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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
Marriage in the 21st Century
I don’t have to tell you that the subject of marriage is in all the papers. It’s big news on the networks, and it’s big news on the campaign trail. Everyone has an opinion, and they are all willing to tell you what it is.
Whether it is the “Brittany…just having a good time” story when she got married “as a joke,” or the question of “gay” marriage, we are on our way to a real controversy. I’m not a “gloom and doom” man, but I’m afraid the age-old institution of marriage will take a real hit when the dust settles in the next year or so. And our nation will suffer because of it.
Probably the least influential source for authority will be what the Bible says about marriage. “Who cares what God has to say? This is the 21st century, and Humanism has declared man does not need a god to tell us what to do or how to do it.” You can read all the articles and watch all the debates on this subject, but you will see very few references to the Bible. Even those who oppose “gay marriage” use such expressions as “the sanctity of marriage,” but expend little or no effort to discover what the word “sanctity” means.
From Webster’s American College Dictionary we obtain the following definition of “sanctity”:
- holiness, saintliness, or godliness.
- Sacred or hallowed character.
- a sacred thing.
Yes, you are correct in concluding that marriage is something that God has sanctified, and has given His guidelines for that institution.
In Ephesians 5, the Holy Spirit reveals by inspiration that there is a very close relationship between the church Jesus purchased with His precious blood and the institution of marriage, as seen in that same passage. The two—marriage and the church—are shown as having several similarities. Note Ephesians 5:25-33 and favorable comparisons that are made by God between the two:
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
It is hard to miss the fact that the marriage relationship is compared favorably with the church. But whether our nation or any other has respect for the “sanctity of marriage” is not the issue. The issue is not what man thinks of marriage, but “What has God said about marriage?” When Jesus addressed the issue of the church and the relationships between husband and wife, He made it clear that the rules for marriage, instituted by God in the beginning, are still in effect, whether man respects those rules or not.
“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder,” Matthew 19:4-6.
In the event described here, the Pharisees were looking for a way to embarrass Jesus. But Jesus said that marriage is a permanent relationship, with only one “exception,” one valid reason for divorce and remarriage, that being the adultery of one’s spouse [See also Mark 10:2-12].
Genesis 2:24 uses language that asserts marriage is to be between a man and a woman, and that very principle is still true today. Those who support the “gay marriage” issue, however, hardly seem interested in what the Bible says on this subject, so they will do what they please, even flaunt secular law, as seen in California recently. Sad to say, but those people are wrong, the Bible calls it fornication, and if they stay on their course, they will be eternally lost.
When God created the human race, He gave very specific guidelines, laws to govern our behavior. He does not force us to comply, but when men have abandoned those laws, their civilization has weakened. This subject is worthy of our attention and our efforts to maintain the sanctity of what God has ordained—what “God has joined together, let not man put asunder”—yes, they are important.
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“Divorce is the psychological equivalent of a triple Coronary bypass.”
“The Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce.”
“He said to them, Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery.”
“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled: but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
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Copping an Attitude
Have you noticed how often the little things go undone? I guess I must be among a small minority of people who still appreciate it when a sales person smiles or initiates pleasant conversation. I enjoy being around people who seem to enjoy what they are doing. I long to associate with those who think of little ways to try to make someone’s day.
What strikes me most is how Christians can hear about the love God has demonstrated to them in Christ (Romans 5:8-9) week after week yet not reflect that knowledge in their own behavior toward others. The worship assembly should be filled with smiling faces, rejoicing at the opportunity to pay homage to a loving Father (Psalm 122:1). Worship is serious, but it is not stoic. It should be filled with feeling, expressed upward in those ways authorized by the New Testament. Some today have mistakenly attributed the growing lethargy in worship to boredom and have presented changes in worship as the answer. But they have misdiagnosed the problem. The problem in worship lies not in what God has told us to do but in what we are failing to do. In a world gone mad about rights, we have forgotten responsibilities. Worshippers are to approach God in order to offer something. But too often, we come with very little to offer. We bring our problems, our worries, and our anger (Matthew 5:21-28), but leave behind our thankfulness, our humility, and our awe. We have become much like the cashier who believes that “showing up” equals fulfilling the job description.
Likewise, whenever difficulties arise in the home or in a congregation, we generally allow ourselves to sink to the bottom of behavioral standards because we see no need to make the “extra effort” for people with whom we are close. After all, “They should just accept us as we are.” But Christianity is not about accepting people as they are. It is about becoming the people we ought to be (Galatians 2:20). This requires determination and commitment to the “smaller matters” of Christianity such as kindness, gentleness, and forbearance that too often go neglected due to our interest in big issues. So we become incensed at the lack of love people show for God through their support for false doctrine, all the while personally failing to show love for one another in any real way (John 13:34-35).
We are responsible for our attitudes – toward worshipping God and toward one another. It is easy to place blame on a boring sermon or on all the alleged wrongs committed by brethren. What is more difficult is to take responsibility for our own attitude – toward God and toward one another – regardless of what others might happen to be doing.
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