All
tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain
silent - Thomas Jefferson
God’s original plan for
marriage was one man and one woman together in a life-long committed
relationship; with the two becoming one (Genesis 1-2). This model was
instituted by God Himself at the time of creation. The account of this creation
of the man and woman concludes with the statement, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to
his wife and the two shall become one.
Jesus affirmed this
original model of marriage saying that it had been so ordained from the beginning; and He warned that what God had established or joined together must not be abrogated or
put asunder by any human court or
authority (Matthew 19:4-5). The well-known Greek scholar, Marvin A Vincent, confirms
this by pointing out that the perfect tense of the verb used in this passage
indicates that “the original ordinance has never been abrogated or superseded
but continues in force.”
We Must Define the Issue
That being the case, why
is it that so many evangelical Christian leaders are so reticent to make a
clear, proactive statement about marriage? The most recent example is Bryan
Houston who gave a very ambiguous response when asked by a New York Times reporter
his position on same-sex marriage. His answer, in fact, was so vague that some
thought he was affirming same-sex marriage. He later clarified that he does
hold to a Biblical view of marriage but explained that he does not want to alienate
particular groups, such as the GLBT, by making public statements of condemnation.
I understand that
concern, but making a clear statement of God’s plan for marriage and sexuality
is not condemning anyone. I understand the need to avoid being reactionary and
condemnatory towards any social group, but when publicly asked to give our take
on a moral issue that is confronting people every day, we have a responsibility
to give a clear, proactive statement of Biblical truth. If we are silent or
ambiguous then we leave it to other voices to define the issue for our culture.
What a terrible dereliction of our duty!
Silence Opens the Door to Tyranny
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is
for people of good conscience to remain silent,” declared Thomas
Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and our third president. What
Jefferson warned about is beginning to be played out in America today. A prime
example is the recent unprecedented demand of the lesbian mayor of Houston for
certain Houston pastors to turn over their sermons if they contained references
to homosexuality and gender identification, all part of a lawsuit concerning
gender neutral bathroom legislation passed by the city council.
Her bullying, however,
created such an outcry of protest from across the nation that she has decided
to withdraw the subpoenas. The lawyer for the pastors said, “They were only
intended to intimidate and bully the pastors into silence.”
The question we should
ask is, “What created an atmosphere in which this activist mayor would think
she could get away with such an act that is in direct violation of the
Constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and freedom of speech?” I
would suggest that the silence of so many Christian leaders on the issue has left
a moral void that led this mayor to believe she could get away with such an act of tyranny. This is no time for silence!
Speak the Truth in Love
“Yes, we must show
compassion but we must also speak the truth. Purporting to show love without
speaking truth is mere sugar-coated niceness and will not bring healing and
wholeness in a fallen world that is filled with lives that are broken by sin. If
a surgeon withdraws the scalpel and leaves the cancer because the patient
flinched and cried out in pain, he has not acted in love. In a similar way, if
we draw back from speaking the truth to those whose lives are being destroyed
by sin, we are not walking in love. You
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free, Jesus said in John
8:32.
Declare
the Whole Counsel of God
Paul revealed his sense of responsibility before God to speak the whole truth
to his generation. This came forth in his visit with the elders of the church
of Ephesus where he reminded these former pagans how, I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and
taught you publicly and from house to house. Because he
had been forthcoming and not held back, Paul could then say, Therefore, I declare to you today that I am
innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to
you the whole will of God. (Acts 20:26-27; NIVUK).
In declaring himself
innocent of the blood of any of you, Paul is alluding to the Old Testament
account of God speaking to Ezekiel about his responsibility as a watchman for
the house Israel. In Ezekiel 33:1-11, God reminded Ezekiel that a watchman is
positioned on a city wall to watch for approaching danger and to then warn the
inhabitants of that danger. God said that if the watchman sees danger
approaching and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then regardless of what
happens to the people and the city, the watchman is guiltless because he
fulfilled his responsibility.
On the other hand, if the watchman sees danger approaching
and does not blow the trumpet and warn the people and they are destroyed, the
watchman is culpable for their deaths because he was silent and did not warn
the people of the approaching danger. In a similar way, God told Ezekiel that if you do not speak out to dissuade them from their
ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you
accountable for their blood (Ezekiel 33:8).
Paul, the preacher of grace, knew his responsibility to not be
silent or compromising in the handling of God’s word. That is why he could say
that he had declared the whole counsel of
God, not just the fun and happy part. Paul, in fact, reminded them how, For three years I did not cease to warn
everyone night and day with tears (Acts 20:31). In the Day of Judgment no
one in Ephesus would be able to point at Paul and say, “He didn’t tell me.” It
was because he had not been silent that Paul could say, I am free of the blood of any of you (Acts 20:26).
Final
Thought
This is no time for silence, uncertainty and ambiguity in the Church. In
I Corinthians 4:8, Paul said, For if the trumpet makes an
uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle. It is time for Christians, and especially Christian
leaders, to make a clear and certain Gospel sound. As Jefferson said, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is
for people of good conscience to remain silent.” This is no time for silence!
Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is an author, historian, revivalist and Bible teacher. He believes America's only hope is a moral and Spiritual awakening. He has, therefore, begun presenting "Revive America" events in churches and auditoriums across the nation, by which he demonstrates America's radical Christian origins and inspires people pray and believe God for another Great Awakening in the land.
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