Guest Post- A Response to the President's Speech on So-Called Homosexual "Marriage"

The following post is by my buddy Jason Lapp in response to the President's speech to the Human Rights Campaign. For more resources on this subject check out Albert Mohler's excellent article on the speech, my past articles on the subject of homosexuality, or Lance Quinn's article on the subject of Christian ethics.

I’m completely humbled and grieved by President Barack Obama’s speech to the Human Rights Campaign. I was asked to write on this speech by my friend Stephen Bean which I obliged. As I began doing more research on the speech I began to realize the significance of our President’s words. The rowdy applause throughout his speech, by those in attendance, reminded me of my fallen condition before Christ. I gladly cheered on the sin that crucified the Savior.

My prayer for this post is that it will not come across as bashing a certain people group but rather humbly pleading for sinners to repent and trust in Jesus Christ. I know the power of the gospel because it saved a wretch like me.

President Obama made it clear that when we look back at his time as President he hopes people reflect on the fact that he “put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians.” I want to address President Obama’s devastating words:

“You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman.”

According to God’s word this is impossible.

God in his perfect, holy word has given to us a definition of marriage. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). The command in Scripture for marriage is between one man and one woman. A brief argument may occur that God did not define the term wife.

In Genesis 2, before the declaration of marriage, it says, “God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man” (21-22). God created woman from man then declared the two to become one flesh. Christians must embrace this truth.

Two general points I’d like to make in response to the President based on Genesis 2:24:

1. A man shall leave his father and mother
2. A man shall hold fast to his wife

President Obama words can only mean that he is walking in a world of illusions or he is claiming to be God. God’s word says a man leaves his father and mother which President Obama contradicts by addressing marriages that are unable to bear there own children therefore not allowing there to be fathers and mothers. Then God’s word says a man shall hold fast to his wife. This is impossible with the President’s words because a man will hold fast to his husband or a woman will hold fast to her wife.

I find neither of these scenarios defined as marriage by the Creator in his word. Sadly President Obama does not see it that way. According to God’s word a relationship between two men or two women cannot be just as “real” as a relationship between a man and a woman as defined in Scripture.

The greater significance to President Obama’s words is the Good News of the gospel. Marriage was designed by God to give us a human picture of the gospel. In Ephesians 5, Paul gives us clear teaching on the roles in marriage. These roles are God’s design for marriage between two sinners so marriages may reflect the gospel bringing glory to God. Husbands are called to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (25). This is the gospel.

Husband’s are called to give themselves up for their wives. We are called to die to self treating our wives with respect and love. Why? “That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (26-27). Christ gave himself up for his church leaving us his Spirit to sanctify us. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands as they are to the Lord (22). We, as Christ’s bride, are to be submissive to the head of the church, Jesus Christ. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit can we be given the power to be submissive to the commands of Christ. This is why the fight for marriage as defined in Scripture is so crucial. Our government is now trying to distort the gospel.

As Christians our ultimate authority is God’s word. Our desire ought to be to follow the will of the Lord as he guides us by his Spirit. We must be like Peter and the apostles when they were commanded by the government to stop proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem. They responded saying, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him” (29-32).

Over the years we have seen the government re-write definitions that are clearly defined in God’s word. Government is appointed by God and we ought to submit under the government (Romans 13:1-2). So how do we uphold to one command in Scripture (marriage is between a man and a woman) while not submitting to another (be subject to the governing authorities)? Is there any time in which we ought to stand up for the truth while going against the truth? When the government sinfully passes laws going against God’s perfect will we must respond like Peter and the apostle by obeying God rather than man. We should not respond with violence by taking the law into our own hands (Rom. 12:19) but we must speak the truth in love.

Christian, are you standing firm on the truth of God’s word? Do you care that our government is trying to rewrite the truth with a lie? We are not being loving by sweeping this sin (or any sin) under the rug. Love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6). The world has labeled us as narrow minded, discriminating people who are not open minded and loving. While I hate that they see it that way I do not want to compromise the truth of God’s word.

My prayer is that all Christians will pray for President Obama to make decisions based on the truth. May Christ open his eyes to see the truth of marriage through the lens of Scripture. May Christ open his heart to the significance of this decision. By God’s grace may the President see the importance of not distorting the gospel of Jesus Christ.