This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
It has been evident throughout human history that virtue is not fully rewarded and wickedness is not fully punished; in fact, at times wickedness seems to be rewarded and virtue punished. This state of affairs have led some to conclude that God does not exist and therefore right/wrong are simply arbitrary constructs based upon human consensus and thus open to redefinition. Others have attempted to fix the problem by claiming that God himself (whether personal or impersonal) is not wholly good, but contains within himself both virtue and wickedness. While both of these attempted solutions are unacceptable (especially since they're not based in reality), what is the answer to the problem of the existence of evil?
The prophet Malachi rejects the attempt by the people of Israel to embrace moral equivalence, telling them that God is wearied by willingness in their ignorance to blame him for the evil in our world. God is holy, having no part in anything immoral or evil, that such things exist in our world is our fault, not God's. In the end, the "success" of the wicked will probe short-lived, the justice of God will prevail, and righteousness will be rewarded.
We all know that God "is love", even those who rarely, if ever, attend church seem to know that, but does God "hate" too? The Word of God makes it clear that there are things which God hates, primarily things connected to idolatry, false testimony and violence among his people, but included within that list is something generally accepted by society: divorce. The prophet Malachi declares that the LORD has said, "I hate divorce", a statement of God's response to the dissolution of marriages that leaves little wiggle room to those who value the authority of the scriptures.
Why does God hate divorce? Malachi lists several reasons: (1) It is the breaking of a vow witnessed by God, (2) it is a rejection of the design of God as our Creator that two would become one in marriage, (3) it has a negative affect upon our responsibility to raise up "godly offspring", and (4) it puts the vulnerable party, usually women and children, into danger by depriving them of support and protection.
The Church is not unfamiliar with divorce, we have seen ample evidence that the people of God, when society allows them to do so, are willing to utilize divorce at rates nearly equal to those of their non-believing countrymen. What ought we to do in response? First, we must follow Malachi's example and warn our fellow Christians of the emotional and spiritual consequences of divorce, then we must help those who have made the mistake of seeking divorce to find forgiveness, as well as helping those who have been harmed by divorce to find reconciliation and healing.
We all start somewhere, maybe Billy Graham had the audience on the edge of their seat during his first sermon, but the rest of us need time to develop both our writing and our delivery. This was my first sermon, delivered as part of an Easter service in 1997 at my home church of Galilee Baptist in Saranac, MI.
The focus of the short message is the tearing of the curtain in the temple between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) when Christ breathed his last, from Luke 23:45.
The prophet Malachi warns the people of Israel against the practice of marrying outside of the Covenant people, not for any racial reason, but because it brings into the nation those who worship other gods, and foster disunity within marriages and in parenting. The same warning applies to the Church, as made plain by Paul's warning about being "unequally yoked" to the church at Corinth. It is a dangerous choice for a Christian to marry a non-Christian, or for a committed disciple of Jesus Christ to marry a spouse for whom faith is not a priority.
What then do we say to those already in a spiritually uneven marriage? Pray, continue to pray. Be faithful, be patient, be kind, make sure that your devotion to God does not waiver, and make sure that your children are brought up in the knowledge of the Lord.
As an American Christian, I have rights and privileges that were given to me when I was born in the United States of America, and I have obligations to do what is right (in the sight of the Lord) that I chose to adopt when I became a follower of Jesus Christ. At times, these two sets of rights come into conflict. There are many things which I have a right to do, as an American, which I will not do because it isn't morally right. This probably shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, Christian or otherwise, that moral rights and legal rights don't always agree, but I have often heard Christians defend behavior which is hardly Christ-like by falling back upon their right as an American to do what they have done. You may have a 1st Amendment right to say what you are saying, but that isn't good enough for a disciple of Christ. You may have a 1st Amendment right to belong to that group or patronize that gambling establishment or strip club, but that isn't good enough for a disciple of Christ.
We are held to a higher standard as Christians than the Bill of Rights. In Philippians Paul wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4) I will regularly choose self-denial of my rights in order to do what is right, as will millions of my fellow Christian Americans, for we answer to a higher authority, are called to a higher purpose, and have been commanded to imitate a higher example (Jesus) than the legal rights of any citizen of any nation.
