Skip to main content
Category

Sin

Oct 12
Love0

The Beautiful Symbol of Marriage

By Attributes of God, Faithfulness, Grace, Marriage, Sin, Trials No Comments

The Beautiful Symbol of Marriage

Not long ago I officiated a wedding ceremony that followed the predictable theme of faithfulness. I, groom, take you bride, to be my wedded wife. I promise to love you, comfort you, honor and keep you, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to you so long as we both shall live. Soon, the bride pledged the same loyalty to her new husband.

In one sense these words are unremarkable because of their familiarity. Their implications, however, are not only practically profound but also theologically instructive. Because every groom is a picture of Christ in the home (Eph. 5:25-33) and every bride a reminder of the church (Eph. 5:22-24), marriage clearly and powerfully depicts the faithfulness of God toward His people.

I do. I will. I promise.

Vows such as these are more than a pattern to which a man and woman aspire; they are a picture of the abiding commitment of the Lord toward those who know Him. So great is God’s love for His own that He remains faithful to us even though we sometimes stray from Him (James 4:4-5). These themes reverberate in the Old and New Testaments alike. We are to declare (Ps. 89:1), celebrate (Psalm 89:8), and rest in (1 Thess. 5:23-24) God’s faithfulness for His people.

Seem too good to be true? Need an example from Scripture? Look no farther than God’s reassurance of Israel amidst their Babylonian exile. Remember, they suffered at the hands of a foreign enemy because of their sinful idolatry and wickedness (Isa. 3). Yet, the Lord remained faithful to the Jews and promised to redeem them (Isa. 43:1). In addition, Yahweh insisted that He would be with them (43:2); that He was their God (43:3); that they were precious to Him (43:4); that He loved them (43:4); and that He take care of them (43:5). God was faithful even when His people were not.

Remarkably, through the sacrifice of His Son, God offers the same assurance to us! Like ancient Israel, we are often blind to the heart of our God, deaf to His Word, and oblivious to His ways. Yet, when we are faithless, He remain faithful because He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13). Those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith have the joy of being sons and daughters of the God who is unwavering in His commitment to us.

Beyond God’s expressed love for His children is His explicit plan for those who follow Him. Though often a mystery to us, His agenda is bigger than the immediate needs that press upon our lives.

            What career path should we choose?

            Who should we marry?

            Where should we live?

            How can we ease the common burdens that arise?

Questions and struggles like these are not insignificant, but they are not ultimate either. When God seems silent on present matters that consume us, He remains faithful to His eternal ordering of our lives. He is not less purposeful when we do not understand Him, nor is He less concerned when we do not grasp His ways. But how can we be sure?

Revisiting an exiled Israel again reassures us. God not only promised to love His people, but to work on their behalf by gathering them from the four corners of the earth (Isa. 43:5-7). Most immediately, these verses pointed to the end of Jewish exile and their return from Babylon to their homeland. The fuller implication, though, is that one day God will gather His people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to live with Him in a New Heaven and Earth (Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-10). In other words, their immediate need and its solution was part of a greater plan and reality that was coming.

The same is true for us.

During our greatest victories, God is working. When we grieve our darkest moments, God is still working. When we battle anxiety, He continues working. When we rebel and when we repent, He is working still. His eternal purposes for the redeemed are more wonderful than you can imagine, more comprehensive than you can see, and more significant than you can fathom. Even when the past is a roadmap for the future, God is always doing something new that can only be described as a faithful expression of His love (Isa. 43:18-20).

God will always be faithful, ultimately, because His name is at stake. The key, however, is that we pledge ourselves to Christ as a bride who adores her groom. How do we do it? By numbering ourselves with the redeemed who call out to God in repentance and faith. Our confidence is in the purifying work of the Savior who sought a people to be His own possession (Tit. 2:14). Then, and only then, can we experience the abundant, abiding faithfulness of the only true God.

Adam B. Dooley

October 12, 2024

 

 

 

 

Sep 05
Love0

Do we need to talk about sin?

By Christian Living, Sanctification, Sin No Comments

Do we need to talk about sin?

The older I get the more I see shadows of my father in the things I do and enjoy. Whether it’s the gait with which I walk, my general suspicion of politics, or my obsession with some details and my apathy for others, you don’t have to be around me very long to recognize that I am my father’s son. Another enduring trait passed down from my dad is my unexplainable affection for the Andy Griffith Show.

One of my all-time favorite scenes, likely because of my role as a pastor, takes place in Mayberry’s All Souls Church. After singing a familiar hymn, Dr. Hobart Tucker stood and announced his good friend, Dr. Everett Breen, as the guest pulpiteer for the day. As the visiting preacher delivers his message, both Gomer Pyle and Barney Fife fight the nagging urge to doze off during the service.

Admittedly, the theme of slowing down and relaxing was partly to blame for the sermon’s hypotonic effect. The humorous punch line, however, came as people greeted the minister at the door of the church while leaving, voicing what a masterpiece his words were. Though Dr. Breen never mentioned the subject, Barney interjected, “That’s one subject you can’t talk enough about—sin!”

As we think about becoming more like our Heavenly Father, sin is the one issue we cannot afford to ignore. Few people enjoy the topic, and many choose to ignore the matter of our waywardness entirely. Yet, the Apostle Peter states plainly, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:14-16).”

While the Bible does not teach that we are born again because of good works, it does emphasize that life change is the greatest evidence that a person truly knows God. Remaining in sin while following Jesus is much like remaining in a tempestuous sea with hopes of not drowning. Thus, the way of the cross is forsaking our old way of life, along with its wicked encumbrances, to follow the path of holiness. Just as earthly children inherit the nature and characteristics of their earthly parents, Christians will necessarily become more like our heavenly Father who is holy and righteous.

Those who are outside of Christ are by nature children of wrath who continually indulge in the desires of the flesh (Eph. 2:3). But those who experience salvation by grace through faith become partakers of a divine nature whereby we escape the corruption of this world (2 Pet. 1:4). All of this simply means that because God is holy, if we are pursuing Him, we, too, will become more and more holy. No wonder Jesus admonished us to let our light shine before others so that they will see our good works, dare I say our holy lives, and glorify our Father in heaven who is also holy (Matt. 5:16).

Mere legalism can never accomplish our call to sanctified living. Outward expressions of faith must be born out of inward commitment to the Lord. The psalmist encourages, “Give the Lord the glory due His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Ps. 29:2).” In fact, our best efforts to worship God apart from repentance over sin will inevitably fall flat. We must lift up holy hands, without wrath and doubting (1 Tim. 2:8). Even prayer is impossible if we refuse to reckon with the iniquities in our hearts (Ps. 66:18).

Why does all this talk of holiness matter? Simply put, salvation is costly. God does not redeem us with perishable things like silver or gold, nor the futile way of life that is so common all around us, but with precious blood of his unblemished and spotless Son, Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19). The Savior who died on a cross for the sins of this world is not a good way, or even the best way to heaven. Jesus is THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN.

Do people recognize you as a Christian? Do others see the God the Father in you? Does your lifestyle accurately reveal the nature and character of God? Following the One who is holy means that we, too, become more and more holy as each day passes.

Close Menu