Love the World but Do Not Agree with Them

In case you have missed it, the debate of same sex marriage has become quite the to do.  From individuals, to companies, to churches - everyone seems to be picking a side.  In fact, I rightly did so myself.  However, while I was speaking truth and Biblical fact (marriage should be between one man and one woman), I was carelessly venting and, more than likely, affected my witness.

You see, we can and SHOULD speak the truth, no matter what the consequences.  Just because we are speaking truth in saying the marriage is for one man and one woman, does NOT mean that we hate homosexuals.  In fact, we are called to love them as Christ loved them: unashamed with arms wide open.  But there is a difference between love and approving of someone's opinion.

Job 27:5-6

5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right;Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach in any of my days.

For a little bit of a background here, Job's friends were trying to tell him that he has messed up somewhere, that he had sinned, that he was wrong.  While Job loved his friends, I am sure, he still knew that they were wrong and he was right.  That is where these words come from - Job is rightly sticking up for himself.

"Declare you right" is translated from the Hebrew verb tsadaq.  The lexicon explains that the interpretation of tsadaq in this case should be something along the lines of "to declare any one to have given a right opinion...to approve of any one's opinion" (Gesenius' Lexicon).  Job did not approve of their opinion and he let them know it!  For if he approved of their opinion, he would be forsaking his integrity.  After all, "If we must not bear false witness against our neighbor, then not against ourselves" (Henry).

The same goes for us.  If we approve of the popular opinion of man right now (same-sex marriage is okay), we are forsaking our own integrity.  Just for clarification purposes, Dictionary.com defines 'integrity' as "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty."  As Christians, our moral and ethical code is taken from the Bible.  The Bible clearly says that homosexuality is wrong (and not just in the Old Testament).

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, not the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. (emphasis added)

We cannot just pick and choose what people on that list are "still" unrighteous in today's world.  Every single thing on that list can most definitely be applied to today's culture, no argument.  And for further clarification purposes, in case you are wondering, 'homosexual' is translated from the Greek word arsenokoites meaning "one who lies with a male as with a female" (Strong's G733).

We cannot get around it.  Homosexuality is a sin.  If we are approving of the world's opinion, we have already "put away" our integrity (vs. 5).  'Put Away' or cuwr means "to turn aside, depart" (Strong's H5493).  Do not depart from your integrity!  Do not approve of the world's opinion, do not declare them right!

In fact, if we truly love them, we must stand for the truth for "saying it's okay is enabling them from following God's plan" (quoted from a dear friend).  We are pushing them further from righteousness when we approve of their opinion.  That is not, and never will be, love.  For more on this topic, check out this article I stumbled across on Facebook.

Today I challenge you to be like Job: Hold fast to your righteousness and do not let it go.  Stand for the truth.  Do not let your heart find fault with (reproach) you (Dictionary.com).  Love the world but do not agree with them.