5-4

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Five liberal justices ruled in favor, four conservative justices dissented. “In a landmark opinion, a divided Supreme Court on Friday ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights advocates a historic victory.” [1] (The labels “liberal” and “conservative” were not mine. It’s CNN’s, by the way.) Justice Anthony Kennedy penned the historic albeit controversial decision. (Read it here.)

No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were. … It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. [2]

Each dissenting justice wrote their opinion. Justice Antonin Scalia’s was “the most blistering” declaring the Court’s decision a “threat to American democracy.” [3] 

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Chief Justice John Roberts wrote,

If you are among the many Americans—of whatever sexual orientation—who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal… Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it. [4]

The US Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage as constitutional. But that does not make it Biblical. Who came up with “the idea of marriage”, anyway? God. So, to really respect its idea, we must fulfill marriage the way He intended it. It’s more than a constitutional issue. It’s a moral issue.

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Marriage is between a man and a woman, as far as the Scripture is concerned. 

[Jesus] 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, ESV. Emphasis added.)

And what God has specified (“male and female”), let not man (even the US Supreme Court) generalize or trivialize. 

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How do Christians who hold to such Biblical view handle the Court decision? Actually, the situation is not a step forward. It’s a step backward. The early Christians lived in such a context before. 

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, emphasis added)

The Church was the “odd man out” at that time. Yet still the believers thrived in such a polar opposite condition. They still fulfilled their call as “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16) They still, as the people protested against the apostle Paul, “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Actually, they turned the world right side up. 

As we approach a culture that does not share our biblical values or standards of conduct we still need to model love and pray for those with whom we disagree. … As our culture begins to look more and more like that of the New Testament times, we need to remember and take heart that the message and mission of Jesus was birthed and flourished in such times. May God do it again in our lifetime. [5] 

Brothers and sisters, truth is the loving response to this issue at hand.

[1] Ariane de Vogue and Jeremy Diamond (2015, June 26), “Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide,” CNN Politics, retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/. Emphasis added.

[2] Deena Zaru (2015, June 26), “The best lines from Scalia's marriage dissent and Kennedy's decision,” CNN Politics, retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Vogue and Diamond. Emphasis added. 

[5] Mark Bailey (2015, June 26), “A Response from Dallas Theological Seminary to Today's Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage,” DTS Magazine, retrieved from http://www.dts.edu/. Emphasis added.