The Gospel and our American Culture (Part 1)

   Recently, I was reading in Matthew 19, and the realization occurred to me that these texts are very counter-cultural to what we in America see and practice on a day-to-day basis.  The Gospel is under attack, as it has been ever since Jesus Christ arrived on the earth.  However, I felt as if the Lord really was speaking to me about how Matthew 19 points directly to some very hot topics in our American society specifically, and I felt as if I should share these thoughts with you.

This will be a two-part blog post, as it is a little too long to post as one.

Here are just a few thoughts on what I read:

• The Gospel and Marriage - Jesus states in verses 4-6, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
• In what ways does this verse challenge the way our culture thinks about marriage?
• Sanctity of Marriage - Marriage is a holy institution, authorized by God Himself in Genesis 2, and further instituted by Jesus here in Matthew 19.
• Not a man-made institution - Humans and the state/government should not be the ultimate regulators of marriage, rather God should be.  God created marriage, and Paul describes in Ephesians 5:31-33 that marriage is actually supposed to be a picture of Christ and the church.
• Homosexuality - Very controversial topic in our American culture today, but one that has a very clear answer in the Bible.  Jesus says that a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.  Several other places in the Bible corroborate this fact, and places such as Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6, and Genesis 19 condemn the practice of homosexuality.

• The Gospel and Divorce - Jesus states in verse 9, "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
• In what ways does this verse challenge the way our culture thinks about divorce?
• Divorce Rate - The widely accepted statistic among Christians and non-Christians alike is ~50% of marriages in the USA end in a divorce.  The website www.divorcerate.org gives more detailed statistics.  This reality is truly sobering when you consider what Christ says about marriage, the sanctity of it, and what it is supposed to represent.
• Quickie, cheap divorces - American lawyers are making millions of dollars providing, and advertising, for fast, cheap divorces.  When I typed "divorce" into Google's search engine, the third result was "Low cost, fast divorce - $150 to start, 1 day service".  How easy we have made it to divorce in this country is not what God intended for marriages.
• Divorces for practically any reason - To make matters worse, you can get a divorce for basically any reason you want to.  According to a survey by the National Fatherhood Initiative, the 8 most common reasons for divorce include: 
1. Lack of commitment 
2. Too much arguing 
3. Infidelity 
4. Marrying too young  
5. Unrealistic Expectations
6. Lack of Equality
7. Lack of Preparation
8. Abuse

SIDE NOTE: I am not saying that our government should restrict divorces in a dictator-type way.  I am simply stating the fact that our American culture is far away from what God intends.  I am very thankful that Christ has not divorced his church, and me for that matter, for my lack of commitment to Him...for my arguing against His ways...for my infidelity towards Him.  Christ is the ultimate husband, and what we as believers should strive for.

• The Gospel and Children - Jesus states in verse 14, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
• In what ways does this verse challenge the way our culture thinks about children and the unborn?
• Abortions - Since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, it is estimated that ~57 million abortions have been performed in the USA.  That's around 3,000 per day, or 1 abortion every 30 seconds.  Check out this sobering website.
• Sure, this verse is not clearly pointing to the issue of abortion, but many verses in the Bible do.  If you are interested in hearing more on what I believe is a very good Bible-based stance on abortion, I encourage you to visit this link, and listen to David Platt's sermon on abortion titled, "Christ and Children in a Culture of Death".  It is not boring, but rather a very poignant, bold message.

COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO SEE PART 2 OF THIS BLOG POST, WHICH WILL DISCUSS ONE MORE WAY THAT THE GOSPEL IS DIFFERENT FROM OUR AMERICAN CULTURE, AND HOW I BELIEVE MATTHEW 19 SAYS WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO THESE ISSUES.