Not MY right, but What IS right.

My mind has been racing all day as a result of all the "Red"(Marriage Equality) and its opposition flooding my Newsfeed. The one topic I really struggle with, not because I in anyway agree, but because I am so torn as to how we as Christians should be responding. At one time I firmly believed we were called to be BOLD and expressive about our views about homosexuality and all sin alike, not matter the cost. And to an extent this is true. I think the point we all need to start with is that we keep shouting "IT'S OUR RIGHT!"  But in saying this, we are missing the real point, and that has nothing to do with MY rights, but with what IS right.  For those who do not claim faith in Christ, what God's word says means nothing to you and you obviously live by a very different standard. But for those of us who do claim the name of Christ, we are also claiming that we believe in the Word of God and that it is our source of morality and truth. Most of us however, have a very skewed view of what that truth is. We pull the Scriptures that we like and build upon those, completely neglecting the Word as a whole. But in claiming one part as truth, you must claim it all. For "ALL Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," -2 Timothy 3:!6 With that said, lets take a look at what God's word says about the topic of Homosexuality.

Leviticus 18:22 : "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable."

1 Corinthians 6:9 : "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

Ok, so we have shown that God's word clearly states homosexuality is sin, correct? Let me address the main argument I hear most often against these two scriptures:

 "If the Old Testament still applies, then those who have sex or get pregnant outside of marriage, eat meat, work on the Sabbath, etc,,etc,,, are all just as guilty and deserving of death." (see the book of Leviticus) 

This is true, we are ALL guilty of breaking the laws of the Old Testament... and I mean ALL OF US. I myself, according to the laws of Leviticus, should have been stoned to death. What we are missing however, is that Christ died so that we would be free from the penalty of our sin, death. He paid the ultimate price, knowing we were unable to keep the law ourselves. So where we all deserve death, Christ died for us so that we may live. "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24

So what does this mean, that the law no longer applies since Christ fulfilled it? Paul says in Romans 3:19-31, 

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."

So, the law is in place to show us our sin, to help guide us to live a holy life. YES, we will sin because we are by nature sinful, but we do not continue purposely in sin just because Christ has made us (Believers) blameless before God. We are still called to uphold the Law. 

Before you jump down my throat, I also want to add a few more points. Immediately, when all of this started popping up on my page, I thought of the story of Jesus and the Adulterous woman. We are called to, "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" - Philippians 2:5...look at his response to the woman who should have been stoned for her "crimes" in John 8:2-11
"At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Does He condemn her? No. But does He tell her to continue living in her sin? No, he says "Go and leave your life of sin." 

 Romans 12:17-19 says "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "it is mine to avenge: I will repay," says the Lord.

We are called to  "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." And we are to do this in Love, the love described in 1 Corinthians 13,

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

I know this is lengthy, but most people form their opinions and label them "beliefs", but if we believe in Christ then we need to know what we believe, and that can only be known by reading His Word. Something I have definitely learned the hard way is that we as Christians are called to share God's truth, but it is not on us to change people. We cannot force people to change, only God can bring about a change in someone's heart.