As taught By: Pastor Carl Stevens
I. What are the Purposes of Spiritual Gifts?
Spiritual gifts are given so that every Christian can experience the joy and fulfillment of God working through him or her.
I Corinthians 12:7 states: 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
They are a work and ministry of the Holy Spirit in us. The Lord does not want us to be ignorant concerning the gifts of the Spirit of God. These endowments are of vital importance to the body of Christ, look at I Cor. 12:1, 11
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
II. Are there Different Categories of Gifts?
There are various ways to divide or catalog the gifts.
The following way has brought great joy and understanding to many Christians.
A. The Ministry Gifts - Ephesians 4:11,12
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Ministry gifts provide opportunities for recognized Christian service through the church. These gifts are ministries of church leadership.
They include:
1. Apostle - One who establishes and strengthens the churches.
2. Prophet - One who speaks forth the message of God, many times with an insight into future events.
3. Evangelist - One who is called to preach the Gospels to the unsaved.
4. Pastor - One who feeds and shepherds the believers.
5. Teacher - One who instructs believers in the Word of God.
The Holy Spirit quickens, anoints, and endues these gifts of leadership so that they may minister not in their own strength and understanding, but rather in His power, wisdom and creative abilities.
The church leaders ordained Timothy by the laying on of hands, and sent him out to assist Paul. His service to Paul was a ministry gift. Twice, Paul reminded Timothy about the ministry gift which he had been given. I Timothy 4:14 states: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.” We also see in II Timothy 1:6: “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
B. The Manifestation Gifts - I Corinthians 12:7-10
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
The Greek word used for “manifestation” literally means “an exhibition, expression or manifestation.”
These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills to be an edification (or building up) of the Body of Christ.
1. The Word of Wisdom - a revelation of wisdom beyond natural human wisdom that enables a person to know what to do or say.
2. The Word of Knowledge - a revelation of information for a person, group or situation that could not have been known by any natural means.
3. Faith - the kind of wonder-working faith that moves mountains and waits expectantly for results.
4. Gifts of Healings - the many different ways and varieties of degrees in which God manifests healing.
5. Working of Miracles - the demonstration of the power and action of God that goes beyond natural laws.
6. Prophecy - an anointed proclamation of God through an individual to encourage, exhort or comfort.
7. Discerning of spirits - a person’s ability to perceive what type of spirit is in operation in a given situation.
8. Various Kinds of Tongues - the languages given to the believer by the Holy Spirit, but not learned or understood by the speaker.
9. Interpretation of Tongues - the supernatural ability to express the content of what has been spoken in tongues.
[All believers can have a measure of wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, etc., but the Baptism in the Spirit brings a person to a new level of anointing and power where the full measure of the gifts of the Spirit may be manifested in the life of the believer.]
C. The Motivational Gifts - Romans 12:6-8
6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Motivational gifts are the unique “energizing” of the Holy Spirit within us that give a believer the desire and power to concentrate on a particular aspect of spiritual concern.
They provide the motivational force for our lives. These gifts shape our personalities, and are given by the Holy Spirit in order to carry out the ministry. Every Christian has at least one of the seven motivational gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8. Everyone views other people and circumstances through his or her motivational gift.
1. Prophecy (Perceiver) - One who clearly perceives and proclaims the will of God, clearly identifying and exposing sin.
2. Server (Ministry) - One who loves to serve and minister to others.
3. Teacher - One who loves to research and communicate truth.
4. Exhorter - One who loves to encourage others to live a victorious life.
5. Giver - One who loves to give time, talent, energy and possessions to benefit others and advance the Gospel.
6. Administrator - One who loves to organize, lead or direct.
7. Mercy (Compassion) Person - One who shows compassion, mercy, love and care to those in need.
III. How Many Gifts Does Each Christian Have?
Every Christian has one main motivational gift, with other less prominent ones. However, every Christian can also have one or more ministry gifts, and any number of manifestation gifts. The ministry gifts are confirmed through the church, and the manifestation gifts are determined by God through the Holy Spirit.
IV. How can we Discover our Motivational Gift?
A. Make sure you are a Christian.
Our spiritual gifts are given to us when we become a Christian. When we are born physically, we are endowed with physical abilities. Similarly, when we are born again, we are endowed with spiritual abilities.
B. Break sin’s power.
Root sins of pride, bitterness, temporal values, and moral impurity grieve the Holy Spirit and quench His power in our lives. Since it is the Holy Spirit who makes known His gift to us, then works through that gift, it is quite obvious that sin will hinder us from discovering our motivational gifts.
C. Concentrate on others.
The purpose of our motivational gifts is to give God’s love to others. If we are not involved in the lives of others, there will be no basis or purpose for discovering what our gift is.
The more we concentrate on the needs of those around us, the more the Holy Spirit will be free to work through our motivational gift to meet those needs.
D. Discern your motives.
Each motivational gift prompts its possessor to view others from a different perspective. A prophet (perceiver), for example, will be aware of needs in the lives of others that a server may not even notice.
Meanwhile, a server will notice needs that a prophet may overlook entirely. By asking yourself why you really want to help others, you can narrow your choices in identifying your motivational gift.
E. Examine your irritations.
Every Christian will view people and circumstances from the viewpoint of his or her own motivational gift. Each one will see needs which will not be seen by those of different gifts.
The tendency is to assume that everyone else sees the things that you see. This will result in being irritated with others for not being sensitive to needs, or concerned about them.
F. Find your characteristics. Each motivational gift exhibits specific characteristics. Those who have the same gift will tend to emphasize and illustrate certain characteristics more than those who have other gifts.
The precise characteristics of each gift will be explained as we go through this series. The list that most describes you is a good indicator of your motivational gift.
G. Give adequate time.
Not everyone can identify his or her main motivational gift right away. Sometimes it takes more time to discern which one it really is.
H. Humble your heart.
James 4:6 States: 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
With this statement, God promises to give grace to the humble. The discovery and exercise of motivational gifts is accomplished by the grace of God, not by our own desire and power. Romans 12:6 states: 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
I. Identify gift misuses.
When a mature Christian exercises his or her motivational gift, there will be spiritual fruitfulness. However, when an immature or carnal Christian exercises his or her gift, there will often be reaction or misunderstanding.
These misuses usually provide the clearest confirmation of what a person’s gift really is. The misuses will be discussed as we continue the series.
V. How can I Begin to develop my Motivational Gift?
Begin by being open to all the gifts. You will never achieve God’s purposes through your motivational gift until you learn how to properly understand the other gifts. God designed the gifts so that we would realize that we need each other just as much as we need each member of our physical body.
If one with the gift of prophecy (perceiver) does not learn from one with the gift of mercy (compassion), he or she may speak the truth, but probably not in love as we are commanded to do. Look at Ephesians 4:15: 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Or if one with the gift of exhortation does not learn from one with the gift of teaching, he or she may give steps of action for spiritual growth, but they may not be scripturally accurate.
Only as we understand this will we avoid the danger of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Romans 12:3-5 state:
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Also in verse 11 the bible declares:
11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
VI. How can I Learn to See through Other’s Eyes?
Begin asking those with other gifts to tell you what things are important to them. Ask them to describe what they see in a particular situation. Encourage them to point out “blind spots” in your life and service to Christ.
Find Christians who are successfully using their gift, and study how they go about doing various things:
* How does a prophet (perceiver) identify and expose sin?
* How does a server see and meet practical needs?
* How does a teacher validate truth?
* How does an exhorter visualize steps of action?
* How does a giver make wise investments?
* How does an organizer get jobs done?
* How does one gifted with mercy know what hurts others?
Friday, November 6, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
-=|Divorce and Remarriage|=-
INTRODUCTION
A troubling trend was revealed by a recent survey from The Barna Group...as so-called "born again Christians" are just as likely to divorce as are non-Christians, among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce that figure is identical to the outcome among married adults who are not born again: 35%.
Barna's figures show that nearly 1/4th of the married born again believers (23%) get divorced two or more times, if you want to do the research yourself go to the The Barna Group site at www.barna.org
The apparent reason? Evidently many do not believe or understand that divorce is, or can be sinful in nature.
Although Bible scholars and teachers point out that Jesus taught that divorce was a sin unless adultery was involved, which we saw this since the start of this series, but, few Americans buy that notion; Only one out of every seven adults (15%) strongly agreed with the following statement :
"when a couple gets divorced without one of them having committed adultery, they are committing a sin"
A majority of both Protestants (58%) and Catholics (69%) disagreed that divorce without adultery involved the commission of sin.
[A survey like this reveals the need for constant reminder of what God has spoken concerning divorce and remarriage. It is truly an issue confronting Christians today, and so let us consider....]
I. JESUS ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
A. HIS TEACHING ON DIVORCE...
In His sermon on the mount, Jesus speaks as follows as written in Mt 5:31-32:
31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
Many scribes and Pharisees taught that divorce was permissible for any reason, as long as a certificate of divorce was granted.
Technically it was, look in Deut 24:1-4
24 “Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes her a letter of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house. 2 When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. 3 But if the second husband also turns against her and divorces her, or if he dies, 4 the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession.
But the effect was to defile the wife when she remarried, look again in Deut 24:4:
4 the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession.
Notice that her remarriage "defiled" her! "The second marriage of a woman who had been divorced is designated by Moses a defilement of the woman...a moral defilement, i.e., blemishing, desecration of the sexual communion which was sanctified by marriage, in the same sense in which adultery is called a defilement in Lev 18:20 and Num 5:13,14. Thus the second marriage of a divorced woman was placed implicit upon a par with adultery, and some approach was made towards the teaching of Christ concerning marriage. Jesus taught that divorce led to adultery, unless fornication was the cause of divorce, notice the bill of divorce did not necessarily end the first marriage!
Jesus described the second marriage as committing "adultery" The term "adultery" implies the first marriage is still valid (binding)
In His response to the Pharisees in Mt 19:3-9 we see that the Pharisees thought divorce was permissible, as long as a certificate was granted, though they differed among themselves as to whether it could be "for any reason"
Jesus explained that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, but it was not God's will from the beginning (of creation) as we saw in Mt 19:8.
Jesus then provides the only ground for divorce without it leading to adultery: if the innocent spouse puts away his or her spouse for fornication - Mt 19:9
-- Jesus allows only one reason for divorce: when a spouse is guilty of fornication! --
B. HIS TEACHING ON REMARRIAGE...
Jesus warned twice that remarriage can result in adultery divorcing a wife can cause her to commit adultery when she remarries, we saw that in Mt 5:32.
Divorcing a wife for can cause oneself to commit adultery upon remarriage we saw that on Mt 19:9, the only way to avoid adultery when remarrying is for the innocent spouse to put away his or her spouse for the cause of fornication as stated in Mt 19:19.
Jesus suggested celibacy might be necessary for some, we saw it on Mt 19:10-12, this was chosen for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and the only scenario I could imagine is where one realizes they are in adulterous marriage and are willing to leave it for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
-- Jesus allows only one reason for divorce and remarriage: when a spouse is guilty of fornication!
[In teaching His disciples concerning divorce and remarriage, Jesus was very clear. But what about His apostles? Inspired by the Holy Spirit,
what do they add to the subject...?]
II. THE APOSTLES ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
A. THEIR TEACHING ON DIVORCE...
Paul reminded people of what the Lord Himself taught, look at 1Co 7:10-11:
10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
a. A wife is not to depart her husband; a husband is not to divorce his wife,
b. If a wife leaves her husband, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled.
2. He revealed more concerning marriages with unbelievers, look at 1Co 7:12-16:
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
Believers are not to divorce unbelieving spouses if they are willing to live with them, if unbelieving spouses depart; believers are not in bondage (to fulfill marital duties)
-- Paul reinforced Jesus' teaching on divorce, and permitted separation only when initiated by an unbeliever! --
B. THEIR TEACHING ON REMARRIAGE...
In writing to the Romans Paul used what the Law taught on marriage for the purpose of illustration, look at Ro 7:1-4:
7 Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
b. The Law (of Moses) taught that a woman was bound to her husband for life
c. Even if she legally divorced her husband, she became an adulteress when she remarried.
Remember, according to Moses she became "defiled" as we saw in Deut 24:4 Paul allowed remarriage after the death of one's spouse as we learn in 1Co 7:39-40.
But only "in the Lord", which many believe to mean "must be a Christian" but it may mean "in the will of the Lord" (in harmony with His teaching) some assume Paul permitted remarriage if abandoned by an unbeliever that "not in bondage" means they are permitted to remarry, but such permission is not necessarily implied by the text; believers are simply not in bondage to fulfill marital duties; To say that Paul allowed remarriage is to put words in his mouth
-- Paul allowed remarriage on the death of a spouse; only Jesus gave another ground for remarriage (fornication) --
[Other than saying that a believing spouse was not obligated to fulfill marital obligations toward an unbelieving spouse who leaves, and that death permitted remarriage under certain circumstances, the apostles added nothing to what Jesus taught. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on...]
III. THE ISSUE OF DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE TODAY
A. PERTAINING TO CHRISTIANS...
As disciples of Christ we must be faithful to the Lord look at Lk 6:46;
46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?
And also look what John wrote in 2Jn 1:9:
9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.
This requires heeding Him in both teaching and practice as stated by Jesus himself in Mt 28:20:
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
As with all sin, it may take time to fully learn and apply what Jesus taught, as Peter said in 2Pe 3:18:
18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Even if it means we must choose celibacy to be faithful to His teaching, as we saw in Mt 19:12, In this way, we can demonstrate that God's will is good, acceptable, perfect as we saw in Ro 12:1-2
-- Rather than conform to the world, allow Christ to transform us! --
B. PERTAINING TO NON-CHRISTIANS...
They should be taught the gospel check Mk 16:15-16:
15 And then he told them, “Go into the entire world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
And in Mt 28:18-19:
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
If they are baptized, they need to be shown what Jesus taught look at Mt 28:20:
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Some may ask, "Cannot those in adulterous marriages be forgiven?" Yes, but forgiveness does not make an adulterous marriage a holy one (just as it does not transform a homosexual marriage into a holy one).
Repentance requires that one turn away from sinful conduct (e.g., adultery), Again, it may take time to fully learn and apply what Jesus taught as we saw in 2Pe 3:18.
And we should be willing to work with those in difficult situations just look at Ga 6:1-2:
6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
-- Souls are at stake, and we cannot water down the doctrine of Christ! --
CONCLUSION
From what we have gleaned these past two lessons, we have learned that God intends for marriage to be for life ("till death do us part") It is God who joins a man and wife, and He alone can truly put asunder.
He does not release the married from their marriage simply because they get a divorce, the state might recognize divorce and marriages, but they might be "unlawful" to God; unless divorce is for the grounds of fornication, remarriage results in adultery!
Celibacy is a viable option (if need be) for those serious about the kingdom of heaven, when confronted with issues like divorce and remarriage we are tempted to take the path of least resistance, to simply conform to the standards of society, to reinterpret and reapply the words of Jesus to be socially acceptable.
But we do ourselves harm and others no good by watering down what Jesus and His apostles taught. When it comes to doing and teaching the will of the Lord, may we never forget these words as told by the apostle in 1Co 15:58
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
A troubling trend was revealed by a recent survey from The Barna Group...as so-called "born again Christians" are just as likely to divorce as are non-Christians, among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce that figure is identical to the outcome among married adults who are not born again: 35%.
Barna's figures show that nearly 1/4th of the married born again believers (23%) get divorced two or more times, if you want to do the research yourself go to the The Barna Group site at www.barna.org
The apparent reason? Evidently many do not believe or understand that divorce is, or can be sinful in nature.
Although Bible scholars and teachers point out that Jesus taught that divorce was a sin unless adultery was involved, which we saw this since the start of this series, but, few Americans buy that notion; Only one out of every seven adults (15%) strongly agreed with the following statement :
"when a couple gets divorced without one of them having committed adultery, they are committing a sin"
A majority of both Protestants (58%) and Catholics (69%) disagreed that divorce without adultery involved the commission of sin.
[A survey like this reveals the need for constant reminder of what God has spoken concerning divorce and remarriage. It is truly an issue confronting Christians today, and so let us consider....]
I. JESUS ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
A. HIS TEACHING ON DIVORCE...
In His sermon on the mount, Jesus speaks as follows as written in Mt 5:31-32:
31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.
Many scribes and Pharisees taught that divorce was permissible for any reason, as long as a certificate of divorce was granted.
Technically it was, look in Deut 24:1-4
24 “Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes her a letter of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house. 2 When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. 3 But if the second husband also turns against her and divorces her, or if he dies, 4 the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession.
But the effect was to defile the wife when she remarried, look again in Deut 24:4:
4 the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession.
Notice that her remarriage "defiled" her! "The second marriage of a woman who had been divorced is designated by Moses a defilement of the woman...a moral defilement, i.e., blemishing, desecration of the sexual communion which was sanctified by marriage, in the same sense in which adultery is called a defilement in Lev 18:20 and Num 5:13,14. Thus the second marriage of a divorced woman was placed implicit upon a par with adultery, and some approach was made towards the teaching of Christ concerning marriage. Jesus taught that divorce led to adultery, unless fornication was the cause of divorce, notice the bill of divorce did not necessarily end the first marriage!
Jesus described the second marriage as committing "adultery" The term "adultery" implies the first marriage is still valid (binding)
In His response to the Pharisees in Mt 19:3-9 we see that the Pharisees thought divorce was permissible, as long as a certificate was granted, though they differed among themselves as to whether it could be "for any reason"
Jesus explained that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, but it was not God's will from the beginning (of creation) as we saw in Mt 19:8.
Jesus then provides the only ground for divorce without it leading to adultery: if the innocent spouse puts away his or her spouse for fornication - Mt 19:9
-- Jesus allows only one reason for divorce: when a spouse is guilty of fornication! --
B. HIS TEACHING ON REMARRIAGE...
Jesus warned twice that remarriage can result in adultery divorcing a wife can cause her to commit adultery when she remarries, we saw that in Mt 5:32.
Divorcing a wife for can cause oneself to commit adultery upon remarriage we saw that on Mt 19:9, the only way to avoid adultery when remarrying is for the innocent spouse to put away his or her spouse for the cause of fornication as stated in Mt 19:19.
Jesus suggested celibacy might be necessary for some, we saw it on Mt 19:10-12, this was chosen for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and the only scenario I could imagine is where one realizes they are in adulterous marriage and are willing to leave it for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
-- Jesus allows only one reason for divorce and remarriage: when a spouse is guilty of fornication!
[In teaching His disciples concerning divorce and remarriage, Jesus was very clear. But what about His apostles? Inspired by the Holy Spirit,
what do they add to the subject...?]
II. THE APOSTLES ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
A. THEIR TEACHING ON DIVORCE...
Paul reminded people of what the Lord Himself taught, look at 1Co 7:10-11:
10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
a. A wife is not to depart her husband; a husband is not to divorce his wife,
b. If a wife leaves her husband, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled.
2. He revealed more concerning marriages with unbelievers, look at 1Co 7:12-16:
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
Believers are not to divorce unbelieving spouses if they are willing to live with them, if unbelieving spouses depart; believers are not in bondage (to fulfill marital duties)
-- Paul reinforced Jesus' teaching on divorce, and permitted separation only when initiated by an unbeliever! --
B. THEIR TEACHING ON REMARRIAGE...
In writing to the Romans Paul used what the Law taught on marriage for the purpose of illustration, look at Ro 7:1-4:
7 Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
b. The Law (of Moses) taught that a woman was bound to her husband for life
c. Even if she legally divorced her husband, she became an adulteress when she remarried.
Remember, according to Moses she became "defiled" as we saw in Deut 24:4 Paul allowed remarriage after the death of one's spouse as we learn in 1Co 7:39-40.
But only "in the Lord", which many believe to mean "must be a Christian" but it may mean "in the will of the Lord" (in harmony with His teaching) some assume Paul permitted remarriage if abandoned by an unbeliever that "not in bondage" means they are permitted to remarry, but such permission is not necessarily implied by the text; believers are simply not in bondage to fulfill marital duties; To say that Paul allowed remarriage is to put words in his mouth
-- Paul allowed remarriage on the death of a spouse; only Jesus gave another ground for remarriage (fornication) --
[Other than saying that a believing spouse was not obligated to fulfill marital obligations toward an unbelieving spouse who leaves, and that death permitted remarriage under certain circumstances, the apostles added nothing to what Jesus taught. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on...]
III. THE ISSUE OF DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE TODAY
A. PERTAINING TO CHRISTIANS...
As disciples of Christ we must be faithful to the Lord look at Lk 6:46;
46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?
And also look what John wrote in 2Jn 1:9:
9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.
This requires heeding Him in both teaching and practice as stated by Jesus himself in Mt 28:20:
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
As with all sin, it may take time to fully learn and apply what Jesus taught, as Peter said in 2Pe 3:18:
18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Even if it means we must choose celibacy to be faithful to His teaching, as we saw in Mt 19:12, In this way, we can demonstrate that God's will is good, acceptable, perfect as we saw in Ro 12:1-2
-- Rather than conform to the world, allow Christ to transform us! --
B. PERTAINING TO NON-CHRISTIANS...
They should be taught the gospel check Mk 16:15-16:
15 And then he told them, “Go into the entire world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
And in Mt 28:18-19:
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
If they are baptized, they need to be shown what Jesus taught look at Mt 28:20:
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Some may ask, "Cannot those in adulterous marriages be forgiven?" Yes, but forgiveness does not make an adulterous marriage a holy one (just as it does not transform a homosexual marriage into a holy one).
Repentance requires that one turn away from sinful conduct (e.g., adultery), Again, it may take time to fully learn and apply what Jesus taught as we saw in 2Pe 3:18.
And we should be willing to work with those in difficult situations just look at Ga 6:1-2:
6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
-- Souls are at stake, and we cannot water down the doctrine of Christ! --
CONCLUSION
From what we have gleaned these past two lessons, we have learned that God intends for marriage to be for life ("till death do us part") It is God who joins a man and wife, and He alone can truly put asunder.
He does not release the married from their marriage simply because they get a divorce, the state might recognize divorce and marriages, but they might be "unlawful" to God; unless divorce is for the grounds of fornication, remarriage results in adultery!
Celibacy is a viable option (if need be) for those serious about the kingdom of heaven, when confronted with issues like divorce and remarriage we are tempted to take the path of least resistance, to simply conform to the standards of society, to reinterpret and reapply the words of Jesus to be socially acceptable.
But we do ourselves harm and others no good by watering down what Jesus and His apostles taught. When it comes to doing and teaching the will of the Lord, may we never forget these words as told by the apostle in 1Co 15:58
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
-=|The Institution of Marriage|=-
INTRODUCTION
1. Another moral issue that confronts Christians today relates to the institution of marriage...
a. Many people are clamoring to redefine marriage
b. Governments are responding with laws that redefine who may marry
c. Same-sex marriage is becoming legal; polygamy and other forms of marriage will likely follow
2. As Christians are confronted with this issue, we do well to ask...
a. What did Jesus and His apostles reveal about marriage?
b. What do they say about same-sex marriage?
c. How should we respond to those in same-sex marriages?
[We begin therefore by looking at...]
I. JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES ON MARRIAGE
A. JESUS' TEACHINGS ON MARRIAGE...
1. Marriage was instituted by God at the beginning look at Mt 19:3-4:
3 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.
a. Weddings may be a social custom, and variously defined by cultures
b. But marriage itself is ordained by God, not by society or the state
2. Marriage was designed for those created male and female; see Mt 19:4 again:
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.
a. From the beginning this was God's design, and he started with Adam and Eve (not Adam and Steve)
3. Marriage is for man and wife, who become 'one flesh' look at Mt 19:5:
5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
a. A man is to leave his family to start a new one, that’s why Man and woman are biologically designed to complement each other.
4. Marriage is a union that God joins, not the state look at Mt 19:6:
6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
a. Note well: only God does the joining
b. The state cannot force God to do something by passing laws
5. States may therefore declare marriages that are unlawful in God's sight look at Mk 6:17-18:
17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his Brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.”
a. Herod had "married" Herodias, i.e., approved by the state
b. But in God's sight it was "not lawful" for him to have her.
-- Jesus defined marriage as instituted and regulated by God, not the state --
B. THE APOSTLES' TEACHINGS ON MARRIAGE...
1. Sex in marriage is honorable, sex outside marriage is not look at He 13:4:
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
a. God will judge fornicators (any who practice sexual immorality, we learn that on our previous lesson
b. God will judge adulterers (any who violate the bond involving those married )
2. To avoid fornication, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband
a. The solution to sexual immorality is heterosexual marriage look what the apostle Paul teaches in 1Co 7:1-5:
7 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
b. The only alternative is self-control look at the next verses in 1Co 7:6-9:
6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage and to others the gift of singleness.
8 So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 but if theycan’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
-- The apostles taught marriage is regulated by God and His Word --
[Both Jesus and His apostles have important things to say about divorce as it relates to the institution of marriage, but we will discuss that in another lesson. Let's now turn our attention to...]
II. THE ISSUE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
A. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES...
1. Again we note what the Bible clearly teaches:
a. Sex outside of marriage is sinful we saw this in the previous lesson.
1) Whether heterosexual or homosexual
2) It falls into the category of "sexual immorality” which is fornication.
b. The solution to sexual immorality is clearly stated
1) Either heterosexual marriage, we saw it in 1Co 7:1-5
2) Or self-control like we saw in 1Co 7:6-9
c. Marriage is a divine institution, not a civil one
1) God determines what constitutes a proper marriage, not man
2) Marriage throughout the Bible is always between a man and woman
2. We now note the following:
a. There is not one mention regarding same-sex marriage
1) Even though the practice was known among the Gentiles
2) Emperor Nero himself had two same-sex marriages (Pythagoras, Sporus)
b. There is no Biblical teaching on how same-sex marriages are to work
1) Who is to be the head? Who is to submit?
2) All discussions pertaining to marriage describe husband-wife (male-female) relationships, I will use just 1Co 7:10-40 because of the length, but write down the following scriptures for your personal reading before we go there. Ro 7:1-4; Ep 5:22-33; Col 3:18-19; 1Ti 3:2,11-12; 5:14; Tit 1:6; 2:4-5; 1Pe 3:1-7:
10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. 18 For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. 19 For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.
20 Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. 21 Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 24 Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.
25 Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.
29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.
-- At best, the Bible is silent regarding same-sex marriage; of course, there is the issue of homosexuality itself, we will discussed the matter later --
B. HOW CHRISTIANS SHOULD RESPOND...
1. Same-sex marriage is on par with other unscriptural marriages
a. Divorce and remarriage can lead to adulterous marriages, we will learn about this in our last lesson for this series.
b. Governments have sanctioned adulterous marriages for years
c. Many Christians have friends and family involved in such marriages
d. As same-sex marriages become common, so will our acquaintance with such
e. We must stand firm in support of truth concerning the institution of marriage
2. As with all people engaged in sinful behavior, we should:
a. Love the sinner while hating the sin
b. Speak the truth in love, not hate look at Ep 4:15:
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
c. Reach out with gentleness, patience, humility look at 2Ti 2:24-26:
24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
d. Convert them to Jesus as Savior and Lord, willing to obey in all things as stated in Mt 28:18-20
e. We should certainly not fault the children - cf. Eze 18:20
3. As "citizen saints" living in a free society, we should:
a. Pray for our leaders, that we may live peaceable, godly lives as stated in 1Ti 2:1-4
b. Live as sojourners and pilgrims, setting honorable examples as stated in 1Pe 2:11-12 and in Ro 12:1-2
c. Vote for those who respect God's Word on such issues, for it can only "insure domestic tranquility...promote the general welfare" of one's country just look at Pr 14:34:
34 Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
-- Our response should be no different than with any other sin --
CONCLUSION
1. The institution of marriage has long been under attack, divorce and remarriage for any reason has undermined it for generations, Same-sex marriage is only the latest attack; it probably won't be the last, many choose to simply cohabitate, shack up, live together… rather than marry at all.
2. As Christians confronted with such attacks, let us, remain true to the teachings of Christ and His apostles who illustrated by way of example that God's way is good, acceptable and perfect.
Reach out to all who are lost in sin with both the truth and love that is in Jesus Christ always remembering that when it comes to the institution of marriage we should always remember Heb 13:4
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Another moral issue that confronts Christians today relates to the institution of marriage...
a. Many people are clamoring to redefine marriage
b. Governments are responding with laws that redefine who may marry
c. Same-sex marriage is becoming legal; polygamy and other forms of marriage will likely follow
2. As Christians are confronted with this issue, we do well to ask...
a. What did Jesus and His apostles reveal about marriage?
b. What do they say about same-sex marriage?
c. How should we respond to those in same-sex marriages?
[We begin therefore by looking at...]
I. JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES ON MARRIAGE
A. JESUS' TEACHINGS ON MARRIAGE...
1. Marriage was instituted by God at the beginning look at Mt 19:3-4:
3 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.
a. Weddings may be a social custom, and variously defined by cultures
b. But marriage itself is ordained by God, not by society or the state
2. Marriage was designed for those created male and female; see Mt 19:4 again:
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.
a. From the beginning this was God's design, and he started with Adam and Eve (not Adam and Steve)
3. Marriage is for man and wife, who become 'one flesh' look at Mt 19:5:
5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
a. A man is to leave his family to start a new one, that’s why Man and woman are biologically designed to complement each other.
4. Marriage is a union that God joins, not the state look at Mt 19:6:
6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
a. Note well: only God does the joining
b. The state cannot force God to do something by passing laws
5. States may therefore declare marriages that are unlawful in God's sight look at Mk 6:17-18:
17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his Brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.”
a. Herod had "married" Herodias, i.e., approved by the state
b. But in God's sight it was "not lawful" for him to have her.
-- Jesus defined marriage as instituted and regulated by God, not the state --
B. THE APOSTLES' TEACHINGS ON MARRIAGE...
1. Sex in marriage is honorable, sex outside marriage is not look at He 13:4:
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
a. God will judge fornicators (any who practice sexual immorality, we learn that on our previous lesson
b. God will judge adulterers (any who violate the bond involving those married )
2. To avoid fornication, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband
a. The solution to sexual immorality is heterosexual marriage look what the apostle Paul teaches in 1Co 7:1-5:
7 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
b. The only alternative is self-control look at the next verses in 1Co 7:6-9:
6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage and to others the gift of singleness.
8 So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 but if theycan’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
-- The apostles taught marriage is regulated by God and His Word --
[Both Jesus and His apostles have important things to say about divorce as it relates to the institution of marriage, but we will discuss that in another lesson. Let's now turn our attention to...]
II. THE ISSUE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
A. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES...
1. Again we note what the Bible clearly teaches:
a. Sex outside of marriage is sinful we saw this in the previous lesson.
1) Whether heterosexual or homosexual
2) It falls into the category of "sexual immorality” which is fornication.
b. The solution to sexual immorality is clearly stated
1) Either heterosexual marriage, we saw it in 1Co 7:1-5
2) Or self-control like we saw in 1Co 7:6-9
c. Marriage is a divine institution, not a civil one
1) God determines what constitutes a proper marriage, not man
2) Marriage throughout the Bible is always between a man and woman
2. We now note the following:
a. There is not one mention regarding same-sex marriage
1) Even though the practice was known among the Gentiles
2) Emperor Nero himself had two same-sex marriages (Pythagoras, Sporus)
b. There is no Biblical teaching on how same-sex marriages are to work
1) Who is to be the head? Who is to submit?
2) All discussions pertaining to marriage describe husband-wife (male-female) relationships, I will use just 1Co 7:10-40 because of the length, but write down the following scriptures for your personal reading before we go there. Ro 7:1-4; Ep 5:22-33; Col 3:18-19; 1Ti 3:2,11-12; 5:14; Tit 1:6; 2:4-5; 1Pe 3:1-7:
10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. 18 For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. 19 For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.
20 Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. 21 Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 24 Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.
25 Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.
29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.
-- At best, the Bible is silent regarding same-sex marriage; of course, there is the issue of homosexuality itself, we will discussed the matter later --
B. HOW CHRISTIANS SHOULD RESPOND...
1. Same-sex marriage is on par with other unscriptural marriages
a. Divorce and remarriage can lead to adulterous marriages, we will learn about this in our last lesson for this series.
b. Governments have sanctioned adulterous marriages for years
c. Many Christians have friends and family involved in such marriages
d. As same-sex marriages become common, so will our acquaintance with such
e. We must stand firm in support of truth concerning the institution of marriage
2. As with all people engaged in sinful behavior, we should:
a. Love the sinner while hating the sin
b. Speak the truth in love, not hate look at Ep 4:15:
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
c. Reach out with gentleness, patience, humility look at 2Ti 2:24-26:
24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
d. Convert them to Jesus as Savior and Lord, willing to obey in all things as stated in Mt 28:18-20
e. We should certainly not fault the children - cf. Eze 18:20
3. As "citizen saints" living in a free society, we should:
a. Pray for our leaders, that we may live peaceable, godly lives as stated in 1Ti 2:1-4
b. Live as sojourners and pilgrims, setting honorable examples as stated in 1Pe 2:11-12 and in Ro 12:1-2
c. Vote for those who respect God's Word on such issues, for it can only "insure domestic tranquility...promote the general welfare" of one's country just look at Pr 14:34:
34 Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
-- Our response should be no different than with any other sin --
CONCLUSION
1. The institution of marriage has long been under attack, divorce and remarriage for any reason has undermined it for generations, Same-sex marriage is only the latest attack; it probably won't be the last, many choose to simply cohabitate, shack up, live together… rather than marry at all.
2. As Christians confronted with such attacks, let us, remain true to the teachings of Christ and His apostles who illustrated by way of example that God's way is good, acceptable and perfect.
Reach out to all who are lost in sin with both the truth and love that is in Jesus Christ always remembering that when it comes to the institution of marriage we should always remember Heb 13:4
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-=|Sexual Immorality|=-
INTRODUCTION
1. As we begin addressing specific moral issues confronting the Christian,
perhaps a proper starting place is with the issue of sexual immorality...
a. A moral issue faced by every Christian
b. One about which the Bible has much to say, in 1Th 4:3 the bible declares:
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
It also declares in 1Co 6:18:
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one
does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body
2. The admonition to "Flee sexual immorality" is needed just as much today...
a. Sexual immorality is rampant in our culture
b. Morality is being loosely defined (and redefined), encouraging many to
engage in sinful behavior.
[Those who follow Christ must have a clear understanding of sexual Immorality
and its dangers. So let us first begin with...]
I. THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY
A. THE BASIC CONCEPT...
1. The Greek word porneia was translated in the (NKJV) as sexual
immorality and in the (KJV) the word fornication is used.
2. "Used generally to refer to any sexual sin" - The Complete Word Study
Dictionary.
3. Thus, according to Thayer, it includes any form of "illicit sexual
intercourse, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with
animals, etc."
B. THE PROBLEM THEN AND NOW...
1. Porneia became synonymous with life in the 1st century, reflected by
their attitudes toward different scenarios in their daily living.
According to the philosopher Demosthenes this was their line of though in
regards to adultery.
"We keep mistresses for pleasure, concubines for day-to-day needs of the body,
but we have wives in order to produce children legitimately and to have a
trustworthy guardian of our homes"
According to the philosopher Seneca, this was their attitude toward divorce:
"Roman women were married to be divorced and were divorced to be married. Some
of them distinguished the years, not by the names of the consuls, but by the
names of their husbands."
According to the writings of Suetonius this was their attitude toward family:
"Caligula lived in incest with his sister Drusilla, and the lust of Nero did not
even spare his mother Agrippina."
The writings of Lucian stated their attitude toward homosexuality:
"It was better not to need marriage, but to follow Plato and Socrates and to be
content with the love of boys."
Gibbons wrote:
"Of the first fifteen emperors, Claudius was the only one whose taste in love
was entirely correct."
God's disdain for sexual immorality is seen in the fact that there are seven
lists of evil in the writings of Paul, and the word Porneia is listed in five of
them, and is the first in each of them.
In 1Co 5:9-11 Paul declares:
9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who
indulge in sexual sin. 10 but, I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in
sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to
leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to
associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or
is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.
Don’t even eat with such people.
Look at 1Co 6:9-10 the apostle also declares:
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or
commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are
thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of
these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Again in Ga 5:19-21 Paul stated:
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very
clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery,
hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition,
dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like
these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of
life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In Ep 5:3-5:
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins
have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse
jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You
can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom
of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things
of this world.
Let’s finish with Col 3:5 where the apostle declares:
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to
do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy,
for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world
Does it require much insight to see that porneia or how we call it in our days
“Pornography” is rampant in our time as well? Pre-marital sex has become rampant
among many, including teenagers.
Adultery is considered inevitable, even acceptable by many, divorce has been
made easy through "no-fault" laws, families have been torn asunder by incest,
adultery, and divorce, homosexuality has become an "acceptable alternative
lifestyle"
[Porneia or Pornography is thus a general term for sexual immorality; For
example: sexual behavior between unmarried people that rightly belongs only to
husbands and wives, look what is written in He 13:4:
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God
will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Prohibitions against sexual immorality can be appreciated when we understand...]
II. THE DEVASTATION OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY
A. DESTROYS THE BODY...
Through bacterial STDs (e.g., Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea) through viral STDs
(e.g., genital herpes, Hepatitis B, AIDS), which are incurable.
Many people have learned the hard way, what Solomon warned his son in Pro
5:11-12:
11 In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the
warnings!
B. DEMOLISHES THE HOME...
Marriages intended for life are broken, often beyond repair; look at what is
written in Mt 19:4-6 Jesus declares:
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the
beginning ‘God made them male and female.’* 5 And he said, ‘This explains why
a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are
united into one.’* 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split
apart what God has joined together.”
Children are devastated, with emotional effects lasting into their adult lives
look at Mal 2:16:
16 “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife
is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard
your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
Potential for future marriages is lessened (who desires "damaged goods" due to
STDs?)
C. DESOLATES THE SOUL...
It will be hard to forgive oneself, there will be self-recrimination the bible
declares in Pr 5:12-13:
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the
warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my
instructors?
Your soul will be deprived of good friends, whose trust you violated, look at Pr
6:30-35:
30 Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he
has to sell everything in his house.
32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased.
34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy
when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.
[We can see why Paul wrote "Flee sexual immorality." (1Co 6:18) It is not to be
taken lightly! That we might succeed in fleeing sexual immorality, here are
some thoughts regarding the...]
III. THE DETERRENCE OF SEXUALITY IMMORALITY
A. FORM PROPER DISCERNMENT...
1. Remember God's will for you
a. Joseph understood that sexual immorality was a sin against God, look at Gen
39:6b-9 where Joseph stated:
Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7 and Potiphar’s wife soon
began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.
8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything
in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held
back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a
wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”
b. Paul taught that abstinence was God's will, in 1Th 4:3 Paul Teaches this by
saying:
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
2. Remember God's will for your body
a. To control your body in holiness and honor - 1Th 4:4-8
b. To glorify God in your body, as a temple of the Holy Spirit - 1Co
6:13-20
c. To present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy to God - Ro 12:1-2
3. Remember the consequences
a. Self-recrimination - Pr 5:12-13
b. Lost friendships - Pr 6:30-35
c. Judgment against the impenitent - 1Co 6:9-10; He 13:4
d. David's sin with Bathsheba serves as an object lesson, in 2Sam
11-12, we see how David try and try and try to have Uriah go home to his wife
and have sex with her so no one will know what he has done with her, and still
he refuse, at the end King David had Uriah Killed, because of the guilt for the
sin he committed.
B. FLEE EVERY OPPORTUNITY...
1. Remember Joseph's example! - Gen 39:10-12
2. Remember the wisdom of Solomon! - Pr 5:1-23; 6:23-35; 7:1-27
3. Remember Paul's admonitions!
a. Flee youthful lusts, pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, look
at 2Ti 2:22:
22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous
living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call
on the Lord with pure hearts.
b. Make no provision for the lusts of the flesh in Ro 13:13-14 Paul teaches that
love fulfills God’s requirements:
13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t
participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual
promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead,
clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let
yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
C. FIND A SUITABLE SPOUSE...
1. Paul counsels marriage between man and woman to counter sexual
immorality, look at 1Co 7:1-2 Paul teaches
7 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live
a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man
should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
2. Sexual conduct within the framework of marriage is appropriate look at 1Co
7:3-5:
3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should
fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her
husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not
deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from
sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to
prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to
tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
3. Singleness is good, if one has self-control; otherwise, marriage is the only
option look further down in verses 6 through 9:
6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7But I wish everyone were
single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others
the gift of singleness. 8 So I say to those who aren’t married and to
widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 but if theycan’t control
themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn
with lust.
D. FORGE AHEAD WITH STRENGTH FROM GOD...
1. United with Christ in baptism, consider yourself dead to sin, look at
Ro 6:1-15, Paul ask the question:
6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of
his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we
continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with
Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were
buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to
life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ
so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And
since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of
this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death
no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the
power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you
also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God
through Christ Jesus.
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.
13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.
Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have
new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the
glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the
requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we
can go on sinning? Of course not!
2. By the Spirit, put to death the sinful deeds of the body, look at Ro 8:12-14:
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your
sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die.
But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful
nature, you will live.14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children
of God.
Also look what he said in Col 3:5-7
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to
do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy,
for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these
things when your life was still part of this world.
a. The Spirit is God's instrumental agent by He strengthens the Christian, look
at Ep 3:16,20 Paul prays as follows:
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with
inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your
hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep
you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people
should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you
experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then
you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes
from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work
within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
b. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives includes self-control, look at Ga
5:16-25:
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what
your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just
the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are
the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly
fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the
law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very
clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery,
hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition,
dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like
these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of
life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and
self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of
their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are
living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our
lives.26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of
one another.
3. In Christ, we can do all that God desires of us, Php 4:13 states:
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength
Ep 6:10-13 declares:
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of
God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the
devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against
evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this
dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put
on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the
time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
4. Utilize the tools of prayer and the Word of God, Paul also tells us in Ep
3:16:
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with
inner strength through his Spirit.
And in Ep 6:17 he tells us to:
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God.
CONCLUSION
1. To prevent the devastating effects of sexual immorality, we need to
remember...
a. God's will for us: "abstain from sexual immorality"
b. Paul's admonition: "flee sexual immorality"
2. Sexual immorality is too serious to take lightly...
a. It can destroy your body, home, and soul
b. Forgiveness is possible, but physical consequences of sin (STDs) often
remain
3. To flee sexual immorality, we need to have...
a. The rectitude of Joseph
b. The wisdom of Solomon
c. The penitence of David (when necessary)
Let these words of Paul encourage us to abstain from sexual immorality, and to
repent if need be... - 1Co 6:9-11
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
homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some
of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Friday, January 30, 2009
-=|Authority in Morality|=-
INTRODUCTION
1. Christians today are confronted with many conflicting views of morality...
a. People have different opinions concerning what is right and wrong
b. What once was generally accepted as good and true is now challenged
c. Governments are redefining the concept of marriage
d. Businesses often operate with ethics that sanction lying, stealing
2. How does one know what is right and wrong in areas of morality...?
a. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong
b. But the standard of right and wrong often differs
[The answer for the Christian is simple. But before we consider it, let's first
review...]
I. WHAT MANY ACCEPT AS AUTHORITY IN MORALITY
A. THEIR FEELINGS...
1. "If it feels good, it must be right"
2. The Bible warns against trusting in "feelings"
a. Pr 14:12 states: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its
end is the way of death." -
b. Pr 28:26 states: "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool..." -
c. Jer 10:23 the prophet states: "I know, Lord, that our lives are not
our own. We are not able to plan our own course” -
-- Many people have destroyed themselves by following their feelings --
B. THEIR CONSCIENCE...
1. "Let your conscience be your guide"
2. But one's conscience is not always reliable
a. Paul had served God with a good conscience throughout his life in Ac
23:1 Paul states: “Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: Brothers, I
have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”
b. Even at a time when he was persecuting Christians! - cf. Ac 26:9-11
Paul states: “Indeed; I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the
name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the
saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests;
and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I
punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and
being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign
cities.
-- Our conscience is like a clock, which works properly only if set
properly --
C. THEIR FRIENDS...
1. "Everyone else is doing it"
2. But consider the words of Jesus, in describing the end of the majority
- Mt 7:13-14 Jesus states: You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow
gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose
that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult,
and only a few ever find it.
3. If you followed the majority...
a. In Noah's day, you would have perished in the flood
b. In Joshua's day, you would have perished in the wilderness
-- Following the majority can be like lemmings running over a cliff --
D. THEIR MINISTERS...
1. "The preacher (priest, rabbi, etc.) says it is okay"
2. They reason that surely these "men of God" could not lead them astray
3. Yet notice the warnings given by Jesus, Paul and Peter
a. Religious leaders can be "blind leaders of the blind" - Mt 15:10-14
Jesus answers stating the following: 10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come
and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into
your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your
mouth.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the
Pharisees by what you just said?”
13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be
uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one
blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
b. They can be "ministers of Satan" - 2Co 11:12-15 Paul stated: “But I
will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are
looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. 13 These
people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as
apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as
an angel of light. 15 So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise
themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment
their wicked deeds deserve.
c. There will be false teachers with destructive ways, in 2Pe 3:1-3
Peter declares: “This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of
them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory.
2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord
and Savior commanded through your apostles.
3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will
come, mocking the truth and following their own desires”
-- Following the wrong minister can lead to corruption --
[It is clear that what many people accept as authority in morality should not be
a guide for Christians. So let's now consider what should be...]
II. THE CHRISTIAN'S AUTHORITY IN MORALITY
A. JESUS HAS ALL AUTHORITY...
1. In heaven and on earth, in Mt 28:18 Jesus Declares to his deciples: “I
have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I
have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of
the age.”
2. In all areas, including sexual morals and behavior, in Ep 4:17-24 The
apostle teaches what he learn from Jesus: With the Lord’s authority I say this:
Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their
minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they
have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no
sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind
of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about
Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old
sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and
deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put
on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
3. He will one day judge all mankind, in Ac 17:30-31 The apostle talks
about the end of times stating: “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these
things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of
their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with
justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by
raising him from the dead.”
4. And the standard of judgment will be His words, in Jn 12:48 Jesus
declares: 48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of
judgment by the truth I have spoken.
-- Jesus is the ultimate standard of authority in morality
B. JESUS DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO HIS APOSTLES...
1. To receive them is to receive Him, look at Mt 10:40; and Jn 13:20 where
Jesus declares:
40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the
Father who sent me.
20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and
anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
2. They were sent as "ambassadors" for Christ, look at 2Co 5:20 Paul
declares to the Corinthians:
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak
for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
3. To ensure reliability, Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit as stated in
Jn 14:26:
26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy
Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have
told you.
4. The Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth, look at Jn
16:12-13, Jesus tells the apostoles:
12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When
the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak
on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the
future.
5. Thus the apostles proclaimed "the whole counsel of God", Paul declares
in his last visit to Troas in Ac 20:27:
27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.
6. Christians were to accept the apostles' words as truth, look at 1Co
14:37:
37 If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize
that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself.
-- The apostles' doctrine is the Christians' standard of authority look at
(Ac 2:42)
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to
fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to
prayer.
C. THEIR AUTHORITY PERTAINS TO AREAS OF MORALITY...
1. Look as Paul solemnly charged the church in Thessalonica in a Plea for
Purity in 1Th 4:1-8
a. Addressing sexual immorality
b. And marital faithfulness
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to
live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way
already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we
taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then
each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in
lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm
or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord
avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called
us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live
by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives
his Holy Spirit to you.
2. As he likewise wrote to the church in Ephesus - Ep 4:17-32
a. Addressing lewdness, greediness, and deceitful lusts
b. And lying, anger, stealing, foul language
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for
they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander
far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened
their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful
pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about
Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old
sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and
deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put
on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all
parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”*
Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a
foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard
work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive
language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be
an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember,
he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day
of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as
all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
-- Morality is an integral part of "the truth" that is in Jesus --
CONCLUSION
1. Many people go through life confused about morality...
a. They constantly wonder: "Is this right or wrong for me?"
b. They stumble their way through life, making wrong choices with terrible
consequences
2. The Christian need not be confused about morality...
a. The truth is in Jesus
b. God has given us "all things that pertain to live and godliness" If you
are looking for truth as it pertains to morality, then let Jesus and His
apostles be your guide. As Jesus said on Jn 14:6
"I am the way, the truth, and the life”
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