The following is one of several Christian responses to the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn a ban on same-sex marriages. The ruling will alter the course of the country and its perception of Christianity. This response is from Larry Tomczak, a Charisma News columnist.
The Supreme Court ruled on Gay Marriage in the United States of America. I’m sure the decision seems like a foregone conclusion to some but a surprise to others. Let this be an encouragement as we move forward as the body of Christ.
“When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people …” – with these words, our Declaration of Independence begins.
The signers continued by affirming “Nature’s God,” “self-evident truths,” and our “Creator.” Then our brave forefathers, putting their very lives on the line, ended their statement of convictions by declaring, “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
At another historic moment, a courageous leader named Nehemiah led the people of God in a similar pledge that is recorded in the Bible (see Nehemiah 10:28-39). They promised to uphold marriage as God intended (verse 30) and “obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our God” (verse 29).
Today the time has come, at a similar defining moment, to follow these examples and collectively express our convictions so we will not waver in the difficult days ahead.
“Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2a).
May we be found faithful as we draw upon His grace to be as He called us: “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”
OUR SOLIDARITY PLEDGE
1. We pledge to obey God, not government, regarding the sanctity of life and marriage.
Scripture tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). Therefore, any secular rulings contrary to God’s will for unborn babies, marriage, and family cannot be honored by His obedient children. We will remain charitable but resolute that we will not capitulate.
The most innocent and defenseless in our midst must always be protected and given “the right to life.” And since the Bible begins and ends with marriage, we will remain faithful to uphold natural marriage between a man and a woman. The two legs upon which our society stands are these: the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage.
2. We pledge to honor our nation’s scriptural, not secular, heritage.
Our Founding Fathers established our nation on Judeo-Christian foundations and pledged obedience to Him and divinely ordained standards. As a result, we have been blessed like no other nation in history.
Until recent generations, we basically remained faithful but now find ourselves seriously adrift from those principles that made America great. We pledge afresh to humbly endeavor to reclaim our godly heritage as “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Founding Father Daniel Webster reminds us:
“If we and our posterity shall be true to the Christian religion, if we and they shall be always in the fear of God, and shall respect His commandments, if we and they shall maintain just moral sentiments and such conscientious convictions of duty as shall control the heart and life, we may have the highest hopes of the future fortunes of our country … but if we and our posterity reject religious institutions and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us, that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”
3. We pledge to trust in God’s protection amid judgment while praying for spiritual awakening.
The Prophet Ezekiel was a “watchman on the wall” who warned people of impending judgment for continuing to violate God’s righteous standards. Child sacrifice and disregarding divine standards for marriage and family brought discipline intended to turn people back to God.
For the remnant who remained faithful, God reassured them that amid severe punishment, righteous ones like Noah, Daniel, and Job were supernaturally protected (see Ezekiel 14:14). May we stand on their shoulders and experience similar deliverance.
In the meantime, we must resist the peril of familiarity and heed the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Together we pledge to wholeheartedly turn away from any known sin in our own lives and return to wholehearted devotion to Jesus. We will remain courageous in boldly and charitably proclaiming God’s Word. We also promise to give ourselves to evangelizing the lost as we believe for another Great Awakening like we have experienced twice in our nation’s history.
Like our forefathers, we encourage each other and declare in unison:
“With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author of 8 books with 43 years of trusted ministry experience. He is a cultural commentator whose weekly articles appear on sites reaching 26 million monthly. Connect and view short video commentaries at larrytomczak.com.
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