P1 - F.O.C.U.S on Christ's return

James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

The importance of focusing on Christ's return
The amount of space in the Bible devoted to Bible prophecy (eschatology, i.e study of last things) equals out to 1 out of every 5 Bible verses!1 James is a very practical book, connecting the relationship between one's profession and practice of faith.  When we come to the fifth chapter, James switches his focus from how to live as Christians in this present day world to that of living in light of Christ's second coming. 

The significance of James 5 in the study of Bible prophecy (eschatology)
Without a doubt the key verses in James 5:1-20 are found in James 5:7-8 "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."  The underlined phrases in these two verses are translations of one Greek word (parousia = pay-roo-see-a) that speaks of the "visible presence of the Lord at His coming".  In 16 other places in the New Testament we find the same Greek word in texts that deal with the second coming of Jesus Christ.2  Like a bull's eye, James 5:7-8 is central to guiding James' thoughts before and after the verses, driving home the point that his readers and us are  to exercise living active faith because the Lord is coming back!  

In today's blog we want to begin considering the five benefits of focusing on Christ's return. To aid us in our thinking, we will use the acrostic F.O.C.U.S to show why you and I should be focusing on the second coming of Jesus Christ:

1. Fights against worldliness. James 5:1-6
2. Operates endurance. James 5:7-8
3. Calms the saints. James 5:9-11
4. Undergirds the prayer-life James 5:12-18
5. Strengthens evangelism James 5:19-20

So let's consider that first benefit of focusing on Christ's return, namely that by doing so, we can....

Fight Against Worldliness.  James 5:1-6
How James echoes the outcry against worldliness found throughout scripture
When you read James 5:1-6 in light of James 5:7-8, you can see why James is coming down hard on those who have been seduced by the riches of this world. 3 Anytime we become worldly in our thinking as Christians, we are giving ourselves over in an area to the way we thought, acted or believed before salvation.  Sadly for unbelievers, this life and all of its possessions are as good as it gets.  In the true story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man in torments is reminded in Luke 16:25 "But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish."  Was Jesus against people having possessions? Hardly.  However Jesus was warning his listeners of the overall message touted in scripture: do not love the world.  In other places Jesus warns about what happens when we make the world and its possessions our gods: greed leads to prioritizing this life over one's soul. (Luke 12:21)4

The Apostle John echoes a similar warning in 1 John 2:15-16 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world." (ESV)

James is echoing the deep concern and danger echoed by Jesus, John and the whole of scripture. In fact, the tenth commandment warns about the dangers of coveting - which is excessive desire for possessions and people not intended for nor belonging to us. The message could not be any clearer: there is nothing wrong with having possessions, just as long as you don't let your poessessions take hold of you.

How James specifically uses the second coming of Jesus Christ as the deterrent to worldliness
James uses the second coming of Jesus to curb the worldly tendencies of his listeners in this fifth chapter of his epistle.  Consider some of the following observations:

5:1 Ignorance is not bliss.  Too much enjoyment of riches can result in misplaced spiritual priorities and threat of judgment

5:2-3 Whatever is done on this earth will pass, but whatever is done for Christ will last.5   James uses the threat of temporal judgment and eternal judgment to shake his readers out of their complacency.  Ironically, James refers to their "gold and silver" having rusted, since precious metals are known for not being subject to decay nor rust. 

5:4-6 James emphasizes the fact that these people have not payed their laborers - likening their attitude to that of Pharoah in the Exodus.  For centuries God's people were under forced labor or slavery in Egypt.  Furthermore, James uses a particular name of God - Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts) to contrast the decaying riches of his readers to the endless riches of God Himself.  In passages such as Isaiah 28:29 and Romans 9:29 we see this title "Jehovah Sabaoth" refer to the grandeur and Majesty of God. 6

Conclusion for today
By focusing on Christ's soon return, James gives the reader the antidote to worldliness.  We close today with words from the Apostle John in 1 John 3:2-3 wherein we see this promise: "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears^a we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."
 
More tomorrow.....
End Notes_________________

1. Of those over 6,000 Bible verses dealing with nearly 1,000 prophecies of all sorts of people and places, 224 of them are about Jesus Christ's second coming. 

2. For the informed reader, the Greek word translated "coming of the Lord" is the one Greek word "parousia" (pa-roo-see-a).  The following verses feature this word and it would be advisable for the student of scripture to read each one to grasp all that is said about this thought: Matthew 24:3, 27,37,39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1,8,9; James 5:7,8; 2 Peter 1:16, 3:4,12; 1 John 2:28.  Interestingly enough, James was the first New Testament book written, predating Matthew by at least five years. 

3. We know from other scriptures that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) Having things is not wrong - as long as things don't have you. If we were to summarize James' teaching in these verses, it would come from the lips of Jesus in Luke 6:24 - “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." (ESV)

4. In fact, Jesus uses the warning of getting consumed by too much riches as a sign that a person is not truly a disciple but rather lost, for as He notes in Mark 8:46 - "what does a profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses His own soul." 

5. I find it interesting that James does not address the rich people here with the well known title "brethren", indicating that perhaps his readers are uncoverted. The phrase "last days" is used some 15 times in the New Testament to refer to the events surrounding and leading up to Christ's second coming.

6. Certainly other places in scripture indicate that persistent love of this world and its riches is a sign that a person may not be a Christian. (1 John 2:15-17) Althought people from Abraham to David to Solomon had wealth, yet whenever the wealth came to be enjoyed above the giver of it (as in Solomon's case), spiritual decline resulted. 

Why marriage is a covenant

Genesis 2:23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man

2 Samuel 5:1,3 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. (3) So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.

Word Studies and scriptures that define the term "covenant"
What is meant by the term covenant? Covenants are binding agreements made between at least two parties.  In the Hebrew the word translated "covenant" (berith) speaks of "a treaty or agreement between nations or individuals that should be understood on the basis of whether the parties are equal or one is superior to the other".1 Often this particular word "covenant" was connected to another Hebrew word (carat) meaning "to cut, to shed blood", resulting in both terms being translated "to make a covenant."  Thus in Genesis 15:18 we see these two Hebrew words translated as one phrase in God's promise to Abraham: "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.'"

The Old Testament and its various words drive home the meaning of the idea of "covenant".  In the New Testament, Hebrews 6:16-17 unfolds the idea of covenant further: "people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath."  From what we can discern from Hebrews 6:16-17 and other scriptures, covenant includes the ideas of a promise, an exchanging of oaths, a sign, the shedding of blood and God being either the Originator of the Covenant or Witness thereof.2  Truly the idea of covenant is embedded deeply in the fabric of scripture, and as we will see, it is also at the base of the marriage relationship as well.3


Covenantal language proves marriage is a covenant
In Genesis 2:23, quoted above at the beginning of today's blog, we see Adam communicating to his wife the fact that she is "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh".  The Hebrew of this text could literally be rendered: "bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh".  The language of covenant conveys what God did in the forming of the woman from Adam's side.  Literally God "cut" out of Adam's side and took a rib and fashioned that DNA material into the woman who was to be Adam's wife. 

Now we know that from the above details about covenants in the Bible, as well as what we see here in Genesis 2:23, that the marriage relationship was to be a covenant.  2 Samuel 5:1,3 and 1 Chronicles 11:1 are the only two places in the Old Testament that use this covenant language of "bone and flesh".  The elders of Israel anointed David to be king over all of Israel.  By borrowing the marriage language, the nation of Israel saw David's kingship as fulfilling the promises God had made to David concerning his rise to Israel's throne.  The people were identifying themselves with David and swearing their allegiance to him in the presence of God.

In marriage we see the same type of activities.  The husband and wife swear themselves to one another according to One who is greater than they - namely God.  God is not only the beginning but the end focal point of marriage.  In Christian marriage in particular, Jesus Christ as the revelation of God in human flesh is the focal point and beginning point of the marriage relationship. (Ephesians 2:22-31) 

Various illustrations prove marriage is a covenant
You may had noticed the diagram at the beginning of today's blog.  The triangle depicting God and the husband and the wife has been used for years to illustrate the covenantal nature of marriage.  In short, the husband and wife make God the central focus of the marriage.  As the husband and wife focus on God, they inevitably move closer together. 

Another illustration that is actually one of the Biblical truths pointed to in marriage is the relationship between Christ and His church.  Paul spells out in Ephesians 5:22-31 that Christ's giving of Himself on behalf of His church and the church's submission to His Lordship is the true intention of God designing marriage.4  Matthew Henry, the able Biblical commentator, has made this connection between Christ's work of redemption on behalf of the church and the husband and wife relationship:

"The woman was made out of the rib, the side of the man.  Not out of his head to rule over him, nor his feet to be trampled by him but out of his side to be equally valuable as him; under his arm to be protected by him; and near his heart to be loved by him."   

Specific scriptures that explicitly state marriage as a covenant
Malachi 2:14 gives us a very clear statement from the Old Testament regarding marriage as a covenant: "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant."  Other Old Testament scriptures bear out the fact that marriage is a legal and spiritual covenant between the Husband and the Wife before God. (Proverbs 2:17, 5:18; Malachi 2:14-15). 

In the New Testament we see the covenantal nature of marriage being made even more explict.  For instance, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding of Cana, whereby He illustrated the New Covenant in the turning of water into non-fermented wine. (John 2)  Throughout the course of Jesus' ministry we see Him using wedding illustrations to picture the realities of the Kingdom of which He is King, bidding people to come to Him by faith and repentance. (Matthew 22)  Then of course who can forget the glorious final scene of Revelation 21-22 where the bride and bridegroom word pictures are used to portray the eternal covenant between Christ and His church in eternity.   

Since other covenantal arrangements either use marriage language or will entail the imagery of marriage, only one conclusion can be drawn: marriage is without a doubt a Divinely ordained covenant between one man and one woman in the sight of God. 
 
End Notes___________________

1. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.  Pages 128-129.

2. We can add other ideas that are included in the Bible's teaching on covenant:
a. A treaty or binding agreement between two or more people

b. Some standard of reference or "greater person" to guarantee the covenant's fulfillment

c. At times there would be "heirs" or "beneficiaries" or "descendants" who would receive the blessings or cursings of the covenant

d. In scripture, other than His covenant at Mount Sinai, God is the One who designs the covenant and unconditionally guarantees the outcome of what He promises by oath to his people.  When it is God alone guaranteeing the covenant's success and bringing about its outcome, we call that an "unconditional covenant".  Whenever man is expected to perform certain duties ("if you do this, I'll do that" language) to ensure the covenant's success, we call that a "conditional covenant". 

e. There is usually some sort of covenantal language that communicates the entry of the two parties into agreement with one another (ex: "bone of my bone" Genesis 2:23; 2 Samuel 5:1,3)

3. Marriage is a covenant in every detail that we have outlined in this blog.  It includes the exchanging of oaths and promises before God, the signs or tokens of rings, the public communication and ceremony and even blood.  In Deuteronomy 22:15 we see laws regarding the proof of a wife's marital purity by the parents bringing out sheets of the marriage bed when both she and her husband would had originally consummated their marriage on their wedding night.  The presence of blood on the sheets would had proven the girl's virginity.  All of these details, both public and private, physical, emotional and spiritual lend to this idea of marriage not being merely a human contract but a God-ordained covenant.   

4. Christ's shedding of blood was to purchase His church (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7) so that He could wash her with the water of the word with the aim to present unto Himself a radiant bride. (Ephesians 5:22-33). Being that Jesus' blood is termed the "blood of the covenant" in numerous scriptures, marriage's picture of Christ and His people only solidifies marriage itself as a covenant between the husband, wife and the Lord. 

P2 - The Christian's spiritual warfare

1 John 2:14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Yesterday we consider the subject of Christian spiritual warfare, noting the various scriptures and John's specific take on the subject.  Thus far we have noted two elements of Christian spiritual warfare:

1. Satan is the adversary in spiritual warfare.  We saw this in 1 John 2:14 and other texts which reveal the Christian's indirect warfare with the enemy.  Only the Old Adam and Jesus the New Adam had to deal with Satan directly.  Old Adam lost but Jesus the New Adam won.  As Christians, we deal with satan indirectly either through the network of the kingdom of darkness or the world system.  

2. The World is the arena of spiritual warfare.  In 1 John 2:15-16 we see John describing the organized system of unbelief called "the world".  The "world" is the arena of spiritual warfare.  Through ideas and the lusts of the flesh, eyes and pride of life, Satan wields his indirect but still damaging assault on Christians.  

With those two ideas explored we continue in today's blog with two other components of the the Christian's spiritual warfare: namely the flesh and the use of the scriptures.    

The Actual Target of Spiritual Warfare - The flesh. 1 John 2:16
We have seen the adversary of spiritual warfare being the devil and the arena being the world, but what about the actual target? The Bible terms "the flesh" as that target. Now in scripture the Hebrew and Greek words translated "flesh" refer to one of two things: physical blood and bones (Hebrews 2:14) and the area of our being that is the sum total of the drives and passions. (Galatians 5:16-21) Jesus had to battle with satan in the realm of the flesh in Matthew 4:2-3 "And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  The sinless and fully human Jesus won the battle of the flesh, refusing to give into the temptation - demonstrating Himself to be the perfect Second Adam. (Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:45)

The flesh as the active target in spiritual warfare includes the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Thus when we see King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30 boasting over all he has accomplished, we see the personification of the "pride of life". Clearly Nebuchadnezzar was acting in the flesh. For seven years he was reduced to a crawling beast of a man. Or how about the lesser known figure Achan in Joshua 7:21 whose "lust of the eyes" led to Israel's defeat at the hands of her enemies. Achan admits that he "saw" the plunder of the enemy, then "coveted" it, then "took" it and finally "concealed" it in his tent. The end result was death. When you and I get in the flesh, it grieves the Spirit of God who indwells every child of God. (Ephesians 4:30) The only way we can defeat the flesh is through repentance and following the leading of the Holy Spirit through the scriptures. (Galatians 5:16)

The Active Weaponry of spiritual warfare - The scriptures. 1 John 2:14,17

We have noted the adversary of spiritual warfare, the arena in which it occurs and the actual target. Indeed it can seem an overwhelming task in winning the battles of spiritual warfare. However I am here to tell you that God has prescribed an active weapon that is greater than all of Satan's devices combined - the word of God. In fact we see the scriptures bracketing this section of 1 John 4:14-17. 1 John 2:14 states - "I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one." Note the underlined phrases and the outcome - victory over the evil one by the scriptures. Or consider 1 John 2:17 "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." The "will of God" in this verse refers to God's revealed will, the scriptures. (Deuteronomy 29:29) Hebrews 4:12 tells us of the active nature of the word of God - "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

When you consider Jesus' battles with satan in the wilderness, how did he meet each challenge?  In Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 Jesus quoted scripture back at the Devil from Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:16 & 6:13. Why? Because only by the Word of God can we defeat the adversary. Commiting it to memory will ensure effective Christian living and spiritual success. (Joshua 1:8) Truly we are engaged in spiritual warfare at all times, but let us take up the spiritual armor, and wield the active weapon - the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)

P1 - The Christian's spiritual warfare

1 John 2:14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

All Christians are involved in spiritual warfare
Scripture makes it pretty clear that everybody who believes in God through Jesus Christ by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit is engaged in spiritual warfare.  2 Corinthians 10:3-5 states - "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." Then the Holy Ghost speaks in Ephesians 6:11-12  "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Although the two passages just cited are the place to begin in the Biblical understanding of spiritual warfare, they are not the only locations.  Virtually every New Testament author, from Paul (2 Corinthians 12), Peter (1 Peter 5:8), James (James 4:6-8), Jude (20-25) to the Apostle John (1 John 2:14-17) teach on the subject of spiritual warfare.  With regards to John's teaching in 1 John 2:14-17, we can note four elements of the Christian's spiritual warfare. 

1. The Adversary is Satan.  1 John 2:14
1 John 2:14 tells us - "I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."  The name "Satan" means "adversary", and is central to the identity of the fallen angel who led 1/3 of the angelic host astray at the beginning of the creation (Revelation 12) and who tempted Adam and his wife to sin. (Genesis 3:1-7)  The Old Adam was engaged toe to toe by the Devil and lost, however there would be the New Adam, Jesus Christ, who would face Him toe to toe.  In Matthew 4:1 we read -  "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."  Jesus, the New Adam, faced Satan head on in the wilderness and won!  In fact, other scriptures tell us that Jesus came to destroy the Devil's power and work. (Hebrews 2:15; 1 John 3:8)  Now it is clear from scripture that we don't have to deal with Satan directly, but rather indirectly through his heirarchy of fallen angels (demons). (Ephesians 6:11-18; 1 Peter 5:8)  However what scripture is certain about is that Satan is real and considered the believer's chief adversary through the demonic realm, which in turn influences the world (which we'll look at in a moment) and which in turn puts pressure on our drives in our flesh.  (2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 Peter 5:8)

2. The Arena of spiritual warfare is the world.  1 John 2:15
If the adversary of spiritual warfare is Satan, then the arena of spiritual warfare is the world.  The Greek term translated "world" is the word "kosmos", from whence we get our English words "cosmetics", "cosmology" and "cosmopolitan".  The term itself refers to "an organized system or order".  Thus "cosmetics" places one's face in an orderly way, "cosmology" is the study of how the universe is organized from its beginning to ending and a "cosmopolitan" person is a citizen who makes there way around the world in a strategic, orderly fashion.  The "world" is the arena in which the believer's spiritual warfare occurs.  Satan is in control of the world through his vast spiritual network as well as the various ideas and philiosophies. (Corinthians 4:4)  Though not all human thought is bad, yet our enemy often influences people through human thoughts.  The idea that correspond to the pattern of this world is what the Bible calls "worldy thinking". (Ephesians 2:1-2)  Thus spiritual warfare is waged by Satan, through the world on the battle field of the mind. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Jesus had to deal with the temptation of the "world" as seen in Matthew 4:8-9 "the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  Jesus won that battle in His direct warfare with satan in the wilderness so that you and I could win the battle of the world in our indirect warfare with satan.

More tomorrow.........

Living in God's Will

James 4:15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

When we speak about the will of God, we are referring to "what God desires" or "what God has planned".  Often you will hear people trying to find God's will or wanting to know what God's will is for their lives.  We know God is a personal God who chooses and decides to accomplish His purposes in accordance to His character and nature.  The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 makes this observation: "God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures."1

How other writers have understood God's will
In studying Christian writers and theologians who have written on the will of God, all of them without exception find in scripture certain distinctions within God's will.  Anytime we try to organize the Bible's teachings on a given subject, we refer to such an attempt as "systematic theology".  For example, the great theologian Charles Hodge speaks about God's decretive will and preceptive will.  By decretive will Hodge means that part of His will which concerns His purposes and future events, whereas God's preceptive will relates to the rule of duty for His creatures.2  Wayne Grudem in his work "Systematic Theology", defines God's will: "that attribute of God whereby He approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for existence and activity of Himself and all creation." 3  In Grudem's discussion he mentions such distinctions as God's necessary and free will and secret and revealed will.  We could cite others, but the point is made: it is helpful to proceed into the study of God's will in the Bible by noting legitimate distinctions within His will. 

Setting forth a proposed way of understanding God's will
In today's blog I want to give you some handles by which you can grab hold of in gaining a better understanding of God's will.4  The distinctions that I will bring out are based partly off of writers I have read over the years, sermons I have heard and some thinking and praying in my own studies.  The aim here is to give you better understanding that will lead to more effective application.  Our study will be based out of James 4:12-17 and other passages as we aim to understand how to live effectively in the will of God.   Note the following distinctions:

1. God's Ultimate Will - James 4:12
God's Ultimate Will is His overall, all-encompassing will that will come to pass no matter what.  Job 42:2 tells us: "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."  Ultimately and Sovereignly God alone has the power (omnipotence), knowledge (omniscience) and presence (omnipresence) to bring to pass everything He has planned.5  Whenever Jesus instructs His disciples in Matthew 6:10 to pray "your kingdom come, your will be done", He is speaking of God's ultimate will.

2. God's Ultimate will contains three distinct elements
With God's ultimate will covering all the bases, we understand that within His ultimate will there are the decisions of free-moral creatures, the march of history, the existence of evil and the accomplishment of His glory.  Three aspects of God's will fit under the umbrella of His Ultimate or Sovereign Will:

a. God's unrevealed will.  James 4:13-14
James 4:13-14 states - "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." (ESV)   What is God's unrevealed will? Simply - it is that part of His will that I cannot know.  The Bible clearly tells us that there are aspects of God's will that only He knows. (Deuteronomy 29:29)  You and I certainly cannot know what will happen tomorrow. (Proverbs 27:1; Matthew 6:34)  Does that mean we should not plan - no; however we should not at the same time worry and try to figure out what is on the next page of God's plan.  We may not know when Jesus is coming back, since only such information is known to the Father (Matthew 24:36), however that does not relieve us to live sensibly and godly lives until His appearing. (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3).  We must accept the fact that there are things only God knows.  Furthermore, we must also recognize that God never contradicts Himself in any aspect of His will, thus whatever He has chosen not to make known will never conflict with what He has revealed.  This is why James instructs his readers to not presume on the future, since it is unknown to them.

b. God's Permissive Will.  James 4:15-16
James writes in 4:15 "Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” God's permissive will is simply that which He allows or permits to occur, either by history, events or the decisions of His creatures, within the bounds of His Ultimate will. Do not think of God's permissive will as Him letting a part of His creation do whatever it wants apart from His supervision.  Likewise, do not think of permission by God as meaning that such decisions or activities are condoned by Him.  Certainly the cross is the best example of His permissive will as revealed in Acts 2:23 - "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."  The cross took place within the bounds of God's ultimate will, however the means of its accomplishment was permitted to include injustice, the wicked plots of the Jews and Pilate and the torture of crucifixion itself.  God uses means to accomplish His ends.  He willed to permit to the fall to accomplish the grander purpose of His glory. (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 8:22-23)  At times we may know why God permits certain things, and then at other times we may not know why He permits other things.  All we do know is that He has ordained to permit actions and decisions, both good and bad, to accomplish His purpose of glory and His work of redemption. (Romans 8:28; 2 Peter 3:9)

c. God's revealed will.  James 4:17
James writes in 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."  How do we know what is right and wrong?  To know what God says is wrong and right means we know His will.  Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that God has an unrevealed will which we cannot know and a revealed will that we can and must know.  What is God's revealed will? His Word.  Clearly if you cannot know God's will or desires on a given matter, then you are not responsible nor held liable for failing to accomplish it.  However if I know what I need to do, and yet fail to do, to me it is sin as James tells us.  The Bible reveals areas that are clearly God's will for me that require no guess work.  You and I as Christians are to study God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15); keep ourselves morally pure (1 Thessalonians 4:3); pray (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and be good, godly examples to unbelievers. (1 Peter 2:15)

Concluding thoughts and applications
So with those distinctions in mind, how can we bring this study to the point of application? 

1. First of all, we cannot be out of God's ultimate will, however we can be out of His revealed will.  Were the soldiers and the Jewish people out of God's revealed will in how they treated Jesus - absolutely!  However it was God's ultimate will for them to crucify the Lord. So when we are concerned whether or not we are out of the will of God - we are talking about His revealed will. 

2. Secondly, though I may not have access to God's unrevealed will, that does not release me to be unfaithful.  Paul for  example attempted to go into the area of Asia Minor in his missionary work and was hindered. (Acts 16:7)  God did not reveal why He was not permitting Paul and his companions to go into that area, however that did not prevent Paul from being faithful in what he did know - namely to keep sharing the Gospel.  As later chapters would reveal, it was God's ultimate will to go into Asia minor, however He first would have to go into Macedonia, a fact that God did reveal to Paul in Acts 16:9. 

3. Thirdly and finally, keeping the distinctions of God's will in mind can curb discouragement and confusion
When I encounter an area of God's unrevealed will, I know I need to trust and wait. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 40:31)  When I am dealing with God's permissive will, I may need to trust or obey, depending upon whether I have been made aware of why He is permitting something or not.  When you and I have clear direction from God's revealed will (the Bible), we need to obey. (John 14:15,21) 


End Notes:______________________
1. Baptist Faith & Message 2000: Article II "God".  In the third sentence down in the opening paragraph on the statement about God, the BFM 2000 connects God's will to Who He is as the all-powerful, all-knowing God.  Clearly if God were not all powerful, knowing and present, then he would not nor could not exercise His will over creation, redemption nor people. 

2. Hodge, Charles.  Systemative Theology - Volume 1. Page 403
Charles Hodge was a 19th century conservative, Bible believing theologian who taught theology at Princeton University when it was then a conservative school of theology.

3. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Page 211.  Grudem's theology is probably about the most widely read and used theology text in many conservative seminaries and Bible Colleges today.

4. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

5. Clearly there are some things which God planned that will occur regardless of creaturely involvement. We know for example that His Kingdom and Christ's return to conquer all other kingdoms is His Ultimate will for all history. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15). We know that the cross was His ultimate will concerning redemption. (Acts 2:23-24) Then another example, final judgment, is God's ultimate will for dealing with sin and fairly dealing with all of those who reject Him. (Isaiah 33:22; Matthew 25; James 4:12; Revelation 20) One more example of God's ultimate will is the fact that He works all things together for every child of God whom He chose, called, convicted and who in turn believed in order to be saved. (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28-30) 

P4 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Conversion

Matthew 19:7 "they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

In the past three days we have considered thus far three of the four foundations of Biblical marriage: Companionship, Covenant and Communication.  As we finish up this series today, we will return back to the passage with which we began - Matthew 19.  Jesus was pointing his listeners back to God's original design for marriage.  In what we read in the above opening verse of today's blog, Jesus' comments on the first marriage gives us our fourth and final foundation: Conversion. In other words, if a marriage is to be a valid Christian marriage, the two people getting married need to had been born again unto salvation. 

Biblical Foundation #4 : Conversion
So why this fourth foundation of conversion?  A quick study through the Bible will reveal that for a God-centered marriage (and not just any marriage) to start off on the right foot, both marriage partners need to be believers.  We gain this foundation from the following considerations:

1. The Pattern of marriage in original creation.  Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:22-25
When Adam and Eve were joined by God, they were joined prior to the fall.  In fact, both of them were not only in right relationship with God, but both were perfect (hence their marriage was the only perfect marriage in the history of the world!)  However by Genesis 3, both Adam and his wife rebelled against God, breaking the original covenant given to them.  At that point they were separated from God.  Now granted, their marriage covenant was not dissolved, however their companionship and communication were greatly affected. 

2. The Pattern of marriage in redemption.   Genesis 3:20-21
When God clothed Adam and Eve with the coats of skin, it was clear they had by grace through faith received the "Seed" promise of an ultimate redeemer given in Genesis 3:15.  Adam's naming of his wife "Eve" (mother of all living) was his confession of faith.  Eve's embracing of the covenant spoken to her by God in the first presentation of the Gospel indicated her reception by faith.  Only when the promise and plan of salvation is embraced by faith can the blood be applied.  Both were now reconciled to God and really to one another.  Communication and companionship was restored - as only can be the case when both the husband and wife are dwelling at the cross. 

3. The pattern of converted people go into marriage is reinforced throughout scripture
As a minister of the Gospel, one of the qualifications I expect of any couple approaching me to be united in the bonds of holy matrimony is that they be both Christians.  2 Corinthians 6:14-15 spells out this point - "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?"  Now what is the principle is also to be the practice, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 11:3 "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

So how will it be that Christ is the head of the husband unless he is first in Christ by grace through faith?  Likewise, how can the wife be considered praying with her head uncovered in 1 Corinthians 11:5 unless she is a Christian?  In otherwords, Paul is outlining the order of Christian marriage: God-->Christ-->A Christian man-->A Christian woman.  

Now we know that if two people get married who were both non-Christian individuals, and one of them gets saved, that does not invalidate the marriage. (compare 1 Corinthians 7:12-14)   If you trusted in Christ after you got married, and your spouse has still remained unconverted, consider these words from 1 Peter 3:1 "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives".  Pray for that spouse and be the Christ-like example to them. 

With that counsel from God's word, let me say this to young people contemplating marriage: under no circumstances should a Christian marry a non-Christian. A non-Christian spouse won't have a heart for God, no matter how well-meaning they may be or how tolerant they may attempt to be in allowing the Christian spouse to practice their faith.  The principle is plain: Christian people should only marry other Christian people if they want to have a Christian, Godly marriage.  This foundation, along with the other three foundations, are what the scriptures reveal to be the essentials for a bibilically sound marriage.

Conclusion
We have explored the Godly foundations for marriage ordained by God in Genesis 2:18-25. We first saw that in companionship the husband and wife reflect the inner reality of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Second, marriage is a covenant wherein husbands and wives demonstrate the covenant relationship God desires to have with His people.  Thirdly, communication, speaks to the intimacy between husbands and wives on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels.  This reflects who God is in His role as the supreme communicator. Satan’s plan for destroying marriages is to interrupt communication. If that takes place, breaking of the covenant and companionship will follow. Then finally, in order to have a Christian marriage that is biblically sound, Christian people should marry only other Christian people.  Conversion to Christ must be in place for there to be Christ-centered marriages.  With these four Biblical foundations: Companionship, Covenant, Communication and Conversion, the hope is that all of us who are married, or any of you reading this who are seeking to be so, will attain long lasting, Christ-honoring marriages.   

P3 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Communication

Genesis 2:23-24 Then the man said,“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Yesterday we looked at the second foundation for Biblical Marriage: Covenant.  In this blog series we have thus identified two fundamental foundations to Biblical marriage: Companionship and Covenant.  In today's blog we want to consider the third foundation of Biblical marriage: Communication.

Third Foundation of Godly Marriage: Communication – Gen 2:25

      When Genesis 2:25 states that Adam and Eve were “naked and not ashamed”, it is referring not only to their physical state, but also communication.  The idea of nakedness in the Hebrew language refers to “unhindered communication”, whereas shame refers to “confusion and breakdown in communication”.  As a perfect marriage, Adam and Eve enjoyed unhindered communication in body, soul and spirit.  Just as God Himself is all about communication, He desired to have reflected in Adam and Eve that same reality. 

As Jesus expounds upon this passage in Matthew 19:3-6, He notes first of all how God had created "male and female" as originally stated in Genesis 1:26-28.  The terms translated "male" and "female" are intended to communicate the diversity that exists within marriage.  Likewise Jesus then discusses in Matthew 19:6 this statement from Genesis 2:24 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh..."  God created marriage to be not only a diversity but at the same time a union between the husband and the wife. 

How communication as a "diversity" in "unity" pictures the Triune character of God Himself
These two ideas of "unity" and "diversity" are used in scripture to convey the reality of God Himself as One God (unity) who exists as three Persons (diversity) - hence the Trinity.  The reason why God is the God of communication or revelation is because He is unified in His essence - i.e His being.  His words are never contradictory.  If anything, God Himself is ever clear and truthful.  Since God is a three-fold Diversity, He as Father communicates perfectly to the perfect receiver - God the Son.  With the Holy Spirit perpetually cyling back and forth between the two, the ongoing communication between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is ongoing. (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:13-15)

As God had created Adam and and his wife in His "image" and "likeness", those two terms pointed to the capacity of Adam and his wife to communicate and receive communication from God and one another.  Adam, the recipient of God's revelation (Genesis 2:15-17) was to communicate it to his wife.  She in turn was to yield to Adam while at the same time co-ruling with him as God's delegated king and queen over creation.1

Satan's war on marriage - the breaking down of communication

Sadly in Genesis 3 Adam and his wife rebel against God in the garden.  Once Satan had destroyed communication between the husband and wife, their break of relationship with God naturally followed.  Since the covenant was broken with God, companionship was lost.  Satan knew that if he could disrupt communication, the other two foundations would fall like dominoes.  From Genesis 3 on the introduction of sin and death into the human race and the world would also affect marriage.  Since marriage pictures something true about God Himself, Satan's strategy in destroying marriages is not only to undermine humanity, but the picture of God Himself. 

More tomorrow.........

End Notes________________

1. The Hebrew word for "rule" in Genesis 1:26 speaks of exercising dominion or rule over creation.  Adam and his wife were delegated authority by God, an authority they forfeited in the fall.  The breakage of the Covenant of Works in Genesis 3:1-7 meant loss of the effectiveness to excercise authority.