Posted on 06/14/2015 6:23:10 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
from R.C. Sproul Jr. Jun 06, 2015 Category: Articles
Some of our deepest challenges as believers involve dealing with the sins of others, particularly those whom we love. Whether it is a relative struggling with addiction, a best friend unfaithful to his spouse, or a loved one embracing sexual perversion, we often feel caught between our genuine love for the sinner and our genuine revulsion at the sin. The bromide “Hate the sin, love the sinner,” while at least infused with a touch of wisdom, doesn’t typically answer all the hard questions.
When confronted with tough moral calls it’s often wise to slow down and define our terms. First, let’s consider what it means to attend a wedding. Attending a wedding is not at all like attending a concert, or going to a movie. First, when we attend a wedding we are endorsing it. There is a reason for the “publishing of the bans”—that part of marriage ceremony wherein the officiant asks for reasons the two should not be married. If we “hold our peace” we are in fact affirming the legitimacy of the wedding. Secondly, when we attend a wedding we are there to serve as witnesses of the vows. We are a legal party to the proceedings, with a call to see that the vows are kept. Is that something Christians should be doing?
It is true enough that there are plenty of reasons why Christians are called to object to some heterosexual marriages. Those unbiblically divorced are not in fact free to marry, and Christians should not attend such weddings either, for the same reasons. The argument isn’t that both parties are sinners, and therefore we shouldn’t go. All those who marry are sinners. The question is, is the wedding itself biblical?
Which brings us to our second term, “wedding.” One could argue that my original question is moot for the simple reason that there is no such thing as homosexual weddings. You can no more witness a homosexual wedding than you could draw a square circle. Weddings are between men and women. That said, those participating in these events believe they are participating in a wedding. Our attendance, no matter how well intentioned, encourages them in their delusion. Which is one key reason why they so object to our not attending their weddings, or our not beautifying them with cakes and flowers. If we won’t admit that the naked emperor is dressed to the nines, the state will be called and we will be ruined.
Homosexuality is at one and the same time like other sins and unlike other sins. It is like other sins in that it is forgivable, and a sin for which Jesus died. After all, such once were we (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). While the behavior is rightly revolting, those caught up in it bear God’s image and are not beyond the reach of grace. It is unlike some sins, however, for two reasons. First, it is gross and heinous sin. The folly that all sins are equal has done great damage in the church and in the world. All sins are cosmic rebellion and are due the eternal wrath of God. But that doesn’t mean they are equal. Second, unlike most other sins, this is a sin that its practitioners insist is no sin at all. Greed is wicked, but we don’t have parades celebrating it. This is a sin that in our day glories in its shame. Do we really want to join in that glory by attending their “weddings?”
I know it is difficult. I know it is painful and can divide families. I know it makes us look to the world like bigots and haters. But that, friends, is a shame we truly can glory in, for He promises us blessing (Matthew 5:10-12). This doesn’t, of course, mean we abandon homosexuals, or have nothing to do with them. Jesus often met sinners where they were. But He always called them to come to Him. He calls us to do the same.
R.C. Sproul Jr. is rector and chair of philosophy and theology at Reformation Bible College. Originally published at RCSproulJr.com.
I don't like any of it....I believe in God with all my might, mind and soul and God doesn't make mistakes...of any kind, so if you ‘political correct’ idiots want to believe this crap, that's fine, but don't expect the ones of us that don't to sit back and take it....I'm not going to....
But Sproul addressed only a very narrow topic: not attending the ceremony itself (which, by the way, obviously precludes acting as a participant in some capacity). He left for another day the issue of relating afterwards to the "happy" couple, as I must do during occasional family gatherings with my nephew and his "husband." They both know very well my stance biblically, and it is not generally a topic for discussion at these large social events, although I am praying for them and for opportunities to dialogue. Indeed, recently I've been considering approaching them just for such a dialogue and wondering what the Holy Spirit is planning.
Meanwhile, I remain polite.
Well there are no such things as homosexual weddings so how can you attend one? Why would any sane person want to?
God has as many devices and processes for blessing us as He needs. I suspect one of the chief pleasures in Heaven, and one of the greatest causes of His saints praising Him, will be us hearing the innumerable means He used, for you and me.
I think you are taking the right approach.
May God bless you as you continue to pray for them and witness to them.
Be careful and sure that you don’t allow your own heart to be compromised.
sff
I had the privilege to see this fine gentleman speak. He did a variation of this sermon and it rings true.
Junior Hill: Good News For Bad Times.
http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=5yO5gJJi0ng
No. Should Christians attend satanic black masses if members of their family are involved?
Follow-up reading
Similar considerations would apply here as to the freedom of Christians to physically be places and do things that to themselves would not be able to do harm.
The witness of the action has to be looked at. What would people be likely to see? Perfection is not possible here but a fair degree of clarity is. Perhaps the wisest thing would be to write a letter of protest to the persons involved, and then not go.
“No. Should Christians attend satanic black masses if members of their family are involved?” - arthurus wrote.
That’s a good comparison. - This whole bag of crap has become; along with just the routine stresses of my life, almost too much to bear. I do have to retreat from any thought of any of this mess pretty often in order to retain, hopefully, any degree of sanity. - My wish is that they just “be filthy still” and leave me alone & shut up!
The good Lord has not seen fit to frame the eternal battle, in its local form, in that way.
So, our wishes not being fulfilled, we need to ask the Lord what to do. It looks like an inescapable encounter is bring pressed. We cannot choose that. We can choose how we address it and where we will rest our faith as we do so.
“Tony Campolo, a man who purports to be an evangelical Christian minister”
Is he still pretending to be evangelical? He hasn’t been since his book “How to Rescue the Earth Without Worshiping Nature” (which was ineffective on both of its stated goals.) Wasn’t he one of Clinton’s token advisors during the impeachment process? He’s just another wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Old man Bush goes to gay weddings. Does that make it right?
Thanks for your encouragement and wise advice. I’ve recently been prompted by the Holy Spirit to be open to the idea of contacting my nephew, but I’m still awaiting His clarification on every aspect of it.
Not only is it okay to decline, for example, to do photography at such a “wedding,” it is a highly questionable action to agree to assist such a ceremony. You suggest by go along that what they are doing is good and right ane beautiful, and it is none of those.
Campolo is the guy using profanity with Bill Clinton in the video taken outside the memorial service for Ron Brown—the one where Bill suddenly puddles up. (Rush hired a lip-reader to find out what they were saying. It included lots of f-bombs.)
Campolo, in one of his books, says that an unborn child IS NOT ALIVE until it BREATHES—because Adam was not alive until God “BREATHED” life into him. Needless to say, this is absolutely Satanic Scripture-twisting.
BTW: Lester Kinsolving used to make the same argument.
Campolo is the guy using profanity with Bill Clinton in the video taken outside the memorial service for Ron Brown—the one where Bill suddenly puddles up. (Rush hired a lip-reader to find out what they were saying. It included lots of f-bombs.)
Campolo, in one of his books, says that an unborn child IS NOT ALIVE until it BREATHES—because Adam was not alive until God “BREATHED” life into him. Needless to say, this is absolutely Satanic Scripture-twisting.
BTW: Lester Kinsolving used to make the same argument.
Absolutely not....never
Especially not if you forced my bakery to bake it.....take my word for it, don't eat it!!!!
No. But then I wouldn’t be close enough friends to be invited.
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