Thought Re: Chick-Fil-A Yesterday: Encouragement

So, I bought a Chick-Fil-A sandwich yesterday, waiting in the line wrapped all the way around the St. Matthew's (Louisville) location at 3PM.

It really didn't take any kind of major precipitating political circumstance to convince me to buy a bit of food from Chick-Fil-A. Really, if someone on Facebook had just randomly said, 'Hey, everybody! Let's all eat at Chick-Fil-A tomorrow!' I probably would have been on board. That's because I enjoy Chick-Fil-A's food and appreciate the way that the company has consistently invested in strengthening families and communities. As I noted before I went to Chick-Fil-A yesterday: 

I plan on (at least) buying a chicken sandwich today, not because of being *against* anyone, but because I am *for* Chick-Fil-A, especially appreciating the Cathys’ work in establishing the WinShape Foundation, supporting adoption, etc.

So, I wanted to spend a little bit of money to be a part of CFA's historic business day. And it was encouraging to see so many people supporting this business, which I think that has been a model of excellence in a number of ways.

More to the particular political point at hand, it was encouraging to see so many people who have not been strong-armed by our culture into feeling ashamed to stand up for marriage. Because, today Christians are being told, 'If you think Jesus Christ was correct about marriage (Matthew 19:4ff.), then you are a despicable bigot.' Well, I am thankful that-- at least for now-- a great number of people have not bought into this lie.

This is a gospel issue: because if Christians buy the lie that we cannot call homosexual behavior a sin (Romans 1:26-27), then we will be hindered in speaking the good news of forgiveness and freedom from sin to people who identify themselves as "homosexuals."

I have at least one close friend who has been saved out of the darkness of "homosexuality," and who now has a wife and children. But many loud voices within our culture would have told him that he couldn't change the way he was born: that he should just have embraced his desires and become defined by those desires, rather than turning his back on homosexual desires and finding new desires in Christ.

Romans 1:27 speaks about "men committing shameful acts with men... receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." On the Cross, Jesus took the result of this "due penalty"-- He took God's righteous wrath against sin-- upon Himself, dying in the place of sinners. Jesus was buried and rose again from the dead; now He offers forgiveness and life to anyone who turns away from sin and trusts in Him. Trust in Him today!

[Tomorrow: a couple of words of caution about "Chick-Fil-A Day."]