By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible. Hebrews 11:27
A rather frightening article in the London newspaper the Daily Telegraph warned of the implications of a bill that was passed a few years ago by the British House of Lords. The so-called ‘Equality Bill’, brought forward by the openly gay Labour peer Lord Alli, would require all churches and religious organizations to consent to ‘marry’ same-sex couples. Those that refused could be heavily fined and would be open to lawsuits by those who they refused to ‘marry’. Although this grossly immoral bill was eventually flatly rejected by the House of Commons, it does increase the likelihood that in the not-too-distant future, such legislation will indeed become law, not only in Britain, but also in Canada. What do we do when two men, or two women, seeking such an unholy bond, approach an Assembly and request that their ceremony be held in a Gospel Hall? Suddenly, that possibility is not as far-fetched as it was only a few years ago.
Pharaoh was wrong in his mistreatment and slavery of the Children of Israel. And Moses had the faith and the backbone to stand up to him. He had the Word of God for his actions, and he followed through, regardless of the consequences. Would we be so stalwart? We have been most blessed to live in a society where the Gospel can be freely preached, where we are free to meet as God directs, and to uphold the truths of the Word of God. But laws are being proposed and planned that would challenge those freedoms. We can see these things coming. Do we have the faith to, as individuals and as Assemblies, stand firm on the Word of God?
In fact, the laws in Canada, while not requiring those who are licensed to perform marriages to perform them for same-sex couples, can remove that license unless the church has a well-founded policy of opposing such unions. So, for now, we as individuals and Assemblies must take a clear stand against what the Bible declares to be an abomination to God. And for the future, we must prepare ourselves to challenge the wrath of godless governments that would try to force us into evil.
By faith, we can stand where Moses stood. We ought to obey God, rather than man. And if we do, we will not lose. – Jim MacIntosh