What It Means When a Denomination Approves Gay Marriage

The PC-USA made the news recently because of its decision to approve of gay marriage, defining marriage as “a unique commitment between two people,” rather than a union of one man and one woman. What does this mean for the PC-USA?

First, it means that the PC-USA has aligned itself with spirit of the age in approving homosexuality. The Rob Bells of the world will applaud the denomination for deciding to be “relevant.” And even secular people will applaud the denomination for no longer “discriminating” against LGBT people. Approving gay marriage will make things go easier for the denomination from an earthly point of view. The burden of bearing the reproach of Jesus Christ has been lifted from the PC-USA.

Second, it means that the PC-USA has had much deeper problems for many years. Tolerance of homosexuality is a symptom of the fact that a denomination no longer requires belief in the divine inspiration of scripture. Inevitably all of the central truths of the Christian faith are rejected when the Bible is no longer believed to be God’s Word. The recent reports that the PC-USA approves homosexuality are appalling. But much more appalling are the things written by a PC-USA minister in this article entitled, “I’m a Presbyterian Minister Who Doesn’t Believe in God.” This article is the reason I decided to write this post about the PC-USA’s decision to approve gay marriage. Here are some of the things this “minister” in the PC-USA professes to believe (these are his own words):

• Religion is a human construct
• The symbols of faith are products of human cultural evolution
• Jesus may have been an historical figure, but most of what we know about him is in the form of legend
• God is a symbol of myth-making and not credible as a supernatural being or force
• The Bible is a human product as opposed to special revelation from a divine being
• Human consciousness is the result of natural selection, so there’s no afterlife 

Third, it means that God’s fierce wrath has fallen upon the PC-USA in judgment for its other serious sins. Many Christians seem to take homosexuality seriously while they fail to recognize the seriousness of other sins. Reports are out that an alliance of churches representing 15 denominations and thousands of congregations is threatening to sever ties to the PC-USA because of its decision to approve gay marriage.  Apparently this alliance did not and does not condemn the denomination for its toleration of the denial of the central truths of the Christian faith. This is the opposite of God’s attitude. God is angry with the PC-USA for tolerating those who deny His very existence, who deny that the Bible is his word, and who deny the truth of who Jesus is as set forth in the Bible. God has expressed his intense hatred for these things by giving the denomination over to the abominable sin of homosexuality.

Fourth, it means Jesus is coming! What we see in the PC-USA is a fulfillment of scripture. 2 Thess. 2 speaks of the “falling away” (vs. 3) from Christ that we see today in the PC-USA and many other denominations. The chapter also speaks of the coming of “that man of sin” who will seek to replace God, “so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” Perhaps the individual “man of sin,” the personal antichrist, has not yet appeared in the PC-USA to be worshipped. But the spirit of antichrist is at work in the PC-USA, replacing the worship of God with the worship of Satan. We are saddened. But not shaken! For we know this is a sign “that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thess. 2:2).

Finally, it means that those whom “God hath from the beginning chosen … to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” need to heed the admonition to “stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught” (2 Thess. 2:13, 15). When we behold the judgment of God ravaging the PC-USA we need to see it as a reminder not only to maintain the Bible’s teaching about the sin of homosexuality, but even more a reminder to maintain all of the teachings of scripture that have been handed down to us, as they are summarized in our Reformed confessions.