God’s grace is his undeserved, kind, favor/action toward us (159 times in the N.T.). Pictures of God’s grace seem never-ending.

Exodus 34:6 (NIV)
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…”

Psalm 145:8 (NIV)
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Paul would often start and end a letter with a prayer for God’s favor to be on the recipients

Romans 1:7; 16:20 (NIV)
⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. / Romans 16:20 – ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (also 1 Cor 1:3 & 16:23; 2 Cor 1:2 & 13:14; Gal 1:3 & 6:18)

A biblical vision of grace carries with it the idea that the kindness is undeserved. If we think about it, giving someone something that is deserved or earned IS NOT an act of grace. That is paying a debt or fulfilling an agreement.

Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 4:4 (NIV)
Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.

This can be difficult for us. As humans filled with the hope of self-merit, we often want to move toward a disposition of exchange. I exchange my skills, my abilities, my sincerity, my humility for God’s blessing – that’s not grace.

(Hodge) …it is often asserted that salvation is of grace. The gospel is a system of grace. All its blessings are gratuitously bestowed; all is so ordered that in every step of the progress of redemption and in its consummation, the grace, or undeserved love of God, is conspicuously displayed. Nothing is given or promised on the ground of merit. Everything is an undeserved favor.¹

God’s grace is limitless

Ephesians 2:6-7 (NIV)
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever wondered what heaven will me like? Paul gives us a glimpse here. Since God’s grace is infinitely deep, we will knowingly experience the never ending joy of kindness to us in Jesus. As a finite person it will take forever to fully experience God’s love for me. We see this in passages like John 1: 14-16:

John 1:14-16 (NIV)
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” ¹⁶ From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

This is GOOD NEWS – God’s grace is limitless – he will forgive any who trust in Jesus:

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)
In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

The gospel is the ultimate, the best example of grace

When you look up “amazing” in the dictionary you’ll see a picture of Steve Burt. There are many

Acts 14:3 (NIV)
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

1 Peter 1:10 (ESV)
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully…

There is purpose in God’s kindness

God’s saving kindness to Paul came with mission:

Romans 1:5 (NIV)
Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

God’s saving kindness (God’s grace) to the Corinthian Christian also came with mission:

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Application

Being people filled with grace is very important. In being filled with grace and showing grace we should show a difference between the ethos of this world and the ethos of the Kingdom. But grace is not necessarily the same as the news that Jesus died so you could live. The giving of my time, my care, my acceptance, my finances is good – it is gracious – but it is not the gospel.

God’s grace shows itself in every good thing – Country / Baby / Banana Cream Pie – and for the one who embraces Christ, in every difficult and painful thing too – Nathan Junker. In pain the Holy Spirit works to show me how frail this world is and how wonderful the rock of my hope is – thank God for painful things. Without pain I would put the gifts of God in front of the giver.

I’d like to ask you to connect with me around a VERY serious issue this morning. Before we get there, however, I want you to complete this sentence. “If I was the Christian I should be, my life would look like ________”. This is, and has always been, an important question.

I’d like to talk about one of the ways many are answering this question today. I’d like to talk about something called the “prosperity gospel”. While the prosperity gospel has many facets, I’ll summarize it this way: God would have, as a priority, his children abound in physical health and material wealth. Just as Jesus’ victory over sin on the cross gives his children endless riches spiritually, so too his victory on the cross is meant to pour out all manner of earthly benefits – physical health/healing and financial wealth.

Just as we can bend and twist almost anything to suit our desires, so too we can easily bend Scripture to say what we want it to say. This has always been a problem. We as self-centered humans seem, in the end, to be driven to understand things in a way that puts us first. Today I’d like to talk about something called the “prosperity gospel”. I’d like to talk about, two verses that are often used to support the prosperity gospel.

The first verse is Romans 8:32:

Romans 8:32 (NIV)
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

If God gives us the greatest thing – not only his Son, but the death of his Son – will he not also give us everything else we need?

In Romans 8 Paul is discussing something VERY important. He starts with those famous words, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…”. Death has been killed and those who are saved by Jesus now live lives controlled by the Holy Spirit. The enticements of this world (the flesh) give way to the power and sway of the Holy Spirit. In verses 18-25 Paul creates another contrast. A contrast between the sin-saturated, broken world we live in now and the glory that awaits us. It can be difficult to live in the hope of glory – we can’t see it now. Don’t be afraid. Every child of God will be glorified because God has purposed it. God knew you from eternity past, God called you to himself, God justified you through the death of Jesus for you, and he will bring you to glory. Then we come to the verse in question:

Romans 8:31-33 (NIV)
³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Giving us all things here means that the One who gives us his son gives us EVERYTHING that is needed for our salvation.

The second verse I want to look at is:

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Again, if we look at the context of this passage we can better understand what it means. The believers in Corinth had started to take a collection for the suffering church in Jerusalem. They had evidently not completed it. Paul is urging them to continue their support. Paul holds out the Macedonian church as an example – they are extremely poor and yet they gave generously.

2 Corinthians 8:5b (NIV)
… they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.

Not only did Paul use the Macedonians as an example, he used Jesus as an example:

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Paul’s message here is clear – Jesus became poor so they could be rich. Their lives should reflect the same disposition. They should not hesitate to give so that the desperate believers in Jerusalem can be helped.

Jesus’ life didn’t model financial prosperity

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 8:20 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

The apostle’s didn’t live this or advocate financial prosperity as a priority

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV)
⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

2 Corinthians 6:10 (NIV)
[we commend ourselves in every way]: ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

1 Peter 4:13-14 (NIV)
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Romans 8:17 (NIV)
Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it’s not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Any gospel that cannot be preached in a third world country is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ” – David Jeremiah

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I’m assuming here that most of us are aligned with a correct, biblical view of this issue. However, it is easy for us to think in this way too. Maybe not financially but in other areas.

Have you ever lost a job and thought that somehow that shouldn’t have happened because you’re a Christian. God should have stopped that.

Have you ever had a tragedy and as a result questioned the reality of what you believe. Maybe someone close to you has had an accident, or died, or you have a child that has moved into sin.

Have you ever thought that you should escape the ravages of this world because you are a Christian.

We can even think this here as a fellowship. If we had the right formula or if we had greater faith, God would bless us with numbers and finances.

How are we representing the gospel? Many churches that don’t believe in the prosperity gospel are still creating the gospel call through an unbiblical environment. It is not through an ethos of love, sacrifice, prayer,

- – -

We live in a corrupt and painful world. A world that will give us, and everyone in it, much pain. God would have his promises sustain us. God would have the salvation that only Jesus can give, give us life in the midst of trouble. God would have the power of the Holy Spirit showing Jesus to those around us – in the trouble here. God would have his people being his people for each other.

Paul, in the first seven chapters of 2 Corinthians, is attempting to do many things. He is attempting to help the readers understand his position as an apostle, his authority in bringing God‘s truth to them, and his heart in his ministry to them. He does not want them listening to false teachers. He is ALSO teaching them by his example.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12,16-18 (NIV)
⁷ But we have this treasure [the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, [because] death is at work in us, but life is at work in you… ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

- – -

Verse 7 – But we have this treasure [the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

The treasure he is speaking of is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”.

This is a theologically packed phrase. The glory of God is the manifestation of God’s reality and all that comes with it. The fullness of this is beyond our grasp. The eternal holy One who is an all consuming fire; the sovereign perfection who is just, and unchanging, and unsearchable; the One gives life and cannot tolerate sin. When the glory of God is revealed to us (knowledge) in the person of Jesus WE HAVE LIGHT – life rather than death, salvation rather than eternal judgment, we have praise, thanksgiving, blessing, a future, we have God with us. This light is the good news – GOD LOVES US.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The jars of clay are frail – they crack and break and what’s inside flows out. Paul seems to say here that there is purpose in the frailty of his earthly vessel – his jar of clay. The purpose in the frailty is to show that the power of our hope is God.

I’d like you to consider verses eight and nine and perhaps see something different here.

Verses 8-9 – We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Many simply understand this to say that because Paul has hope, because he has “the light”, because he has Jesus, he can be pressed but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. AND I THINK THAT IS TRUE. I’d like to think that perhaps the power that Paul is thinking of in verse seven is the reality of verses eight and nine. His ability to not be crushed, his ability to not despair, his ability to live as one who is not abandoned, his ability to not be destroyed as he gives all for the mission is the very thing that we should see as being unexplainable apart from God.

Luke 12:11-12 (NIV)
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

Luke 18:29-30 (NIV)
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

Verses 10-12 - We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you…

I would like to suggest here that Paul is using Jesus’ life as the model for his life. Jesus’ life was dedicated to saving the lost. Jesus came to us in a “jar of clay” so that the power of God would reign. Verse 11 parallels verse 7.

Just as Jesus’ radical life of abandonment to God’s mission, and his death was the power of God to give life to all who believe, so too Paul’s radical life of abandonment to God’s mission exposes him to hardship here, but is an instrument of life to others.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) – The mission
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) “thorn in the flesh”
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
For to be sure, [Jesus] was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.

Verses 16-18 – [So] we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (this is the design). ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Summary

1) In Paul’s weakness God’s power shows. In Paul’s weakness the life that Jesus gives shows. – vs. 7, vs. 10

2) When Paul dies, others live – vs. 12

3) Struggle now is the path to glory – and there is no comparison between our struggles now and the glory to come. – vs. 17

John 3:30 (NIV) John the Baptist
He must become greater; I must become less.

The missionary who opened inland China to the Gospel, J. Hudson Taylor, used to say, “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on Him being with them.”¹

So, how do we apply Paul’s words to our lives?

While God comforts his children in every situation, God’s power is experienced when we by faith radically give ourselves to the mission AND through this giving of ourselves to the mission we can expect to be broken so that the glory of Jesus comes through and the mission is accomplished. The world looks at the exterior – the pot. God works through vessels that are focused on lifting Jesus to those who need him.

• Every marriage is God-ordained (Matt 19:6)
• Every marriage is designed to be an example of God’s love for his children – marriage is designed to image the gospel (Eph 5:28-32)
• Every marriage is designed to be permanent (Matt 19:6)
• God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) (God hates bad marriages)

Malachi 2:13-16 (NIV) – to Judah
Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel…

There are differing opinions, in the “evangelical” community on the issue of marriage, divorce, and remarriage. There seems to be a fair amount of unity around the idea that God intended marriage to be permanent. In practice, however, I’m not sure we do a great job in building permanent, functional, love-filled marriages.

There is less unity around the subject of divorce. Some, for example, understand a Christian to be fully justified in divorcing a spouse that committed adultery. Others would say that, while a spouse may have committed adultery, every effort must be made to seek repentance and reconciliation, and that a Christian should not be proactive in pursuing divorce in order to leave open the possibility of reconciliation.

It’s important to know that honoring marriage does not mean an abused spouse should stay in the home and simply absorb the abuse. In fact, ignoring spousal abuse is destructive to both spouses, the honor of God’s people, and the gospel.

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When it comes to the issue of remarriage, there are significant differences in thought. Some don’t give it thought at all – if divorce happens remarriage is obviously an option.

Luke 16:18 (NIV)
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (See Mark 10:11-12)

This is a very strait forward verse that doesn’t seem to leave much room for compromise. If you remarry after divorce you commit adultery. Jesus’ words here don’t seem to consider the innocence or guilt of the one being divorced.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Just as the disciples were stunned when Jesus taught that every marriage is a permanent, God-ordained, two becoming one, until death, covenant (Matt. 19:4-6), I’m guessing that, in this culture, the force of these verses can seem unreasonable. In Matthew 5:32, however, there seems to be an exception.

Matthew 5:32 (NIV)
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

This is an amazing statement by Jesus. For most this verse says that divorce is wrong unless someone has committed adultery during marriage – then it’s allowable – the marriage covenant has been broken. I think this is a very shallow reading of this verse and perhaps not even faithful to what it says. There is something else here that should absolutely jump out at us. Jesus seems to say here that if a man divorces his wife for a unjust reason, he causes her to commit adultery. Do you see it? If an innocent women is divorced by her husband, she commits adultery when she remarries. This would seem to say that remarriage after divorce is wrong.

Let’s talk about this verse in more detail. And let’s start with this – there is a difference between adultery and fornication.

Adultery = sex with someone else while married = moicheia

Fornication = sex before marriage = porneia (this word can also connect with other kinds of sexual sin but is NOT used for “adultery”.

Let’s look at an earlier verse to see how moicheia is used.

Luke 16:18 (NIV)
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery (moicheia), and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (moicheia).”

So, in this passage the Greek word for adultery is used – understandably. But in Matthew 5:32 we see something that takes some thought:

Matthew 5:32 (NIV)
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness (porneia – fornication – not adultery), causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery (moicheia).

Why does Matthew use “fornication” instead of “adultery”? Marriage two thousand years ago did not look like marriage does today – much of the thinking and culture around marriage was different. For example – in the days of Jesus the engagement period was understood differently. There was a sense in which the engagement (betrothal) started the marriage – the marriage covenant had started.  The marriage had not been consummated sexually, they were not living together, but the culture saw them as husband and wife. Now during the engagement or “waiting period” the groom would make preparations and the bride would wait. The waiting period also served to test the faithfulness of the bride.  So what am I getting at?  The birth of Jesus is an example:

Matthew 1:18-19 (NIV)
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

You see here that even though Mary and Joseph were not fully married, the passage calls Joseph her husband.  AND it says that Joseph was a righteous man – divorcing Mary was acceptable.  But what was Mary’s sin?  Was it adultery?  No, they were not fully married – it was fornication.  Matthew 5:32 was connecting with this example.  If a bride-to-be was found to be unfaithful during the period of waiting, the marriage need not happen.  This passage is not talking divorce due to adultery.

This has profound implications.  Divorce is God-ordained and designed to be permanent.  Effort must be made to hold the marriage together.

Last week we started our brief study of marriage as we looked at Matt 19 and Ephesians 5. In Matt 19 we find that God designed marriage to be a permanent covenant – “…as long as we both shall life”

Matthew 19:4-6 (NIV)
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united (not the sexual union) to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Both the religious leaders of the day thought this was unreasonable – and so did the disciples. In fact, after hearing Jesus talk about the permanency of marriage the disciples said, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” (Matt 19:10)

In Ephesians 5 we find that marriage is designed to be a living picture of God’s faithfulness to his people.

Ephesians 5:28-32 (NIV)
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Like Jesus in the Matthew 19 passage, Paul quotes Gen 2:24 and then says something amazing – the marriage relationship – it is really about the relationship between Christ and his people – the church. Marriage is designed to be a living, breathing example of how Jesus cares for us. Marriage is designed to be a picture of the gospel. Jesus leaves glory and takes on human form – he becomes who we are, he unites with us – for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Through his perfect life and his death and his resurrection, his righteousness is my righteousness, his death is my death, his victory over death is my victory over death, and he is absolutely faithful to his children – he will never leave us – “…I am with you always, to the very end of the age”. (Matt 28:20); “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

So, last week we talked about God’s intention in marriage – permanent – a picture of his commitment to us. So if marriage, at least in God’s eyes, is permanent, when does the marriage covenant end? The short answer – when God ends it.

Today we are going to talk about the ending of this covenant. I want you to know, right up front, that I know there are few things more painful than divorce. No one moves to divorce easily and, most of the time, divorce creates deep pain for years. If there are children involved, divorce can do great harm to them in many ways.

It can be easy, with issues like this, to back away and simply say, “It’s none of our business, it’s a personal issue – we should stay out of it.” – we ignore it. Our emphasis is on being there for people AFTER the divorce. We can cry with them, pray with them, counsel them – and we should do that. This is one way. Another way – we simply connect with divorce badly. It’s very important in things like this that we move as Jesus moved. We must do two things. We must be people that care for those in pain and, at the same time, we must not compromise the truth.

John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:17 (NIV)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 8:31-32 (NIV)
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

So if marriage, at least in God’s eyes, is permanent, when does the marriage covenant end? The short answer – when God ends it.

Death:

1 Corinthians 7:39 (NIV)
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.

Another situation is specifically mentioned – Abandonment:

1 Corinthians 7:12-15 (NIV)
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified (set apart) through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified (set apart) through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

The focus of this passage addresses an issue that came up as a result of the spread of the gospel into the Roman world. What should we do if one person in an “unbelieving” marriage hears the gospel and is born again? Should they then separate from their unbelieving spouse? No, a covenant has been made. In fact, now we have the power of the gospel in that home – God can work this for good. Just as we, in our salvation, are to be instruments of God’s grace in the lives of those around us, so too a saved spouse should be the avenue of God’s grace to the unbelieving spouse. That home now has God in it. If, however, the unbelieving spouse leaves, if the unbelieving spouse abandons the believing spouse, it is not good – it‘s the breaking of a covenant, but understandable.

What if I have been divorced and remarried?

Since Jesus makes very strong statements about divorce this question becomes important.

Luke 16:18 (NIV)
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Another way of asking this question might be, “Since I have divorced and am remarried, is this relationship on of ongoing adultery? I don’t think so. My understanding is that if someone has been divorced and remarried, the original covenant has been broken because of adultery. In that second marriage a new covenant has been made that should be kept.

Does this mean a spouse must simply endure in an abusive situation?

Spouse abuse is a horrible sin that shows deep depravity and dysfunction – not only in the abuser, but, at times, in the church. So let me be careful and clear here in my meaning and in my words. First let me, generally, define the abuse I‘m talking about. I think there is a difference between the infrequent and out-of-character carelessness we can all have in our marriages, and a pattern of raging anger, intimidation, acidic and demeaning language, and/or violence. If you are an abuser you are, at best, actively dehumanizing someone you should be caring for. You are dehumanizing your spouse, embedding dysfunction in your children and destroying the essence of God’s design for your marriage and your family. As we saw last week, your marriage is to be a living picture of how Jesus faithfully cares for his people.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Ephesians 4:1-2 (NIV)
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Colossians 3:8 (NIV)
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

1 Timothy 3:2-3 (NIV)
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

So, am I saying that if you are in an abusive situation you should divorce? I am not saying this at all. What I’m saying is that you need help and the abuser is a criminal. Your abuse flies in the face of who God calls us to be.

Sometimes in church settings we actually give sanctuary to evil.

The Bible devotes a fair amount of space to marriage, how we should function within the marriage, the imagery around marriage, etc. The Bible also attempts to correct many of the errors and bad thinking we can easily have.

In 1^st Corinthians chapter 7, Paul clarifies a few misunderstandings about marriage. He clarifies that marriage is good and not being married is good. In fact, if you are not married you can be more focused on Kingdom work. He also tackles the issue of a marriage where one spouse is a Christian and the other is not. Evidentially some thought that this situation allowed for divorce.

In Matthew 22 the Sadducees, who minimized the supernatural and didn’t believe in the resurrection, were trying to trap Jesus by asking him a question about the wife/husband relationship after the resurrection. Deuteronomy chapter 25 discusses how an unmarried brother might marry his widow after he dies. The Sadducees took this and created a “proof” for their view of a resurrection. If we will live again, and if marriage is this sacred unbreakable bond, who’s wife would this woman be in the resurrection? See, the resurrection doesn’t work!

Matthew 22:30-32 (NIV)
³⁰ At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹ But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” ³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

So Jesus actually teaches them about our eternal state, as it relates to marriage, and then confronts them with the truth of the resurrection – and the people were astonished. This is actually fairly instructive. How many times do those opposed to the gospel do so because they build their opposition on a false assumptions? Do we hold out unbiblical realities as critical truth?

- – -

In Jesus’ day there was a heated discussion around the issue of divorce. One Rabbi (Shammai) and his followers taught that divorce was permissible only on the grounds of adultery. Another Rabbi (Hillel) and his followers believed divorce was acceptable for many reasons (eventually this turned into any reason). So we see the following encounter:

Matthew 19:3 -12 (NIV)
³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” ⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” ⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” ⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹² For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Jesus, here, gives at least four reasons in vs. 4-6 for the absolute permanency of marriage. I’d like to cover those and then cover a fifth reason from another test:

• Male and Female - Vs 4 – “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

The way this is stated here points to an alignment of individuals – “male and female”. This is not saying that God made millions of males and millions of females. This could easily be understood to say that the one you

• United, hold fast, cleave - Vs 5a – For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ (Gen 2:24)
• One flesh - Vs 5b-6a – …and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one

Jesus here goes one step further than this quote in Gen 2:24 – he emphasizes the point, “SO THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE.”

At best the world might understand this as two people making a life long commitment to each other and that commitment is so strong that, in that sense they are united. Or they might understand, “the two will become one flesh” in light of children. When two people produce a child that child is the “one flesh” Scripture speaks of here. There is more here than just that. At a minimum, given the context of this passage, we should understand this statement to reflect a permanent change of unification – like tin and copper being melded together to form bronze.

• God joined them - Vs 6b – Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate

Jesus’ message in this passage caught both the Pharisees and the disciples off guard. They had been conditioned by their culture and Jesus’ answer seemed unreasonable. The Pharisees responded, “Why then did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”. (vs. 7) And the disciples responded by saying, “If there’s no way out of a marriage it’s better not to marry.” (vs. 10)

• Gods joining of a man and a woman in marriage is designed to be a living picture of his faithfulness to his people

In Ephesians Paul uses Gen 2:24 like Jesus did but he has an expanded understanding of “one flesh”

Ephesians 5:31-32 (NIV)
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church.

There is a mystery in this “one flesh” talk. There is something here that is difficult to understand, something that the world cannot and will not see correctly. It has been hidden and now will be revealed. Marriage, instituted before sin, points to another great reality. The reality of Jesus and his care for us. Unlike other Old Testament images instituted after the sin event, this one does not fall away as Jesus takes its place (like the temple and animal sacrifices for sin). This one lives on. From the beginning God has designed marriage to be a living illustration of his faithfulness to his people. Marriage was designed to illustrate what “one flesh” means in our relationship with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Marriage was designed so I can say, “Just as I love my wife and am completely dedicated to her welfare, Jesus cares for us. My resources are not my resources, my time is not my time – I am for her.”

Marriage is designed to image and live out statements like this:

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

When large numbers of people get together they often unify and develop around their commonality. What emerges is a powerful force – culture. Culture is a dominating force that can bend us and twist us and mold us into the image of what it understands to be acceptable, and noble, and admirable, and helpful, and right and wrong. Culture is VERY powerful – it can actually create the way we think. If sin and self drive the people, sin and self will flow through the culture and the culture they create will magnify sin and self. That being said, let’s look at…

Romans 1:18-28 (NIV):

Verses 18-20
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to (in) them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

The opening sentence (vs18-19) is a summary sentence, for what will be explained in the text that follows. It will speak of God’s wrath against the wickedness of humanity and explain what is meant by suppressing truth with wickedness. Then in verse 20 Paul lays the primary reality that leaves us all without excuse – we all know God. So, choosing to suppress the truth by wickedness is an act of treason. We look around and see an ordered, complex creation that defies dumb, random chance. In our hearts we know there is a cosmic right and wrong beyond what society deems to be right and wrong, someone outside ourselves that determines this. And we have a sense of justice and we know that reality contains something or someone bigger than we are.

Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

- – -

So, let’s look at this. In verses 21-28 Paul is going to explain God’s wrath by repeating the same process three times: First – humanity persists in its deep rejection and rebellion of God. Second – God overtly giving humanity over to their sin. And third – he gives a description as to how this “giving over” shows itself. So let’s look at the first one:

Verses 21-24
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

The fundamental sin here is a massive and devastating exchange. We exchange the glory of God for images that look like US. I want ME. This has always been the problem – from the first sin until now – in hundreds of ways. The book of Hebrews is all about how Jesus is better than anything. Better than Angels, better than the prophets, better than any earthly priest, his sacrifice for us is better than anything we can do for ourselves – God is faithful in this. And then the book ends with a solemn warning – DON’T REFUSE GOD, Jesus is his wonderful, loving, caring, all-sufficient answer.

Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Gave them over

Acts 7:39-42a (NIV) – Stephen confronting the religious leaders before they killed him
“But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies.

Psalm 81:11-12 (NIV)
“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

- – -

Verses 25-27
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

- – -

Verse 28
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God (exchanged the knowledge of God for degenerate, human reasoning), he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

No wonder in Romans 12:2 Paul says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

In these verses (Romans 1:18-28) Paul may also be giving us an order of degradation. First humanity trades away the glory of God, then they trade away the truth of God, and then they trade away the knowledge of God. As they do this we see sexual impurity, then homosexuality, and then completely depraved minds seemingly without limits to evil.

- – -

I want to talk about another issue here today – a very common response to any “homosexual practice is wrong” discussion is that we are genetically predisposed to be who we are, or, “This is just the way I am.” And I want you to know that I will not fight the possibility or probability that you may be predisposed to homosexuality – genetically (although I think there is much, much more). So what – we are a broken and dysfunctional people who are predisposed to horrendous things.

I’ve heard it said that there are those who might be predisposed to alcoholism – then its all good and we shouldn’t worry about it. I’ve heard that there are those who are predisposed to gambling – then it‘s all good and we shouldn‘t worry about it. I’ve heard that there are those who are genetically predisposed to cancer – then it’s all good and we shouldn’t worry about it. I’ve actually heard people say that since we have a sin nature, it’s ridiculous to get all “bent out of shape” fighting it. I am predisposed to lust, hate, idolatry, etc – and it’s not all good.

Romans 8:20-21 (NIV)
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

I give you Romans 8:20-21 to show this; God has decreed that our sin has devastating consequences. The sin of humanity has more than simple, limited effects – it has a crushing effect on everything – even the creation around us – by Gods decree. We can see the early stages of this in Genesis three. After the first sin God speaks to Adam and says, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. ¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” Here we see the first effects of sin on the natural world. To Eve God said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.” The effects of sin are in us. Everything is now out of alignment. We are broken from the inside out.

Is AIDS a judgment from God? Of course it is. As is hunger, and war, and cancer, and starvation, and tsunami, and the Swine Flu, and homosexuality. Of course it is. We are living in a world swirling in the sin of humanity AND in the judgment of God.

It seems that we have two responses to all the tragedy and pain of this world – either, “There is no God, or at least not a loving one.” (exchanging the truth for a lie), or, “This global pain and suffering is because we are a broken people – it’s my fault – there is no answer in me.”

Two weeks ago we opened this topic with a few simple points:

• Men and women are equal.

Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Men are NOT more in the image of God than women. Women are as valuable as men. Women are as capable as men.

• Sin is our corrupted commitment to self instead of to God. We have broken everything and are now are living in world full of war, sickness, hunger, and death. No longer do we live in harmony with God and each other. Caring for each other and selflessly serving each other is out. Power and self-fulfillment is in. The God-intended relationship between men and women is gone. Now we use each other – women often through manipulation, men often through force and intimidation.

Last week we talked about God’s response to this fatal mess – an alignment of responsibility and submission. Scripture is VERY serious about caring for those you are responsible for and submission to those who should be leading.

• God did not leave us to the consequences of our sin – eternal separation from God. Rather, Jesus entered time and came as a man 2,000 years ago to face life like we do, but without sinning in any way. In this he earned the right to represent us before God (the second Adam). How did he do this? He came to die and face God’s judgment for in the place of everyone who would repent of their sin and trust him alone as their savior. Jesus’ came to care for you so you could live and not die. The Bible speaks of accepting Jesus’ work for us as submission. We must submit to God’s perfect answer to be saved (Rom 10:3-4).

• Unless the government requires us to sin, we are to submit to our governing authorities (Rom 13:1-2). God, sovereignty, institutes government to care for the people. We are called to submit wherever we can. God will hold governments responsible – we must submit.

• Children are to submit to their parents. God has given parents the responsibility of caring for their children (Eph 6:1-4). God will hold parents responsible – children are to submit.

• Paul even speaks to slaves:

Titus 2:9-10 (NIV)
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

“As long as you are slaves, submit to your masters. Show that you are fully trustworthy so that the gospel will be an appealing.” God will hold slave owners responsible – slaves should submit.

• The Bible is clear that in a local church, the leaders are responsible for spiritual welfare. The Bible also gives lots of guidance on the qualifications for leadership – AND it tells the church to, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.” (Heb 13:17) God will hold the leaders responsible – we are to submit.

Now, the following is critical to the question of women’s roles in the church.

IN THE HOME – Men, you are responsible to selflessly and gently love and care for and spiritually nurture your wife – THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!

Ephesians 5:25-26a (NIV)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy…

The image here is strong. Jesus gave himself up for us to make us holy before God. How are we made holy before God? Through Jesus dying for us. Men – are you caring for your wife like this? Scripture is VERY serious about this.

Women are to respect their husbands leadership role.  How do they do that?  Through godly submission.

Ephesians 5:22-24 (NIV)
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Colossians 3:18 (NIV)
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

1 Peter 3:1-2 (NIV)
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

What submission is NOT

• Submission does not mean your strength, ultimately, comes from your husband.

• Submission does not mean agreeing with everything. Women must remain engaged. They must have a deep relationship with Jesus. They must know what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong, what is wise and what is foolish. Submission does not mean you check your brain and your relationship with God at the door.

• Submission does not mean you shouldn’t work for change. The question is how does a godly women bring about change – in a way that shows respect for her husband.

Women in the church

When we speak of the role of women in the church most of the time we are thinking of passages like:

1 Timothy 2:11-12 (NIV)
¹¹ A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

Primarily I take this as an extension of men’s responsibility to lovingly and sacrificially care for and nourish their wives.

Where do we get this wrong?

Just as women should not understand roles to be an indication of superiority, we as men must be very careful not to understand it this that way. This is VERY important – we must follow Scripture as correctly as we can. To curtail women of acceptable opportunities to serve is WRONG – That is sin and this fellowship will not be what it should be.

Women have always had important, meaningful input in the church.

Acts 2:16-18 (NIV)
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Acts 21:9 (NIV) Philip – one of the seven deacons
[Philip] had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

Romans 16:1-2 (NIV)
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant (deacon) of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

Acts 18:26b (NIV)
…When Priscilla and Aquila heard [Apollos], they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Romans 16:1-15 - At least 7 in this list (27) are women

I think we have work to do in this.

My understanding is that there is a distinction between the authoritative teaching role of pastor/elder and the general teaching role we all have.

It seems that Scripture ordains two offices in the local fellowship – the pastor/teacher/elder role and the role of deacon. Both have similar qualifications but elders are responsible for the spiritual welfare of the fellowship and have been tasked with an authoritative teaching role and have been restricted to men. Deacons are spiritually mature Christians who are tasked with many of the day-to-day responsibilities of the fellowship and some, who I respect greatly, can include women.

My concern is that, because the elders are men, we discount the role of women and how we might incorporate critical input into the decisions of the fellowship.

]]> http://radicalcall.wordpress.com/2009/05/10/women-in-the-church-pt-3/feed/ 0 Waldean http://radicalcall.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/submission/ http://radicalcall.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/submission/#comments Sun, 03 May 2009 22:38:11 +0000 Waldean http://radicalcall.wordpress.com/?p=798 ]]>

Review from last week:

Men and women both have the same status before God

Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Nowhere does the Bible “speak” as if men are more in the image of God than women are, or that men are superior to women. Whenever and wherever we see this in our thinking, it is sin. Women are not inferior, women are not less capable, women are not less valuable – that concept doesn’t exist biblically.

Sin changed everything. The sin of rejecting God and God’s design brings with it a curse that has consumed humanity. We are now absolutely self-infatuated rather than God-exalting. Instead of existing within the flow of God’s care and purpose, embracing our role as image-bearers, we chose the path of rebellion, and war, and disease, and anger, and hunger, and death, and hell – and we, arrogantly, often think our independent character is a sign of strength. The god of self has affected every relationship and because a holy God will not accommodate sin we have a broken relationship there. Parents don’t care for their children correctly and children don’t respond to parents correctly – we have broken relationships there. Society and culture scream dysfunction – broken relationship there. Last week we saw that relationship between men and women is broken. The result of sin is that women, through manipulation, use men for their own purposes and men, through force and intimidation, us women for their own purposes.

Jesus came to bring back God’s design. Last week we looked at a few examples of how Jesus did not connect with the cultural norms of his time – he cared for women as intelligent and God-valued.

- – -

This week I want to move a bit deeper and talk about submission. Sin by definition is a move against authority. Sin is rebellion against God’s authority not submission to God‘s authority. Pre sin I’m not sure if submission was a concept. Because God has not left us but rather works to save us, we must now discuss submission. Submission is God’s call to, through the saving power of Jesus, fight sin. Biblical submission is a voluntary act whereby I place myself under the leadership of another. I’m in an obedient, following position – not grudgingly. Biblical submission involves the one who submits to leadership or headship and the one who is responsible for and cares for the one who submits. Scripture is full of instruction on submission. Some here are proud of their rebellious spirit and count it as, “just the way I am”. They are confessing that they are sinful. Anytime the Bible tells us how to live or function, God is calling us to submit.

Biblical uses of submission:

Salvation

Romans 10:3-4 (NIV) – Paul talking about Israel
³ Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Submission to government:

Romans 13:1-2 (NIV)
¹ Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted (God‘s design), and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. (also 1 Peter 2:13)

Paul’s concern here was not to instruct government, it was to instruct believers. No government is what it should be but we are to submit wherever we can.

Children to parents

Ephesians 6:1-4 (NIV)
¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” ⁴ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Here the instruction is to both the children as those who should obey and to fathers as those who are responsible for the children.

Church members to local leadership

Hebrews 13:17 (NIV) – local Christians to their local leadership
¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Peter 5:2-3 (NIV) – responsibility of elders – a call to submission for them
² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Titus 1:7 (NIV) – qualifications of elders
Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Slaves to masters

Titus 2:9-10 (NIV) – slaves to masters
⁹ Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰ and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

This is a VERY interesting concept – as long as you’re in slavery submit to your master so that, ultimately the gospel will be attractive. While this is not a discussion on evangelism, I think the applications here are amazing. Our conduct in the neighborhood, at work, can be a catalyst for receptivity. Being a holy, loving, people can make the gospel attractive.

Marriage relationship:

Ephesians 5:21-30 (NIV)
²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Marriage is not a business relationship. It is a, “I’m so glad you are here / God is so good / I love you and want the best for you” relationship. It is meant to be, among other things, a picture of how sin has been defeated. We place the needs of our spouse above the needs of ourselves – AND IT’S A GOOD THING.

²² Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

1. 1 Peter 3:1 (NIV) – Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,

2. Colossians 3:18 (NIV) – Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Ladies, submission to your husband is a Christ-exalting act of love – for Jesus and for your husband. Through the power of the Holy Spirit your husband is to love, lead, and care for you as Jesus cares for his children. He cannot be that person if you don’t submit.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies (submission). He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body.

Husbands, loving, leading, and caring for your wife is an act of love for her – how are you doing?

Scripture is VERY serious about caring for those you are responsible for and submission to those who should be leading

Jesus is our example:

Luke 22:41-42 (NIV)
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

John 6:38 (NIV)
³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

Q – What is a woman’s role in the church?

We are going to spend two Sunday’s on this question. Today we are going to look at the background of this question so we understand it better. Next Sunday we will move into it “head on”.

Culture has always been a dominating force that bends us and twists us and molds us into the image of what it understands to be acceptable, and noble, and admirable, and helpful, and right and wrong. Culture is VERY powerful – it can actually creates the way we think. Cultural norms develop as its people change – the people, in turn, create the culture. Whatever “drives” the people creates the culture. If sin and self drive the people, sin and self will flow through the culture and the culture they create will magnify sin and self.

Three hundred years ago slavery made sense to millions of people – much of our economy and , much of Europe’s economy was built on it. Sixty five years ago Nazi Germany made sense to millions of people.

We often understand the true message of Scripture through the lens of self and culture. For example, when we read John 3:16 (NIV), “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.”, many come to the primary conclusion that this is about how lovable I am rather than how merciful God is. Self permeates every area of life and certainly the way we see ourselves before God and each other.

So today I want to talk about God’s intention for male and female, how sin has distorted this, and then how Jesus lived and taught and was the solution.

I’ll just let you know God has made men and women with some differences – intentionally – for our good and for God’s glory. AND God has given us different roles that are not superior or inferior – they are complimentary. We have messed this up because we are sinful. I would also contend that we cannot have a proper discussion around women’s roles without talking about men’s roles – so we can better see God’s design and “big picture” if you will, and because men are often a big problem and obstacle in us living out God’s design.

God’s intention - Men and women both have the same status before God

Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Nowhere does the Bible “speak” as if men are more in the image of God than women are, or that men are superior to women. Whenever and wherever we see this in our thinking, it is sin. Women are not inferior, women are not less capable, women are not less valuable – that concept doesn’t exist biblically.

Acts 2:16-18 (NIV) Peter’s sermon after the resurrection of Jesus – the Spirit of God is given to both men and women.
¹⁶ …this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Both men and women are baptized into a saving, living relationship with Jesus. Both men and women receive spiritual gifts for use in the life of the church. The apostle Paul goes to great lengths to help his readers understand that in Jesus everyone is equal:

Galatians 3:27-29 (NIV)
²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This would have been unimaginable to many two thousand years ago.

So where is the problem?

Let’s go back to the beginning to understand the problem. In the book of Genesis we find the story of Adam and Eve. God creates Adam from the dust, breaths life into him and puts him to work in the perfect environment.

Genesis 2:18-25 (NIV)
¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ¹⁹ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. ²³ The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” ²⁴ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. ²⁵ The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Verse 20 – So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

“Suitable helper” does not mean someone who can handle the tasks I delegate – THAT IS NOT WHAT IT MEANS. “Suitable” means “corresponding” or someone like me. And “helper” has a much fuller meaning that simply someone who can help me get things done. It probably reflects a great need on Adam’s part.

Psalm 33:20 (NIV)
²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 70:5 (NIV)
⁵ Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.

So in this pre-sin account we have Adam as the man he was designed to be and Eve as the woman she was designed to be. No, “I am better than you”, or “I am stronger than you so you better listen to me.” – Probably only, “I am so glad you’re here”. But if you know the story you know that sin was coming – and sin brought with it far-reaching consequences.

Genesis 3:16 (NIV)
¹⁶ To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

This is not the way it should be. This is, however, how it will be – the curse of sin. Immediately there is a change in how Adam and Eve relate to each other. The woman will “desire” her husband. Here, that term “desire” does not mean she will long for him affectionately. This word, “desire”, in the Hebrew is fairly unique – only 3 times. So let’s try to find out what’s being said here.

Genesis 4:7 (NIV) – God speaking to Cain
⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master (rule over) it.”

Sin is crouching at the door just looking do devour or overpower or kill or own you.

The woman will want to control her husband and he will respond with force. She will manipulate and he will use power. The harmony is gone. Self-interest reigns. This has been the story now for thousands of years. A fight for control. Sin has created strife between men and women. Every culture, in turn is a destructive amplification of this strife. In some godless cultures men simply take their physical power and force submission on the women – everyone loses. In some godless cultures men are complete wimps and have no concept of godly leadership – everyone loses.

- – -

Jesus came to restore God’s design. He came to reestablish the intended, God-ordained relationships – our relationship with God and our relationship with each other.

Like us, the culture two thousand years ago did not have the male/female relationship right. As Jesus moved through that culture we can see he lived a different way. Let’s look at a few examples.

Two thousand years ago a woman was deemed “unclean” if she was bleeding – “Stay away – don’t touch”. If you, as a man, did touch her in ANY way, you needed to go through a cleansing ritual so you could be uncontaminated. Matt 9 / Mark 5 / Luke 8 tells the story of a bold, “unclean” woman who had been bleeding for twelve years touching Jesus. His response was healing not rejection.

Luke 10:38 – Luke shows Martha’s sister Mary sitting at the feed of Jesus – a place reserved for a male disciple Acts 22:3

Message of the resurrection - That the message of the resurrection was first given to women is regarded by biblical scholars as the strongest proof for the historicity of the resurrection accounts. Had these texts been fabricated by overzealous male disciples, they would never have included the witness of women in a society which rejected them as legal witnesses.

John 4:7-9, 27a (NIV) – Jesus passing through Samaria talking with a Samaritan woman – double taboo

John 11:24-27 (NIV) – long story just before John moves to the death. A profound confession of belief, made public in John’s gospel, of a women.
²⁴ Martha answered, “I know [Lazarus] he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

This list goes on and on.

Closing

1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Next Sunday we will go into the areas of roles and responsibilities and how this moves into church. I want to talk about God’s vision here and where I think we are missing the target.

Jesus came to restore God’s design. He came to reestablish the intended, God-ordained relationships – our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. It’s critically important to know, however, that this restoration cannot happen simply through instruction. We can talk until we’re dead about how men and women should live together and respect each other and work together but as long as sin reigns, the curse remains – and we won’t get it right. Sin must be defeated for the curse to fall. Sin must be defeated if we are to embrace God’s design. The good news here, sin was defeated on the cross when Jesus died for those who would turn to him. His death gives us a new relationship with God – a forgiven, Christ exalting, humble, “Jesus is all I need” relationship. In this we can look at each other the way we should because we serve Jesus not self.