God Hates Divorce!
Posted on December 4, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Minor Prophets, What I'm Studying... | 1 Comment |
I have been studying Malachi 2:10-17 for our adult Bible class on Sunday. It is amazing to me to study these problems among God’s people so long ago, and realize that people have not changed much over the last 2500 years! Malachi presents lessons (perhaps more than any other “minor” prophet) that can be applied to us today. There are several principles that we should consider from this context, and make some applications to us today:
God Still Hates Divorce… Malachi 2:16 tells us that God hates divorce. Nothing has changed concerning this principle from Malachi’s day! God has always hated the concept of putting away one’s wife. In the New Testament, God’s law has become even more stringent concerning marriage and divorce than it was in the Old Testament. Consider Matthew 5:31-32. It had been said that one had to give a writing of divorce to divorce his wife, but in the New Covenant, God’s will was to not divorce! God provided for the one who had an unfaithful spouse to divorce her, but that is the only exception. Even in the exception, God hates divorce! Malachi tells us that divorce “covers one’s garment with violence.” It is impossible for divorce to occur without sin being involved. How can we consider divorce to be so insignificant in our society when God views it so seriously?
Marriage is a Holy Covenant… When one enters into a lawful marriage (i.e., according to God’s law), he is entering a covenant before man, and before God. Malachi warns the men that their wives were their companions and wives by covenant (Malachi 2:14). Far too often today, men view their marriage in a very selfish way. They are happy to be in it, as long as everything is going just the way they want it to go. The first time there is any difficulty, they are ready to give it up, and go find another wife. God sees our marriages as a holy covenant, which is violated if we choose to leave it. When we choose to treat marriage so lightly, we profane the Lord’s “holy institution” (holiness, or holy thing) in a similar manner to the Israelites of Malachi’s day (Malachi 2:11).
Spiritual Leaders Sometimes Mislead… This section of Malachi’s prophecy is focused on the priests of his day, which were misleading the people. They were showing partiality in the law (Malachi 2:9), presumably not teaching the people the law concerning divorce and marrying foreign wives. This would have been the popular doctrine, as the people wanted to be involved in the sin that they were enjoying. Perhaps, they thought the people would not be willing to give up their unrighteousness, so it was easier to just ignore the problem. Whatever the reasoning, it is evident that the priests were not teaching all that they were supposed to be teaching! This is a common problem today as well. It is much easier for preachers to either ignore the Biblical teachings concerning marriage and divorce, or to change it to be more palatable to the people they are trying to teach. It is quite easy to find preachers who are willing to accept/teach that divorce is acceptable for almost any reason. Some gospel preachers accept doctrines that allow for divorced people to somehow “put away” their ex-husband or wife. Some gospel preachers have put out lists of reasons to accept divorce for almost any reason, including financial problems and abuse. While our heartstrings may be plucked by such arguments, the Bible simply does not support these conclusions. The New Testament provides one opportunity for divorce: the mate who has committed adultery can be put away for that adultery by the innocent spouse. There is nothing in the New Testament (despite the teaching of many preachers) that demands that this divorce must take place! When preachers teach people that they can get divorced for a multitude of reasons, or that they can somehow divorce after they are divorced, or that divorce must happen when adultery is present, they are misleading the people. There is no excuse for preachers to encourage and therefore increase a practice (divorce) that is hated by God!
We Weary the Lord… Malachi said that the people of his day wearied the Lord with the way that they promoted evil concerning the subject of divorce (Malachi 2:17). One cannot help but wonder if we are wearing the Lord today with the doctrines that are concocted concerning marriage and divorce. How much time is spent to try and justify the various reasons for divorce and remarriage? Debates are prevalent, articles are numerous, and discussions are constant (it seems) to try and allow for practices that are condemned by God. The time has come for those proclaiming truth to stand and be counted, teach the difficult things (that will not be readily accepted because it will cause people to change) and identify the false teaching and the false teachers who proclaim doctrines contrary to the doctrine of God. With all of the doctrines flying around today, it is evident that men do not hate divorce the same way that the Lord hates it!
We Act Piously…and God Rejects Our Sacrifice… Malachi spoke of the men of his day covering the altar with tears, but God still would not accept their offerings (Malachi 2:13). When we approach the subject of divorce in a different manner than God, it does not matter how piously we might act. It doesn’t matter how many preachers might support a given divorce, if it is contrary to God’s will, then He will not accept the service of the people involved! We can have any number of doctrines, or scenarios that pull at our hearts, and make us want to accept a situation from an emotional standpoint; but our practices simply cannot be based in emotion! God has been clear that there is no place for adulterers in Heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9), so we had better make sure that we have our teaching right, and not loosen the restrictions God has placed on us because it will draw more people into the local church, allow them to stay in unscriptural marriages, or make them feel better!
Divorce is a very serious subject, that has been minimized today to the point that just about anyone can get a divorce for just about anything and still think they are faithful to God. We need to reconsider the reprimand of Malachi 2, and realize that God has given us a law concerning divorce the same as he gave a law to the Israelites. If we are unwilling to live according to the law that has been given, we will be in the same condition as the children of Israel, wearing the Lord by supporting evil practices!
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Letting Satan Win The Battle…
Posted on October 9, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Exhortation, General | 1 Comment |
The New Testament pictures our daily life as a Christian as a spiritual battle. In fact, the apostle Paul encourages us to put on and use the spiritual armor that God has provided so that we can defend ourselves against the fiery darts that Satan flings at us (Ephesians 6:10-20). Satan, our foe, is diligent to try and trip us up, and knows just what our temptations are (1 Peter 5:8, 2 Corinthians 2:11). The war is raging, and there are going to be battles every single day.
We work hard as Christians to win each and every battle, but occasionally Satan is going to win. What are we going to do in those circumstances? Yesterday, I let Satan get the upper hand, and take the battle. One of his great devices against me (and probably a lot of other men) is the temptation to lose one’s temper. Yesterday, it seemed that every little thing was going wrong. I’d have swapped places with Murphy (Murphy’s Law) in a heart beat. But, I let it get to me. I lost my temper, and ended up not being a very good example to my family, and some folks in my community. I let Satan have control until I got the proverbial slap in the face. It made me wake up and realize just how far down the wrong path I had gone. I read a post made by David Maxson on Facebook that seems to fit exactly with the kind of day I was having:
Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Genesis 40:23
It’s the second blow that gets you.
Have you ever noticed that? You can handle the flat tire, but when you get out to change it the rain starts to pour down on you. You can endure the fact that you lost your job, but then you find out that you’ve got a medical condition that is going to be expensive and will limit your ability to find another job. You can forgive your husband for forgetting your anniversary, but then you find out that he lied to cover up what he was really doing that night.
It’s when these things come in waves that we are really tested. Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers, then unjustly thrown in jail by his master, and then forgotten by the butler. Job lost all of his possessions and children in a single day, then he loses his health and the support of his wife, and then his friends come to tell him he’s being punished by God.
Most fighters can absorb a solid upper cut to the jaw. Great fighters can take on a combination of blows and stay on their feet. True champions are those who bravely get back up off the mat again and again after they’ve been knocked down by a superior opponent.
Which one are you?
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Lord God, grant us the strength and courage to keep getting back up no matter how many times the Devil knocks us down today.
David was right. If we are going to be successful as Christians, we must be willing to get back up when the Devil knocks us down. I for one am thankful that God has provided a method for us to have our sins forgiven when we stumble, providing a way for us to get back on the right path (1 John 2:1-2). If we stumble and stay down, then we lose all hope of salvation, and Satan wins not just the battle, but the war. It is not good enough to just accept that Satan is going to win, and give in. We must fight every day, and get up when he knocks us down.
We all like to think that we are nearly perfect, but the truth is that we all stumble from time to time. It is when we become overconfident that we often allow Satan the opening he needs to trip us up (1 Corinthians 10:12). Let’s make sure that if we let Satan take a battle, we get back up and take it to him the next time. Don’t let him win the war for your soul!
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One Church Is As Good As Another
Posted on September 30, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Evangelism, For Further Thought... | 1 Comment |
A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity to visit a gospel meeting and hear Paul Casebolt present a lesson on the church. He made a point in the sermon in a way I had never really thought of before. It made me think about how many people approach the task of “picking a church.”
We often hear people in the religious world tell us that “one church is as good as another.” The point they are trying to make is that you can pick any church you want, and God is happy with any decision you make. However, this is one of those instances where actions speak louder than words! Once a person makes a choice, they have determined that one church is indeed better than another! They have implemented some kind of criteria to determine which church they want to attend, whether they realize it or not. The bottom line is that they have determined that the church of their choice is better than all other churches, for one reason or another.
Far too often, a church is determined to be superior to others based upon personal preference, programs, and extra-curricular activities offered to kids. We hear people say they like the children’s church, the sports teams, the trips, or the entertainment (all things that are absent from the New Testament). This reflects the true selfishness of most “religious” people, and the complete lack of respect for New Testament authority in work and worship of the church.
If we are going to use a set of criteria to ultimately choose a church, shouldn’t we use God’s criteria? Rather than looking for what makes us “feel good” and fulfills our own fleshly desires, we should be focused on what God wants. The church is supposed to belong to Christ (Matthew 16:18) and yet most of the churches in the world today hold no resemblance to the church established by Christ, and instructed by His apostles in the first century. Too many people have determined that division and denominationalism is acceptable, despite the fact that the apostles of Christ condemned such practice (1 Corinthians 1:9-13). The only way to avoid such division is to return to the practices of the first century church.
Instead of having a mentality that says, “Attend the church of your choice,” we should say, “Attend the church of God’s choice.” There is a reason that God has revealed His mind to us concerning His church. He expects for us to conform ourselves to His revelation. If we are a part of any church that is practicing things that the first century church did not practice, then we are not a part of the Lord’s church! It is our responsibility to search out the actions of the church of the first century, and then find the church that is doing the same things today.
So, if you are going to have to find some criteria for choosing a church, why not use the criteria laid out in the New Testament? Read the book of Acts and you will have a good picture of the work and worship of that church. Read the epistles and you will find the inspired answers to questions, and problems faced by those churches of the first century. We don’t need the modern innovations that attract so many people today. Those innovations make most churches free social clubs, rather than the Lord’s true church!
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Santa Clause is Watching You!
Posted on September 13, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Home and Family | 8 Comments |
As I was leaving the kids’ soccer game yesterday I saw two small boys get into a little scrap. One pushed the other, and they were ready to have a fight over some small disagreement. The father of one of the boys grabbed them by the shoulders and to break their fighting said, “You know Santa Clause is watching you…you had better behave!” I must admit, I was amazed, and somewhat shocked (though I probably shouldn’t have been). I wonder sometimes if parents even think about what they say or do when it comes to raising their children. It is, it seems, common practice for parents to try and bribe their children into good behavior. I have seen parents give screaming children what they want in stores to stop their bad behavior. It is not uncommon to hear parents threatening their children with the lack of Christmas presents if they fail to behave in the last few months of the year (even though most have no intentions of withholding anything from them). What does this behavior on the part of parents teach children? More than they often think about! Consider just a couple of thoughts…
Lying is acceptable… Parents often work hard to teach their children to be honest. Even in non-Christian families, lying is discouraged and often punished. But then, when it suits their purposes, the parents themselves lie to the children! This is often justified by saying they are “only pretending” or that it is just “make believe”. While there is nothing wrong with pretend or make believe, that is not what parents are doing. They are using a false hood to manipulate the behavior of their children. I have seen parents become very upset when someone else lets the cat out of the bag, and tells their children that Santa Clause is not real! Would they react the same way if their children are told that Scooby Doo is not real? Certainly not! We as parents should not do anything that teaches our children that lying is acceptable under some circumstances. How can we tell them never to lie, and then lie to them? Parents, we must think about our actions!
We cause confusion… We have created a fictional character that exhibits all of the characteristics of God Himself. Think of the words of description that are often used for Santa Clause from the words of a popular Christmas carol:
You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to townHe’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to townHe sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
As you read those lyrics, consider the religious implications and significance. We teach our kids to behave because Santa Clause is coming? We tell our kids that he somehow mysteriously and miraculously knows who has been good and who has been bad? We tell our kids that Santa knows everything about them, from when they are asleep to when they are awake? We tell them that Santa will reward those who are good?
Don’t those things sound somewhat familiar? God does watch us, and does see when we are “naughty and nice.” It is God that knows everything about us, right down to knowing if we are awake or asleep. It is God who is going to reward those who are good (and punish those who are wicked). After years and years of teaching them that Santa bears all of these characteristics, we turn around and tell them that he really doesn’t exist! Is it any surprise that when they get older children may question the reality of God? After all, there isn’t anyone who can have those characteristics which are so incredible, is there?
Wrong motivation for good behavior… The New Testament tells children to obey their parents because it is the right thing to do (Ephesians 6:1-3). We have transformed the motivation for good behavior from “the right thing to do” to “so that I can get what I want.” In the basest sense, this is bribery! But, even beyond that, it cultivates a sense of selfishness in our children. They don’t learn that they need to be good, and obedient simply because that is what God wants of them, but rather to get the toys that they want. There is certainly nothing wrong with parents occasionally rewarding their children for doing what is right, but to train them to alter their behavior to the promise of Christmas presents (or the withholding of them) sets a bad precedent. It becomes a manipulative tactic for the last few months of the year, and is lost the moment all the presents are opened. Why not just teach children to behave, based on the biblical principles, rather than fictitious characters and idle (idol?) threats?
Parents should always be careful in their parenting tactics, and consider what they are teaching their children. We never want to do anything to degrade our children’s faith, and we don’t want to develop a selfish attitude. While this may seem like a small thing to many people (and I am sure there will be many who disagree with my conclusions) I am afraid that it is detrimental to our children’s spiritual development and well being.
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Influenced By the World
Posted on September 10, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Exhortation, For Further Thought... | 3 Comments |
We often preach and teach against the threat of Christians being influenced by the world. But, I wonder how often we are influenced without even noticing? Some instances, of course, are quite obvious. When we slip and use profanity, or when we tell an off color joke, it is pretty evident that we are allowing the world to influence us. When we dress immodestly it is evident (at least to others) that we have allowed the world to influence us. There are plenty of examples we could cite of the world influencing Christians in an obvious manner. But what about some not so obvious areas? Here are a couple of things that I have been thinking about recently…
Disciplining children… How many of us as Christian parents have neglected the discipline of our children because we have been influenced by the world around us? Some have gone to the extreme of allowing the world to dictate the means by which a parent can impose discipline on a child, that is, they have forsaken the biblical instruction to spank the unruly child. I have heard of Christian parents being reported to Child Protective Services because they took their child out during an assembly and exercised Proverbs 23:13. Parents should be safe in practicing God given commands in the assembly of the saints, but worldly influences have corrupted the practices of many even in the church! While most Christians have not gone this far, how many of us have neglected (or postponed) what we knew to be necessary discipline of our children because we were afraid of who might see us impose it? How many of us have been afraid to slap the hand or leg of a misbehaving child in public, because we are afraid someone might see and complain? This is understandable on one had, knowing the direction society is going and how children can now be taken from families that discipline. However, we don’t do our children any favors by neglecting their upbringing in deference to the society in which we live. My good friend Wayne would certainly invoke Proverbs 22:6 here! If we neglect their discipline out of fear for how the world will view us, we have failed them in our duties as parents.
Priorities… Jesus said that we need to put the kingdom of God first in our lives (Matthew 6:33). That concept has become, at best, watered down by the world around us. We are convinced that putting God first is something that is said, but really doesn’t have any implications in our actions. Think about a couple of examples that happen in the Lord’s church all the time.
First, parents allow their children to become so busy that they just don’t have the time for serving God. Football, baseball, soccer, 4-H, band, drama, and any number of other events often get in the way of serving God. I have heard parents say that they had to let their child play their game, or attend their practice during an assembly of the saints because “they made a commitment to the team.” Have those same parents forgotten the commitment that they made to their God that they would raise their child in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord?” (Ephesians 6:4) What these children learn, and they learn it quickly, is that all of their extracurricular events are more important than assembling with the saints to worship God.
Second, many Christians have used the excuse that they “have to work” keep them from serving God faithfully. If work really keeps one from serving God, then are they putting God first? Many years ago, it was simply unheard of that a Christian would work on Sunday when the church was going to come together to break bread. Then, sometime along the way, the world convinced us that working was more important than assembling with the saints. In fact, many churches, in an effort to compromise, completely changed their practices, starting a second assembly and offering the Lord’s Supper to those who chose to put something else ahead of the first assembly. Problem solved, right? No, churches merely put a band-aid on the symptom, and eased the consciences of those who made a choice to put God somewhere other than first on their priority lists! I realize there are many challenges that face us as Christians in the workplace today, but we need to take a good long, hard look at ourselves and see if we are putting our priorities in the right place!
Modesty… I mentioned earlier that modesty could be one of the obvious examples of being influenced by the world. It can also be one of the more subtle examples. There is a trend in the Lord’s church for people to dress more and more like the world. There is a desire to look like the rest of the people around us. This has led to a loosening of the standard of modesty for many. The same Christian that would never wear a bikini to the beach for modesty’s sake, will wear a pair of shorts that reveals just as much of the lower body when she sits down on a bench or on the ground! I have often wondered how many Christians simply never think about this concept, convinced that they are modest by comparing themselves to the people around them. I know that there are a lot of well intentioned Christians who probably never think about what they are showing to others. Recently, I have noticed many photographs of young people at “Christian” camps who are wearing shorts that they obviously consider to be modest. However, it doesn’t take much viewing before you find pictures of those same young people sitting, jumping, wrestling or lying on the ground and those “modest” shorts are exposing most of the thigh. This unintentional exposure of their nakedness (see Exodus 28:42) may seem like a small thing, but it certainly presents temptations to their friends of the opposite sex. We should never allow the society in which we live to define immodesty as modest and influence us to compromise our standards!
Work and worship of the church… There is an idea that is propagated by the religious world around us that the gospel is not enough to draw and hold people today, and that the pattern of the New Testament church is just not exciting enough to keep people interested. This mentality has led to the development of “contemporary” worship services, including all kinds of entertainment and practices. This idea has definitely bled over into the Lord’s church, as we see entertainment programs, worship leaders, youth ministers and the like being employed more and more. When we are being influenced to make changes to the Lord’s patterns by the denominational world, do we think we are not being influenced by the world? Denominationalism is a part of the world, not a part of the Lord’s church, no matter how close they might be. When we start making changes to what God has revealed, hoping to entice more people to be a part of “our church”, we are being influenced by the world.
We like to think that we are beyond the influences of the world, but hopefully this study will help us to realize that we are all susceptible to these influences. There are many others that could be cited, but this should be enough to help us see the need to examine ourselves and see if we are allowing the world to creep into our lives unnoticed. We need to identify that which is of the world, and that which is of God. May we search the scriptures and make changes wherever we might find our own shortcomings!
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