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"In His law he meditates day and night" Psalm 1:2
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God's Marraige Plan
Volume 13, Number 12
Wayne Burger |
November 23, 2008 |
Meditating on the Word
"In His law he meditates day and night" Psalm 1:2
"Meditating on the Word," edited by Wayne Burger, is a work of the Columbine church of Christ, 7453 S. Zephyr Ct., Littleton, Colorado, 80128. E-mail: burgpreach@prolynx.com -- Suggested topics are welcomed.
Vol. 13 No. 12 November 23, 2008
God’s Marriage Plan
The home was the first institution ordained by God. When God brought Eve to Adam He said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” Genesis 2:24 (NASU). That is God’s plan for the length of time men and women occupy this earth. Jesus reaffirmed this truth during His personal ministry when He quoted Genesis 2:24 (Matthew 19:5).
Marriage Under Attack
Marriage has been under attack from several different sources for many years. First, it is under attack by those who feel that they can just live together without being married. God calls sexual relationships between unmarried individuals “fornication.” Paul wrote, “Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” I Corinthians 7:2 (KJV). The Hebrew writer said, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled” Hebrews 13:4. Notice the order was marriage first and then the bed. When a man and woman have a sexual relationship before marriage, it is fornication. All fornicators who have not repented are going to hell. “But …immoral persons (people who commit fornication) their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” Revelation 21:8.
Second, marriage is under attack by those who disregard God’s marriage laws. This is manifested by the number of marriages that end in divorce. God says that there is only one reason for a man or woman to divorce his or her mate and have the right to marry another. Paul clearly said, “For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man” Romans 7:2-3. The basic principle is, “one man for one woman for life.”
Jesus gave the only exception to that law. He said, “Whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” Matthew 19:9. Thus, Jesus said that if anyone gets a divorce for any other reason than the unfaithfulness of the spouse and marries another, that relationship is an adulterous relationship. The laws of the land call the second relationship a “marriage,” but God does not recognize it as a marriage. He sees it as an adulterous relationship and the consequences are great. Paul asked, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” I Corinthians 6:9-10. Notice that he said that if one is committing adultery he/she could not “inherit the kingdom of God” (go to heaven). The apostle John taught the same truth when he wrote that “immoral persons…will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” Revelation 21:8.
When one is involved in an adulterous marriage relationship, the only way one can get forgiveness is through repentance. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in actions. Thus, one must leave the person with whom he/she is committing adultery. This may seem hard, but God’s justice cannot reward sin.
Third, marriage is being attacked by those who are involved in homosexual relationships and want them to be accepted as a legitimate marriage. God condemned homosexuality in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22). It was condemned in the Gentile people before they became Christians. Speaking of homosexuality Paul wrote, “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with women committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error” Romans 1:26-27.
Again, we see the seriousness of this sin when Paul said that those who commit such sins cannot go to heaven (I Corinthians 6:9-10). The world hollers that it is just a “different lifestyle.” It is different, but the difference is that it is a sinful sexual relationship whereas marriage is a wholesome sexual relationship.
Just as one must get out of an adulterous relationship, so one must get out of a homosexual relationship. Isn’t it strange that some will argue that homosexual relationships are sinful and those involved must repent and get out of that relationship, but they are willing to accept an adulterous marriage relationship? Both are sinful and those engaged in either must get out of that relationship. That is repentance. “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” Acts 17:30. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in action. Where there is no repentance, there can be no forgiveness.
It is sad when good men and women ignore God’s marriage laws. Many chose to continue living in those unsanctified relationships. Their view is that they will receive God’s grace and be saved. Jude that there were many people like this “who turned the grace of our God into licentiousness” Jude 4. When people continue to live in a sinful relationship and think that God will save them anyway, they are changing the grace of God for the satisfaction of sexual desires. But, even though that is what they think, God still has His laws in effect.
Americans Have Spoken
Donald E. Wildmon who directs American Family Association sent out the following information on November 5, 2008 with regard to the national election that was held, November 4th. ”There was some good news for those who support traditional marriage. In the states of Arizona, Florida and California voters said “no” to homosexual “marriage.” In fact, in the Sunshine State, 60% of the vote was needed to keep marriage only between a man and a woman, and our side was able to garner 62% of the vote.
“We won in Arizona, too! This is significant because a couple of years ago the marriage amendment was defeated when the pro-homosexual marriage advocates played the fear card with senior citizens.
“Finally, in California, our country’s largest and most liberal state, the citizens voted 52% to 48% to overturn the state Supreme Court’s decision to allow same-sex marriage. This is BIG news! Radical homosexual groups, Hollywood celebrities and the liberal media came together to try and defeat Proposition 8, yet the pro-family and pro-marriage citizens of California won a huge victory and, if I might add, put the arrogant California Supreme Court in its place.”
SACRAMENTO, CA – AFM’s Latino allies led a critical “eleventh-hour” statewide mobilization of California’s politically powerful Latino community to win a victory for marriage in our nation’s most populous state.
“The Latino community voted to protect marriage in California under our laws for the future of our children and grandchildren,” said Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, an AFM Advisory Board Member and President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. “In the closing days of this historic battle, Latino leaders from Sacramento to San Ysidro organized a multitude of organizations and denominations representing over 1,000 churches,” added Rodriguez.
Rev. Rodriguez is one of the leaders of Viva La Familia, the independent Latino advocacy organization responsible for the Eduardo Verastegui ad campaign to mobilize the Latino community in support of marriage. The committee, which spent nearly $400,000 on the statewide advertising campaign over Spanish-language radio and in print, also includes other prominent California Latino leaders, such as Dr. Jessie Miranda and Gilbert Montelongo, who are important voices for the Hispanic community both nationally and within California.
“This victory not only protects marriage, but sends a strong democratic rebuke to radical activist groups who’ve used the courts to force same-sex marriage upon the people of California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts,” said Rodriguez. “By the same measure, it is certain to permanently alter the larger national battle over the future of marriage, and how the Latino community is embraced as a valued partner in the battle.”
For years, the Alliance for Marriage has built a broad national coalition that reflects the wide support for marriage in America across racial, cultural and religious boundary lines. In California, the Alliance sponsors Californians for Marriage, Yes on Proposition 8, an organization that helped to qualify the marriage protection initiative for the California ballot. In Denver, the Alliance for Marriage Foundation recently organized a rally for over 5,000 Latinos working together with the Archdiocese of Denver.
Wayne Burger
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