The quest for inclusion and normalization of homosexuality and "gay-marriage" in the church
Now for a little more understanding on the issue: Rob Bell is a post-modern, ex emergent leader of a church; this kind of church is one that is outside the faith based on the beliefs not being biblical based but culturally orientated. One of the pillars of this idea is that no one can know the truth of scripture - for it is "ambiguous and very hard to understand."
The bells start out with the following words of encouragement for the "Homosexual movement" that claim to be in the church as well as outside the church, they state:
Marriage - gay or straight is a gift to the world because the world needs more not less love, fidelity, commitment, devotion and sacrifice.Well there is the tag line to this whole issue! It is almost a battle that can't be won because the presuppositions behind it are glaringly obvious. For one to start with "Marriage- gay or straight" as this woman does - already signals something about the people who are proposing it, in that they have already brought in the lie of culture that all people are equal and deserve to be married. Regardless of what they are.
On top of that, lies a deeper issue of where did this "gift" come from, and what was the intended purpose behind it that the giver expects. The bible states clear that it was God who gave man the institute of marriage and it gives us the parameters and purpose. Therefore, this statement has started on a hill it cannot possible climb.
Next, we must consider the five terms "love, fidelity, commitment, devotion and sacrifice." Now this presupposes a standard. Each term in relation has a meaning, and it has it true definition only in the heterosexual marriage union. All of them are given their context in only that union; the truth concerning "gay marriage" is that it is narcissistic and it a culture of death. It is a mirror image and is self centred in its whole application.
Only the one true triune God has the right to define his covenants and what they mean. Man does not and cannot in any way; shape or form. And he does by his Son Jesus perfectly in Matthew 19- it state "marriage" is between a Man and a Woman only.
What Rob Bell had to say on the matters at hand
In the process of the interview Oprah asked a few questions concerning The bells book that seeks to undermine scripture and the Christian world-view. She states, "I think its a great thing that you made a conscious decision to include "gay-marriage" in here." To which Rob Bells answered:
Absolutely! (O.W: why?) ... Because one of the oldest aches in the bone of humanity is loneliness. I mean, its one of the things that goes way back. Loneliness is not good for the world.And also this,
So who-ever you are gay or straight, it is totally normal and natural to want some to go through life with. It's central to our humanity - we want someone to go on the journey with.Okay! so it is a question of "loneliness" that determines how the divinely ordained institution of marriage should be held in humanity. And not how God determines it's existence. Now granted, loneliness is a huge issue for man, but is this redefinition of marriage what is needed to solve the problem or is this another way to tell God he was wrong for what he done.
Secondly, if loneliness is the issue- then is this not bigoted towards other kinds of people: How about incestuous union, paedophiliac unions, or any other kind. Do they get to be included in this redefinition too? There are no boundaries once the limitations that God placed on it are removed in favour of one sinful perversion.
God defines Marriage to exist only between a Man and a Women (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:22-24); and this is re-established by Christ in Matthew 19 and Mark 12. The Matthew one has an important point behind it - it reads as follows:
He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6)Now these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and he is the head of the church and is the one that define Christian beliefs and what the church should believe and teach. Above he re-affirms the creational covenant of Marriage between a Man and a Woman. That is the only one he allows in the church.
Christ goes on to state the following upon divorce:
He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Verses 8-9)After establishing what Marriage is in the previous verses mentioned. Christ moves onto give the only grounds that Marriage can be nullified - through 'sexual immorality' which is a link back to the Leviticus Law on immorality which include none other than homosexuality. So Christ is clear that the sins that were outlaw in the Old are still sin under the New Covenant. There is a difference in the manner of Christ relation to the law itself: it is not apart of the New Covenant, but the acts are still sin in and of themselves.
The all out assault on the Church and the bible
In trying to justify his reasoning for desiring to allow the homosexuals into the idea of marriage- Rob bell reveals several important things. Oprah asks the following question: "when is the church going to get there?" to which Rob Bell states the following:
We're close! I think it's evolving. I think its .... lots of people are already there. We think its inevitable and we're moments (O.W: You think we are moments away)It must not be overlooked at this point Oprah asked about the church, and Rob said "we're close!" This really speaks to the level of wickedness in this man's heart. For he knows that he has never been apart of the true church. And even more importantly, he is a false confessor. And now he is speaking as if he is one of us when he is not.
He carries onto state the following on the church:
Absolutely! Because soon as you meet someone and most of the time when people have résistance to this (O.W: you think we are moments away) I think culture is already there and the church will continue to even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2000 years ago as it's best defence.Now we really see the apostasy in his words as well as the hate for the church, for the scripture and for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is clearly not speaking for the church in these words at all. Sure there are some confused Pastors who have abandoned scripture on its clear pronouncement against this sinful act, but they are in the minority. Now lets consider the one thing he raises as an objection to the biblical world view: "the culture." Of course, the culture is already there like Rob Bell is already there. But where is this place "the culture" of death and destruction. And it is no place for a truly regenerate Christian to be getting their worldview from. The culture does not determine the worldview of the Church; the scriptures are the only foundation being the final authority on all Christian issues and truths.
The only reason for one to state " the church will continue to even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2000 years ago as it's best defence." Is because such a person has been led into the abyss of folly that "the culture" puts forth. And it is essentially self defeating and very contradictory in nature. The Holy Spirit however, has said through his Apostle on what a true Christian is and that is essential in this matter:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)Paul also states in another of his letters:
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. (1 Timothy 1:8-11)
In the second passage, Paul lays out the case for what the Law was for "laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane," in other words, the Law purpose was to convict man of his sin; obviously for the Jews alone. But Paul then lays out a list evil deeds people do that are in no sense apart of the redeemed life. While Christian may sin; they will never make that sin apart of their Christian walk.
And as we can plainly see, one such lifestyle and choose was "practicing homosexuality" a true born again, regenerated Christian will not indulge in such practices as they are contrary to the new life in Christ.
The biblical picture of the truth of Marriage
Now what we need to do is give an account of what the biblical worldview has to say on Marriage. And of course, it needs to be seen that the institution of Marriage is a covenant which God established between a Man and a Woman. The original and only purpose of marriage was unite and make the Man and women 'one flesh' it also provides an avenue that sanctity and purity of the couple could be seen.
In other words, through Marriage God establishes a real holy communion between the Husband and Wife that no other type of union can hold; especially that of "gay-marriage" as it is a perversion of the truth of what Marriage is.
Consider what the bible has to state in the letter of Ephesians; chapter 5:
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Verses 22-33)And also the 1st letter of Peter; chapter 3:
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honour to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (Verse 1-7)For the Christian faith, the union of a Man and a Woman is something has a deeper reality to it. In the unbelieving culture marriage is only something which they do because it feels right, it feels good to have something to express a love through- and that is why it bends it in whatever direction is applicable to their whims. And in doing so, it loses its meaning and it no longer has any valid point to it- and this is just what is at the heart of the redefinition to allow for a position which God has already condemned as sexually immoral and a sin.
Now what is the deeper issue! It is a union that is not just between a Man and a Woman- it is a representation of the spiritual union of believers "the bride" to Christ "the husband," and in its earthly existence; God has given it boundaries that best reflect the Spiritual Reality. In this we learn the following truth- Marriage is both a spiritual union and a Physical union as God has clearly made it to be - it entails the following:
Christ has one bride (I.E .. the church) and he won't be unfaithful toward her with another so called church; in the same manner a human husband should be faith to his human wife. But it also works out in the opposite manner as well- under the Spirit's control the bride will never be unfaithful to Christ by running off to other "spiritual ideals" but will be faithful to Him alone; in the same manner, that human wife will not be unfaithful to her Husband.
Biblical Marriage has at the heart of it the following four dimensions: (1) Compatibility. (2) Complementarianism. (3) Self Sacrificial. (4) Commitment. These are the biblical parameters which are only met in the Heterosexual union. Man and Woman have a fundamental compatibility which leads to them complimenting each other in physical and spiritual manner, this leads to a deep desire to give oneself up for the other and this produces a commitment both to one another and unto God. That is what Marriage garners when it is based on God's standards.
A final thought on the issue
With the change in the realm of Marriage in both America and England over the last couple years - due to some of the leaders of both countries, it is incumbent upon the Christian church (those who are true believers; and actually care about the nature of Marriage), we need to be ever so humble in our endeavours in how we stand against this new battle. What is needed is bold and clear defence on these all-important issues.
Bare in the commandment given by our brother in the faith, the Apostle Peter who states:
but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3: 15-16)It is here that we meet the sole purpose of the Christian who knows that they must stand for the truth of the Gospel - which also includes the message on how God designed and defined the covenant of Marriage. And the Apostle gives us this command - there is a lot of important elements in short command, but the vital point to raise here is this: "always being prepared to make a defence," the term defence.. is from the Greek word "apologia" it holds the idea that of a rationally based stance of the truth.
And of course, in this article we have set our very focus on that very point. I have made my case based on the standard that God has given to the church- the bible. Now I know, Rob Bells seeks his justification from the worldly culture of death and destruction; but in the end, his argument is based on fallacious reasoning and it ultimately is bankrupt in nature. It is as Paul states in Romans 1 about humanity at large:
For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (Verses 21-22)Rob Bell's argument is perfectly fitting, it is clearly one that is as Paul says above "futile in their thinking" and it reveals how his "heart is darkened" with an evil that is nothing more than open rebellion against God himself. It is nothing short of Apostasy from the faith (if it counts at all considering his background.
Conclusion
It should come as no surprise that this is the position taken by Rob Bell as we can see the trajectory that he has been heading over the years since his book 'love wins' came out, which made the point clear that he believed that there is no Hell to punish people for their rampant sin. In that work one of the first things he states is the following:
First, I believe that Jesus's story is first and foremost about the love of God for each and everyone of us. It is a stunning, beautiful, expansive love, and it is for everybody, everywhere. ...... There are a growing number of us who have become aware that Jesus's story has been hijacked by a number of other stories, stories Jesus isn't interesting in telling. because they have nothing to do with what Jesus came to do.Based on those words, we can see the major error that lies beneath the mists of deception in his understanding of "the Jesus story" it lacks the real emphasis of the biblical world-view and the truth that it holds. In that there is no real discussion of 'God receiving the glory through the redemption of an undeserving people by the blood of Christ'. What is even more striking however, is the fact that Rob Bell since love wins has declined in his views - consider one example from an interview with another Christian on unbelievable radio show. He basically when into a tirade over what he perceived to be Christian living. He said
It should not matter how we interpret particular passages- all that matters is that we are brothers and come together at the table for communion.If interpretation is not a factor in how we are to correctly understand a text- then who is to say that Rob Bell has understood the communion (just consider the abuses that Paul addresses in I Corinthians 11). This is why the bible must be correctly understood in all it has to say about any subject; in fact, that applies to the passages that undeniably calls out homosexuality as sin. Now the final thing we need to recognise is this Rob Bell has been a false Christian for years.
