I got slated on any website for posting the above verses.
Someone who was a Christian was asked to be the best man of a friend and wanted to know whether he should be the best man.
It was a same sex marriage.
Someone replied and said no as homosexuality is not acceptable.
So I posted the above verses to say that it is because the law of the land says it is.
Boy did he go at me. Accused me of promoting same sex marriage based on those verse and if I was a Christian then why would I promote it.
After a few posts between us I had to point out it was acceptable because the law says it is.
I also had to point out in a previous post that even though the law says it's acceptable before God it is not and I for one do not condone it but we can express our opinions.
He just saw those verses and rejected every other post.
The truth is given such issues as above, along with abortion have/will become acceptable under the law of the land.
Ireland recently passed a law accepting abortion, India recently has accepted homosexuality.
The difference is that in Roman times people did not have a vote.
Today we do.
Maybe we as belivers will come to point where we cannot vote because all government are promoting the same thing.
What I find interesting is the verses you quoted 5-7
It's talking about taxes.
What's your thoughts on this as it follows on from 1-4.
Does it relate "Give unto Ceaser?
Yes, the World is "Going to Hell in a Hand Basket", as the expression goes. It gets More Evil every day. However, we as Christians, are to pay our Taxes, Give Honor where Honor is do, VOTE for candidates that are the Most Likely respect GOD's Ways, Respect Authority including Policemen, ETC. WHY, is on the tip of tongue, of someone reading this?
1 Peter 2:11-17 (NKJV)
11 Beloved, I beg
you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by
your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and
for the praise of those who do good.
15
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all
people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
As well as:
Romans 13:1-10 (HCSB)
1 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.
2
So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval.
4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.
5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience.
6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the ⌊authorities⌋ are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks.
7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.
8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and whatever other commandment—all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself.
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.
Now I know, someone wanting an excuse NOT TO OBEY GOD, will say, "That cannot be true, because look at Adolf Hitler." You had better make SURE they are like Adolf Hitler, before you advocate it is GOD's will you NOT submit to that Authority. One example, that comes to mind, is MANDATORY abortions in Red China after the couple has one child.
1 Kings 22:51-53 (HCSB)
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat and reigned over Israel
two years.
52 He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He walked in the way of his father, in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin.
53 He served Baal and worshiped him. He provoked the LORD God of Israel just as his father had done.
God has a way to deal with EVIL RULERS. Just like I believe GOD called his faithful Armies to deal with Adolf Hitler.
Now the question is, with decades of Abortions, Murders, etc. on the rise,
IS GOD STILL ON OUR SIDE ? ? ?
There is a verse somewhere in the Old Testament that talks about when a Nation becomes filled with unrequited (unpaid for) blood, GOD will Deal with them. If someone can find it, I would appreciate it.
Now you asked a question about Homosexuality. Before I even go there, you need to know, GOD CONSIDERS ALL SIN EQUALLY OFFENSIVE TO HIM. I mean ALL SIN, including going a little bit over the speed limit. How do I know that?
James 2:10 (CSBBible)
10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point,
is guilty of breaking it all.
Now God CLEARLY says it is a Sin, that CAN BE REPENTED OF:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11
And such were some of you.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. [.That means they repented.]
But isn't it just okay, if I can condone it?
YOU TELL ME, after reading these verses:
Romans 1:24-32 (ESV)
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and
receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. {.I think that could be a reference to AIDS.}
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers,
haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,
they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
God says ONLY the wedding Bed is Undefiled,
Heb. 13:4.
And the only Marriage, HE recognizes, is between one man and one woman,
Gen. 2:24, Mark 10:7, Eph. 5:31.
You see, GOD Hates all SIN, yet He Loved the sinner so much the SON died for them.
However HE still wants us to REPENT:
Acts 17:30 (HCSB)
30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance,
God now commands all people everywhere to repent,
I hope that the Scriptures that I used, explains GOD's position to you.
Here is One Scenario that you did not ask about, but I thought I would share Biblical Insight with you:
1 Corinthians 7:36 (NRSV)
36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his fiancée,
if his passions are strong, and so it has to be, let him marry as he wishes;
it is no sin.
Let them marry.