By Ben Berto
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-10 NKJV
It was said that Charles Bronson was faithful to only one wife, and that was Jill Ireland. There was one actress who had seven husbands, including Rock Hudson and Eddie Fisher to name a couple. The Bible said that “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Matt.19:6) When the disciples ask Jesus why Moses permitted divorce, Jesus said that because of the hardness of their hearts, but in the beginning it was not so. That is why in wedding vows we read that marriage should be “to love each other in sickness and in health…till death do you part.”
The Seventh-day Adventist Church Fundamental Beliefs, 22, states thus, “Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian, a marriage commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between partners who share a common faith. Mutual love, honour, respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and His church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Although some family relationships may fall short of the ideal, marriage partners who fully commit themselves to each other in Christ may achieve loving unity through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the nurture of the church. God blesses the family and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete maturity. Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their example and their words, they are to teach them that Christ is a loving disciplinarian, ever tender and caring, who wants them to become members of His body, the family of God. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel message.”
Today, there are deviations from God’s ideal marriage. In the Ten Commandments, God said in the Seventh Commandment, “Do not commit adultery.” Jesus said, that if one looks at a woman{or man} with lust in his/her heart, he/she has committed adultery in his heart. The deviations could be polygamy or polyandry, fornication and adultery, impurity of thought, incest, homosexuality, and divorce. These should be avoided by Christians with the help of God The Barna Research group said, “indicates that divorce rates among Christians, including practicing Christians, are roughly similar to the general population, with about 16% to 20% having experienced divorce. Despite this, Christians tend to remarry more often, maintaining higher overall marriage rates. Key factors contributing to these splits often include unrealistic expectations and communication issues.”
All these issues affecting Christians could be laid at the feet of Satan who is working hard upset the good plans of God for His creation, for man who was created in His image. Sin is the cause of all the trouble in the world culminating in the death of mankind, but because God loves man, He provided a solution. In John 3: 16 NIV we read, 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
To contact us: Our website is www.abundantlifeadventist.ca. Worship with us every Saturday Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Genesis 2: 2, 3, Exodus 20: 8-10, Isaiah 58: 13, 14; Isaiah 66: 22, 23; Matthew 5: 17-19; Revelation 22: 14, John 14: 1-3, Rev. 6:6-12, Romans 8: 35-39
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