The Supreme Court will rule gay marriage is constitutional. This is progress for gay marriage activists but it is also progress for Christians who oppose same sex marriage.
That sounds counterintuitive, but here’s what I mean.
For the last 200 years, the United States saw tremendous growth of the Christian Church. According to Gallup, church attendance was greatest between 1940 and 1970. During these 30 years the church grew artificially, as people went to church because of the branding that came with not going. This artificial growth created a religious bubble that began losing air as religious leaders began to bend and twist biblical truths. To broaden their appeal, many mainline denominations began to redefine the biblical definition of marriage. Despite this, church attendance is now less than 19 percent. Christian persecution is coming and it will burst what is left of this religious bubble. Then true growth will happen as we saw with the New Testament era Church.
All churches want to grow, but quality is always better than quantity. As we look throughout the Bible we find that those saved by God have always been a remnant of a larger group of people. Noah had just seven others out of thousands of people. (Genesis 6-7) When God destroyed Sodom there were less than 10 righteous people. (Genesis 18) Israel was always considered the least of all the nations (Deuteronomy 7:7). Jesus chose 12 disciples. Today Christians make up only 31 percent of the whole world. It’s not that God doesn’t want to have Heaven full of all people; it’s that people continue to reject God.
Glenn Beck recently said, “Here’s my prediction: If gay marriage goes through the Supreme Court, and gay marriage becomes fine and they can put teeth in it – so now they can go after the churches, like the president’s lawyer says — within five years 50 percent of the congregants will fall away from their church because they won’t be able to take the persecution, because the stigma of going to church will be too much.”
A large portion of the church is already falling away. Yet this is progress for Christians because we will finally see during this persecution who really is a Christian. Who will stay the course and as Jesus says will “be faithful to the end.” (Matthew 24:13).
Society will continue to ask Christians, “If you can’t beat them why not join them?” Many “Christian” churches have joined society’s movement towards embracing gay marriage and what is happening is that those churches increase in size for a time but then begin to lose members. As true Christians who adhere to the Bible as God’s very word infallible in all matters of life and faith, we cannot conform to how society is moving on gay marriage and other issues because our faithfulness should always be to God and not man. (Acts 5:29)
The issue with gay marriage for Bible-believing Christians is not a political matter. It doesn’t really matter if marriage is determined by the states or the federal government. What matters is that homosexuality for us as Christians is a sin. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) Supporting gay marriage is condoning sin. Supporting this redefinition of marriage is equal to stating that God is wrong and society in 2015 is right. During oral arguments last week, Justice Kennedy stated “This definition [of marriage] has been with us for millennia. And it's very difficult for the Court to say, oh, well, we know better.”
Kennedy, often the swing vote on close issues, is on to something we have always recognized. Ask yourself this question: How is it that for millennia, since the beginning of time, all nations, all peoples have defined and instituted marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman? Aside from the obvious ability to procreate, there is only one conclusion and that is that all men and women are created in the image of God; in His likeness. Marriage originates with God. When you try to fix what is not broken — God’s perfect design — you risk facing His Holy wrath and justice.
Yet soon America and other nations will redefine marriage. Persecution will then ensue for Bible believing Christians who obey the Bible, God’s Word, over man, society, and politics. Yet here is the hope for Christians. Jesus tells us what happens next: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9-14)
About Rev. Marcos O. Almonte
Rev. Marcos O. Almonte is senior pastor at Brandywine Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church west of Philadelphia. Pastor Marcos is a graduate of Palmer Theological Seminary with more than 10 years working with families with an expertise in theology, trauma and addictions. Pastor Marcos and his wife Mary have three children, Carmen, Joseph, and Lincoln.
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