Thursday, September 23, 2010

Why the Rainbow Is the Perfect Symbol For the Gay Community! (says this christian...)

I'm not sure if everyone is familiar with the Bible story of Noah and the ark, but I assume most people are.  It's a pretty common story for children to grow up hearing, at least it used to be.  God sent a worldwide flood to destroy the earth and every living creature except Noah and his family and the animals he brought with him by God's instruction (and presumably the all the fish survived the flood as well).   Anyway, when the flood was finally over and the water receded enough for Noah to leave the ark, God gave us a sign of his promise never to judge the whole earth by flood ever again-- rainbows.  You can read the Biblical account beginning in Genesis 6. 

Nowadays we still have rainbows in the sky after it rains, and many groups and organizations have adopted rainbows as a symbol, including the gay community.  You might see a rainbow bumper sticker or flag or t-shirt, probably even tattoos I"m guessing.  You can find all sorts of info online regarding the history of the use of the rainbow to represent gay pride, I found a couple including this short blurb.  I think perhaps some religious people might feel that the gay community has essentially hijacked God's special sign to us and are offended or upset, concerned about the precious promise  the rainbow represents is being denigrated somehow.  But I think God is very pleased to have his sign of the gospel being paraded all over the earth by the very people who seem to bear the brunt of so much judgement and condemnation!

Sign of the gospel?  How did I come to that conclusion?  Well, actually the whole story of the ark is a picture of Jesus and how he carried us safely through God's wrath and judgement for sin.  When we are in Christ, we are never judged by God, can never be judged or punished for our sin, in fact our sin is all swept away in the mighty flood of God's wrath poured out on Jesus at the Cross.  The rainbow comes after the storm of his wrath as a sign to all generations that his judgement is OVER, as in FINISHED!  Think I'm stretching this too far, reading too much into it? There is a small reference in 1 Peter to baptism being like the ark...but one of  the best passages ever is this one:


"To me this is like the days of Noah,



when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.


So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,


never to rebuke you again.




Though the mountains be shaken


and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,"

says the LORD, who has compassion on you. " (Isaiah 54:9-10)


Is this not the main clause of the New Covenant???  He promises never to be angry with us or rebuke us, it's his promise of peace, NO JUDGEMENT!!!!  I can't think of  many  more groups of people in the world that need to hear this message more than the gay community, and especially from  true Christians who love and don't condemn.  God is not counting men's sins against them!  It's rainbow time!

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)





12 comments:

SLW said...

Jul,
Just to make sure I understand what you're saying...
Are you saying it is possible to be reconciled with God and practice homosexuality, or for that matter, adultery, fornication, witchcraft? If so then what do you make of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

or Ephesians 5:5-6:

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.?

jul said...

Hi SLW, long time! Good to hear from you!

What I'm saying is that the gay community (like everyone else in the world) needs to hear that God's not counting their sins against them, they need to hear the gospel not condemnation and judgement. I also believe that those who are reconciled to God are not any of those things listed in those passages because they are no longer sinners but righteous saints. We don't regard anyone according to the flesh because the flesh is not yet perfect (but will die and we'll get new immortal bodies!) IN other words, we believe God's pronouncement over his people!

There are tons of passages in Scriptures about certain sins lumped together with the sexual sins ect...but you rarely have anyone questioning the salvation of an overweight person or anyone else who commits various other sins such as not loving God with all your heart. The point of the gospel is that your perfection is in Jesus, not your imperfect flesh, your obedience to the law. Unhealthy behaviour is an outward symptom of an inward bondage to law and sin. Behaviour only changes on the outside when people are freed and transformed and reborn on the inside. But even then, do we expect our behaviour to ever be comepletely perfect while living in a broken world with minds that needs ever more transforming?

I guess to be fair I'll come right out and say that yes, I believe it's possible to be reconciled with God and practice homosexuality, just like I believe that no matter what I do or don't do I'm still reconciled with God based on my faith. My sin cannot nullify God's grace, it cannot nullify his eternal covenant of peace with me. I'm not sure why we try to set some sins above others, as if Jesus payment doesn't cover them all.

I don't believe homosexuality is the best and most free way to live, but if that's true and we preach the true gospel of grace then people will begin to walk in increasing freedom letting those thing that entangle them to fall off easily as they run the race of faith. When we judge people for anything, putting comdemnation on them we tempt them to go back under the law we help put them in bondage and it is extremely cruel and counterproductive, producing exactly the opposite effect of what we intend by our guilt manipulation.

Hope that helps! I know it's a bit of a controversial topic...but one that should be discussed more in love.

Dan Bowen said...

Interesting isn't it - I hardly dared come back and read this post because I was sure that there would be heaps of angry comments denouncing you! But there's nothing ... it seems to me that the church behaves like an ostrich when it just can't cope. It sticks it's head in the sand and hopes the problem will just go away. The church still isn't ready to face up and talk about homosexuality and how to welcome and love gay people into their midsts and deal fairly with the issue of living rightly when they are behaving like hypocrites being proud or lying. And until we DO start discussing it in love then I doubt the nations will be reached.

But for now I applaud you for broaching the subject and asking the question. The silence is deafening ....

Jamie said...

Jul, I like to think when the dove flew out from the ark and didn't return he actually flew through time to light on Jesus at his baptism. :)

Excellent post, Grace Speaker.

rain said...

This is a fascinating post...lots to think about.

Unknown said...

Julie, I am glad to read your post on the Rainbow.I like the phrase "The Rainbow time". Thank you for writing this article and I like the way you addressed the question put to you in the light of Gods unconditional love and Grace. I am glad to see Gods Spirit inspiring people to proclaim the gospel of Grace.
Blessings
Victor( from India)

EDavis said...

Jul, I wish there were some thumbs up icon for this post as I don't always have the right words. But I smiled as I read the love and grace in this post.

Thank you for it.

foretastes said...

Late in posting, but I just "stumbled upon" your blog. I loved what you shared here and how you shared it. The truth. Thank you.

Josh and Libby said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

We are living in the dispensation of Grace, thank God for grace. And this dispensation will come to an end when Jesus returns. It is most important to be aware that God appointed a time for all men to hear the gospel and to come out off this world and the list of it. For it is fading away, and we are to put former things aside that were contrary to Gods word. Now we live as unto Christ, and ourselves. Our old self is crucified. This is the grace, and we must know the time that we are living in and not become foolish, treading over His Blood, crucifying HIM again. Repent, and be converted. Acts 2:38. When they heard the words of Peter, they said what must we do? Peter replied repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the same promise for all generations. After the Holy Ghost comes you should be a witness. That means witnessing The Life of Christ

Unknown said...

Typos: list should be lusts . Live unto Christ, and not ourselves.

Unknown said...

Amen. Thank you for posting the scriptures. This is Truth.