Secular humanists have proven again Jesus’ words that the sons of this world are shrewder than the sons of light. Instead of beating about the edges with their agenda, they’ve cut straight to the heart of all—the family. The Rev. J.R. Miller observed in his classic work, Home-Making, that “Homes are the springs among the hills, whose many streamlets, uniting, form like great rivers society, the community, the nation, the Church. If the spring runs low the rivers waste; if they pour out bounteous currents the rivers are full. If the springs are pure the rivers are clear like crystal; if they are foul the rivers are defiled. A curse upon homes sends a poisoning blight everywhere; a blessing sends healing and new life into every channel.”1 Well, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court just dumped a truckload of raw sewage into the spring last week when they ruled that the constitution of Massachusetts guarantees the rights of sodomites and lesbians to marry. What’s worse, they ordered the state legislature to change the state laws accordingly, within six months.
Whether this ruling will stand after all the legal wrangling subsides remains to be seen. The important thing to homosexuals is that they have achieved a milestone, and they know it. They have shown themselves to be shrewder than us. They had a goal, and for decades they relentlessly pursued it. While we Christians have just wanted to get along with everyone, they have sought total conquest, infiltrating the schools, the church, the media, politics, etc.—and they still seek it. They won’t stop now and rest on their laurels.
So what do we do now? Admittedly the church, as the salt and light of society, has failed in allowing this to happen. Recognizing this is an important step, but it’s still only half the process. The next part is action, of which there are several steps.
In light of the court’s decision, conservative leaders have renewed the effort to have marriage amendments passed to the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions. At this point it’s a legitimate option, but it’s only damage control. Tacking a few sentences to the end of the Constitution won’t change anybody’s minds or hearts about the issue, especially homosexuals.
The important step for Christians is to adopt the biblical mindset of our political opponents—total conquest. Instead of a whimpering retreatist Ariminianism, we need to flex some muscular Van Tillian theology. We need to imbibe the declaration of J. Gresham Machen that “The Christian cannot be satisfied so long as any human activity is either opposed to Christianity or out of all connection with Christianity. Christianity must pervade not merely all nations, but also all of human thought.”2 Let’s stop talking about the importance of “traditional marriage”, because if we don’t watch out, Adam and Steve may become the new “traditional marriage” within the next hundred years. Let’s start declaring and demonstrating both the necessity and the glory of the Biblical family.
All is not lost. Homosexuality existed in the decadent Roman culture of the early church, and the church triumphed. There is always hope for those who believe in a King who rips out the stony hearts of His foes by the sword of the Spirit, and gives to them new living hearts.
