Recently two men from the sports world announced that they were “gay”. One was from the NBA and the other has hopes of making it in the NFL. In our recent past, former President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House and declared fit to rule by the Senate. The reason he could continue to govern was that his private life had no bearing on his ability to run the country. Why, then, is it necessary for individuals to come out and announce that they are “gay”? If one’s private life has no bearing on the performance of their job why must one announce it?
We are engaged in a cultural war. I bring this issue up in order to establish in our minds as Christians, what is the standard we live by? Jesus in His prayer assured all that the Word of God is truth (John 17:17). If a person decides to become a follower of Christ, he must live by that standard given us by Christ. Jesus calls upon all who would follow Him to deny themselves, take up the cross and follow Him (Matt. 16:24). How would one get pass the very first requirement and think they can live their lives, the way they want to. Following Jesus is not mental gymnastics. It is turning one’s life over to God in daily sacrifice by choosing to obey the Son of God (Romans 12:1).
How is this achieved? The argument from God continues. One achieves such a conduct in life by refusing to be conformed to this world standard (Rom. 12:2). The world cannot dictate to the Christian definitions that contradict what God has revealed. At times we may find it hard to focus in on Acts 5:29. This is way it is hard. We may think in terms of obeying God rather than man about some specific act in which we are required to put our faith on the line. It truly goes much deeper than that. Choosing to obey God rather than man means I accept the truth of God as my standard.
God assures us that He has given us all things thatpertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). The things we need to live our lives each day and find the eternal inheritance with God in eternity is in the Word of God. We invest time and energy to study God’s will in order to know how to live each day (2 Tim. 2:15). His way is right and so is He. If I cannot accept that, then something else will fill the mind. We cannot have minds that are empty. We each will choose what will be the standard for our conduct (Matt. 6:24; Rom. 6:16). God desires for us that we choose to be righteous people. Lives that reflect the glorious light of the gospel of Christ (Matt. 5:13).
One does not stand on the “rooftop” and shout out, “I am a Christian”. Rather he stands on the “rooftop” and shouts out to the world, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the only Savior of the world (Matt. 1:23). Those who come up out of the watery grave of baptism having contacted the blood of Christ in that act of obedience, affirms to the world the change in their lives (Col. 3:1). It is a change manifested by seeking the things that are above and setting our affections there (verses 1and 2). We make a break with our past and at times former friends do not understand that change (1 Peter 4:6). Here is what is significant in this change of lifestyle. Our life is now hid with God in Christ. It is not about us but about Jesus the Christ. It is not about what I have now accomplished but rather what God has done for me through His Son, Jesus as revealed in Scripture.
Those who are using their sexuality as something to be announced have managed to get things confused. The action is not one of bravery but a desire to be accepted. Who is it that I can accept? Only those whom God will accept. I must appeal to the standard of the Word of God to make that determination.