Jesus has told us in the Holy Bible that the living church of God is built upon a rock, and that the gates of hell will never prevail against or overcome the church (Matthew 16:18). He was not referring to buildings made with hands, but to the universal church that consists of His body of believers (Colossians 1:24) who live in the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. From the time of the Apostles, the New Testament church has continued, sometimes somewhat unseen and quiet, and at other times bursting forth in great power as in the day of Pentecost, the reformation in the 1500s, and the great revivals of the 1700s and 1800s. We need not fear that the powers of darkness will ever be stronger than the power of God, for since when is the might of man or the arm of flesh stronger than the power of God? Let us remember that our God is a mighty fortress and shield for those who trust and hope in Him. As we read our Bibles, we are reminded of God’s protection and deliverance. Since the fall of man into sin in the Garden of Eden, evil has been a part of every culture. It will continue to be pervasive until time ceases and eternity resumes with the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a society that has fallen far away from our Creator and we as a nation continue to flee from Him, as Adam and Eve did after their fall into sin. Sin has always caused man to flee from the presence of God and, as sin and iniquity increase in our land, love to God and toward those who love God will diminish, eventually turning into hatred of God and of His people, even as Jesus and His disciples were hated and persecuted. The progression of this hatred leads to intolerance of the truths of the teachings of the Bible, eventually leading to the suppression of the free expression of religion in the public domain. Nevertheless, even as our Creator began to seek after Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He continues to pursue and invite the lost to receive the gift of eternal life, through repentance and the remission of sins in His name. Marriage between man and woman has been instituted by God and has been the kingpin of societies throughout the world for thousands of years. But as we see in America today, this time-proven and God-ordained relationship between man and woman is under extreme attack. Some people want to redefine marriage to include unions between people of the same sex. It is important that we speak out on issues such as this, through speaking to other people about our convictions, calling our representatives in the state and federal branches of our government, writing letters to the editor of our newspaper and so forth. Whatever our position may be, we must remember that as Christians we must use the divinely inspired Word of God to support and justify our convictions on this important issue. I believe that God has instituted marriage between man and woman, doing it not only for the obvious reason of the propagation and stability of the family, placing a man as the head of the family even as Christ is the Head of the church, but also has designed the bodies of men and women to complement each other to be able to express love for one another in a physical relationship, which is to be kept within the confines of this marriage. There are many arguments against same-sex marriages from the social point of view. I believe that the church must retain its position based on what God has said marriage is, and the purposes for which he intended it. Therefore, I support the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, which would maintain marriage to be between a man and a woman. As Christians, we must stand for what God says is right, but yet realize that we cannot force or demand on anyone something they do not accept or believe. Remove the influence of the living church, or stray from the truth of God’s Word, and selfishness and worship of self will steadily creep into a culture, weakening the spirituality and morality of that nation, ultimately resulting in ruin and collapse. The living and true church has always strengthened the spirituality of a nation as long as it has continued in biblical truth, but when the church has accepted and adopted the world’s view of truth, the church and the nation have lost spiritual and moral influence upon its citizens. The sins of sex outside of marriage, abortion, homosexuality and same-sex marriages are a symptom of the inner decay of the spiritual heart of us as a nation. We should and must voice our opposition to these harmful and sinful practices, but with peaceful means, remembering that the battle is not fought by man, but with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. All those who are members of the true and living church of Jesus Christ have been given the Holy Spirit upon conversion, Who leads and guides believers by the truths that are contained in the Word of God, the Bible. As Jesus said, without the Spirit of God, we are not His. Without the Spirit of God living and abiding in us, we have no ability to discern right from wrong according to the Word of God. We are able only to make determinations upon what is right or wrong from our own point of view, often based on the philosophies of human reasoning and logic, and not according to what God has said and is saying by the Holy Spirit. This is inevitable because by nature we are selfish and without the enlightenment of the Spirit, in a general sense, we know only what is best for us. As our laws of the land become more self-centered and we go away from our God, He will allow our nation to go to its own demise. However, we must remember that primary mission of the church is not to reform society from the outside, but to call people to repentance, to tell people that there is truth, that there is a day coming when time will be no more, that there is an end to all things, that the world will come to an end, that there is a God who is the Creator of all things. The Bible tells us that after death comes the judgment, the decision to which there is no appeal process. It is final. There is no in-between place to go. it will be either heaven or hell, for eternity. We are to preach the gospel of Christ to everyone, reminding people that all have sinned, that there is forgiveness for sin in Christ Jesus, and that God wants all to be saved through faith in His son Jesus Christ. Morality will return to our nation and to its people after the preaching of the repentance and remission of sins brings forth its fruit: Repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. The presence of the Holy Spirit in a changed heart always leads one to live from the basis of love and truth in accordance with the Word of God. Pastor Orval Wirkkala, Kingston
