The Phil Conundrum

 

In recent days, it seems that there has been more and more discussion about "Phil"and his rights. Phil Robertson of the Duck Dynasty TV show made some comments in an interview that upset the LBGT community. Everything hit the fan at that point, seemingly polarizing many in our country to one stand or another. I believe that the controversy is far deeper than that being discussed. For it shouldn’t ever be about what are the rights of the saved, but rather, what are the obligations.

There are several issues. First, the obligation of Christians to an unsaved world. Second, identifying whose obligation it is to identify sin. And third, what is the true cause of the decline of American morality.

The first two issues are actually tied together and very important because with obligation　(or responsibility) comes empowering. If we, as believers, are responsible for something, then we are thus empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we are not responsible, then we literally go into the lions’ den without the power of the Lord. The most concise explanation of a believer’s responsibility is the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19b-20a NKJ)

"Go . . . and make disciples . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." There are two assumptions within this command. First, that we are only to teach disciples to obey the Lord’s commands, and secondly, that only the Lord’s disciples are empowered to obey Him. So, just like the parable about the pig (Don’t try to each a pig to sing. It only wastes your time and annoys the pig.), we aren’t commanded to try to force the unsaved world to mold itself into the outward righteousness of Christian morality. It is, in fact, impossible to do so and, like the pig, only annoys them. Why? Because they are still the willing slaves to sin, and it is impossible for them to even understand the dynamics of righteous living! "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness." (Romans 6:20 NKJ). The Greek translated here "free" actually means "free from obligation or restraint." In other words, the unsaved person is free from meeting the moral obligations that come to the Christian who is a slave to God. Why? Because they are incapable of meeting those moral obligations in the full sense of what that means. The unsaved person may look moral or immoral on the outside, but neither is important because the unsaved person is unsaved. Pure and simple. The issue isn’t whether or not we, as believers, can help them clean up on the outside by changing their behavior choices. The issue is—and always has been—if we can make them disciples.

Our responsibility is, then, to go into the world and preach the gospel, making disciples where we can and allowing those others to go their own way. Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to convict them of sin and lead them to the cross. Once we have presented the truth of the gospel, our responsibility is to watch as the Holy Spirit works. Our responsibility is to preach and pray, but never to "teach the pig to sing." (And I’m not equating the unsaved with pigs. They are, instead, dear souls that need our prayers and presenting the gospel.)

As believers going into the world, we work in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Our job is to preach (both with and without words, through the love of the Lord Jesus) and then, as a soul accepts the truth of the gospel, to instruct that person in the ways of faith so that he/she becomes a disciple. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict each of sin:

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." (John 16:7-11 NKJ)

The third issue, the cause of the decline of American morality, which we so easily place upon the unsaved around us is a much different issue. For some believers, it seems that they believe that the decline of American morals is due to the LBGT agenda, that America is dying because homosexuals can have equal rights, get married, work and live next to them and celebrate their life events. However, what if the decline of America, rather being due to the unsaved around us, is due rather to the decline of the American Church. What if, rather than saying, "You need to repent and change because your behavior is ruining my country," we need to say, "I need to repent and change because my sin is ruining my country." What does scripture say?

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJ). This scripture has been preached and proclaimed by many prophets over the past 100 years. God has been speaking to us as a Church. But have we been listening? Are we listening today? Rather than say that the decline is due to the gays or the liberals (or anyone else that’s different from us), perhaps we should be wondering whether or not the decline is due to us and to the Church’s unwillingness to identify and repent of her sin. What sins exist within our lives and our hearts that need to be identified, confessed, and repented of?

A few months ago, I had an opportunity to preach on this passage of scripture. Near the end of the sermon, the Holy Spirit spoke through me and said, "What if it’s your one sin that is restraining God from healing this country?" What if it’s my one sin—your one sin—that is holding back the hand of God from America? Am I willing to give up that sin? Are you? Are we willing to look at the true cause of the decline of America and to take responsibility for it? Are we willing to turn off our TV’s, to put away our credit cards, to give up our leisure time . . . whatever it is that is sin in our lives in order for God to heal our land? The scripture says that God’s people must be willing to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Are we?

The last issue is how we address those around us, how we present the gospel. The apostle Peter taught that we should always be ready to give a defense (an explanation) for the gospel:

"Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed." (1 Peter 3:15b-16 NKJ)

We are to be ready with meekness and fear. Meekness that comes from humility, knowing that we were once unsaved and that only God’s grace has saved us. And fear knowing that each word we say can determine a person’s response to the gospel. So speaking wisely, softly and in the great love of the Holy Spirit. That certainly doesn’t sound like we are to be ready to blast our way forward, declaring our rights. Most of us know that the LBGT agenda is at the forefront. Are we ready with an answer to points to Christ, rather than pointing to sinful behavior from nonbelievers? We are all sinners and we were all, at some point, among the unsaved. Don’t we remember those days? Those days of despairs and pride and lust? Condemnation of those behaviors closest to us would never compel us to the loving, risen Jesus? But a strong word for the need for salvation for everyone, including ourselves, might turn away the anger.

Homosexuality or gay marriage isn’t the issue. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). Being gay and getting married isn’t going to send someone to hell any faster than being heterosexual and attending church every Sunday. (There are the unsaved in both scenarios.) As Christians, we need to become wise in how we think and how we respond when we have the opportunity. And our response needs to always point the way to the Lord Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. We aren’t here to teach pigs to sing. We are here to make disciples that they may have life and have it more abundantly.