Black and White
I’ve been hearing a lot of my Christian friends telling me how our world is full of ‘grey areas’ … and to a point I can see what they mean… the world around us is filled with grey… however AS CHRISTIANS things are pretty black and white.
Now please here me… I’m speaking as a Christian… to Christians.
The ‘grey areas’ we live in are created BY US… by people… by poor choices… by us not knowing where the lines that God laid out so clearly in his word… the Bible.
People who say they are Christians have said to me… “I think there should be gay marriage’… and it usually come from a place where a friend or family member is gay, and the Christian wants the best for their friend or family member, and so they say things like “surely God wants my friend to be happy?”
But here is the thing… God doesn’t just want you to be happy… God wants you to be MORE than happy “Christ came to give life in abundance”… it’s not about just being happy. It’s about so much more than that… a life changing, soul converting turn around in nature.
As Christians we are to follow Gods word… and the Bible says that this is a sin… (now I don’t say this to condemn)
So I guess the question is why are we so quick to think it’s ok to violate God’s standards… to make our friends happy?
But it’s a real grey area you may say?
Cultures changed
No it’s not… the Bible says it’s wrong, it’s Black and White.
Now I’m not saying that you should boycott gay weddings or picket against such things… in fact these things in themselves are wrong… God loves EVERYONE, and it’s hard to get beside someone if you are against them… and we shouldn’t be condemning people.
The shades of grey are our own. We create them when we can’t tell where God lines are drawn… and we can’t know those line unless we know Gods word… intimately. Stop reading books about the Bible… and actually READ THE BIBLE.
You see the Bible is very very black and white… and where it is we are to follow. We are not to second guess because our culture tells us to… we as Christians are part of a history that changed culture.
We are all sinful… we all need a saviour and because some of our friends choose not to leave behind their lifestyles to find the life God planned for them “in fullness” it shouldn’t mean we change our culture for them.
I would much rather be offside with a friend on one subject than openly disobey our God. I’m not going to leave my friend because we disagree on one subject!
And at the end of the line… no matter how awkward it may make us feel as Christians sometimes we just have to suck it up and say I love you as a friend… I always will however I don’t agree with your lifestyle and what you do… however I am ALWAYS here for you.
Once again… what people who are non-Christians do is their thing… they aren’t bound by the same set of rules or laws that we are. We are to love all people, care for them, accept them… but this doesn’t mean we change our set of standards for them.
Marriage is HOLY matrimony… between God, a man and a women… that’s the Biblical teaching.
So why are we so fast to take what God has called Holy and add our own take?
Do I think Gay and Lesbian couples should have the same rights as every other human… of course I do.
So why do Christians have to give up one of the most Holy part of our beliefs?
How can we change culture if culture is changing us more?
We live in a world full of shades of Grey… however we live in the light of a God who’s laws are Black and White.
The greatest commandment is the Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength… the second is LIKEWISE – Love your neighbour as yourself.
Screaming Goose 
Great post. I really agree with you that the grey areas are simply areas where we can’t see a Scriptural guideline – or we ignore the ones that are there and make up our own. Christians are getting very good at playing “Situational Ethics” and we make the grey areas bigger and bigger. Dangerous territory. But welcome to the Black and White club brother 🙂 Expect a public stoning one day…
Tough subject huh Goose. Well said though mate. Interesting to remember that marriage was ordained by God to show the relationship between Christ (the groom) and his Church (his bride). This loses all of its original intention if you introduce the concept of same sex “marriage”. It may be legal for same sex couples to live as married couples in “civil unions”, but marriage was reserved by God to demonstrate something eternal. Let’s keep it that way!
“Stop reading books about the Bible… and actually READ THE BIBLE.”
‘If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.’
So, are you going to start killing gays then? Because that doesn’t seem very grey to me.
That’s a good question… thanks for asking it.
When Jesus came he brought a new law… The old law said a women who committed adultery was to be stoned also.
But when Jesus came he said to those about to do it… those without sin cast the first stone.
We are ALL sinners… God is a God full of grace and full of justice.
I’ll trust him.
That’s the difference between the old law and the new law.
Taking it out of our hands and placing it firmly into Gods hands!
So half of the rule is still true? Gay is still bad, but we don’t have to kill them any more? Does that mean that eating shellfish is still bad too?
Is it illegal to be gay in where you are?
Is it illegal to eat shellfish?
“Is it illegal to be gay in where you are?
Is it illegal to eat shellfish?”
Nope. But it also isn’t illegal for gays to get married where I am.
I didn’t think we were talking about laws. I thought we were talking about what your religious scriptures said.
So if it’s not illegal for gays to be married where you are… what is your concern?
@NotAScientist – It looks like you’re attempting to take the justice system from a 4000 year old Jewish culture and smash it into our current society. We don’t do the death penalty here and now – not even for murder.
However, that doesn’t mean that God has changed his moral standards. He actually killed two people for simply lying in the New Testament (see http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%205:1-11&version=ESV). What’s more, the Bible makes it clear that all sinners will be judged one day, and that “all liars… will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+21:8&version=ESV). Now that’s just for lying! We can get some idea of how much God hates sin from these scriptures.
“Sin” is the breaking of God’s law. Therefore it is God who dictates what sin is, and he has made it clear that homosexual activity is sinful in his sight. However, that is the least of our problems because he has said he will also judge our thoughts and attitudes. When Jesus was on earth, he said that even to look at someone with lust is the same as committing adultery in God’s sight. You can see that God’s standard is very high – perfection in fact.