A Pastoral Call to Holy Christian Matrimony
On June 26, 2015 the United States Supreme Court ordered the re-definition of marriage. In recent years the credibility of the Court has suffered tremendously as the justices have become judicial activists, creating law out of thin air and practicing juvenile sophistry. As Justice Alito said in his dissent, the U.S. Supreme Court has become America’s greatest threat to democracy in our constitutional Republic. Nine appointees in robes have become the Rulers of 320 million Americans.
As we’ve seen in every possible way, from the over-reach of the Executive Branch to the runaway Supreme Court, language is very important. The new language and legal definition of marriage the Court imposed in no way resembles Christian belief and practice. This gives Christians a tremendous opportunity to clarify God’s purpose for human relationship in the context of the Gospel, particularly in the crucible of the natural family.
Christians solemnize the monogamous relationship of a man and a woman in the context of Christian Community in a rite that includes promises to God and each other. We’ve called this marriage, but our culture’s new definition of marriage and even the use of the word “marriage” has the effect of trivializing what Christians actually practice. Today we need to embrace universal Christian language to clarify the reality that a husband and wife are “set apart” together from the world and culture for the purpose of family and a life of service to God.
By no means should Christians give up calling America to true sanctified holiness in human relationships, but State “marriage” is not Christian Matrimony. The state executes contractual instruments that bind couples to the government. Christians in true freedom are bound to one another and God in Holy Christian Matrimony.
The language of “marriage” is now anathema for Christians in America. We practice something different than the State practices even though, for the purposes of the State, our Christian Matrimony is legally recognized. For this reason, American Christians should eschew and reject the language of “marriage” and call what we do in the house of God what it is. We don’t have weddings, we celebrate services of Holy Christian Matrimony. Christians are not “married,” we are in the sacrosanct Estate of Christian Matrimony.
Bible believing Christian Congregations should update their organizational documents to reflect what we really practice, replacing language of marriage with Christian Matrimony. Hymnal publishers should change services of “marriage” to a “Celebration of Holy Christian Matrimony.” Christians in the public eye, especially, should no longer speak of “marriage,” but distinguish who we are as Christians by speaking of Christian Matrimony.
Christians must always remember who we are in a culture hostile to Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
(Source: Christian Newswire)
