Ok, so here's the challenge this week.
We need to make some decisions. Many of us can't boast on our God because we don't know what He stands for and why we believe what we believe. This is a dangerous situation to be in because it invites easy deception and leaves us with no foundation on which to build our faith.
For example, I have the luxury of being completely secure in my marriage, not because my husband and I are such great people, but because we know what the bible says about marriage and that's where we place our faith.
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave His life for it, Ephesians 5:25
Knowing this verse alone brings comfort, but to really build our faith we have to understand how Christ loved the church (church = ekklesia in the Greek : called out ones; assembly).
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us what Christ's love looks like.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
In Romans 8, Paul convinces us of the strength of Christ's love.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
Imagine every husband loving his wife like this! Because I know these verses and my husband's commitment to them, I cannot be deceived by temptations of divorce, abuse, or unfaithfulness. So I am confident in my relationship because I know that we are both committed to the Word of God first and each other second.
These are the kind of discussions we need to have with ourselves about many other issues in our lives. Are we committed to the Word of God first or do we make idols of our friends, families, and emotions?
I invite you to start with the list below and identify what the bible has to say about these issues. Many times we try to ignore such topics and end up finding ourselves in compromising positions. Trust me, it is much easier to stay committed to your beliefs when you make up your mind about the issue before you're pressured. My husband and I didn't wait until our first argument to decide that love should be patient. Most likely, by then it would have been too late.
1. Heaven and Hell
2. Alcohol
3. Abortion
4. Homosexuality
5. Premarital sex
6. Money (Gambling, greed, tithes, etc)
7. Marriage (Divorce, unsaved partners, submission, respect)
It is great to be able to discuss these issues with other believers, but the bible should always be the final authority. If anyone has trouble finding biblical references for any of the topics, feel free to email me at kalonda@att.blackberry.net
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