By What Authority?

Mark Twain said, "It's not the parts of the Bible I can't understand that bother me; it's the parts that I do understand."

Much of the time, our problem isn't interpretation, it's application. To put it bluntly, we have a problem with obedience.

The eighth commandment says, "You shall not steal." That's not hard to understand. Unless you're a thief or a kleptomaniac, it probably isn't too hard to obey either.

What about the biblical teaching concerning homosexuality? Is it hard to interpret Old Testament passages like Leviticus 18:22? "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." New Testament texts like Romans 1:26-27 are plain enough: "Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." It would take a lot of Scripture-twisting to conclude that homosexual behavior is permissible.

Today, though, there is increasing disregard for the authority of God's Word. It's no surprise when those in rebellion against God refuse to obey his commands. They're playing by a different rulebook. They have been sold the mistaken ideas that (1) the Bible is not true, (2) it can be interpreted so many different ways that no one is sure what it really means, (3) it is outdated and irrelevant, or (4) all of the above. As a Christian, however, I am convinced that God's Word is always true, relevant, and applicable. Sure, the Bible raises difficult questions, but anyone can understand its basic teachings.

The disagreement isn't just a battle over sexuality; it's a battle between two different worldviews. The question is, "Who's in charge?" In a Christian worldview Jesus is Lord, all authority resides in him, and his Word is our guide. We cannot compromise where the Lord has revealed what is right and what is wrong.

It isn’t just a battle over sexuality; it’s a battle between two different worldviews.

But the Bible sets the standard for heterosexual behavior as well. Sexual purity includes what we see with our eyes and ponder in our hearts. Are we faithful to God's standards? The Bible speaks authoritatively about our responsibility to take God's love and truth to everyone. It tells us to do good to all people and share our faith with boldness, gentleness, and respect. While the Bible lists homosexual behavior as a sin, it also forbids greed and slander, which Christians tend to overlook. The Bible speaks plainly about God's power to forgive, transform, and restore anyone who comes to him in faith. If we are not doing everything we can to share God's grace with the homosexual, then we ourselves are living outside the authority of his Word. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17).

My Friend Mike

Several years ago I helped to plant a new church in an urban neighborhood. We had a plywood sign made, which told the name of the church and the time of our worship services. Each Sunday a few of us would trudge down into the basement of the community center we rented. We would lug that heavy sign upstairs and put it outside on the sidewalk so our neighbors would know the church was meeting there.

A nearby resident named Mike saw the sign. It piqued his curiosity and he started coming to church. Several weeks went by, and Mike's faith began to grow. One day he approached me and said, "Dave, I have never been baptized, and I want to be." I had the privilege of baptizing him on a Monday night. Two dozen friends joined us for the baptism. We prayed, read Scripture, sang, and rejoiced with our new brother—then went out for ice cream to continue the celebration.

For years afterward, Mike himself carried the plywood sign and put it out on the sidewalk so others could see it. He wants others to know the Lord who has marvelously changed his life. Now he serves with a ministry that helps homosexuals find the Lord and handle their struggles in a way that honors Christ. Mike would be the first to tell you that Christ has made all the difference.