Embrace God’s Definition of Marriage

On By BrianIn Family/Single Life1 Comment

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife,
and they shall become one flesh.
– Genesis 2:24

At the very beginning, God the Creator defines marriage as one man and one woman who leave their parents, hold fast to each other, and become one flesh.  In Matthew 19:5, Jesus reaffirms this definition.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 20 years, you know that there is a growing movement to redefine marriage as being between any two people, including two men or two women.  Other countries have legalized so called same sex marriage.  Certain states in our own country have done so, and other states are considering it at the next election.  Many believe the Supreme Court will take up the issue in their next term.

As we consider the possibility that our country may soon legally define marriage as between any two people, it is important for us to recognize three distinctions:

  • Legal vs. Right – Our government determines what is legal, but God determines what is right…and wrong.  So if our government should legalize so called same sex marriage, that still won’t make it right.
  • Legal vs Real – Again our government determines what is legal, but God defines what is real.  He created reality and he defines it.  He defines reality so that if I hold my pen in the air and let it go, my pen will drop.  I can reject the law of gravity, but it is still real, and I am still bound to it.  He defined real marriage between a man and a woman.  I can reject his definition, but it is still real, and I am still bound to it.
  • Legal vs True – Our government determines what is legal, but God determines what is true – that which agrees with reality.  I have a cat.  I can call it a dog, but that doesn’t make it true, because it doesn’t agree with reality.  We can call two men or two women married, but that doesn’t make it true, because it doesn’t agree with reality.

As Christians we need to hold to God’s definition of marriage.  No matter what our culture or government thinks, we must hold to the teachings of our Savior.  We must hold to the definition of our Creator.  We must hold to Biblical truth.  We must hold to what is right, real, and true.  We must believe it and live it, no matter how unpopular it may be.

Some will say that this position is not loving.  But we must remember that love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (I Corinthians 13:6).  It is not loving to legalize something that is not right.  It is not loving to create a legal fiction and tell people they are married when they really aren’t.  If we love people, we must hold to the God’s definition of marriage, the only right, real, and true definition there is.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Lake of the Clouds in Michigan’s U.P.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Family: Love or Disintegration?

On By BrianIn Family/Single Life

We see the disintegration of the family all around us: divorcing couples, rebellious children, absent fathers, abusive parents, siblings who haven’t spoken to each other in years.  As we look around, things are not what they should be.

And we all contribute to the disintegration of God’s design for the family.  We do it with our words when they are unkind, hurtful, mean, and cutting.  We do it with our attitudes when they are angry, bitter, resentful, or grumpy.

At the end of all this disintegration is simply a failure to love.  We are too often selfish people living as though it is all about us.  But God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  And our closest neighbors are our own families.  We need to truly love our families, and this love must be:

  • Other-centered – Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28).  And we are to look not only to our own interests, but to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).  And this includes our families.  We need to look to the needs of our families instead of focusing on ourselves.  We need to go beyond feeling (because sometimes we won’t feel like loving), and choose to love even when it is hard.  Our love for our families must be other-centered.
  • Faithful – Jesus came and loved his disciples until the very end (John 13:1).  True love never ends (I Corinthians 13:8).  Our love for our families must be faithful; it must be lasting.  Husband for wife, wife for husband, parents for children, children for parents.  Our love for our families must be faithful.
  • Sacrificial – Jesus loved us so much he sacrificed himself for our us, and we are to have that same love for others (Ephesians 5:2).  That means we must be willing to sacrifice our wants, our time, our agendas, our hopes, our dreams for the good of our families.  Our love for our families must be sacrificial.

In the midst of all the disintegration, it is this other-centered, faithful, sacrificial love that will bind our families together.

Are you showing this kind of love for your family?

Quotes to Ponder

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

Before the next hurricane, tornado, or tsunami come, nail it down:
“Even the winds and the sea obey him” (Matt. 8:27).
– John Piper

To manage a life of pain, as a believer in Jesus,
remember: This is all the hell you will ever bear. 
– Robert Murray M’Cheyne

The Lord makes his people sensible of the vanity of the present life,
by a constant proof of its miseries.
– John Calvin

There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained
only through the discipline of suffering. 
– D.A. Carson

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Lake Superior near Copper Harbor

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Passion Points

On By BrianIn Family Collection, PASSION Points

I’m preaching on love in the family tomorrow, so here are some good posts on family love:

22 Descriptions of Marital Love – Paul Tripp (via R. W. Glenn)
1. Love is being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of your husband or wife without impatience or anger.
2. Love is actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental toward your spouse, while looking for ways to encourage and praise.

Leading in Love – Wayne Grudem (via Tim Challies)
Headship doesn’t mean selfishness. It means being willing to give of yourself for your wife and care for her as well.

Christian Husband’s Only Option: Love Your Wife – Jason Helopoulis
Every Christian husband knows that in Ephesians 5 the husband is exhorted to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. What many of us need to hear, especially in Western modern culture, is that an aspect of Christ’s love for the Church is that it endures. Christian husbands must take note that Christ’s love for the Church is not momentary or even for a season. It is a love that continues. It is steadfast and true. And these qualities are to mark a husband’s love for his wife. There is no other option.

When I Don’t Feel Love for My Spouse – Steve Cornell (via Gospel Coalition)
A woman once told me that she planned to leave her husband because she “just didn’t love him anymore.” I asked her to change the way she worded what she planned to do so that her decision could be understood accurately. I asked her to say it this way: “I am choosing to no longer value my husband and to break my commitment to remain faithful to him.”

If you are married, I hope these posts will help to strengthen your marriage.  And as always, have a great Lord’s Day worshiping our Savior who loved his church and gave himself up for her.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Sunset over Lake Superior at Copper Harbor

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Passion Points

On By BrianIn Church Collection, PASSION Points

As you prepare to gather with Christ’s church tomorrow, here are some good posts to consider:

We Weren’t Created For Isolation (Short Video) – Brad House (via Crossway)
We weren’t built for isolation, we were created for community. And community isn’t ultimately about us, it’s about God. The church should be the most compelling expression of community in our culture. It should stand in contrast to the counterfeit community that costs us nothing.

The Difference Between Church as Individual Divers and Church as an Organic Body – Richard Lovelace (via Justin Taylor)
No individual, congregation or denomination of Christians is spiritually independent of the others. . . .

Church as an Oasis of Grace – Trevin Wax
Our churches ought to be filled with people who have gospel-focused conversations, where we bring the gospel to bear on every inch of life, hold one another accountable, rebuke one another in love, and encourage one another in grace.

Can I Grow in Holiness Without the Local Church? (Short Video) – David Powlison (via Desiring God)
The role the local church plays in our sanctification….

May we approach church tomorrow in a more Biblical way as we seek to worship our great God together!

Declaring The Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Rocky Beach at Lake Superior

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

The Lord Is My Portion

On By BrianIn Hymns

From pole to pole let others roam
And search in vain for bliss
My soul is satisfied at home
The Lord my portion is

Jesus, who on his glorious throne
Rules heav’n and earth and sea
Is pleased to claim me for his own
And give himself to me

His person fixes all my love
His blood removes my fear
And while he pleads for me above
His arm preserves me here

His word of promise is my food
His Spirit is my guide
Thus daily is my strength renewed
And all my wants supplied

For him I count as gain each loss
Disgrace, for him, renown
Well may I glory in his cross
While he prepares my crown

Let worldlings then indulge their boast
How much they gain or spend
Their joys must soon give up the ghost
But mine shall know no end

 – John Newton from Olney Hymns
(Can be sung to the tune of Am I Soldier of the Cross?)