Jesus had just healed a demoniac. He had just saved him. Just like He has saved each of us. The man wanted to go with Him and the disciples. Jesus said no. that was not this man's role. Yet revealed in His answer is the role we all have. It is not to scream sinner at the world and pretend that is the Gospel. No beloved. It is to go to our friends and our circle of influence and tell them how much God has done for us. To tell those in desperate need of mercy how much mercy the Lord has shown to us. You want a cake? No problem, let me tell you about the God I serve while I bake it for you. Let me tell you about what He did for me. Not tell you how much you offend me. Too often we act like James and John when the Samaritan village rejected Jesus. We see sinners in the world reject Him and we think it is OK to call fire down from heaven to consume them. In that story Jesus rebuked James and John, not the Samaritans. It is not our place to play the role of fire and brimstone preacher when we have not been called to that role. Sometimes we are to simply proclaim Christ in what He has done for us. Under no circumstances however are we to employ a Machiavellian theology that says the ends justify the means. We should never be caught lying on behalf of the Lord.
Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God?Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality.Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. - Job 13: 7-12 (ESV)
Some are so offended in this story that the truth seems to no longer matter to them. If you dig a little into the story and step out from the hyperbole you find that there is no "gag" order issued. In fact, the judge rejected some of the state's arguments including trying to blame the Kleins for mental suffering done through the media. Even though Aaron Klein published the home address and phone number of the lesbian couple on his Facebook page which has led to death threats. Yes you read that right too but what about this alleged "gag" order? This is the actual portion of text from the decision
cease and desist from publishing, circulating, issuing or displaying, or causing to be published, circulated, issued or displayed, any communication, notice, advertisement or sign of any kind to the effect that any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, services or privileges of a place of public accommodation will be refused, withheld from or denied to, or that any discrimination will be made against, any person on account of sexual orientation."
To say that the Kleins have been ordered to not speak about the case is a lie. To say they have been ordered to not speak about their faith is a lie. Read this very carefully. This is the same law the applies for any offense. We are not allowed to publicly state that we intend to break the law. The courts have already ruled in non gay-rights cases that the threat of illegal activity is considered conduct, not speech and therefore not considered protected speech. Putting aside the legalities, there are kingdom considerations. There is zero question that Christians this week have engaged in the widespread dispersal of lies surrounding this case. The ends do not justify the means. The verses from Job should give us pause. God does not need us to lie on His behalf! He does not need us to slant our testimony on His behalf! Does not His majesty terrify us? Given our behavior in cases such as these I think the answer is obviously no. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council compared the head of the commission in this ruling to Mussolini. You know the guy who slaughtered over 800,000 people. And then we wonder why no one takes Christians seriously anymore. When asked about this commissioner, Melissa Klein herself said, "He definitely messed with the wrong Christians." Yes Melissa, good job. They will know us by our unbridled arrogance.
Beloved, I know that this is a difficult subject for many Christians because we continue to be taught poorly and follow false news outlets that use us for their own agenda. We see the erosion of Christianity today and want to lash out but we really need to examine ourselves. We need to turn back to God and represent the Gospel. Not some faux morality that no one could adhere to. The Klein's cause is not righteous. It is not of Christ. This is how we are to behave as Christians:
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. - Colossians 3: 18-25 (ESV)
Another translation says we ought to do everything enthusiastically for the Lord. If we are a dentist then we ought to work enthusiastically at being the best dentists we can be for Christ. If we choose to own a bakery, we ought to bake, not make judgments upon the very people who might need Christ the most. When we serve someone in need of Christ we do so realizing we are serving Him directly. When we choose to not service someone we ought to, we purposefully withhold Christ from them.
