It’s not about hate, it’s about love.
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3). Voting “yes” on the Minnesota marriage amendment is not voting to put hate on the Minnesota constitution. Voting “yes” is an opportunity for a Christian citizen of Minnesota to show love for God and to follow his command to honor marriage. It is indeed unsettling, counterproductive, and wrong when those who are opposed on this issue – or any issue for that matter – resort to name calling, shameful remarks, shocking signs, and other acts of hatred. As a Christian it is not out of hatred, but out of love for God and love for my neighbor that I defend God’s Word and speak out against what is contrary to God’s will. As a Christian I will speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and the truth is: God’s Word says that homosexuality is wrong and against his natural plan (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26, 27). God’s Word says that marriage is to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6). God’s Word says that marriage is to be honored by all (Hebrews 13:4).
God’s blessings of sexuality and marriage are certainly not always honored; on the contrary, they are often abused. However, it is not the institution that is broken, but it is the people who are broken. Every single one of us has fallen short of God’s perfect will. In his love for broken sinners Jesus came into this world, God became flesh, to pay for all our sins in full. And now those who believe in Jesus live their lives for him who died for them and was raised again. It is out of love for Jesus, who loved me first, that I want to obey his commands.
The argument that this is purely a political issue is to leave God out of something that clearly has his fingerprints are all over. This is not simply a case in which we would, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Marriage is a civil union, but it is also a blessed institution that God established. We cannot simply leave it up to the government to define what marriage is or what marriage is not. Not when God is the one who created the institution and has previously defined it. The word of God tells us that the Lord created man and woman for each other and gave them to each other as the standard for what marriage should be. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). God created them male and female and then united them together. Within the bonds of marriage he blessed man and wife with companionship, with a natural sexual relationship, and through that sexual relationship God brings about the blessing of children. Within his institution of marriage God lovingly laid the building blocks for family and for society.
God set the standard that we have followed for years and this is the standard that we have a right to uphold and defend. To say that voting in favor of the marriage amendment is “a vote to put hate on the Minnesota constitution” is simply not true. This is an opportunity for a Christian who lives in Minnesota to exercise his or her right as a citizen. It is an opportunity to help the government ‘get it right’ when it comes to something that God lovingly established and has already defined.
In love God created mankind as the crown of his creation. In love he created them male and female and joined them together in what would be known as marriage. In love God promised a Savior to live and die for all the sins of the world. Therefore, “we love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) This is not about hate, this is about love. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” That is why I am voting yes.
Serving Christ Jesus,
Pastor Mike Kuschel
St. Matthew’s Danube & St. Matthew Flora Twp. MN