Marriage is a gospel issue redux

The head-long, cultural rush to accept same-sex "marriage" keeps accelerating.

We have witnessed it just in the last week. A conservative Republican senator (Rob Portman), a potential Democratic presidential candidate (Hillary Clinton) and a popular -- yet not particularly biblically faithful -- preacher (Rob Bell) have endorsed marriage for people of the same sex. Though its findings have been challenged, a new poll shows 58 percent of Americans support same-sex "marriage" -- a reversal from only seven years ago, when 58 percent opposed and only 36 percent approved it.

It is a huge issue that will test the convictions and courage of Christians. The advocates for same-sex "marriage" seemingly will accept nothing less than total acceptance of their belief system. For those of us who accept the authority of Scripture, there can be no doubt where we stand -- and where we should continue to stand.

As the church of Christ, we would do well while our beliefs are under siege to remind ourselves marriage is a gospel issue. I explained in a blog post in February 2012 some reasons marriage is a gospel issue. I think it is a good time to remind ourselves of these truths. Here is an excerpt from that post:

Marriage is a gospel issue because we, the church, exist as the adulteress God the Son came to purchase off the slave block of sin to transform into a beautiful bride.

Marriage is a gospel issue because we, the church, should defend, promote and teach the truth that this covenantal relationship between a man and a woman is -- at its most meaningful -- an earthly portrait of that most valuable message -- Christ came to redeem a bride for Himself.

Marriage is a gospel issue because we, the church, have been commissioned to take the good news of Jesus and His all-sufficient work to children, young people and adults who have been devastated by broken marriages and betrayed by society's wicked siren song about sexuality.

Marriage is a gospel issue because we, the married couples within the church, are to model the gospel before children, young people and adults in order to help them think biblically about marriage and trust God and His good design for it.

As the church, may we believe Jesus and His gospel -- and attest to the power and beauty of the gospel by our lives -- in order that God would be glorified, Christ would be exalted, and the good news would be made known to and believed by others.