America’s Attack on God: Marriage Redefined: Part I
God’s Patience: How Long Will It Last

Introduction: This two-part series highlights evidence of America’s continued attack on God most recently through the avenue of redefining marriage. Actually the Supreme Court redefined relationships to suit man’s rebellious ways. America is going the way of Rome. One can debate the issue of America as a Christian nation at inception and throughout its history. But there is no question that God initially blessed the people and their efforts. The Bible was a standard for morality and lawmaking and lawkeeping. Now it is eerie. Just read the prophets in the Old Testament and how they decried Israel’s idolatrous ways. Such is America today. Believers in America are one part of God’s universal  Church and the gates of hell stand no chance of overthrowing God and His kingdom rule. But many are futility trying. God bless America.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court announced their decisions on two cases relating to the definition of marriage and America’s attack on God. Those justices will stand before the just Judge of the world (Genesis 18:25). Ultimately they overturned a federal law (and a similar state law) which defined marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” The decision of the High Court set the stage for reconsidering the question: Who defines marriage? This question is of singular importance because the focus is on who is the definer of marriage and relationships in general. Many want to make it a political and personal issue but it is part of America’s attack on God. . You will hear pundits trying to determine what the Constitution says and others push “personal rights.” No matter. The real issue is one’s vertical orientation and beliefs about God, self, others, and the world.

The decision was satanic in origin with the hopes of dismantling any Christian presence in the United States. The issue is a theological one. Every person is a theologian and every life issue and the solution to it is theological. Every person has a belief about God, a relationship with Him whether denied or not, lives in His world as a dependent creature, and who is a rational (thinking), religious (worshipping), and morally responsible being by God’s created design. The answer to the questions: who defines marriage and why has He done it the way He has, leads us to answer the question: what is marriage. Ignore who and all else falls apart. Let’s begin with who!

As in any discussion, frame of reference and standard takes center stage. We begin with the Bible. The definition of marriage comes from the Creator and Controller of His world. He is the Originator of all things. Mankind believes it has a right and responsibility to follow satanic counsel and make decisions about life including marriage. They will use the laws of the United States to help them in their attack on God (Psalm 2). Mankind believes it has a right to begin anywhere it wants in order to get a favorable solution. Such is America’s attack on God. The theme is old and will continue until Jesus returns.

In contradistinction, this is God’s world, the Creator and Controller. The definition of marriage did not originate with Congress. Even our Declaration of Independence does not define marriage. But it rightly appeals to the fact that “our natural rights as free people come from our Creator.” The Declaration of Independence mentions truths that are self-evident. What was the framers and writers standard? Quibble if you will, but the great majority of the signers were men who acknowledged God the Creator, Controller, and Lawmaker. In other words, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution recognize that all of life is theological and all people are theologians. To summarize what I said above, every person has belief about God, self, others, and the universe. Moreover, every person is related to God as creature-Creator which is so often denied. God created man to serve and worship Him. Marriage, then, is a theological issue and activity. The phrase “redefine marriage” is a misnomer. No one, no matter how hard he or she tries can undo God’s work. It may appear that untruth and evil are “winning” but God says differently (Psalm 2; Hebrews 2:8-9). God is King now, ruling, reigning, and governing. An attack on marriage is an attack on God in at least five areas. I will cover the first two in this blog and the last three is the next blog.

1. Creation: Genesis 1-2 teach God’s plan from the beginning – in the beginning God created. Supernaturally God created all things by divine fiat (See the refrain in Genesis 1: And God said). Moreover, God created man from the dust of the ground (2:7) and in His image (Gen 1:26). He put man and woman in the Garden as a one-flesh union. If the trend to “redefine” or “re-interpret” Genesis 1-2 continues – both in the Church and outside of it – belief in evolution in whatever form will continue to erode mankind’s view and use of the Bible as the only source of absolute truth. Remember that the Bible is God’s powerful, purposeful self-expression and it is man’s only source of absolute truth. God said so! The attempt to “redefine” marriage is as godless as an evolutionary view of the “beginning.”

2. Redemption: in Genesis 3:15, we read of the gospel in terms of the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan. The line of two seeds ushered in a cosmic and individual conflict. The conflict is both outside of and within man. Matthew 1 and Luke 3 give an account of Christ’s genealogy, in part, to insure readers that Jesus was both God and man – the God-man. The divine nature was united to the human nature forever without composition, conversion, or change of either nature – one person, two natures. Moreover, the Messiah came from the womb of a woman – Mary – who conceived miraculously by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). We conclude that redemption and creation are linked. Both are supernatural and miraculous.

The Old Testament reminds us of this latter fact. Barrenness in the Old Testament was considered a curse. God’s creative act of placing man and woman in a one-flesh union is linked to redemption: no woman, no Messiah/Christ, no cross, no salvation, no resurrection, no second coming and eternal judgment, and no new heavens/earth. “Redefining” Genesis 1-2 is an attempt to eviscerate the gospel and the redemptive story. The one-flesh union between man and woman is an essential ingredient of God’s redemptive work.

Application:
1. Apply 1 Peter 3:15: be prepared and explain the hope that is in you.
2. How will you give gospel truth boldly, graciously and confidently in light of the cultural changes?
3. How did Paul do it? See Acts 17:24-32.
4. Learn the bad and good news so that you can articulate it and practice the importance of that truth in your life.
5. Grow in Christlikeness according to Romans 5;1-5; James 1:2-4, 12; 1 Peter 1:6-10, 13: how will you use hard times as your tool to grow and change?

America’s Attack on God: Marriage Redefined: Part II
God’s Patience: How Long Will It Last

America’s attack on God: I continue our consideration of the culture’s and some church’s attack on God under the auspices of redefining marriage. In the first blog I considered two biblical truths that were attacked by the culture’s position: creation and redemption. In this second blog I consider three other truths.

3. Order: God is a God of order and peace (1 Corinthians 14:33 refers primarily to worship but if order is necessary for proper worship within the worship so it is outside of it). Submission is part of God’s plan to accomplish His goal of being glorified. Submission is an activity of Christ (John 4:31-34 – He came to do His Father’s will), of all believers to God (John 14:15, 21, 23), of all believers to each other (Ephesians 5:21), and of wives to husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24). Functionality is one key to God-pleasing relationships and God’s good order. Submission includes obedience and respect vertically (for God and His authority) and horizontally (to others and delegated authority). Woman came from man by God’s design (Genesis 2:22). She had a set purpose from God – to complement man. In that way the one-flesh union (marriage between man and woman) is a fundamental societal institution. It is basic to God’s good order.

Attempting to “redefine marriage” is rebellion against God-delegated authority and part of America’s attack on God. . After sin, as a result of God’s curse, the woman desires to control her husband. The woman was now in conflict with God’s ordering. In this context, the woman is tempted to ignore the principle that God knows best and does best. There is no biblical basis for so-called “same-sex unions.” It is against God’s good order. The term is a euphemism for sin and is against the third commandment. To ignore and reject God’s sovereignty is tantamount to trying to stand against a tsunami. There are consequences for thumbing one’s nose at God. Look at the Old Testament and ask Israel.

4. Mystery: There is mystery in God Himself, creation, and redemption. Consider these truths: the infinite and eternal second person of the Trinity took on finiteness as the God-man; the holy, harmless, undefiled Son of Man took the believer’s place on the cross going to hell on it. These truths are stupendous and mind-boggling.

In Ephesians 5:31-32, Paul teaches another profound mystery. The marriage relationship is a picture of Christ’s relationship to the Church. The Church is Christ’s bride and Christ rightly demands a “one-flesh-union.” He expects and deserves covenantal commitment and loyalty from the Church modeled on Christ’s relationship to the church, His bride. Christ loves His Church and the Church is to love and submit to Him. So, too, is the husband to love his wife and his wife is to submit to him. By loving his wife, the husband pleases God and makes it easy for her to submit which pleases God. By submitting the wife pleases God and makes it easier for the husband to love her. God is glorified and the couple is blessed.

5. Truth: After the Supreme Court’s ruling, some churches in Washington and some congress-people were rejoicing. Apparently, they did not care what God says in His Word. These people were calling evil good, exalting perversion, and in essence saying that God does not count – we are God, we know better (Isaiah 5;20; Genesis 11 and the tower of Babel all over again). Read the prophets especially Jeremiah. He warned the false prophets who called out peace, peace when there was no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11). Such are our times. Mankind took a further step into the abyss of the muck and mire of satanic trash.

The Church must stand and be counted as God’s bride and agent to bring changes for the people (Ephesians 4:11-15). Satan will not prevail against the Church. It is ludicrous to think that the Triune God would disorder the Son by making light of His perfect life and death. It is ludicrous to think that the Triune God would dishonor the Holy Spirit who is the Implanter of and the Illuminator of truth by allowing His Church to fail or for lies and falsehood to permeate the true Church. The Triune God protects his own, His name, and His people. He has entrusted the Church and individual believes to stay the course and declare that God is truth and act accordingly (1 Peter 4:13)

Application:
1. Meditate and act on the truth that God is, He is far removed from His people in His holiness but He is ever-present with them through his Son by His Holy Spirit. Further, He is good and purposeful.
2. Know and love the Truth – John 14:6 (Christ) and the Word (John 17:17). How will display this truth in light of God’s providence in your life including the state of the culture?
3. God is King – He is in control. Be comforted in that fact. How will that loom specifically.
4. Practice 1 Timothy 2: 1-3. Pray for conversion and growth in Christ for government leaders, your church and the leaders; and yourself.
5. Decide how you can bring truth regarding what is happening in the United States.