Are Christians called to defend the rainbow?
Let me say from the start of this post that I hold to a traditional, biblical perspective on marriage, gender, and sexual expression. I believe marriage between a man and a woman is a holy institution designed by God to reflect His relationship with the church. I believe sexual intimacy is to be reserved exclusively for marriage.
Let me also say we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God and there are as many ways to twist, pervert, and make a mockery of marriage and sexual intimacy as there are individuals on the earth. Misrepresenting God’s ideal is not the sole purview of those who wrestle with same sex attraction. The church has done its fair share of abusing marriage and sex from encouraging women to remain in abusive situations to clergy who prey on vulnerable children even as they say they represent God to the secret use of pornography by everyday believers.
Satan’s no fool. He’s aimed at marriage and sexual intimacy with both barrels because our view of a holy, loving God in relationship with followers of Jesus is so essential.
I believe Christians should speak truth about these topics, but I believe we should speak this truth with reverence, humility, and gentleness as the Bible commands.
We are all image-bearers. We are fragile, wounded, and floundering, especially those of us without Christ. There is every reason to approach the topic of specific sins with grace – not with memes or tweets or scribbled signs.
Repeatedly, the apostles exhort us in Scripture to correct one another with gentleness, humility, and always watchful lest we fall into sin. Scripture isn’t a blunt instrument we use to club one another into submission. God’s Word is holy and powerful. It is a sharp-edged sword that should be wielded with the utmost care at all times.
Even if those who don’t know God trounce on all that is holy, trampling it to the ground, and making a mockery of what God declares true, we who know the truth must not resort to the weapons of this world in defending it.
We don’t address pride with arrogant self-righteousness but with Christ-centered humility.
We don’t rightly address those who misuse the rainbow by misusing it ourselves.
The rainbow is the sign of a holy covenant God made with humanity. It is the promise that no matter how bad things get again, He will never destroy us with another flood. It reminds us that those of us who know Him have nothing to fear from other people’s sinful choices because we are safe and we are eternal because of Jesus. We have passed through the waters of baptism just as Noah and his family survived in the ark.
We demonstrate God’s power, His love, and the patience He demonstrated in Noah’s day by not shrieking condemnation or even truth in panic and fear but by treating truth as holy and speaking it with reverent patience toward all who are willing to hear.
This isn’t something easily done over social media or from a car passing a PRIDE parade. This requires relationship, time, trust, prayer for opportunities, warfare prayer, deep knowledge of God’s Word, and a heart attuned to His Holy Spirit. This isn’t work for casual Christians only willing to absorb the headlines of God’s Word. It’s the work of disciples, committed to the long, determined obedience of Jesus-followers who are all-in and who have the faith to do the work the way Jesus wants the work done.
It’s not fast or clever or easy. But it’s God-honoring, loving, and right.
We don’t honor God by waving the rainbow in people’s faces and insisting it’s ours. We
honor Him by praying for opportunities to tell Noah’s story.
We honor Him by explaining that all of us sin in ways that deserve death, but that God has promised never to destroy us by a flood again – not for their sin nor for ours. Instead, He gave His only Son Jesus to pay the price for all our sin because He is rich in love and mercy. There is a rainbow above His throne that shines like an emerald because He is holy and worthy of all our worship and praise. Through Christ, we can stand before that throne without fear, and that is the only way we stand.
We were created to be eternal beings, alive in Jesus forever. Sin grieves God now, as it did in the days of Noah but He is faithful and keeps His promises. The rainbow is a reminder of this. He is merciful and He redeems.
Isn’t this a message worthy of more than a meme plastered on a cartoon rainbow? Aren’t we all deserving of more than the way we behave when we try to use the weapons of this world?
Isn’t He worthy of every moment of time and every effort we invest in telling His story with mercy, love, and grace? He is.
Are Christians called to defend the rainbow? https://t.co/TvG8zTcRVD #rainbow #Jesus
— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) June 22, 2021
**Dear Readers, thank you for all your prayers and your messages of encouragement and comfort following my recent attack by a dog. I am healing slowly of the bites, the concussion, and the trauma. God is good all the time and I am fortunate the incident wasn’t worse. I still love all animals and have no ill feelings toward the animal or the owner. I appreciate your continued prayers, especially for my stamina at the keyboard as the concussion heals. Mercy and grace, Lori
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This is absolutely the best response to the topic of homosexuality I have ever heard. Thank you Lori.
Thank you, Keri!
Beautifully said, Lori!
Thank you Lori! Timely and on point once again!
Welcome back Lori!
So beautiful and timely. Thank you.
Is He worthy? He is.
And this post—is it beautiful?
Yes, it is.
Truth.
Thank you.
We’ve all fallen short as sinners saved only by grace. It’s not pride, but reverence, humility and empathy I feel reading your admonitions on these things. His grace abounds in you and from you.
Encouraging words for we who are weary of God’s desecration in our fallen world. How grieved he must be. Continued prayers for your recovery.
Encouraging words for we who are weary of God’s desecration in our fallen world. How grieved he must be. Continued prayers for your recovery.
This is perfect timing! This week I had someone attack me on this subject…out of the blue and viciously. I would have liked to have communicated with her, but she was not open to any healthy conversation whatsoever. I had to make the difficult choice to let her go, turn around, walk away, and pray. I hope there will be another opportunity but that’s in God’s hands. You can read about it on my blog if you like. Thank you for speaking the truth in love! Praying for your healing!
http://Www.4everhis.com is the blog…
Your words are beautifully spoken and scripturally true! Thank you for reminding us as believers to look at the Word, and to be kind in all situations. I have been following you from the beginning when your posts were very “good”. And now, I give you a “stellar” rating each and every time. Thank you for being a light in this dark world and representing Jesus. Blessings to you as you continue to heal from your attack.
Lori,
I so appreciate your ability to give words to the depth and breadth of God‘s precious love for every human being He created. Your heart to treasure Him, to share Him, and to rightly represent Him in His holiness and love and righteousness is a beacon of hope to those who know Him already and those who are seeking. Thank you so much! And I am praying for your full recovery from the effects of the concussion, etc.
Love, Cheri
Glad to hear you are healing, Lori. Continued prayers being said for you. I love this post and you are right, He is worthy of every moment of time and every effort we invest in telling His story with mercy, love and grace, as He is all of these things. Thank you for this post.
Well, said. Yes, well said.
He is worthy! This is a topic I have been wrestling with lately. Thank you for once again offering sensitive, thoughtful words to a hot topic.
“We honor Him by praying for opportunities to tell Noah’s story.” What a powerful idea. I don’t need to argue with or confront anyone over any topic. I need to pray to share a Biblical story or, more importantly, my story, of God’s grace and love. If I keep my eyes on the truth I have to share, I will be able to remain grateful and humble.
Continued prayers for your healing.
Pray healing comes quickly – thank you for the reminder of the rainbow- God’s beautiful promise . Blessings – Ruby
I just read one of your articles in All God’s Creatures re your cat Rascal. You mention your husband facing a life-threatening diagnosis. What was it, did he survive? Prayers. Hope you too are recovering.
Yes, thank you, he has survived and is living with his medical challenge (and still working as a carpenter), praise God!
This is very powerful, Lori. I have two family members, both professing Christians, who deal with same-sex attraction. One has chosen to “come out” and one is seeking God’s help to overcome. Handling this subject with prayer is the only way.