Gracious Ethics

Found this good and relevant article - Toward A Graciously Historic Sexual Ethic by Scott Sauls:(Via The Gospel Coalition):

The centuries-old, universal consensus among Christians, Jews, and Muslims—that God gave sex for marriage between one man and one woman—is being questioned not only by secular society, but within Christianity itself. Individuals, churches, and even whole denominations are shifting in their views and practices. Many contest the long-held belief that porneia—the New Testament Greek term for all sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman—is synonymous with “immorality.” Ours is a different age, the Western (and mostly white and well-educated) “progressive Christian” says. Biblical prohibitions against divorce, unmarried cohabitation, and same-sex relationships, they say, were written for situations unique to the first century but shouldn’t apply to our modern context. Indeed, those who are unpersuaded by the new interpretations are increasingly viewed as unenlightened at best and bigoted at worst.

So what do we make of this new cultural landscape? How do we understand the Scriptures on this matter? And what should we do with that understanding?

Have We Misunderstood Scripture?

Expressions of sexuality that were once seen as taboo have now become mainstream. As friends and family “come out” with news of a pending divorce or a same-sex or cohabiting hetero relationship, Christians—especially when friendships and family ties hang in the balance—feel pressed to sympathize instead of condemn, to support instead of separate, to affirm instead of deny. To reinforce this instinct, sexual minorities are often compared to victims of slavery. Christians eventually shifted on slavery because they finally saw slavery was biblically wrong, the thinking goes. This is no different. Sexual minorities are the new oppressed minority.

This is a difficult leap, however, since every reference in Scripture to sex outside of heterosexual marriage is negative. The pro-slavery mindset is repudiated by Paul’s letter to Philemon, a slaveowner commanded to stop treating Onesimus like a slave and instead as a brother. No such parallel pushes against the historic Christian view of sexuality.

As Scripture unfolds from Old Testament to New, we see a progressive tone in the way it dignifies and empowers women, ethnic minorities, the enslaved, the infirm, and the oppressed. But when it comes to sex and marriage, we actually see a more conservative tone. Jesus reaffirms the male-female, one-flesh union in marriage. Qualified elders must either be single and chaste like Paul and Jesus or be the “husband of one wife” (that is, one-woman men). Jesus restores dignity to an adulteress and then tells her that if she’s going to identify as his follower she must stop committing adultery. Unlike Philemon and the slave issue, then, there is no hint in Scripture of “emancipation” for sexual relationships—including committed and monogamous ones—outside the male-female marital union.

This teaching is admittedly unpopular in our late modern times. Yet Scripture shows no interest in being popular or relevant—that is, in being adapted, revised, or censored to align with ever-shifting times. We must remain countercultural wherever the culture and the truth are at odds. It is this posture that makes Christians truly relevant in the culture.

Counterculture for the Healing of Culture

What’s the way forward, then, for Christians? I believe the way of grace and truth avoids the polar extremes of both the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Pray for Rosaria Butterfield

A while back I wrote about and quoted from the book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, by Rosaria Butterfield, and posted videos of her testimony. The following update comes from Denny Burk

I cannot overstate how much I appreciate and love Rosaria Butterfield’s book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. It’s the story of her conversion from lesbian feminist scholar to Christianity. It’s easily the best book I’ve read all year.

Since her book came out, she has been asked to speak in a number of different venues. As you can imagine, her message is hated in certain contexts, not least of which is the average university campus. Recently, she spoke on the campus of the University of South Florida, and her reception was less than warm. The campus newspaper reports:

As Rosaria Butterfield began her lecture about her journey and “train wreck conversion” from a lesbian professor to a Christian, a pastor’s wife and mother of four, nine students in the front row of the audience stood up silently, took off their jackets, turned their backs to Butterfield and linked arms in front of a packed Oval Theater guarded by two University Police officers and two security officers.

“Rosario Butterfield does not speak for us.”
“LOVE.”
“USF is 4 hate speech.”
Their white T-shirts revealed hand-written messages:

The nine remained standing silently throughout the two-hour lecture, in which Butterfield shared her story and love for the Bible. 

Butterfield appears to be very busy these days. Her website says that she is booked-up for speaking into 2015. She is uniquely suited to bring the message that she brings. It also makes her a target. The activists view her story as a threat–as the above story makes clear. Pray for this dear sister. She’s fighting the good fight.

Please join me in praying for this sister in Christ as she proclaims Him over the next two years in the face of much antagonism and intolerance from her former comrades.

(HT: Carl Trueman)

Giglio Dropped from Inaugural Ceremony

Earlier this week it was announced that Louie Giglio, founder of the Passion Youth Conferences, would be giving the benediction at the Presidential Inaugural later this month. Today, Pastor Giglio has asked to be removed from the program due to controversy being stirred up by Gay Rights activists over Giglio's Biblical stand on homosexuality.

Christians in the USA must face the fact that adherence to Biblical standards on sexual morality will bring opposition and persecution from a culture in rebellion against those standards. Giglio's strong stand against sexual trafficking was not enough to save him from the Gay activists. So sad.

Wise Words from Tim Keller on Gay Rights

Tim Keller on gay rights and how to treat homosexuals in a Christian way.

Hat Tip: Out of Ur

Christophobic Chicken Wars

The parking lot at my local Chick-Fil-A was full to overflowing this morning. I plan to eat their chicken later today. What do you think about the whole Gay marriage vs chicken controversy? The comment below is from Trevin Wax:

If you’re like me, you’re weary of the excessive politicization of nearly everything in American culture.

Can’t we just enjoy Oreo cookies without making a statement about gay rights? Or savor a chicken sandwich without fear of being labeled a hater or homophobe?

Though I’m weary of our culture’s tendency to politicize everything, I believe this Chick-fil-A boycott has revealed some fault lines in our culture that will lead to increasing pressure upon Christians who uphold the sexual ethic described in the New Testament. Furthermore, in listening to the mayors of Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco, it’s clear to me that – political posturing aside – this discussion may not be about the alleged homophobia of Chick-fil-A’s president but the actual Christophobia of the leaders of the cultural elite....

Very interesting. Read it all at the link.

Rick Warren: The Cool Goatee is Not Enough

You've probably heard by now that Rick Warren has agreed to offer the invocation prayer at the inauguration of President Obama in January. You've probably also heard that both sides of the political spectrum are hopping mad. Some on the right have attacked Warren for giving political cover to a pro-choice politician. Some on the left are outraged that a supporter of California's Proposition 8 will be on the podium. To them, anyone who disagrees with them on gay rights, no matter how courteous and civil the expression of that disagreement, is a hatemonger.

Jared Wilson had some wise words on the controversy at The Gospel-Driven Church

Here's the thing: Warren is not saying anything outrageous for a Christian minister. He is simply, as most evangelical Christians do, saying that babies should get to live and that homosexual behavior is sin. That he is getting branded a radical hatemonger for these things should tell us a lot about the culture we live in, which -- PAY ATTENTION HERE -- doesn't care if you're a cool, goatee-sporting, social justice loving, Obama voting Christian. If you simply follow the Bible's counsel about life and sin, you're Hitler.

We will see more and more of this. And hear me on this also: this is not cause to rejoin the culture war and restock the Christian Coalition. It is certainly not cause to give up caring about social justice or whoever's being elected president. But it also not cause to give up living the rightside up culture of the kingdom of God, which turns all worldly niceties on their heads. And inspires people to hate us.

Don't be surprised. Don't rev up the marketing campaigns to renegotiate public approval.When they hate you, when they insult you, when they curse you, it's not because you fell out of God's favor. Being hated was promised by Jesus to those who follow him.Jesus doesn't need new PR. (He doesn't need anything, really.) He wants self-crucifying, dead-to-the-world, cross-taking lovers of Truth.

If the world doesn't think you're stupid, maybe you're doing something wrong?

Dr. Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Seminary on why he would not have accepted the invitation to pray at the inauguration.