Sin hates you

Sin crouches and stalks, seeking to devour us, leaving us a shell, destroying who we are. God lovingly pursues us and calls us to himself, laying down His life, so that we might have fullness of joy, beauty, and life.

God's Vision for the Family

          God’s vision for the family is part of the story of mankind. It began at creation and was set out to as a reflection of the image of God and the story of the Gospel, and God’s establishment of a Kingdom with a people, place, and king. God’s vision for the family reflects this purpose, and it began when God created Adam . . . .

After God (the King) made a garden (the place) and then created man (the people) and placed him in it. And before he had made the woman, he immediately gave him a task and a vision. . .

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

God had given Adam a purpose, a work, and a vision to accomplish in establishing the Kingdom. God was the Author and the King of Adam’s vocation. Adam did not set his own agenda. Adam looked to God for his vision and purpose. However God knew Adam couldn’t accomplish this vision alone; dominion of the earth could not be accomplished by one man. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone”. And so God brought the animals before Adam in order to see if a helper could be found to accompany Adam in his task. Yet Adam did not find a helper fit for him among the creatures God had made. . . .

So God put Adam to sleep and created a helper that was fit . . . a woman, someone who was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. And when Adam saw the woman that God had brought him, he cried out in joy,

                “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.”

(Genesis 2:23 ESV)

Finally, after all his searching, he “at last” found someone above all the others who was a helper fit to accomplish God’s vision and purpose for mankind. Among all the creatures there was none to be cherished by the man more than the woman. In bringing the animals before Adam, first, God demonstrated that Adam was to love and cherish his wife above all others. That is why it is said,

“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 ESV)

From the very beginning, God intended that the wife would be cherished and held fast by her husband. We see this vision for the family, later, as Paul and Peter both look back to God’s purposes for marriage and have as their core exhortation to husbands . . . love, value, and cherish your wives. God states, “she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Malachi 2:14b ESV). Husbands, your wives are to be cherished, are to be held close, and to be your companion by God’s purpose, design, and covenant. If a man does not love his wife, the man is in rebellion against God. The wife is the husband’s companion in pursuing God’s Kingdom.

God had given Adam a task and vision he could not accomplish alone. And for this reason God made the woman. After presenting the woman to Adam and bring them together, God blessed them both, added to Adam’s vision and purpose, and gave it to them both, commanding them to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion . . . .” The woman was created as a helper fit to help Adam to accomplish this command and the work God had given her husband, Adam, in establishing the Kingdom. Without her it would not have been possible. This too was God’s vision for the family from the beginning. And again later, we see Paul and Peter also echoing this vision as they both exhort wives to submit to and respecting their husbands. Proverbs 31 words it this way,

                 An excellent wife who can find?

                                She is far more precious than jewels.

                The heart of her husband trusts in her,

                                and he will have no lack of gain.

                She does him good, and not harm,

                                all the days of her life.

                (Proverbs 31:10-12 ESV)

“The heart of her husband trusts in her . . .” This at last is a helper fit for man to be a co-heir, a partner, someone who will support Adam in pursuing God’s vision. “She is far more precious than jewels.”

                So the man is to love and cherish his wife. The wife is to respect and support her husband. And through this, they are to partner in accomplishing God’s vision. We see this outlined by Paul, “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.” Understand this . . . no one is allowed their own vision, except for God. The wife does not have her own vision, nor does the husband. But each have their roles in accomplishing God’s vision for the family. That is why as I have been writing I keep referring to God’s vision. This is important. The purpose of mankind is not to pursue its own glory, but to pursue the Glory of God. No one is allowed to have their own vision, and to do so is rebellion. The husband is not allowed to set his own vision for the family, nor is the wife allowed to have her own vision for the family; both are to pursue God’s vision together. The scripture teaches “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25 ESV). Keeping this in mind, let us look at the roles for the husband and wife further . . .

Man was created first. Adam also named the woman. These were both signs of his authority. From the beginning the husband was created to lead and to be the head of his wife. The husband’s headship was not an afterthought. Paul makes this clear in 1 Timothy 2, when he appeals to this as the reason for man’s authority in the church. Paul also refers to this fact elsewhere, “For man was not made from woman, but woman from man” (1 Corinthians 11:8 ESV). The woman was given to the man because he could not accomplish God’s vision without her. Adam needed his wife to succeed. Her support for God’s vision was essential. It was part of God’s design to accomplish the vision God had for mankind. And after God had presented the woman to the man, God “saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31 ESV). The roles God had established between the man and the woman were beautiful, breath taking, splendid, grand, pleasurable, and life giving.

---

The role God had given the woman at the beginning was intensely beautiful and imperishable. She is to be a support and help-meet to her husband. The scripture says that the head of the woman is the man. The wife is to look to her husband for instruction and value his leadership and direction. God gave Adam his commandment, before He made the woman. Adam was to speak God’s word’s to his wife. Paul describes how wives are to be cleansed and sanctified by their husbands through the washing of the word (Ephesians 5:26). Apart from God and the scripture, the husband should be the first and primary source of sanctification and teaching for the wife. This is one of the reasons why Paul states in 1 Corinthians 14, “If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home” (ESV). The wife is to look to her husband in this, because he needs her. Her thoughts and concerns are precious, and as she comes to him as her head, he also is sanctified and grows in the Lord. He becomes more like Christ as she displays the beauty of the glory of God, through her submission. 1 Peter 3 shows that the wife’s submissive behavior is the most influential thing on a man’s heart. A wife has the strength to build her home. As she comes to her husband and submits to him, God’s vision for the family is strengthened.

Peter discusses the sanctifying power of a godly woman and how her beauty can even change the heart of a hard, calloused, and ungodly man (1 Peter 3).  Peter describes a beautiful woman as one who is precious, valuable, needed, and cherished both to the husband and to God. He states, “but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.” Therefore, beauty for a woman is having a gentle and quiet spirit. And this “gentle and quiet spirit” is displayed by the wife’s submission and obedience to her husband, by looking to him as her head and lord. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul states, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”

Obedience and submission to the husband, is the calling of God for the wife. Her vision should be caught up in supporting her husband’s vision. “A virtuous and worthy wife [earnest and strong in character] is a crowning joy to her husband” (Proverbs 14:2, Amplified). The bible describes her as noble and strong. This is not the world’s idea of submission. It is a submission and obedience that come from the inner beauty of a woman who knows her God and intimately pursues His glory.  The Proverbs 31 woman is a woman of ingenuity, intelligence, wisdom, strength, and ability. She has the full trust of her husband. “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.” Like Joseph, her husband does not need to concern himself with anything under her care. “She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” He knows she will support him and his leadership in the vision God has given them as a family. She is his partner and companion. She is his primary support and council. No one, no man or woman, is better suited to help him pursue God. In Proverbs 31, it states, “Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land” (ESV). This is not a description of the husband, but a description of what the wife has accomplished. Because of her support for her husband, he is known and respected and influential. He couldn’t accomplish this without her. God said, “it is not good for the man to be alone . . . .” The scripture states, “The wisest of women builds her house . . .” (Proverbs 14:1a, ESV). A woman partners with her husband to establish the home. And she can also tear it down in foolishness. The wife has a lot of influence in establishing or tearing down God’s vision for the family. The husband is not meant to do it without her. He desperately needs his wife as a coheir and partner in the Kingdom.

Paul writes in Titus, “Older women, . . . They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” The idea of submission comes from God’s word which means it comes from the very heart of God. He established the role of the wife at creation, and sustained it in the scripture. God established the role of the wife, for God has a bigger vision – the Gospel story of Christ and the Church. Paul states that the relationship between a husband and wife is an image of Christ and the church, a husband or a wife who fail to display their end of that image, are failing to display the Gospel in their lives to themselves and to others, and the Gospel and the word of God is at risk of being reviled. A Godly woman submits to her husband because she has a deep understanding of the Gospel and the power of the Kingdom of God. She has a love for God’s word and trusts her Father. The strongest influence a woman has on her husband is her submission. It is imposing and powerful, not weak. It is the strongest power to turn the heart of a hardhearted calloused man to God. If this kind of man is going to change, the strongest influence is the “quiet and gentle spirit” of a godly wife. And if this is the case for an ungodly man, how much more so is this the case for the godly husband. A godly woman is full of strength and influence and the wisest of them will use that strength to support her husband and build her home.

Submission is valuing who God has made her husband. He can’t do this without her . . . He desperately needs her. She is to look to him because he can’t get it done without her

---

When mankind sinned the relational purpose of God for the husband and wife became corrupted. Sin brought curses on mankind, one of those being . . . “[Wife,] Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 ESV) Corruption entered the relationship between husband and wife. The wife’s desire was no longer to serve her husband, but instead was to devour her husband and thus corrupting her husband. And the man’s sinful response to this affront would be to crush his wife and to neglect loving and cherishing his wife, and thus destroying her. We see this same type of wording in Genesis 4, when God speaks to Cain, “sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” In the Hebrew these two passages are identical. Sin desires to overtake devour Cain, but Cain proper response is to crush and put to death sin. And it is in the fall, where both the husband and the wife, because of sin, decided to take up and pursue their own vision and purpose instead of God’s. Sin corrupted the love the husband had for his wife; he no longer cherished her like he should. And the wife no longer supported and submitted to her husband, like she should. God’s vision for the family was corrupted because of sin, pride, selfishness, argumentative spirits, harshness, and more took its place.

It is not God’s design for a man to crush his wife. Nor is he a dictator. He is to portray Christ in His headship. And he is to be under Christ’s headship.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5)

God’s design for man from the beginning was to shepherd his family in the way of the Lord. Man was made to be the head of the family. When mankind sinned God address Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife . . . .” Adam put his wife’s vision above God’s vision. Adam failed as the head of his family by failing to submit and obey to his Head and Lord. He is to lead and protect his family under the vision of God. The man is not allowed to lead by his own interests, desires or whims or the desires of others.  The husband is not allowed to have his own vision, but has the duty of establishing the vision of God for his family, by presenting the Word and the Gospel. The scripture calls husbands to love, cherish, lay down their lives, and lead as Christ does the church. This is a high calling, and is accomplished as the husband lays himself down underneath the headship of Christ. The husband’s first allegiance is to Christ. And through that allegiance to Christ, a husband can love his wife.

The scriptures paint a beautiful picture of the enduring passion and enveloping love of a husband for his wife. The husband is commanded to love his wife in the most intense and sacrificial way, with a love that represents Christ’s love for His church, His beloved. God has commanded husbands to sanctify their wives through loving her, by giving up of themselves for her, and gently washing her with the word. Husbands, this is a romantic picture of love. Imagine the physical picture of this and do this with you words, emotions, and actions toward your wife. There is nothing more romantic. This love is not weak, for the husband’s love comes from the strength of Christ. It is a love that has amazing strength and integrity to it that does not compromise on God’s heart for her, while still being full of tenderness. The husband is to live with his wife in an understanding way learning how to cherish and nourish her as his own body. Our words and actions should build her up, not tear her down. The husband is to love his wife, by shepherding his family towards the love of Christ, not himself. It is a love that firmly calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. And a husband must follow Jesus to be the husbands his wife needs.

Just as Christ's love is effectual in sanctifying our hearts, the husband’s love through Christ will be the most powerful instrument in changing his wife and helping her to grow in Christ. Even if she is an ungodly woman, this is the story of Hosea and this is the story of Christ and His church. So whether or not she is godly or not, the husband is to passionately love his wife, knowing that this love is effectual. And even if she does not change, the husband’s head is Christ, and he is to be faithful to the covenant that has been made between him and his wife, through Christ.

The scripture describes wives as “cherished”, “delight of your eyes”, “beloved”, “praised”, “more precious than jewels”, and “favor of the LORD”. We are to love our wives above all others and hold fast to her.  In Malachi God says that she is the husband’s companion by covenant. 1 Peter 3 states that she is our co-heir. And husbands are to treat their wives as such. The Lord states that he is a witness between the husband and how he treats his wife, and will not listen to a man who does not cherish his wife

“You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant”.

(Malachi 2:13-14 ESV)

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7, ESV)

God expects the husband to cherish his wife. And if he does not, his prayers will not be heard. This is sobering. The wife has been given to the husband by God. The husband should not reject or treat this gift with disregard. If he does so it is an affront to God. She is your companion, cherished one, beloved by covenant. But this is the joy that God has given husbands, to portray the love of Christ for His bride. And it is exciting, because just as God has given you your wife, He also has established the covenant between you and your wife and made you her husband. The covenant is made by God and is fulfilled through Christ. A husband leads and loves his family on his knees. And God is faithful and will efficaciously work through a man who sincerely comes to him. And he says, “Come all who are weary.” It in the work of Christ and under the headship of Christ, that a man is able to lead. A Godly man is a man who presses into the gospel.

---

“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church”. (Ephesians 5)

The relationship between a husband and wife represents Christ and the church. It is a portrayal of the cosmic story of the Gospel. How we treat our spouses reflects on this image. This story was set at the beginning when the first man and woman were created. And we have the pleasure of participating in that story in our marriages. We can have faith to believe in the beauty, the wonder, and the romance of the story or we can go our own way. But it is under the vision of God for the family that we find true romance and become participants in something greater than ourselves.

The Creation, The Flood . . . is that possible pt 2

We know that the Genesis description of Creation is accurate, because it is a description coming from the Creator, himself. And His word is a trustworthy account of what happened.

So then the question is, are the proposed "scientific" explanations consistent with the Genesis account? Because if they are true they must be consistent with Genesis. And if they are not, then they are faulty, and we must keep looking.

I talked about the Flood earlier, because I think this is a good example of where science has definitely failed. We know the Flood happened, the scripture is clear on this, and yet the scientist in general refuse to acknowledge it in their study, research, or theories, not even allowing it in the field. They insist the Flood never happened. Is the scripture faulty or is their refusal to accept the scripture and repress the truth faulty. Their refusal to accept the Flood shows that their science is faulty (well at least on the level where the Flood is concerned). The scientists make observations and theories with blinders on. And just as there is a fault with their view pertaining to the Flood so there is a fault with their view toward Creation.

So if our (the ones created) "scientific" explanations differ or are in conflict with the description given by the One who created the world, the One who has all the observations, time, and facts before him, should we believe Him, or should we insist on relying on our own observations, which come from a very limited and minute point of view. . . . God's ways are far above our own. Humbly we should trust Him at His word. . . . The scripture says,

"All these things my hand has made,

and so all these things came to be,

declares the Lord.

But this is the one to whom I will look:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit

and trembles at my word."

And so as we come to understand this world that God has made, we must do so with a contrite and humble spirit that trembles at God's Word.

And maybe sometimes, what we observe from our vantage point throws us off and confuses us, and that's ok, and we can be honest about what we see and observe, because we don't have the full vantage point, and perspectives can change when you are so small. We are learning and trying to understand things from where we are.

So this does not do away with what we observe, and it is ok to continue to be scientists and to give the best explanation we know and to be honest with what we find, but it is a humble approach realizing we still have much to learn, and just as throughout history, we have found that our observations have been limited or faulty, so today, we need to realize that are present theories are as well.

When we don't, we are like those who insisted that the world was flat, or that the sun revolved around the earth, because that is what they knew from their limited point of view and observations. Or we can become like the church, who insisted on holding to an Aristotle view of science, even though it was secular, and conformed the scriptures to fit that secular explanation.

We may have leaped in bounds in science compared to those days, but we are still limited and do not see the whole pictures and definitely not as much as God sees. And we are still sinful in how we interpret the findings. Romans 1 shows are sinful bent in looking at nature and suppressing the things of God. Because of are sinful tendency, we must be humble in what we learn. There is a danger of trembling at science, over and above, trembling at God's Word, allowing science to conform are mind, more than God's Word.


“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding."


Other things may fade away, like scientific theories, but God's word does not.

Unlike us, God, however, does see the whole picture, and has no need to be ashamed of His account of creation. He created the world as He saw fit. He didn't have to allegorize it, because He could do anything, and did do it. He created the world how He wanted to, to represent what He wanted it to represent, to bring about a story He wanted, not one of fairy tales, but one that is real. So when God, describes the way He created the world it is not a fantasy but a real account of the story, history.

The question then comes what does Genesis and the rest of the scriptures say about Creation. What does the Lord say about what happened. Where the scripture is sure, we can trust it and we don't have to waver. And we shouldn't let our fears color our interpretation, trying to fit it in with what we know. Let it speak for itself. Scripture works better that way. It is not meant to be caged in, but instead it is living, penetrating our hearts and conforming our minds to its truth. It is to shape us in God's image, we are not to shape it into ours.

I for one choose to believe God and to tremble at His word, instead of insisting on my own perspective. We continue to be scientists, honest and objective. And science will follow along, if it is willing to be objective, honest, and humble, for true Science always obeys God's voice.

 The Creation, The Flood pt1

The Creation, The Flood . . . is that possible

"The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep."

In the span of about of 40 days, the earth was covered by waters, then for more days the earth water prevailed over the earth, and then the water receeded and dry land appeared once again. All this, both the Flood and the ending of the Flood, occurred in about the span of a year. This is a major geological feat in a very short period of time, and its suddenness shows the vastness of the event. We get a small glimpse of it in the Bible, "on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights." We don't know all the details or all that happened geologically during the Flood and the Bible doesn't go into great detail, but we can know that it happened, and that it was a significant event.

We live in a day and age where something like this would be considered an impossibility. However, the Flood is a biblical certainty. It did happen. And there is no reason to doubt it. And it happened in the time allotted by the Bible, whether we can explain it or not.

Genesis 1 and 2 describes creation. The Bible also says, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day". This, too, would be considered impossible, but it is a biblical certainty.

When we put human philosophy above the words of the Bible, the Bible looses, because it doesn't make sense to us, not if we look at it with human wisdom. But the scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." and again it says, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God."

These accounts were written through the Holy Spirit, not through someone who was looking back at an event that they were not apart of. The scripture says that Moses talked with God face to face. He got these accounts from an eye witness of the events, God himself. An eyewitness who is faithful and true. And these accounts in Genesis or accounts we can rely on. So is our wisdom wiser than God's? Are His ways so much higher than ours, that we choose to trust Him at His word?

If we continue to look at these events with a worldly philosophy, we will continue to be foolish, we will not be able to understand science fully. But perhaps if we start looking at these accounts as given by someone who is faithful and true, perhaps, we will grow in our understanding of our world and what we see. Perhaps we will see the wisdom in it after all. And perhaps we will have a better understanding of science.

The Theology of Creation - John MacArthur

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Covenant of faith

III. The Romance/ God’s pursuit of us
Day 4 pt 1
a. The Covenant of Faith
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
" 30But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." "

In ancient culture, when a covenant was made between two men, animals were split in two and both men would walk in-between the animals signifying that if they did not keep covenant with the other person that they should be torn in two as the animals. In Romans 4 and Galatians 3:7-9, Paul refers to Genesis 15, where God makes a covenant with Abraham through faith. In Genesis 15, the animals were prepared and cut in two, but instead of both parties walking through the covenant, only God walks through the split animals. “As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him . . . When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram . . . .” Abraham was not capable of keeping covenant with God, so God was saying that He alone would keep the covenant both His part and Abraham’s part. God here was also saying that if He does not keep His part as well as Abraham’s part, “Let me be torn asunder”.
We have a God who in His love has made a covenant with us. Jeremiah 34:10 says, “’I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of Me in their hearts, that they may not turn from Me.’” (also read Hebrews 8:8-12). The Scripture says in Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." So now we look to Jesus who alone bore the cross and who alone tore the veil and who alone upholds the covenant of Grace. He is not only the author, but He is also the perfecter of our faith. He alone secures the covenant of the Gospel. We are dependent on work that Christ has done, both on His behalf and on ours.

What did the Psalmists mean when they called God their shelter and stronghold?

Additional readings: Hebrews 8:6-10; Hebrews 6:13-20; Ezekiel 11:17-20; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1; Romans 9:16; Jude 24,25; Philippians 1:6; Luke 4:18,19; Galatians 3:7-9; Romans 4
Video – Amazing Grace