In reply to Paul Landskroener.

Mr. Landskroener:

I would say that what this is the attempt of people to re-create God's grounded estate of marriage into something of their own making. It would be no different if an adult father and his adult daughter decided to go to a meeting for worship, stand in front of a congregation and God, and make solemn vows of lifelong fidelity and love and mutual support and then keep those vows. Yet because the union of a father and daughter would in effect be against God's Word, it could not be considered a marriage, nor could God bless such a union without denying Himself and recanting His Word. This He cannot do (2 Tim. 2:13).

The same thing applies to homosexual marriage. God instituted marriage as male and female (Gen. 2, Mt. 19:4-6). And He did this in perfection, before sin entered the world. Thus, now that society has adopted a new mindset that runs contrary to God's original institution, we now expect God to bless what His Word does not bless? That can't happen without God denying Himself and recanting His Word, which as shown above, He doesn't do.

The problem with attempting to redefine and recreate what God has instituted (e.g., in marriage) is that turns people from the receivers of God's intended blessings, into the creators of their own blessings. It redefines what it means for God to be Creator and for man to be creature. It redesigns God into man's image. But man's blessings for himself are not efficacious. And God redesigned into man's image is completely contrary to God's purpose in creation, salvation and sanctification. Ultimately, this is what is at stake in the same-sex marriage debate.

In Christ,
Rev. Robert Mayes
Beemer, NE