There has been a lot of talk about equality lately, especially in regard to the debate over the definition of marriage. But what is equality from a Biblical perspective and from an American perspective?
The word “equality” is only used in the New Testament two
times in the King James Version translation. In 1st Corinthians,
Paul is instructing the church on giving:
2Co 8:14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their
abundance also may be a supply for your
want: that there may be equality:
The equality here has nothing to do with rights, but is an equality
of supply, resulting from the generosity of those who have more, to give
offerings and alms that those in need would have an equal supply. Americans are well known for their generosity
to those in need, so I don’t think that there is any lack of equality in this
regard in our country. Some may argue
for additional redistribution of wealth, but a forced redistribution, in the
socialist model, is far removed from the Christian principle of voluntary
giving to supply the needs of those have lack.
As far as equality of rights, this concept comes more from
the French revolution. Cries of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”,
were heard as there was rioting in the streets during the reign of terror, and thousands
were beheaded in the guillotine. The French
cried for liberty and equality, but it is arguable whether people actually
experienced much brotherhood, except for the brotherhood of suffering.
In the American Revolution, the principle of rights is laid
out in the declaration of independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness.”
Equality
in the American experience is an equality before our creator, with rights granted by
almighty God. It is inconceivable that
the founders would have considered anything a right which is declared by God to
be an abomination. That brings us to our
current debate about homosexual marriage; not that it is a surprise that men would desire abominable
things. As Jesus said in Luke 16:
Luk 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God
knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination
in the sight of God.
Where Jesus was talking about things like greed and
adultery, but the list of things abominable to God is well documented in the
Bible. Including homosexuality, which Paul discussed in Romans 1:
Rom 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which
is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which
was meet.
So how can we sanction cries for equality in regard to things that are
manifestly not equal? Marriage is an institution created by God as “male and
female” in Genesis 1, and defended by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6:
Mat 19:4-6 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning
made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother,
and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Equality? Yes we are equal in
God’s sight, and we are equally subject to the same desires and failings that
have plagued man from the beginning. Let
us pray for an equality of mercy, that the God who rains on the just and the unjust
will have mercy on our land. That He not judge us according to our manifold
sins, but turn our hearts to repentance. May we call upon Him for forgiveness,
that we may be equally righteous in His sight, not equally abominable, as was
the case in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Think about it…
