Comfort for God's People (Isaiah 40:1-2)

 

Comfort for God’s People (Isaiah 40:1-2)

40 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
² “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.”

In this message; I will seek to apply this Old Testament prophecy concerning God’s chosen people; the children of Israel to people in our day. The original message was meant to comfort a people while they were brutally carried away to exile in a foreign land through bloodshed and capture against their will because of their backsliding ways.

I do not think that I will be straining the text today as the scriptures are replete with analogies that are relatable to various people groups; especially of Gods dealings with sinful mankind. Mankind; wither Jew or gentile ultimately has the same nature and the human experience is relatively similar for all peoples.

1 Corinthians 10:13

¹³ The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Galatians 3:28

²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Gentile,^[a] slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

“Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.

Firstly; it is true that since the first man sinned in the garden, God has been whispering comfort to his beloved creation. In the garden God immediately began to put in place His plan of redemption that would one day vanquish evil and undo the damage caused by original sin and the total depravity that has plagued mankind from Adam until now.

Genesis 3:15

¹⁵ And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike^[b] your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

Luke 3:38

³⁸ Kenan was the son of Enosh.^[a]
Enosh was the son of Seth.
Seth was the son of Adam.
Adam was the son of God.

Genesis 4:25-26

²⁵ Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth,^[a] for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” ²⁶ When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.

For my part; I will proclaim the comfort of the Lord to all who will call upon the name of the Lord and worship Him. God offers His comfort to the penitent soul who hopes for renewed relationship and forgiveness of sins from his maker. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the covenant keeping God who offers comfort to those who keep faith in Him.

Genesis 17

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. ² I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”

³ At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, ⁴ “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! ⁵ What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham,^[a] for you will be the father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

⁷ “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants^[b] after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

While it is also true that our current lot in life may be full of tumultuous trials and pain and suffering, the comfort of God is available today as it was to those during the days of the patriarch Abraham or the prophet Isaiah. Is it not a beautiful invitation that our maker; the Lord God Almighty would offer comfort to us during the many perils that befall us? Is God not merciful to offer us pardon for our inequities and comfort to sustain our weary souls while we long for the paradise that once was ours and that is promised to us in the sweet by and by.

Genesis 1:31

³¹ Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

Genesis 2:25

²⁵ Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

Revelation 21:3

³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.^[a] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 22:1-4

22 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit,^[a] with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

³ No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. ⁴ And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.

² “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.

Is it not true of Jesus Christ that He compared himself to a mother hen (Mathew 23:37) who wished to take Israel under his wings. Jesus is calling you tenderly dear sinners and saints.

To the lost soul; He is offering you his mercy and grace; come to the cross of Jesus and you won’t be disappointed. Come meet the lowly Jesus on the cross. There He laid down his divine glory to condescend and become your sin bearer. There He bled his sinless blood as a peace offering that would make restitution for your trespasses and offences. There He purchased your redemption; the forgiveness of your sins and your eternal life. Won’t you make room in your heart for the one who gladly laid down his life for you that you might be free from the sin that enslaves you? Won’t you make room for the one who drank God’s cup of anger mixed full strength so that you would be spared from the wrath to come? Only whisper to Him now by faith:

“save me from my sin my Lord” and my God and you will saved. (Romans 10:9)

To the saint; Jesus also speaks. Remember to love me and your brothers and sisters. Keep me enthroned in your heart as Lord and tell others about me. Abhor evil and cling to what is good. Remember my promises to you that I will never leave you nor forsake you. You are my beloved bride and I am your groom. I have laid down my life for you and the Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. I do not call you slave but I call you my friend. I am preparing a place for you and will come get you when everything is ready. (Revelation 2:4, I Peter 3:15, Romans 12:9, Hebrews 13:5, Ephesians 5:23, Luke 12:32, John 15:15, John 14:2-3)

Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.

For the child of God (John 1:12); the favourable year of liberty and the grace of our Lord is ours to enjoy because God has released us from the bonds of sin that once enslaved. God has pardoned our inequities. God forgave our sins completely and keeps no records of wrongs when we placed our faith in his son; the Lord Jesus Christ. God was pleased to pour out His Holy Spirit upon on us that we may be partakers of the divine nature. Halleluiah!

The sad days caused by sinning and being a victim of sin are over. What’s more; the penalty of sin which is death has been swallowed up in victory by the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that if Christ was raised from the dead; we too will rise from the dead at the appropriate time. Through Jesus Christ we are made into new creations with holy longings and we are more than conquerors and can confidently await the full redemption that is promised us when we will pass from this temporal world and enter into the eternal state of perfection called heaven. (Romans 8:23) God is the author and finisher of our faith. Praise be to God!

For the unbeliever; don’t harden your heart. The good news that God forgives sin may apply to you also if you may only believe. God’s favourable time of grace is upon all those who hearing, and believing call upon the only one who is able to shatter asunder the chains of a guilty, God suppressing conscience that cries for release. Call upon the Lord while he may be found. Today is the day of salvation! May this message melt your stony heart and may the seed of the kingdom begin to take root on your softened heart. Jesus knocks at the door of your heart. (1 Peter 3:9)

Psalm 103

¹ Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
² Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.
³ He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
⁴ He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
⁵ He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.”

Unfortunately; the sad days have afflicted us all. There has been pain caused by sin from within and sin from without. Sin is a cancer that spread and when left untreated, totally corrupts us kills us. (Ezekiel 18:20, James 1:14-15)

Psalm 119:71

⁷¹ My suffering was good for me,
    for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.

God was being gracious to us by punishing our wrongdoings. He was tenderly loving us as a Father who disciplines a wayward child. God’s justice demands that sin be punished. Everyone experiences temporal suffering and consequences from God for committing sins. His fierce wrath is being reserved for unbelievers because they refuse to submit to his will in the great day of judgement whereby God will take vengeance on his foes. (Romans 12:19) For the believer; judicial judgement for sins has already taken place on the cross of Jesus Christ and will not reoccur. (John 5:24)

The brotherhood of every believer

 

The Brotherhood of every believer (Galatians 3:26-29)

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

The remedy for human enmity and separation is unity through faith in Jesus Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

Unifying Christian Characteristics

1. Universal headship of the same Lord: Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3)

2. Birthed of the same spiritual father Jesus Christ (Isaiah (9:6, Luke 3:16)

3. Sealed by the same Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)

4. The Spirit proceeds from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:26

5. Conformed to the uniformity of holiness (Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 5:27)

6. Cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7)

7. Made into a common inheritance according to God’s will (Ephesians 1:11)

8. Mingled together by prayer (Ephesians 1:16)

9. Held together by love (Ephesians 4:15-16)

10. Co-heirs in Christ (Ephesians 1:18)

11. Priesthood of every believer (Revelation 1:6)

12. Destined for glory in Christ (Romans 8:30)

13. God placed everyone in subjection to Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 15:27))

14. Blessed alongside Christ Jesus in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:5-6, Romans 6:1-11)

15. No longer under the law but under grace (Romans 8:2)

Barriers to Christian Unity

1. denying that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:3)

2. false doctrines (1 John 4:1-6)

3. teaching traditions of man rather than doctrine (Mark 7:7)

4. abandonment of God’s word among his people (2 Timothy 3:16)

5. unbelief (Hebrews 3:12)

6. not gathering (Hebrews 10:25)

7. anti-Christ leadership or usurpers of Christ’s authority on earth (Mathew 23:9)

8. gossip and backbiting (Galatians 5:15, 1 Timothy 5:13)

9. praying to idols (1 Timothy 2:5)

10. mysticism and Gnosticism (Galatians 1:6-9, Jude 1:8)

11. lack of church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:13)

12. selfish use of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14: 1-5)

13. factions and favoritism (1 Corinthians 1:11-13)

14. lack of preaching (2 Timothy 4:2)

15. lack of living out our faith (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

James: Chapters 1-5 (Q & A)

James is practical Christianity and challenges us who name the name of Christ to live out what we believe. It was James who said: “faith without works is dead”. (James 1:17) The author of James is considered by most to be the half-brother of Jesus. If this is correct; perhaps James had a strong desire to live righteously because James would have earlier denied Jesus during his earthly ministry. (Mark 3:21-35, John 7:5) Whatever His motives under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, (2 Peter : 1:21) James’ letter is considered by some NT adherents to be on par with Jesus’ sermon on the mount (Mathew 5-7) in terms of the level of conviction which the book delivers.

For those who think the Christian faith is about a “personal relationship” with Jesus apart from outward works that manifest themselves to people; the truth found in James chatters such false notions. While it is true that salvation is always received as a gift apart from any works on our part, (Ephesians 2:8-9) the complete truth is that genuine salvation will always produce good works that bear witness to the inward or outward profession of faith that a Christian will make. (Ephesians 2:10)

Over the millennia; many scholars have debated whether or not salvation (saving faith) is based on faith alone by grace alone in Christ alone (Refer to the five solas of the protestant reformation) or whether that grace spoken of in Ephesians 2:8-9 is in fact good works on our part to earn merit with God. As in the matter of which came first: the chicken or the egg, I believe that faith (the chicken) always proceeds good works because prior to being born-again; we are unable to do any works worthy of meriting approval from a Holy God. (Romans 8:8)

The primary (priority) work that God gives us to do in this dispensation is to believe in His Son Jesus Christ to be made righteous. (Justified in His sight) (John 6:29, Romans 3:24) Once a person is made righteous; than their works will become righteous as well. (Mathew 12:33) Going back to the point about the human debate concerning the relationship between saving faith and good works; James’s letter is written in defense that being a Christian involves more that intellectual assent to a bunch of facts about Jesus. On the contrary; being a Christian should revolutionize our living and practicalize our inward faith through outward virtues such as service, mercy, or charity. (James 2:18-20) In the end however; the final judgment of human works will be reserved by God alone and He will judge each according to their deeds. Justice and fairness will be accomplished perfectly by an omniscient, (all-knowing) holy God whose standard is perfectly righteous. (Mathew 25: 31-46)

 

Assignment: Read James: Chapter 1

 

Question 1: Do you like being tested?

 

Why or why not?

 

Question 2: Why do we need to have our faith tested?

 

Question 3: According to James 1:9-11; what should our perspective be concerning the riches of this world in light of the brevity of our earthly lives and the eternal benefit of knowing Jesus Christ?

 

Question 4: What is the crown of life and who will receive one?

 

Question 5: Can God be tempted to do evil?

 

Question 6: Does God tempt people to do evil?

 

(Discussion) Question 7: Read verses 14-15 to carefully. Although Satan is a tempter, (Mathew 4:1-11, Genesis 3:4-5, 1 Chronicles 21:1, James 4:7) where does human temptation originate from? (Genesis 3:6)

  

Question 8: What qualities are necessary to avoid temptations while going through trials?

 

Question 9: Why is it important to be a doer of the word?

 

As mentioned in the introduction last week; the Christian faith encompasses all of our being and has a transformative effect on our entire lives. No stone is to be left unturned so to speak. Partiality is common in the secular world because people naturally tend to judge others based on external, superficial values such as beauty, position, wealth, power, etc. (1 Samuel 10:23-24, 1 Samuel 16:6-13, 1 Samuel 17:4-11)

Question 10: What is it called when we judge others according to outward clothing or appearance and why is it sinful?

 

Assignment: Read James: Chapter 2

Christians are not to behave that way however and special mention in James 2 :1-13 addresses this common problem; even amongst God’s people. The 12 apostles also wrangled for special positions amongst themselves while with Jesus (Luke 9:46-50) and in certain occasions, viewed others with contempt (feeling the other is beneath you) because they didn’t belong to their group.

The main concept of Christianity is that it is God’s kingdom, which is Christ’s kingdom; not our own. God is the one who saves and God is the one who gives worth to people apart from human judgement which is often confused and distorted based on self interest and selfishness. All people are valuable because they are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and the elect are especially valuable to God because they are the objects of His divine mercy and grace. (Colossians 3:12)

Question 2: According to James: chapter 2:8, what is the more excellent way to live towards others than sinfully judging them because of evil feelings of superiority?

 

Behaving partially towards other believer’s breaks the perfect law of God and therefore creates disunity and disharmony between the body of Christ. Partiality may not be as damaging as adultery or murder for example; but it is a sin none the less and should be condemned and destroyed. The Bible says we must crucify the flesh which means we must put to death any feelings of superiority we may harbor towards other people. Jesus’s kingdom exalts humility and service above self-importance and lording it above others anyways. (Mathew 23:11, James 4:6) An indicator whether a person is truly born again is whether they are capable of showing mercy to others. (James 2:13)

Question 3: Why does mercy triumph over judgement?

Having faith and claiming to have faith are not necessarily the same. One is genuine (faith that manifests in good works) and one is false.  (Faith that does not manifest in good works) genuine faith goes beyond intellectual assent to facts (James 2:19) and manifests itself in obedience. The example that James gives is Abraham (Genesis 15:1-9) and Rahab (Joshua 2:1-21)

What acts of obedience were demonstrated by:

Abraham:

 

Rahab:

 

Question 4: How is faith made perfect by works?

Discussion Question: How do you seek to make your faith perfect?

 

 

 Assignment: Read James: Chapter 3

James chapter 3 : 1-12 speaks to our small, yet powerful body part; our tongue. James cautions the reader that the tongue (Which produces speech) has the potential to commit great sin or bless its Creator. The tongue however is just an extension of human nature and is therefore not the origin of evil; but rather a broadcaster of human depravity or an instrument of God’s redeeming goodness in the life of the believer.  (Proverbs 4:23)

 

Question 1: How might the tongue (speech) have been used prior to the fall of man and compare that to how speech is used in the world today.

 

Question 2: How will we use our tongues when our bodies are glorified? (without a sin nature)

 

Through James; the Holy Spirit reveals that one of the marks of Christian perfection is controlling our speech not to sin by what we say. (verse 2) For those of us who want to gauge our own spiritual growth; our ability to govern our speech is one way we can know where we stand towards our goal of Christian perfection.

Question 2: What are some of the ways that we as Christians can guard our speech against sin?

 

Through analogies of a rudder of a ship, a spark, or even the everlasting fires of hell; James makes the case that our tongue is uncontrollable apart from God’s power, which alone can tame the tongue. God therefore grants us reason and wisdom to use our speech for good and not evil. (verse 12)

Question 3: What example can you give from scripture where someone used their tongue for good?

 

The Holy Spirit through James continues (verse 13-18) to confront sinful political practices that people act out because of carnality. (sin nature) These sinful practices (envy, bitterness, self-seeking) have the appearance of wisdom in the world’s eyes because they appeal to mankind’s selfishness but are in fact demonic. (Mathew 20:25) God’s wisdom is of a different sort than the world’s. God’s wisdom is peaceable, gentle, yielding, merciful, full of good fruits and without partiality. (verse 17-18

Discussion Question: Compare Ahab’s motive and the carnal (demonic) wisdom He used to get what He wanted (1 Kings: 21) with David’s motive and the godly wisdom that He used to do what God wanted. (2 Samuel 24:18-25) 

Ahab’s demonic wisdom

Ahab’s motive:

 

 

Ahab’s actions:

 

David’s godly wisdom

David’s motive:

 

 

David’s actions

Assignment: Read James: Chapter 4

Earthly life requires a temporary pleasure passport. When we begin to prioritizes seeking after the things of this life with no regard for the things above, we are bound to run into conflict because our affection and longing turn towards satisfying the creature rather than the Creator and our longings for pleasure cannot be satisfied without a conflict of interest taking place. If our passport is for pleasure only, we begin to view pleasure as an end to a means rather than a means to an end. Ultimately; God is a good God who is to be enjoyed for his splendor, majesty, and glory and our earthly blessings are meant to bring us temporary satisfaction and ultimately lead us to worship and magnify the God who gives life and every good gift. (James 1 :17) Enjoying pleasure with thanksgiving and gratitude towards God means we hold a temporary pleasure passport but our final destination is not the pleasure itself but rather; enjoying fellowship with the God who gives to all creatures abundantly.

Question 1: Why did God give us capacity to enjoy pleasure when human pride can turn pleasure into a vice?

One of the ways an unwholesome want of pleasure manifests itself is when we strife with others when our own personal desires are not met and / or our own personal wishes are not fulfilled by others. James answers one of the most important and often asked questions from all mankind. James answers the question: what is the origin of the evil of war? (James 4:1-4)

Question 2: What is the origin fighting and wars?

The tragedy of going to war with others for our desires is that only God above is able to satisfy all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus if we would only ask. (Philippians 4:19) How ridiculous for someone to seek fulfilment in life apart from God alone who can bring true, lasting satisfaction. When we submit ourselves to God; (verse 7) than and only then can God’s grace overflow in our hearts and eclipse a downward spiral of craving after destructive desires. God’s grace in our lives will lead us to contentment with God’s provision in our life. (Romans 5:20)

James points to the solution of drawing near to God so that our evil desires will not overwhelm us. (Verse 8-10) (Psalm 73:28) James uses the picture of Old Testament Priests washing their hands as an external symbol of purifying our hearts before a Holy God. This exercise of purifying involves being broken hearted about sin and recognizing that not all desires are good or pleasing to God. (Psalm 51:17)

Question 3 How can we keep our church pure from evil desires?

 

Verse 11-12 warns again against using careless speech to damage someone else. (i.e., talking down, criticizing, gossiping, slanderous accusations. (Psalm 141:3)

Planning with Jesus (verse 13-17) is the privilege of every believer in Christ and one of the awesome ways for us to bear witness to God’s faithfulness in our lives as we track God’s dealings with us as we commit our plans into God’s hands.

Question 4: How are you planning with Jesus in the new year for your own life, and the life of your church?

 

Assignment: Read James: Chapter 5

In contrast to 1 Timothy 6:17; the evil-rich mentioned in James 5:1-6 are hypocrites associated with the church and bearing the name of “Christian” as a cover for their true god; wealth. (Philippians 3:19) I Timothy 6:17 tells wealthy people not to trust in the uncertainties of riches but rather to trust in God and that God provides all things to freely enjoy. The evil-rich mentioned here in James had gotten some of their riches by robbing their labourers. (Verse 4) The result is that these pleasure lovers turned to excess which became for them a form of divine judgment. (Verse 5) God desires that the poor who are oppressed exercise patience with those who oppress them by remembering the soon return of the Lord. (Verse 8)

Question 1: Describe in your own words why hoarding up wealth or living in excess pleasure is sinful?

 

Persecution could/can lead to grumbling but complaining is also a sin so we need to instead choose perseverance over collapsing under the weight of rich oppressors or violent persecutors. God’s people are on the winning side and our Judge (Jesus Christ) will soon deliver the final verdict. James points us back to the prophets and Job who also choose perseverance. (Job 13, 42)

Question 2: Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of perseverance under persecution. How did Jesus Christ triumph over his persecutors? (Hebrews 12:2)

 

Don’t make oaths! Let your yes be yes and your no be no. (James 5:12, Mathew 5:37) Verse 13-19 tells us how we need to handle oppression and persecution. Elders (pastors, church leaders) need to pray and help strengthen those who are spiritually downtrodden. (Verse 14) People undergoing oppression need to pray for themselves also. (17-18) We are also to confess our sins to others. (Verse 16)

Question 3: What are some ways we as Christians can minister to the hurting?

 

Verse 19-20 addresses the problems of apostacy. (Those who abandon the faith) Since these people were never saved to begin with but had a sense of what Christianity is about but on a superficial basis; effort to win these types of people for Christ are notable since their soul would be saved from destruction. (Verse 20)

 

Marriage Workshop

Genesis 2:18-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” ¹⁹ So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man^[a] to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. ²⁰ He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs^[b] and closed up the opening. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

²³ “At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone,
    and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
    because she was taken from ‘man.’”

²⁴ This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

²⁵ Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

 

In Earth’s creation events; marriage was the first human institution God created. Up until Eve was created; Adam was the only human alive and this caused God to reflect for the first time that something wasn’t good about an otherwise perfect created order. (Gen 2:18) Man ultimately needed a companion. Even a pure relationship with his loving Creator, a majestic home in Eden, lots of nutritious food to eat, fulfilling work to do and animals to rule over; did not meet Adam’s desire for an intimate companion. Adam needed someone to share his life with and someone who would share in the joy of ruling over God’s creation with him. The innate need for intimacy in Adam’s heart caused our loving God to grant to humankind the institution of marriage. The first marriage (Before original sin) demonstrated a perfectly innocent union between Adam (The first Husband) and Eve. (The first Wife) Their union was one of cherished loving tenderness (Gen 2:23) and intimate oneness. (Gen 2:25)

 

The reasons for marriage are:

1)     Children (Be fruitful and multiple – Genesis 1 :28)

2)     Companionship (It is not good for man to be alone – Genesis 2: 18)

3)     Prevent immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2 ^But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.)

4)     Provide loving affection (Ephesians 5 :25 For husbands, this means love your wives)

Principles from Genesis 2:

1)     God is near to the broken hearted and is willing and able to interject. In verse 18; God noticed Adam was struggling with loneliness and did something about the situation. Although we should not expect a creative miracle; scripture is clear that God cares for our needs. 1 Peter 5:7 says:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Whether or not we are married; we should tell God about our loneliness and expect relief from our loving Heavenly Father.

 

2)     Adam cherished His wife (Gen 2:23) and He expressed his fulfillment about his mate. How often do we grow indifferent to the familiar and forget to express delight in our spouse, our children, or other intimate relationships? Take a moment to express gratitude and delight for the people God has placed in your life.

 

3)     Their marriage was one of transparent openness. Verse 25 says they were both naked and unashamed. Their relationship was one perfect acceptance, support, honest and open communication, and intimate companionship. Often, we fail to express ourselves openly to our mates for fear of rejection or reprove. We hide what’s going on inside and we miss the blessing of the companionship and understanding God meant for us to enjoy within our human relationships. Let’s do more to cultivate openness and acceptance towards our intimate relationships.

 

 

Continued…

The New Testament calls marriage honourable. (Hebrews 13 :4) The NT goes as far to compare the marriage union between a man and a woman with the covenant relationship between Christ and his church. (Ephesians 5 :32) In other words; marriage ought to be a permanent union just as Christ is permanently bound to his church.

The key to a good marriage is for both the man and his wife to be Spirit Led. (Ephesians 5: 18 ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,) The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence makes us capable to apply God’s commands for a successful marriage)

 

Ephesians 5: 21 -31 gives us more instruction on marriage

²¹ And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ²⁴ As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

A note about submission: submission is not inferiority but accepting God’s ordained will. Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the will of his Father but was in no way inferior. (John 10 :30) To equate submission with inferiority would destroy the doctrine of the trinity and make Jesus Christ’s declaration of equality with the Father null and void. In the same way; refusing biblical submission within marriage (Ephesians 5 :21-24) is rebellious and overturns God’s purposes within the marriage relationship. (1 Peter 3: 1 – 6)

²⁵ For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her ²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.^[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. ²⁹ No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. ³⁰ And we are members of his body.

A note about love: ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 6)

Jesus demonstrated this type of servant leadership by submitting himself to meet the needs of fallen people by dying for their sins. Husbands are therefore to submit to the needs of their wife and family by:

1)     Meeting spiritual needs

2)     Meeting physical needs

Husbands also need to be sensitive to their wives’ emotional needs. (1 Peter 3: 7) This is done by showing her honour, being sensitive to her, and providing her emotional safety within your relationship.

 

³¹ As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”^[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. ³³ So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 

God wants husbands and wives to commit to each other like Christ is committed to his church. Is there any wonder that God hates divorce? Christ would never forsake his church and husbands and wives ought not to forsake each other.

 

Closing prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving us the institution of marriage to provide us the most meaningful of all human relationships. Help us by your Holy Spirit to make our marriages everything they are meant to be; for your glory, In Jesus name. Amen.

The battle for the beginning

Genesis 1: 1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

 

Upon reading the first verse in our Bible; Each human being is tested whether or not they will believe The One True God or dismiss Him as a liar or non-existent.  The creation account is a theological issue primarily and not a scientific issue. Scientific research is noble on our part but is unable to teach origins because scientists were not present in the beginning to observe creation nor are scientists today able to replicate the creation of the universe and everything in it no matter how scientifically advanced, we may claim to be. (Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.) Genesis; which is the word of God; is the only relevant, accurate, trustworthy, authoritative account of the beginning of time because the Bible claims that God was present in the beginning; (Genesis 1:1) and is therefore able to recount the concrete facts about the creation account. The church fathers understood this timeless truth as follows. (Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.)

 

God is the creator of heaven and earth:

The universe is not the result of nobody plus nothing equalling everything. The idea of the universe randomly creating itself is utterly absurd. The second law of thermodynamics states that any isolated system will degenerate into a more disordered state. The Bible presents a clear and logical explanation that all created matter in the universe was created by an omnipotent, creator God in a literal six-day span. (Genesis 2 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. ² On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested^[a] from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.⁴ This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.) (Psalm 146: 6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.) In Genesis; we read that God created every kind of vegetation on day 3, all aquatic creatures and birds on day 5, and all land creatures and human beings on day 6, each created kind complete with its corresponding genetic information that was to be passed down through reproduction. (Genesis 1:22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”) (Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”) God Almighty created all things through His spoken word. (Genesis 1:3 ^Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.) The reason many people deny that an all-powerful God created the universe and everything in it is that they are haplessly or willfully ignorant of the facts concerning creation.  (Isaiah 40 ^Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God—the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? ²² God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.²³ He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing.²⁴ They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. ²⁵ “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.²⁶ Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. ²⁷ O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? ²⁸ Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

 

Why the literal interpretation of a six-day creation account is important to God’s redemptive plan for mankind:

The Bible makes the claim that everything God created was good. (Genesis 1: 31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!) Original creation was free from the consequence of sin and therefore free of death. Adam and Eve would have lived forever if original sin hadn’t taken place.  (Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”) The only 2 sections in the entire Bible that are free from the consequences of sin are the first 2 chapters of Genesis in Eden before sin enters the world causing death and after God creates a new heaven and a new earth and restores Eden in the last 2 chapters of Revelation. The reality of death as a constant problem was only introduced after original sin. (Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people, because all sinned—) (Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”) The problem with so called fossil records pre-dating the first original humans; Adam and Eve, implies that death was accruing on the earth prior to original sin which is a direct contradiction about what the Bible teaches about how death began upon the earth. In addition; ascribing death upon the earth prior to the fall slanders God’s character because God said His creation was very good and death is not good objectively even from a human perspective.  Furthermore; if terrestrial creatures lived and died upon the earth for millions of years prior to Adam and Eve eating the from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil causing original sin; than there is no distinct consequence for original sin and the process of death upon the earth is a natural phenonom apart from the consequence of Adam’s sin. Furthermore; if death is the constant natural state upon the earth and not the result of sin, then humanity has no need of a redeemer because death is natural and not the result of transgression against their creator. To attribute death as natural is to acquit humanity of being guilty of sin before God and excusing them of guilt; thus, freeing them from needing to be redeemed in the first place. Of course; mankind’s need of redemption by the savior Christ Jesus is the central theme of the gospel message of the New Testament. (1 Corinthians15:22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.)        

 

The Moral implication of creation:

Creation has a tremendous moral implication on mankind. The word of God states that “God created.” Firstly; God created the heavens and the earth, and shortly after; God created all other created things including mankind; (Genesis 1 : 27  So God created human beings^[d] in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them) mankind is therefore accountable to their creator for the use of that given life. God is the giver of life. Genesis 2:7 ^Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. A rational person must therefore reckon that the God who created them and gave them life must therefore have a purpose for doing so. The Bible tells us that the purpose for which God created us is to bearers of the “image of God” (Genesis 1 :27) How we spend our life maters; whether for good or evil. The Bible says that God will one day judge each person. God will reward faithful living that seeks to reflect His image by living obediently to his commands. (2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.) God will also judge sinful living that refuses to reflect the image of God by disobeying His commands.  (1 Peter 4:5 ^But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.) Therefore; the doctrine of creation presents an accountability dynamic to being human that would be non-existent apart from a creator God who created us to reflect His image. Think of it this way; If human beings are on earth as a result of evolution taking place over millions of years based on survival of the fittest; human beings are par with other creatures in that they have no accountability to live to any higher moral standard other than to out-compete others of their kind to ensure their survivability. Evil actions such as murder or genocide could be justified as a means of survival for example with no transcendent consequence from a superior being. On the other hand; If we were created with a transcendent purpose beyond merely surviving; than there must be a standard by which to govern right and wrong. This is exactly the case according to Biblical Christianity. The word of explains God created mankind with a conscience as an inner compass to inherently know right from wrong. (Romans 1:19-20 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.) Furthermore; God revealed his standard of holiness through his covenant people; the nation of Israel.  (Exodus 20 Then God gave the people all these instructions^[a]:² “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.³ “You must not have any other god but me.⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those^[b] who love me and obey my commands.⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.¹³ “You must not murder.¹⁴ “You must not commit adultery.¹⁵ “You must not steal.¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.¹⁷ “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

 

God rested after His work of creation and we must therefore learn to rest in our saviour Christ Jesus:

 God concluded His work of creation in 6 literal days and then ceased to create on the seventh day.  (Genesis 2: 1-3 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. ² On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested^[a] from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.) Likewise, the way for people to be saved from their sin concluded when Christ Jesus died upon the cross. (John 19:30 ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.) Jesus is the fulfillment of the 7^th day rest whenever we trust in his finished work for the forgiveness of our sins and cease labouring to be made right with God. (Hebrews 4:3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.

 

Let us pray…

Dear Heavenly Father; thank you that you are all powerful, all wise, and all knowing to create the physical universe and everything in it. We are thankful for planet earth that we now call home and for the wonder that you inspire in our hearts when we consider the vastness of the universe and the diversity within creation. Thank you that you showed us an example of how we must cease to try to work for the forgiveness of our sins and trust in the finished work of your son; Christ Jesus, who died upon the cross to pay the penalty of our sins; that we may enjoy peace with you, for now and all eternity.

Amen