Anglican Church Issues Sanctions Over Gay “Marriage” Policies

I recently blogged about an Episcopalian rector who was forced to resign over his rejection of gay “marriage.” The Episcopalian denomination embraces gay “marriage” and allows its priests to perform gay “marriages.” The denomination has even consecrated an openly gay priest and allowed for transgender individuals to be ordained.

Well, in light of the Episcopalian denomination’s unbiblical views on marriage, the Anglican denomination (of which the Episcopal Church is a part) has recently invoked a three-year suspension of the US branch of the church. This takes away its ability to hold key voting positions. Observers think “it is unlikely that the US church will reverse its position on same-sex marriage. This could prompt the Anglicans to continue the suspension or make it even harsher, not allowing the Episcopal Church to fill key positions on the global body.”

It’s encouraging to see a denomination taking some punitive steps against compromise on marriage. We are finding that it’s becoming increasingly common for churches to ignore God’s Word and instead pander to the message of “inclusivity” that’s popular in our culture today. Churches that choose to do this should heed God’s Word and recognize themselves in this passage,

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

Don’t let your church turn to teaching fables because that’s what’s popular! Instead, heed the Apostle Paul’s charge to the church and pastors in particular:

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:1–2)

We need to preach the Word! And not just the parts that are popular. Paul said that “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and that he had not taught them by “handling the Word of God deceitfully” (2 Corinthians 4:2). That’s what we need to do as a church! In humbleness, gentleness, and love (1 Peter 3:15; Ephesians 4:15), we need to declare all of God’s Word for the edification of the church and to reach a lost world with the gospel.

And if teaching all of God’s Word means that people hate us, that shouldn’t surprise us,

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (John 15:18–20)

Now, the world shouldn’t hate us because of judgmental or hypocritical attitudes. It should hate us for the same reason that it hated Jesus. Not because He was abrasive or caustic but because He spoke the whole truth. And “everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).

As members of the body of Christ, we should be known for our preaching of the Word of God—all of it—whether or not it is popular as we gently but unashamedly stand on the authority of God’s Word and preach the good news of the gospel.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.