Guest Post - Frank Steck on Gay Marriage

I was on Facebook today, and noticed an abundance of “equal signs” in support of same-sex marriage. People are lining up on one side or the other. Since the issue is hot at the moment, let me tell you where I stand.
     Do I think two people of the same sex that are in a relationship should be afforded the same legal rights as a heterosexual couple? Certainly. Should there be a legal vehicle by which a person can take over a partner’s Social Security upon the death of his/her life partner? Absolutely. Should couples be allowed to enter into contracts like married couples? They do it every day, in cities and states across the nation. I think the Congress and the legal community should look for a legal way to make this happen. Let’s call it a life union. This is where most of you and I are probably in agreement. And this is where the line gets drawn in the sand.
     Do I think a same-sex couple should be able to walk into a church and be married by a pastor, priest or rabbi that has sworn an oath to uphold the covenants of God, and be called married? Not in this lifetime. And any person of the cloth who would do that will be held to more accountability when he/she stands in judgment than the people he marries. The Bible states, in paraphrase, “To whom much is given, from him much is expected.” The more they know, the more accountable they are when they don’t obey.
     The modern generation looks at the Bible as a movable, changeable collection of stories, whose morals and teachings must change with the times. Of course they look at the Constitution the same way. I on the other hand look at the Bible as the inspired Word of God dictated to man as His rule book. As God always was, is, and always will be, so are the teachings in His Book. I can show numerous verses in the Old and New Testaments that testify that homosexuality is detestable in the eyes of God. I defy anyone to show me one verse to the contrary. The Bible is not a menu in a Chinese restaurant. You can’t pick one from column A and two from column B. You take it all, or you deny it all. It’s like you can’t be a little bit pregnant. You are or you’re not. The Bible is forever. Read Revelation 22:18-21.
     Does God hate homosexuals? Not at all. He loves them, but he doesn’t like what they do. When my cousin was maybe five, he did something that his mom didn’t like, and she yelled at him. I was there and was privileged to witness what went next, and I used it as an example in Bible School last summer. He got all weepy and crawled up next to his mom and said, “Don’t you love me any more, mommy?” to which his mom replied, “I will always love you, but some times I don’t like you.”
     Do I hate homosexuals. Not at all. I have friends who are gay. As a Christian, it is not my place to judge, nor is it my duty to get in their faces and tell them they are going to hell. But, if one were to come to me and ask me what I thought of their homosexuality, I would tell them honestly that what they are doing is an affront to the teachings of the Lord, but that they are loved by Him. Then I would refer them to someone much more learned and capable than I to counsel them on what the Bible says.
     The true Christian shows more forgiveness than will ever be shown by the liberal media. Unfortunately, the true Christian is portrayed as being like the funeral crashers from Westboro Baptist Church and the like-minded. I will love the sinner. I will not, however apologize for standing up for the Word of God. The U.S. Supreme Court might well be the highest court in the land, but my Judge holds infinitely more power. The Supreme Court's power is temporary, but my Judge's power is eternal.
     The line has been drawn in the sand, and God is taking an accounting of His side. That’s one side I plan to be on.