In light of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, many Christians are up in arms over the ungodliness of the nations. Many, but not all. I am not surprised when I see unbelievers celebrating the legalization of gay “marriage”, but I’m very surprised when I see professing Christians showing support for something so clearly unbiblical. And unfortunately the blame for this, in large part, sits on the shoulders of the Church.

The Church is supposed to be salt and light in the world. It is supposed to be discipling the nations, teaching them all that Jesus has commanded. And yet, in large part, we have neglected to do that which is our duty before God. Abortion on demand, the slaughter of millions of babies over four decades is only a passion for some. We shrug our shoulders at the rampant divorce within the walls of our churches between professing Christians. We pretend we don’t see professing Christian couples living together outside the confines of marriage. We view the oppression of the poor and the immigrant through the filter of Fox News, rather than God’s Word. We expect the government to figure out and cure the ills of society rather than looking to the Church to lead the way to change by applying biblical principles through the power of the Gospel. I have been guilty of all of this myself.

Many in the Church pride themselves on teaching the “whole counsel of God”, but they really don’t. The fact that so many “Christians” are on the wrong side of this gay “marriage” argument shows that many churches have failed to teach the basics of what sin even is and have failed to effectively preach the power of the Gospel to deliver people from sin. Today we see many redefining sin to not be sin at all. Many in the Church today have allowed the world to define what love is, rather than follow what the Bible defines love as.

In having discussions with people on this topic, I see the impact of the Church failing to teach the whole counsel of God. Most churches are silent about the corrupting influence of government schools that takes our children for twelve of their most vulnerable and formative years. Those schools take the time to indoctrinate them in atheistic secular humanism. They teach them all they “need to know” in twelve years without ever giving God the glory He deserves, effectively teaching that He is unnecessary in our scope of knowledge. They teach that the highest virtue is tolerance and accepting everyone for who they are. The problem is that this virtue that has become so ingrained is opposed to the Gospel. Because God does not accept everybody. The Gospel is exclusive, in that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father, except through Him. Jesus all says that All Authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Him, and it is by that authority that we are to disciple the nations, teaching what He has commanded. And He has not commanded tolerance as the highest virtue, but rather love through obedience.

The Church also has failed to teach the whole counsel of God by ignoring the Old Testament to such an extent that younger believers (and perhaps older ones as well) think that the Law given to ancient Israel is either cruel and inhumane OR (apart from the abrogated ceremonial laws and some specific to that particular real estate) not applicable as a Good and Just standard by which to govern nations today (but consider Deut. 4:5-8). Indeed many think that the OT represents either an entirely different God from that of the New Testament or that God somehow changed and became more gracious in the NT. Some see the OT as all Law and the NT as all grace, and fail to realize that Law & Grace go hand in hand in both the OT and the NT. Sadly when push comes to shove, due the lack of teaching about the goodness of God’s Law in the OT, especially in regards to what seem to be very difficult passages, many believers are very dismissive of God’s Law and the OT. What they fail to realize is when they dismiss any part of God’s Word, they have unwittingly destroyed the foundation that allows them to stand with certainty on any issue pertaining to God and His standards for life and godliness. Because if one part of God’s Word could be wrong, all of God’s Word could be wrong.

As a Church, we have failed to be salt and light to our nation. We have failed to uphold God’s standards in our families, in our churches, and in the public square. And today we are seeing more clearly that we are reaping what we have sown. Our nation is mired in sin. We exemplify that which Paul talks about in Romans 1:18-32 and in 2 Timothy 3:2-5. There are only two options available to us. We must have Revival and Reformation or we will face Judgment. Indeed, the signs of Judgment are already upon us. However, while there is still hope, we, as the Church must repent, ask for forgiveness and pray God would stay His hand. And we must preach the Gospel, preaching the Truth in Love, and return to biblical living. We must preach the whole counsel of God and reexamine our lives in light of it. God has much to say regarding the roles of men and women that has been ignored. God has much to say about the education of our children that has been ignored. God has much to say regarding how a church conducts itself that has been ignored. God has much to say about how society conducts itself that has been ignored. We must return to Scripture. Isaiah 8:8 says, ‘To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, ‘as His divine power has given to us all thing that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue’. And 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that, ‘ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ We must return to Scripture, all of Scripture. May God have mercy on us and be with us as we seek to follow Him in all His ways.