"I have complete confidence in the Gospel" Romans 1:16-17

Paul put complete confidence in the gospel (good news) of Christ Jesus, so much so that he was imprisoned and tortured for his faith.  He believed faith in Christ Jesus could save one to the uttermost.  

The time has not yet arrived in our country that our faith will be put on trial, but rest assured that time is coming when it soon will become a capital offense (and subversive) to profess Christ Jesus as our Savior.  Our governmental lawmakers have already expressed hostility toward the gospel by enacting laws which determine it intolerant when Christians choose God as opposed to the world accepted liberal way of thinking.  But questions need to be raised, “what is the heart of the Father?”

There is a baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple and was sued.  After some time in appeals court at the State level the Masterpiece Cakeshop petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari (review), under the case name Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, of the following question:

Whether applying Colorado's public accommodations law to compel Phillips (the cake shop owner) to create an expression that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage violates the Free Speech or Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.

There is the much deeper question here than just whether or not rights have been violated, that question is “what is the heart of the Father?”  Would Jesus have demonstrated the Father’s love by taking someone to court to protest for one's religious beliefs? And should we as Christians take a stand against homosexuality?

I would like to share a short passage with you from the book “Jesus Unbound” by author Keith Giles.

Mr. Giles quotes the following:

"“When (LGBTQ-affirming Christians) tell me that I am wrong for saying that (homosexuality) is a sin, in the simplicity of my faith in the Holy Scriptures, I point him to the sacred record (the bible), and tell him, in all candor, as my text does, that his teaching blasphemes the name of God and His doctrine.

     “The tree (affirming homosexuality and transgenderism) is evil and only evil…(it) is nourished by an utter rejection of the Scriptures.”

Rev. Henry Van Dyke

Many Christians today would agree whole-heartedly with Pastor Van Dyke’s statements here.  But, surprisingly, what he was actually defending here was slavery (not homosexuality) and his opponents were Abolitionists.  Still, his position in favor of slaveholding was very strongly supported by the Holy Scriptures.  One cannot deny that he was right about the fact that the Bible did not condemn slaveholding outright.  But we cannot miss the fact that it is more than possible for someone to be Biblically-correct about something and still be very, very wrong at the same time.

The struggle for many of us is that we have been told for so long that we need to be “Biblically-minded” that we have forgotten that this same Bible teaches us to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and affirms that we have the mind of Christ. 

Furthermore, the same Bible also teaches us to love extravagantly - as Christ loved us - which was unconditionally and before we did anything to change our minds about Him, or how we live.

Here are Van Dykes actual comments about Abolitionists made in 1860:

“The tree of Abolition is evil and only evil…(it) is nourished by an utter rejection of the Scriptures…When the Abolitionist tells me that slaveholding is sin, in the simplicity of my faith in the Holy Scriptures, I point him to this sacred record, and tell him, in all candor, as my text does, that his teaching blasphemes the name of God and His doctrine.”  (Rev. Henry Van Dyke, The Character and Influence of Abolitionism, 1860, p.11) "  From the book Jesus Unbound by Keith Giles

The Father made it plainly known that when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, His voice from heaven thundered out and declared “This is my dear Son in whom I am well pleased, hear Him”. (Matt 17:5 NKJV).  The disciple John wrote about Jesus with these words “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 KJV).  

Are we to be biblically minded like the Pharisees were with Jesus when He called them out as being nothing more than whitewashed tombs with attitude,  (Matt 23:27-28 NIV) or are we to have the mind of Christ by hearing Him and reaching out with love and mercy to those who espouse homosexuality or transgenderism or any other lifestyle choice in which we do not agree with open arms and open hearts that the light of Christ may shine upon their lives?  

The gospel message is clear that Jesus has restored the relationship between mankind and the Father, it was never about condemning people for their choices or taking a self-righteous view by saying I’m right and they’re wrong, it is about expressing the love of the Father to the hurting and needy of this world and becoming a bridge to the Father for those who need Him most.  The gospel is for everyone, not just for religious people.  

Paul stated in the verses above that the Gospel is “… God's power to save all who believe.”  He also recognized that it is “…God (who) puts people right with himself,” it is not our job to fix other people, “…it is from faith from beginning to end,” it is not our faith, but the faith imparted to us by Jesus Christ, otherwise, it would be considered works on our part and would not be the good news.  

As a nation, we came to believe that slavery was wrong when it came to the freedom of a people group who were oppressed, we went to war over the issue.  How much more should we recognize that freedom in our day involved Jesus going to war for us and winning the battle over sin and demonstrated the Father's love and acceptance even to those who rejected and despised Him?  Shouldn't we prefer others above ourselves as Jesus did, and extend His love to others as extravagantly as He has with us?

Let us not engage with those voices which condemn others, but instead, demonstrate the mind of Christ by hearing Him in loving by example, embracing those who need to hear the truth that God the Father unconditionally loves others no matter where they are in life. We can be that example of love. 

We too can put our complete confidence in the Gospel, for it is God's power to save all who believe, He has never failed to make a way for us even when there seemed there was no way.  We can pray for others with conviction and with power knowing that God will answer our prayers and intervene in ways that are past figuring out.

Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life.  John 6:68 (CEV)

His promise still stands, He can move mountains.

Great is His faithfulness!

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett