The only bright spot in Friday's Supreme Court ruling

I am going to save my June 27,2015, edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer with its headline “GAY MARRIAGE CONSTITUTIONAL.” I will place it in the attic along with my Nov. 23, 1963, issue of the same paper with its large black type “KENNEDY SHOT TO DEATH,” which I claim no personal foresight in having put aside.

There will be no excuse for lack of foresight in seeing the save-worthiness of the news of homosexual marriage suddenly the law of the land. Whoever does not understand how everything is forevermore changed in America since Friday has little imagination. He probably would also have yawned at the “GERMAN ARMY ATTACKS POLAND” headline from the Sept. 1, 1939, edition of The New York Times.

The Apostle Paul was perhaps himself wizened to observe a curious development in the church at Corinth:

“For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (1 Corinthians 11:18-19, ESV).

Divisions in the body of Christ, never the ideal situation, have at least this to commend them, realized Paul: They separate the true believers from the false. The injection of a little heresy into the church, undesirable as it is, energizes the zeal of the defenders of truth, while drawing away those who are not rooted and established. It was ever so:

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you … you shall not listen to the words of that prophet. … For the LORD your God is testing you …” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3, ESV).

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons …” (1 Timothy 4:1, ESV).

This happened in 1930s Germany also, where the introduction of Hitler onto the scene divided German Christians into the opposing churches of Deutsche Christen and the Bekennende Kirche. The former followed Hitler one pathetic capitulation at a time down the primrose path of complicity in the sins of Nazism, agreeing to be “politically reliable” and to adopt the “Führer Principle.” The latter paid a high price to preserve Bible truth.

Now comes again the pressure of godless government on pulpit teaching. Now comes the real possibility of biblical preaching on marriage being indictable as hate speech. Now comes the choice of each pastor and Christian to choose between God and Caesar. But lo, now also comes, for the true disciple, the easier choice of which church to worship in on Sunday mornings. This, this only, is the bright spot to be found in church “divisions” that Obergefell v. Hodges will bring.

I hope you have saved your Nov. 3, 1948 “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN” newspaper too. For in a way it is a more accurate representation of what has happened here—of the way that humans err in their predictions. As Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Likewise, the Champagne cork-popping and smiles precede a time of troubles, for God’s laws will not be thwarted with impunity.