Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. - 1Peter 2: 11-12 (ESV)
I feel bad for Aaron and Melissa Klein of Oregon. I feel bad that they have lost their business, a bakery. I feel bad that they are forced to now bake cakes from their home. I feel bad that they now could be facing fines that would undoubtedly force them into bankruptcy. What I feel worse about however is that they have been misled and taught incorrectly about their roles and responsibilities as Christians. Somewhere along the line in the development of their faith they have been taught that Jesus came to shun the lost. Maybe it was a combination of watching too much politically motivated "news." Maybe it was that they listened to too many false teachers screaming about America and revival. Perhaps they bought into the kingdom now false theology of dominionists such as Rick Warren, Mike Bickle, or countless others. Whatever the rhyme or reason, I feel bad because they believe they took a righteous stance for God and have lost everything because of it. The problem is there was nothing righteous about their stance and they are going to lose everything because they did not understand the Gospel.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?" He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?" And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself." - Matthew 17: 24-27 (ESV)
The Kleins were facing a two drachma tax of sorts. They were facing a requirement from the world and they had about as much disdain for it as Jesus shows here. The difference however is that Jesus still sought to not give offense and the Kleins did not seem to care if they were offending anyone because they were too busy being offended themselves. What was at stake was not a temple tax but an Oregon ordinance that says you cannot discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The Kleins refused to bake a cake for a lesbian wedding and the war was on. The claim of the Kleins is that baking the cake would have violated their beliefs against same sex marriage. That claim is patently silly beloved. It is time to set the record straight about the Bible.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. - 2Timothy 3: 16-17 (ESV)
So yes the Bible is good for teaching and correcting. That is not what is at issue here. The question is who is it meant to be correcting and teaching? The answer is in the verse - the man (woman) of God! To be equipped for every good work. I understand the Kleins believed they were upholding biblical principles but what they really were doing was applying beliefs they are supposed to hold for themselves to other people. What kind of people specifically?
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1Corinthians 1: 18 (ESV)
The Bible teaches us that the unsaved are walking in darkness! This verse teaches us that the things of God are folly, utter foolishness, to those who are perishing! I am unsure if we truly understand this. They do not comprehend what we are trying to say to them. Jesus could have acted indignant that the drachma tax collectors were bothering Him, the Son of God. He realized however that they were not going to understand any of that. So go catch a fish and pay my tax! I understand that the Kleins read their Bibles and see the clear admonition against homosexual practices. That admonition however is meant for them. In their walk. It was not meant for them to smack someone over the head with their bible and call that the love of Christ. Particularly someone who is blind.
I know it can be confusing because the Bible is written a certain way. The Old Testament is written for Israel, which was designed to be a theocracy. The New Testament was written to the church, of which Christ is the head - again a theocracy. We however also must navigate a world that is most definitely NOT a theocracy. It is Babylon. It is Sodom. It is Gomorrah. The truth behind this problem is that we like living in Sodom way too much. So we try and figure out how to spare Sodom. We try to find ways that "revival" can save Gomorrah. We reinvent history to pretend that Babylon was once righteous and can be again if only all of these blind people would believe in a book that is utter foolishness to them. That is not a recipe for delivering the Good News. That is a recipe to lose your business and home. We cannot take this world system and think for a second that we can make it into a theocracy. That is not being bold it is being foolish. It is not taking a stance for Jesus it is representing Him to be the cranky old neighbor yelling at the kids to get off His lawn.
Recently Pastor Tullian Tchividjian ignited a mini firestorm by declaring that the pulpit of God was no place for culture wars or politics. The grandson of Billy Graham, Pastor Tchividjian was absolutely correct. The church has become focused on the wrong problems. Instead of focusing on the eternal problems of sin and the need to repent we have become enamored with Babylon and trying to save a culture that is fallen. The Bible teaches us what good is it to gain the world and lose our soul? Within our seeker friendly, purpose driven churches we have Christian leaders seeking relevance with a culture that sends people to hell. It is insanity. The Bible is meant for us as believers. Quoting Scripture to the unsaved is like quoting English to someone who cannot speak it. The Bible teaches us to not commit adultery - not to tell the lost not to commit adultery. The Bible tells us to count the cost - not to tell the world to count the cost. The Bible teaches us to pick up our cross daily - not to tell the unsaved they must pick up their cross. I know that the people who have spoken out against Pastor Tchividjian mean well. They just fail to realize the depth of the blindness of those they seek to impose the Bible upon. They cannot see Babylon for what it is - fallen. They cannot see Sodom for what it is - beyond redemption. The object is not to save Gomorrah but to save as many out of Gomorrah as possible before the end comes.
Just look at the key verses today. I pray the Kleins do so they better understand where they went wrong. They are exiles and sojourners in Oregon - not residents. They must strive to wage against the passions of their flesh that want to hold up their beliefs as being more righteous than others. Our righteousness is but filthy rags without the blood of Christ and we once walked in the same darkness we sometimes seem to loathe now. We are supposed to keep our conduct among the unbelievers honorable. You want a temple tax? No problem. You want a cake? No problem. Hey, let me tell you about this Jesus guy while the yeast rises. Treat them with love and not condemnation. Then if they choose to speak evil about you it will not be supported. More importantly however is they see your good deeds beloved. They see Christ in you. We are constantly going to be tempted to not show people Christ.
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