Society and the Law

As a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am fed up! I am fed up with our politicians. I am fed up with our churches. I am fed up with other Christians. And, I am fed up with myself. What I am about to write will be offensive to some and raise the ire of many. Political correctness has had its day and I’m done with it. If you do not like what I write or say, don’t read it or listen to it. I can do the same with your responses.

The “norms” of society are rapidly becoming the “laws” of our nation. Too many in our great country, including those who call themselves followers of Christ, have been duped by the world into accepting what SOCIETY deems “normal”. We have forgotten that our great Sovereign God decides what is and isn’t normal and we are to follow His Word, not the word of society even if society incorporates their “norm” into a law.

“What are you talking about?” you might ask. Well, allow me to list several “norms” present in our society today. Decide for yourself whether you accept what society (our man’s law) says or what God says.

1. Abortion. Society and the laws of our nation permit a woman FOR ANY REASON to kill her unborn child. Some states are even passing laws permitting the child’s death if it is born alive! I’ve read and heard professed people of God, even ministers (!), support such actions. You have been duped by Satan himself. God creates life and that life is created at the moment of conception. To take that life is to play God. It is murder plain and simple. God’s law says, “You shall not commit murder.” Man’s law says, “A woman may kill her unborn while in the womb.”

Which law are you accepting, supporting, and promoting? A woman has the right to choose, in most cases, whether to engage in the sexual act. If they want to choose not to have a child then choose not to engage in the act. The cases of rape and incest may be discussed separately for most abortions (over 95%) have nothing to do with rape or incest.

Our laws permit the murder of the unborn. That is not God’s law!

2. Divorce. Society and our laws permit the termination of a marriage for almost any reason on earth. Adultery, sure. Abuse, sure. Unhappy at times, sure. “Irreconcilable differences”, sure. Any reason, any time. Simply get your lawyers, arrange your settlement, and give any reason for the dissolution of the vows you took before God and witnesses. That’s man’s law. That society’s way.

But that is not God’s way. He has proclaimed that marriage is between a man and a woman before God and is to last forever. Bible scholars often debate whether divorce is permitted for adultery or not, a matter to discuss for another day. But let’s be clear: The Bible says nothing about ending a marriage for all the other reasons under the sun. When you take your vows, you proclaim “for better or for worse”.

Marriage is not easy. Two different and imperfect individuals are thrown together into a union. There are great days and there are difficult days. Marriage takes work, hard work.

Society says you can end a marriage at any time. God says no, your marriage is for LIFE.

3. LGBTQ… I’m sorry, but I do not know all the letters or all their meanings. But I know what society says today. They say there is nothing wrong with homosexuality. There’s nothing wrong with lesbianism. There’s nothing wrong with transgender. Society claims men may become women and women may become men. Society and society’s law even permit the marriage of homosexuals. Most frightening to me is how many professing Christians accept the teaching of men over the teaching of God. If a person believes they are female, no big deal. If a person wants to marry someone of the same sex, no big deal. If a person enjoys sexual relations with either sex, no big deal.  

Well, it IS a big deal to God. God created us male and female. His gender stamp is imbedded in the very chromosomes found in each cell of our body. God’s biological blueprint is there: “xx” is a female, “xy” is a male. No chemical, no surgery, no mindset will ever change that fact.

Furthermore, as noted above, God created marriage and, therefore, God defines marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. PERIOD! It is not between two men. It is not between two women. It is not between a man and a man who thinks he is a woman. It is not between multiple individuals; only two, a man and a woman.

And God condemns such sexual acts. They are, to Him, abominations. This fact is taught in both the Old Testament and the New. Those who support such lifestyles often claim Jesus would not condemn it, yet Jesus is God and God has condemned it even after Jesus ministered on the earth (read Romans 1).

Too many Christians have surrendered their allegiance to this sexual perverted community. Either out of Scriptural ignorance, apathy, or political correctness, they have given in to the demands of a segment of our society and accepted them and their practices as normal and right. Yet, God condemns their very acts.

4. Co-habitation. I have no idea what the proper term is these days. When I was younger, I remember the term “shacking up”. What I am referring to is the ever-increasing practice of a man and woman living together before being married. Fifty years ago, such a practice was condemned in the eyes of man. Today’s society treat such a practice as a common one, even an expected one. Even two young people, each professing to be a follower of Christ, see no problem with sharing the same apartment with a member of the opposite sex outside of marriage. It is now an acceptable practice in society. I am sure there are even laws covering such situations.

I certainly have no idea what takes place behind the closed doors of EVERY such co-habitation. But, I strongly suspect most of those arrangements, if not all of them, wind up with sexual activity. And that, fellow Christian, is PROHIBITED by God and His law. Sexual acts are reserved for those who are married. Why a Christian would ever place himself/herself into such a tempting situation is beyond me. God says no.

5. Adultery. For most of our nation’s history, the act of adultery was condemned by society. Those who engaged in sexual activity outside of their marriage were frowned upon and, in some cases, even shunned. Not today.

When the world hears that some married man has engaged in sexual relations with a woman other than his wife (or vice versa), eyebrows are rarely raised. The movies, television, and literature have given the impression that such acts are expected in most marital relationships. Husbands cheating on their wives is just the way things are.

That may be man’s attitude, but that is not God’s attitude. As already mentioned, adultery is a serious sin. In the Old Testament, stoning was the penalty for such an act. Certainly, I do not condone stoning. Jesus taught us to forgive those engaged in such activity, not to kill them. Nevertheless, Jesus Himself pointed out that adultery is an act of SIN. It is not an acceptable or  “normal” action. It is an act of disobedience, an act of rebellion against the Almighty.

Even Christians might engage in adultery. If they do, they should not simply dismiss their illicit activity, rather, they should seek Christ and ask His forgiveness.

Society views adultery as a “to-be-expected” act, a slip, a mistake which may be excused. God views it as a sin to be avoided. If committed, the offenders are to seek the forgiveness of God, not merely the understanding of man.

6. God’s Word. My last item forms the foundation for all the others. Society, in general, including many Christians, have rejected the Word of God. Early in our history, our laws were governed by His Word as proclaimed by godly men. The laws passed by our government were often aligned with the Scripture. God’s Word provided a roadmap for our society.

Unfortunately, that has changed. Most of society does not accept the Bible as the Word of God. It is merely a book. Furthermore, it is an old book. Much of what it has to say has no bearing on modern man. How many Christians in our nation today claim they believe in the Bible, yet, when the Bible tells them and society “NO”, they reject what the Word says and reply, “YES”? Even worse, how many Christians have no idea WHAT the Bible says because they never read it, they never study it, they never hear it taught, they never hear it preached?!

Too often, I have found myself tempted to join the world’s perspective on these and other topics. In fact, I’m certain there have been moments when I should have stood up and proclaimed God’s Word against such matters, but, instead, simply remained quiet. May the Lord forgive my silence.

Fellow Christians, we need to wake up, understand the Word of God, and reject the “norms” of society. We need to ignore the threat of political correctness, the charges of racism and homophobic, and the labeling as “Jesus freaks” or “Bible thumpers” and take a stand for Christ and His Word. God calls us to obey the laws of the land EXCEPT when those laws are contrary to the laws of God.

I do not wish to be confrontational. I do not wish to be argumentative. To the best of my ability, I have aligned my thinking on these issues with the Word of God. My objective is not to offend anyone, rather, it is to enlighten them. I am not trying to be aggressive in terms of my response and neither should any Christian. We simply need to be honest and speak the truth in love. If God has condemned an act, then let us tell those who promote it, practice it, or legalize it that God has so condemned it.

Furthermore, there are souls at stake. The actions of society are merely the acts of depraved individuals, each one born as a depraved sinner, condemned in the eyes of God. They need the salvation only Christ can provide. Sharing with them what God truly says concerning their sinful acts may be the prompt the Holy Spirit uses to bring to them conviction of their sins. Such conviction may result in the salvation of their eternal souls.

And, in doing so, may we accomplish our true purpose in life: “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”