sins and once we accept Him as our Lord and Savior we "go and sin no more" as He says, (John 8:11).
Make no mistake, God will not be mocked, and certainly not His blood! What we sow, we shall reap, Galatians 6:7. And we can not crucify Him over and over again, Hebrews 6:6. His sacrifice is His gift, by His grace and certainly can not be abused, Hebrews 10:26-29.
You are to walk as He walked, that means you are to keep all of His laws, all the time, Deuteronomy 5:29.
We can not do this on our own, it is by His grace that we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works and that we should walk in them, Ephesians 2:8-10. Not in any part of ourselves. This simply means, we can not keep His commandments, His holy law at all by ourselves. It is only through Jesus that it is possible and we can "go and sin no more". Which means we need to fully submit to Him. Not mostly or almost all, but completely.
That means once you are a Christian, and you agree to take His holy name, He cleanses you from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:18. Not a little, or some, but ALL. If you choose to serve iniquity, you are not of Him and He will tell you to depart from Him, Matthew 7:23.
Jesus' message is: Repent. Plain and simple. He died so you could be filled with His spirit and live this life more abundantly, not more sinfully.
I used to do tons of bad things, drinking, stealing, drugs, womanizing, greed, fornication, adultery, and the list goes on and on. But once you put on Christ or accept Him as your savior or whatever you want to "call" it, you are dead to that old life of sin and in no way shape or form should return to those things, Romans 6. The old life is dead and your mortal body is renewed to serve righteousness. How dare I turn back to those old things and call myself a Christian! He saves me FROM it, not saves me so I can indulge in it!
Just look at Paul. He used to persecute God's people and refers to himself as the chief captain of all sinners. Yet once he repents and accepts Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:4-6) Paul goes around preaching the gospel, correcting, rebuking, and reproving others. He doesn't tell people: Well it's ok to sin because I used to sin and you can persecute God's people because I used to. He says that what he did was wrong, he repents of it and that others should do the same...
Just remember Jesus wants all people to repent, 2 Peter 3:9.
Repent means to stop and change in the direction of not doing it again. And you will only be able to accomplish that if you submit to Jesus. You will not succeed if you turn to any other source for your strength.
By the way, this just popped up in my news feed on facebook and I just wanted to pass on those verses from His Word in hopes it helps lead you to truth. I did not mean to repeat anything Madeline said.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, seek and you will find, ask and you will receive. God wants the best for you.
I think you may have misunderstood the point of this post. I completely agree with what you said. When i was baptized i repented my sins and changed my life. And while i am no where near perfect my life is a life lived by Gods words. And He knows that. But again, that wasnt really the point. All i was saying is instead of all the hate lets try to "love thy neighbor as thyself"
ReplyDelete