Rev. Dr. Todd A. Biermann

Same Sex Marriage: A Simple Gospel Response

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Todd Biermann

Over the past week, I’ve had several people ask me, “What can I say to someone who’s in favor of same sex marriage? I want to speak the Truth, but do it in love.” I’ve been pondering and praying about this for a few days. I’ve been seeking the guidance of the Lord for an answer that’s SIMPLE, MEMORABLE and GOSPEL CENTERED. I encourage every Christian to go through the same struggle to summarize God’s Truth in a loving response that works for you. But, perhaps you can either adopt my words or use them as a starting point for your own.

My response summarizes what God’s Word says THROUGHOUT on the topic of marriage, so it’s not a quote of a single passage of Scripture (though there are many, many passages that support it … just read the other posts in this site). If you only have time or desire to say one sentence, here’s what I would say:

God designed lifelong marriage between one man and one woman to be a living picture of the relationship between Jesus and the church.

If you have time and wherewithal to do so, however, I’d strongly suggest the two sentence answer below:

God designed lifelong marriage between one man and one woman to be a living picture of the relationship between Jesus and the church. It’s not about selfish happiness, but leading the couple and all who see them to eternal life in Jesus’ love.

This answer conveys a ton of information and will either leave the other person speechless or open the door for further fruitful discussion. Hopefully, it will lead to some Q & A time that will provide you further opportunity to explain the GOOD NEWS of marriage in God’s way and the joy of salvation through union with the Bridegroom, Jesus. It can provide a chance to address not only same sex marriage, but ALL the other ways we’ve sinfully corrupted God’s perfect intent for relationships. This is really what we’re after in discussions about same sex marriage. We should not be out to attack homosexuals. Instead, we’re to be ready to address the sins ALL OF US HAVE (YOU AND ME INCLUDED) that get in the way of God’s intent for our relationships. Any sin that takes our eyes off Jesus and turns them to our own sinful, selfish desires is to be avoided. Relationships should be lived out in such a way that we’re all directed to the sacrificial, unconditional and incarnate love of Jesus that has won our eternal life. That being said, the short answer above may lead to further discussion. You may find yourself needing and wanting to say more. If so, I’ve drawn up a brief outline that may be useful. It draws on the teachings I’ve shared elsewhere in this site. You may want to go read some of my entries on a “Thumbs Up Worldview” and on the Sacrificial, Unconditional and Incarnational Love of Jesus. But, for now, here’s an outline you might be able to use. Note that it includes hand and finger actions to reinforce the points of the outline:

1. GOD MADE THE WORLD (OPEN HAND EXTENDED WITH PALM UP)

This is the only good answer to our existence. Evolution or imagination just can’t give a sufficient answer.

God made us very good as male & female in His image.

2. WE CUT OURSELVES OFF FROM GOD (MAKE A FIST)

Adam and Eve denied God’s control of our lives and sought to do things in their own selfish way that “felt good.”

They destined us to emptiness, guilt and isolation in all relationships, forever as we follow their sinful lead.

3. GOD SENT JESUS TO BUY US BACK (MAKE A “THUMBS UP” SIGN)

His sacrificial and unconditional love for all led Him to die in our place on the cross … and rise in victory.

Jesus offers us the forgiveness He won for us as a free gift.

4. JESUS CHRIST LOVES US AS THE PERFECT HUSBAND (TIP OF THUMB TOUCHES TIP OF FOREFINGER FORMING A CIRCLE)

Jesus claims us, not out of “feelings” of love or because we deserve it, but out of unconditional choice.

He gives us forgiveness and life with Him forever for free.

His endless love for us is represented by a circle such as we see in a wedding ring.

5. EVERY GODLY MARRIAGE REFLECTS THIS LOVE (HOLD UP FOREFINGER MAKING THE #1 SIGN)

One man loves one woman for life as a picture of Jesus and His bride, the church (see Eph. 5:31 & 32).

A husband shows sacrificial, unconditional, endless love that’s received humbly and joyfully by his wife.

Marriage is designed to be a living picture of the Gospel of salvation through marriage to Jesus.

Only a lifelong marriage between one man and one woman can properly reflect the relationship between Jesus and the church as God intends.

6. ALL OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE TO CONNECT EVERYONE TO JESUS & HIS WAY OF FORGIVENESS, LOVE AND LIFE THAT WILL NEVER END (USE THE TIP OF THE THUMB TO RANDOMLY TOUCH THE TIP OF ALL FOUR FINGERS)

Relationships aren’t about what makes us feel good, but about what connects people to Jesus in humble repentance and trusting faith.

That’s why we cling to and proclaim the truth of marriage in God’s way as the lifelong union of one man with one woman.

That’s why we seek to warn about all of Satan’s lies that cloud our eyes to God’s way for marriage and salvation in Jesus.

That’s why we celebrate the Christian marriage between one man and one woman as a picture of perfect love that will have no end.

If you find any of the above information useful, I’d be eager to hear about it. Or if you come up with better answers that seem to work well, I’m eager to hear those as well. Please add your feedback in comments to this post or contact me directly. My prayer is that this new day will provide us many more opportunities to give a reason for the hope that we have. I pray we can guide many more people to the joy of living every relationship in God’s way … especially by guiding them to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the perfect Bridegroom.

[box] God designed lifelong marriage between one man and one woman to be a living picture of the relationship between Jesus and the church. It’s not about selfish happiness, but leading the couple and all who see them to eternal life in Jesus’ love.[/box]

Posted in Witnessing, Worldview | Tagged incarnational, love, sacrificial, Thumbs Up, unconditional, witness, worldview | Leave a comment

The Supreme Court vs. God’s Way

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Todd Biermann

Photo by Ted Eytan

Yesterday the Supreme Court of the U.S. handed down a ruling saying the Constitution requires that same-sex couples be allowed to marry and that states may no longer reserve the right only for heterosexual couples. While the five justice majority may have their opinion on this matter, they can not and will never change the immutable will of God. God’s Word remains the same. It states clearly that marriage is the life long union of one man and one woman. Consider, again, the words of Genesis 2:24 (repeated by Jesus and St. Paul), “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This being said, faithful Christians are bound by God’s Word to hold up His truth alone, regardless of the opinions of man.

This does, of course, mean that faithful followers of Jesus Christ will be facing some difficult challenges in the days to come here in the U.S. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact us, but there will surely be effects in our personal, congregational and societal interactions. Fervent prayer is in order for faithfulness, courage and love. Note that last word. No matter what, Christians will continue to be the source of God’s pure and perfect love in this world. Satan is doing all he can to confuse people and cloud their eyes so they cannot see their loving Father and devoted Bridegroom, Jesus. This is the saddest part of the Supreme Court decision. It only furthers Satan’s confusing influence and obscures the Gospel of God’s love for us in Jesus. Lifelong marriage between one man and one woman is meant by God to be a picture of the way Jesus loves His bride, the Christian church. This beautiful imagery is lost when we move away from God’s way for marriage. Our future fight will never be to destroy any fellow citizens of this country, but to accept them, love them and guide them to the pure freedom and perfect joy that only Jesus can give.

God’s Word remains. The Gospel of free forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ endures. This is the clear and simple message of hope and comfort that the Holy Spirit offers to all who will receive it. This is the message that Christians will continue to receive with joy and speak with boldness. To that end, it’s wise for us to be proactive in preparing for our future life in America … and anywhere else in a world under Satan’s attack. It’s wise for every Christian to be in God’s Word more faithfully to be clear on the Truth. It’s important to gather together in worship all the more as we see challenging days approaching. It’s imperative that we cling to the Gospel Word of comfort. And, in practical terms, it’s wise to read up on resources to guide us in God’s way. A good place to start is the letter and attached resources released yesterday by LCMS President, Matthew Harrison. Read it carefully and study the attached resources. Then, continue in God’s Word, continue in prayer, continue in worship, continue in the Gospel, continue in hope and joy. As always, Jesus and His love is the key to a hopeful and joyful life in God’s way.

Posted in Marriage, Worldview | Tagged culture, God's way, homosexuality | 2 Comments

Jesus’ Simple KISS

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Todd Biermann

Everyone baptized in the name of Jesus Christ is part of the church, His “Bride.” He cherishes us and lavishes His love on us. Though He may not come to us in the flesh to give us a tender kiss on the cheek to greet us each new day, He does give us another “KISS” of sorts. Out of love, He reminds us daily to KEEP IT SIMPLE, SWEETHEART!

Photo by Art4TheGlryofGod

The SIMPLE truth is that we’re unconditionally claimed by Jesus, forgiven for all our sin through His sacrificial death and assured we’ll join Him in His physical resurrection to live out eternity in His perfect new creation. This simple, Good News is all we really need to be content, peaceful, fulfilled and joyful forever. It’s the simple answer to all of life’s tough questions. It gives us simple wisdom to guide all our relationships.

The problem is that we’re prone to complicate matters. We get worked up about things that really don’t matter in the end. We worry about food, possessions, income and savings. We stress about our popularity and influence. We struggle with our identity when we listen to the pundits of today, hearing that it’s too simple to just say I’m a man or a woman. We worry about our health and long term future. All of these things worry us when we listen to Satan bombarding us with a flood of words from every direction … the back of our own brain, on Facebook, over the radio waves, through the cable news, on the billboard … everywhere. ALL of these worries stem from failing to KISS … Keep It Simple, Sweetheart.

Each morning as you arise, receive a KISS from your Bridegroom, Jesus. Remember His SIMPLE promise to love you sacrificially, unconditionally and incarnationally forever. Remember the KISS concept as you approach all of life, especially your human relationships. As we keep it simple by seeking to love everyone with the same sacrificial, unconditional and incarnate love of Jesus, life is much less messy. And, if a bit of turmoil creeps in when we start to listen to all of Satan’s words again, we can flee back to our Bridegroom, Jesus to receive His free forgiveness and a simple KISS.

Posted in Worldview | Tagged incarnational, sacrificial, Simple, Unconditonal | Leave a comment

RV Trip!

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Todd Biermann

No, this isn’t the script for a sequel movie. Quite different from what has been depicted on the big screen, my family and I enjoyed two awesome weeks together in a rented RV. When I asked Heather what she wanted to do to celebrate our 20th anniversary on June 3rd, she said she’d love to rent a motor home and travel with the 2 kids and 2 dogs to see northern Michigan. At first I thought, “Are you kidding? Sounds real romantic!” But, the Lord moved my heart to its proper response of unconditional love. I’m glad the Lord got through. It really was an awesome trip.

Some might think that 2 weeks in the close confines of a 25′ motor home with 4 people and 2 dogs would be enough to drive a marriage to divorce. But, we thoroughly enjoyed the non-distracted, unplugged, relaxed, God-centered feel of this entire trip. We had time to just talk about … whatever. We played lots of games … even helping Hannah and Micah become masters of Euchre. We made several great meals on the daily camp-fires. Of course, there were tons of S’mores and other gooey chocolatey treats in the pudgy pie makers.

We enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation as we visited the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and five different Michigan state parks – Hartwick Pines, Tahquamenon Falls, Baraga, Porcupine Mountains and Straits. I loved hopping across our rocky lake shore at Porcupine Mts. State Park. Our RV sat only 10 feet away from the crashing surf.

Most of all, I thank God for the love He’d given to our family prior to this trip. With those roots in place, this trip provided the nourishment to make our love grow strong. The fruitful memories produced will last a lifetime.

Thanks, Heather, for the crazy anniversary idea. Glad I listened. Another AWESOME taste of life in God’s way 🙂

“Mighty Mac” from Last Camp Site

Posted in Family Life | Tagged family, Travel, unconditional | Leave a comment

Testimonial

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Todd Biermann

Check out this GREAT TESTIMONIAL from a recent “Marriage in God’s Way” seminar participant. Thanks, Anne, for sharing!

Posted in Marriage, Relationship Priorities | Tagged Testimonials | Leave a comment

Hannah’s Reflections on Turning Sixteen

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Todd Biermann

This week, it’s my pleasure to hand this space over to my newly-turned-16-year-old daughter, Hannah. She has some very insightful thoughts as she now sits on this side of her birthday. Perhaps they’ll bless you … WHATEVER your age.

Blessed in HIS Way,

Pastor Biermann

I’ve been thinking allot lately. I’ve been thinking about what it would be like when I turned sixteen; how I would feel, if I would act differently. I thought turning sixteen would be a life changing moment. That from May 13, 2015 on, I would be so much more mature and more prepared for the world. I thought that it would automatically make me into this graceful young woman who would be able to drive confidently, make hard decisions and stay motivated to do things. I would be a person whom other people would see as more grown up.

Of course, that didn’t, and can’t, really happen. There was no way that one day, the anniversary of my birth, could make me any different. Growing up is a slow and steady process. It doesn’t come all at once. We become more mature everyday when we make wise decisions or do something better than the last time. When we bravely try something new. Deep down, I knew that turning sixteen wouldn’t really make me the perfect, confident driver or decision maker. I knew that just being called a sixteen-year-old doesn’t make any actual change. It may help boost my self image and I’d tell myself I’m much older, but it wouldn’t make me any different.

I also know that sixteen isn’t the top of the totem pole. I’m still very young and have a lot more life to live. It’s so funny, when I was younger, I would look up to the sixteen-year-old kids at church and think they were so old! Almost adults! They knew exactly what to do and I looked up to them a lot. Now that I’m sixteen, though, I don’t feel old at all. I don’t feel like eight-year-old-me thought I would feel as a sixteen-year-old. Now I look up to the college-age kids. But I’m also realizing that no matter how old you are, you can still be immature.

I think it’s like that for everyone. When you’re a young mom, you look up to the moms of high-school-age kids. When you’re a mom of high-school-age kids, you look up to the empty-nesters and so on. I think that even the oldest generation, the grandparents and great-grandparents, look back on the lives of their parents and think about how young they feel.

Maybe that’s how God intended it. Maybe He wants us to respect our elders always, even when we ourselves are the elders. It helps us respect Him more.

I know that when I look back on this when I’m a mom myself, I’ll think how young I was. “Wow! Sixteen! I thought I was so mature! I was so young.” I do think I’m mature in some ways, but in other ways I still have a lot to learn. That’s how it will always be. I’ll feel so mature in some ways and still very young in others.

The Bible has some very insightful verses about maturity:

Ephesians 4:14-15 ESV

So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ …

1 Corinthians 14:20 ESV

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

2 Peter 3:18 ESV

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The central theme of these verses is that we should strive to become more mature Christians. We should try to become more like Christ the more we get to know Him. God will help us through this walk of life and, if we sincerely ask Him, He will help us focus on the main goal; living eternally with Him in Heaven.

We should always remember that what we accomplish in this life isn’t what really matters. What matters is that we give glory to God in everything we do; whether we’re sixteen, sixty or one hundred and six. Like the verse in 2 Peter says, “to Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Posted in Character, Teen Life | Tagged character, maturity, respect, teens | 3 Comments

Sweet 16

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Todd Biermann

My daughter, Hannah, just celebrated her 16th birthday this week. Can’t believe she’s that old. Can’t believe I’M that old!

Hannah’s First Solo Drive

On the afternoon of her birthday, Heather and I stood in the driveway and waved goodbye as Hannah went for her first solo drive with her new license. Granted, it was just a 5 minute spin around the subdivision, but it was still momentous. I’m also looking forward to taking her out on a special “daddy-daughter-date” tonight. I plan to treat her the way we pray her future husband will treat her. Hannah needs to know how special she is in the eyes of her Bridegroom, Jesus. Any future suitor will need to treat her with the same honor and respect.

Whether it’s sending Hannah on her first solo drive or showing her what to expect from a future husband, Heather and I are preparing her for an important step … LEAVING home. God’s way of perfect love involves this important step. If Hannah is to marry someday, she will need to follow the guidance of Eph. 5:31, which teaches that she’s to “LEAVE her mother and father.” Although we’d love to hold tightly to Hannah all her life, we also know that it’s our parental duty to prepare her to “leave” us. We want her to be able to enjoy the same marital bliss that we enjoy in God’s way.

Daddy Date

Yes, we know that one day Hannah will “leave” us in the sense of putting a spouse as a higher priority than us. Her 16th birthday is a clear reminder that such a day may not be too far away. Yes, that day will certainly bring a few tears of sadness that the past is gone … our little girl has grown up. But, it will be a day filled with love, comfort, hope and joy in the Lord. HIS perfect way, the way HE loves us first, will also be the way for our little girl to enjoy being a woman who lives out the blessings of marriage in God’s way.

Posted in Family Life, Marriage, Teen Life | Tagged God's way, Leave, Parenting, priorities | Leave a comment

Motherhood

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Todd Biermann

Mothers

Open

Their

Hearts

Eagerly

Receiving

HIS

Overflowing

Delight

Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV)

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

A faithful mother is eager to meditate on the Word of the Lord and receive the delight it brings. The Word of the Lord overflows with the promise of her free forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus. It is her delight to know she is right with God now and for eternity. It is her delight to follow the wise guidance of Jesus in all she does.

The delight a mother receives produces abundant fruit through her; the fruit of overflowing love for her children and all who know her. Her children are blessed to receive the delight of the Lord passed on to them from their faithful mother.

That’s the blessing we celebrate on Mother’s Day.

That’s the overflowing delight of life in God’s way.

Posted in Character, Family Life | Tagged character, family, motherhood, Parenting, Thumbs Up | Leave a comment

Step-families … a Quiz

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Todd Biermann

You or someone you know is most likely in a step-family. This is neither good nor bad. It’s just the way things are and have been for a very long time. Being involved in a step-family can have many blessings and many challenges. The difference depends on the same thing that affects EVERY family … whether or not the individuals involved are living out their relationships in God’s way. You might think that a step-family is destined to have more problems than a “traditional” family. Not so! The love and power of Jesus Christ is able to guide ANY family down a path toward contentment and joy in life.

Because there are so many misconceptions, it’s important for ALL of us to get accurate information about step-families. I really appreciate the efforts of FamilyLife ministry to dispel false ideas about step-families. To this end, I just took an online quiz they created. I invite everyone, even if you THINK you don’t have any ties to a step-family, to TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK. After you take the quiz, they’ll email your score to you along with the correct answers to the 15 questions.

We can ALL do our part to support every family, including those in one of the 67 possible step-family combinations (that’s a clue to the quiz). Discovering your areas of ignorance is one of the first steps. I’m thankful that I’ve been keeping up on this topic for a while and was able to score 15 out of 15. But, I still learned a lot by reading through the facts after the quiz. If you’re currently receiving and sharing the love of Jesus in your family on a regular basis, you know what a blessing it is. Join me in learning all we can about step-families and what we can do to support them in living out life in God’s way. The more we understand each other, the more we can help each other toward receiving the awesome blessings Jesus has in store when ANY family is living in His way.

Posted in Family Life, Step-families | Tagged Blended Families, God's way, Step-families | 2 Comments

Giving Jesus a Bad Name

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Todd Biermann

Photo by Mindaugas Danys

This week I was struck by several examples of boys acting badly. I’m not talking about little children who have an excuse. I’m talking about married men who are choosing to act like little boys. They’re refusing to uphold the commitment they made when they married. Instead, they want to behave like selfish little boys. What frustrates me so much is the way this hurts EVERYONE! It hurts their wives who are denied the love they’re meant to receive. It hurts any children involved who don’t receive the supportive and caring love of a father they need, not to mention an example they need to follow. It hurts all the extended family and friends who are torn up by the suffering they see. It hurts these men who know in their hearts they’re NOT being what God intended them to be. Most of all, it hurts the name of Jesus. Husbands are meant to show Jesus to the world by the way they treat their wives. They’re to show the world the way that Jesus loves us as they give that same kind of committed love in marriage.

To such boys behaving badly, I just want to shout out, “STOP IT! STOP IT, RIGHT NOW!”

But, I realize that probably won’t help too much. They probably aren’t the ones who would ever put in the effort to read this blog. So, I’ll turn my frustration in the direction of our only hope … the PERFECT Husband, Jesus. I rejoice in His forgiveness for me for when I start to be a bad boy (which we ALL do at times). I thank Him for His constant commitment and love to every wife and child that’s being hurt by a bad dad. I pray to Jesus to send His Spirit into the hearts of those boys who think they’re happy behaving badly. May the Spirit point them to the much greater JOY that comes when we repent of our foolishness, receive His forgiveness and commit to His ways of righteousness.

If you’re suffering from a boy behaving badly or you know someone who is, turn to Jesus first. He IS committed and will ALWAYS love us perfectly. Then pray for that boy to be moved by the power of the Spirit to be the man God made him to be. Finally, ask him to read this blog. I’m happy to say it like it is. Maybe, just maybe, the Spirit will be able to grab the heart of a little lost boy and lead him to the land of manhood. It is there, in the forgiveness and love of the perfect man, Jesus, that real joy is to be found … for a man who steps up to Christ-like commitment and for all who will be blessed through him.

Posted in Character, Marriage | Tagged character, commitment, husband, manhood | Leave a comment