The Marital Dilemma

Recent survey statistics tell a heartbreaking (home breaking, child distressing) story. Of those married persons interviewed, 1 out of 2 said they had cheated on their spouse. Over 30% said if they had to do over, they would not marry their spouse again. Another 20% were unsure as to whether they would marry their present spouse again. This means that over 50% of those who are married, are dissatisfied with their spouse.

Add to that the fact that almost 1 out of 2 marriages end up in divorce, and that 2 out of 3 remarriages also end with divorce, plus the great host of people living together who aren’t married, with approximately 40% of babies being born out of wedlock, the words of Isaiah 1:5 pale in comparison, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.”

Marriage is the foundation of homes. Homes are the foundation for society. And building without a proper foundation, leads to crashing disaster.

Marriage was, and still is, ordained by God. Without God, marriage would never have existed. This is the key point, that without God being the Lord of those marrying, marriages are lacking the right stuff to even survive. By faith, marriage can still be blessed of God. Regardless, all marriages need to look to God for their savor and enduring success.

“Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Psalm 127:1. Just being saved doesn’t automatically mean that God is building the house. Saved people can be hard hearted and self willed.

It takes quality “material” and integrity to properly build a house. Godliness, virtue, moral integrity, and upright conduct are necessary ingredients to build the trust and respect essential to marital success. Should a Christian abandon these to walk on the wild side, taking liberties, stirring the fires of infatuation with immodesty and suggestive activities, leaving the door open to temptation and sin? Through allowing themselves to be put in unguarded situations, the lusts and desires of the flesh will ignite and devour all virtue and godliness, leaving only the mess of sin and spiritual defeat.

Do not err! A Christian must watch and pray to not enter into temptation. The flesh must be denied to avoid sin. We must walk in the Spirit, to avoid sowing to the flesh. Human experience testifies to the fact that when you play with fire, you will be burned!

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A Declaration Of Purpose

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20

A New Testament Church is to proclaim God’s Word, will, and way, teaching people to observe all things that God has commanded, according to all scripture.

The fact is, no one measures up to God, God’s Word, or will. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory. That is the reason for salvation by grace. But when God addresses the difference between a sinner’s own state, way and thoughts, versus God’s righteousness, He does so by commanding the sinner to repent, to forsake his own way and his own thoughts, and return unto the Lord. God does not take the position that He must alter or change His position to accommodate man, but that man needs to forsake his way unto seeking God’s way.

The church ministry is to be Christ’s ambassador. Thus the church holds before people God’s standard, God’s will and way. No one measures up perfectly. So the church continues to call upon people to turn from their will and way and return to God’s will and way. When people get away from God’s way, they are challenged to come back to it. When addressing the differences between people’s circumstances and God’s Word, the church is not to try and make compromises to accommodate people, but rather continue to call people back to God’s Word and way.

When good people’s circumstances differ from God’s Word, the church is to continue to declare God’s Word to be righteous, while at the same time committing these differences into the hands of God to judge. The church must also call for all people to acknowledge that God’s Word is righteous and that His judgment will be just in upholding His Word.

Whenever people choose a course that differs from the way God’s Word sets forth, there must be an understanding in the minds of all, that the individual who makes this choice must bear the burden of that choice rather than the church. The church’s integrity to teach people to observe all that God has commanded must be guarded and supported by all.

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A Local Church Ordinance

With the establishing of the New Testament Church on earth by Jesus Christ before His ascension, the Lord’s local church was made the exclusive and inclusive administrator of the Lord’s work. He placed just two ordinances in His church, i.e., water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

The New Testament Church is a local congregation of baptized believers, joined together by God as the Body of Christ, with Christ as the Head. The church is responsible for the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20. Its mission is to preach the gospel, baptize the believer, and teach them to observe all things commanded by Christ.

Christ set forth the observance of the Lord’s Supper with His apostles, who were the first set in the church. It was not set forth as an open communion for public participation, but was delivered to the local membership only. The Bible gives no record of the observance of the Lord’s Supper in any other capacity other than local church observance.

Since Christ made the local church the agent and administrator of His work, and the Lord’s Supper was delivered to those in local church capacity, the local church is then the agent and administrator of the Lord’s Supper, as well as the ordinance of water baptism. 1 Corinthians 11:2 declares that the ordinances are to be kept as they were originally delivered. They are not to be expanded by man’s innovations and aspirations. They are not to be reduced to the level of accommodating the desires of men. But their value is seen in being administered according the Heaven’s authority unto having Heaven’s sanction.

The scripture requires the local church to have jurisdiction over the ordinances it administers. The Lord’s Supper is not an individual ordinance, but a local church ordinance.
1 Corinthians 11:18,20,33 – “…when ye come together in the church”, “…when ye come together into one place”, “…when ye come together to eat”, etc.

And in coming together, the members are to examine themselves in view of
their standing with Christ, as a member of His body, and observe the ordinance with respect to Christ, who purchased for them their position and privilege, by His own shed blood.

A church has no authority to serve the Lord’s Supper to non-members. Non-members cannot examine themselves with respect to their standing in the church as a member. The church has no jurisdiction over non-members. Until one becomes a member of the local church, they are not included in what that particular Body is doing in observing the ordinance. It is not a matter of excluding non-members from the ordinance observance, but a non-member is not in the position to partake as a member of the Body in the observance.

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Adam, Where Art Thou? (Genesis 3:9)

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30

The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty (2 Corinthians 11:3) but Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14).

The spiritual fall and death of the human race occurred when Adam failed to make up the hedge and stand in the gap. Adam took the easy way out. He allowed to go on what God’s Word forbade. His “sweetie pie” was all for eating the forbidden fruit; so rather than disturb the sweetness of the relationship, he chose to go along with her. Adam not only condemned himself in that which he allowed (Romans 14:22), but he also brought the whole human race under the condemnation of sin by his transgression (Romans 5:18).

In the “hubby” and “daddy” role, it is so easy to give in to things that seem to keep the sweetness in the relationship. After all, to not do so would seem so mean.

But in the responsible role of being a godly man, watching out for the spiritual welfare of home and family, it is not about being “sugar”. It is about being “salt” and “light”.

Human behavior, which is prone to wander and go astray, needs a solid, thick hedge that defines the perimeters of conduct, and someone to stand in the gap between what is the will of the flesh, versus what is the truth of God’s will and way.

By following human philosophy, religion has quit planting the hedges and eliminated the gap standing, so as to just shower sweetness upon people, no matter what they choose to eat on. With some, sin abounds under their ministry of loving “grace”.

The problem with taking no stand on and with God’s Word, is that apart from God’s Word, Satan has people beguiled unto enjoying that which is the transgression of God’s Word.

Young men are called upon “to be sober minded” (Titus 2:6), to be strong in the Lord, with the Word of God abiding in you, to overcome the wicked one (1 John 2:14).

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

YOUNG MEN AND FATHERS, WHERE ARE WE?

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Obedience Due To Honor

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

According to Jesus (Matthew 15:4-6) this honor includes watching out for the parents’ welfare when they are no longer able to do for themselves.

That is the minor, as obeying the right teaching and upbringing supplied by the parents is the major. This following of their teaching true to the Bible, is to be continued even after they are gone, for it is the truth, not the person, that is the principle concern.

There are three primary reasons given why this must needs be:
First, “for this is right”. God will require it in judgment.

Second, “the first commandment with promise”. It will extend on into the building of a person’s character, as well as afford them right direction and purpose for their lives.

Third, “that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”. A person’s overall well being is best served by hearkening unto the wise counsel of their parents.

Since this is God’s way, God’s order, God’s command, how one carries this out towards their parents is how they are regarding God. To not do this is to be sinning against God.

All of God’s ways are for the good of mankind. To not see this, is to be deceived. Everything right with God has promise for this life and the life to come. Everything in disobedience to God’s way will only produce regret and eternal loss.

Parents need to establish early on that a child is to respect parental authority, as a matter of honoring their parents, not as a matter of forced compliance. A child must be trained that obedience is owed to their parents for the love and care that their parents give. A child needs to understand that any defiance, disobedience, rebellion, etc., is a wrong on their part, that they should be ashamed and repent of. They also need to understand that they will face God and give account to Him for this principle for life.

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