Tag: feature

By Bill Kulkens

Everyone Suffers
It may be hard to believe at first, but every living thing suffers at some point. Suffering comes to us all because of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the garden of Eden. God had warned them that “in the day” they ate of the forbidden tree, they would surely die (Gen. 2:17 NKJV). Death is separation, and that is exactly what happened.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, their relationship with God immediately changed from being with Him to being separated from Him. They suffered the loss of their fellowship with God. Also, the suffering of physical death came upon Adam and Eve. This has impacted all of creation, including you and me!

Because of sin, Adam and all who lived after him no longer had the benefit of harvesting food without a struggle (3:17-19). Work and toil is now necessary to get bread, thus we are suffering the loss of ease which Adam enjoyed prior to his disobedience. Eve and all mothers experience the suffering of pain, which was not part of the original creation, in child bearing (v.16).

Adam and Eve also suffered a change in their relationship between each other as husband and wife. Eve’s relationship towards Adam would now include struggles (v.16). Both Adam and Eve lost the harmony they enjoyed together and would face struggles with each other.

Some Reasons We Suffer
Besides death and the other changes that came into the human family because of sin, we suffer for some other reasons:

Sowing And Reaping – We suffer because of what we do. The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal. 6:7-8).
Correction – We suffer because we need to be corrected. In James 5:14-16 we read of a Christian experiencing illness as a result of not confessing and dealing with sin in his life.
Revealing Our Spiritual Condition – We may suffer in a test allowed by God that we might know where we are in the Christian life. The Lord used the 40 years that the children of Israel spent in the desert to help them realize what was in their hearts (Dt. 8:2).
Learning – We can suffer in order to learn something that we did not know before: to learn more obedience (Heb. 5:8), more endurance (Rom. 5:4), more feelings for others who suffer (2 Cor. 1:3-4), and more maturity (Jas. 1:4).
The Example Of Job
It is helpful to look at a few examples in Scripture to see the lessons learned from suffering. Job is a very good example for us. At the beginning of Job’s story he had a happy life. He was a man of blameless character and upright. This man had a big family with a wife and ten children. He had many possessions, including a large number of animals, a big house and many servants. Job “was the greatest of all the people of the East” (Job 1:3). Also, he was in good health.

Without Job’s knowing it, God was watching and blessing him. A challenge by Satan to God was made about Job, also without Job’s knowledge. Satan claimed that God’s blessings were the only reason that Job was a faithful man. This accuser continued to say that Job would be unfaithful if the blessings did not continue. Satan wanted to destroy Job’s faith in God. God allowed Satan to bring suffering into Job’s life to prove Job’s character, but He would only allow Satan to do this without taking Job’s life.

Satan caused Job to suddenly lose all of his blessings from God. Much of Job’s livestock was stolen, while enemies killed the rest. His servants were attacked and killed, and all of Job’s children died when a great wind tore apart the house where they were all eating and drinking. This all happened in a very short period of time. Of all that Job had possessed, there remained only four messengers who brought the sad news to him and his wife.

Job responded by accepting what happened. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (v.21).

Then Satan had one more form of suffering he wanted to challenge God with about Job. Satan harmed Job’s health, causing painful skin boils to cover Job’s entire body. Even this suffering did not cause Job to curse God.

Job learned many wonderful lessons as he suffered. He realized that God was watching over him every moment: “For now You number my steps” (14:16). Job appreciated God counting every step that he would take in his brief life here on earth. What a beautiful thought! We can say the same as believers in Christ. The Lord tells us in Matthew 10:30 that He has numbered every hair on our heads. This shows how much the Lord cares about us: He is interested in every detail of our lives!

Job grew in his understanding that one day he would see his Redeemer. He learned about the resurrection of his own body and said, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27).

We too have this blessed hope of one day seeing the Lord. The Lord Jesus has promised those of us who believe in Him that one day He will return and take us to be with Himself. Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3).

Job was a praying man. He prayed for his own children at the beginning of the story. After suffering, he learned to pray for his friends (Job 42:10). He had learned the need to pray for even those who were not part of his family. Likewise, we should not only pray for our families but for others as well. In 1 Timothy 2:1 the apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.”

There are many more lessons we can learn from the life of Job. The ones mentioned are but a few. It is wonderful to learn that God restored all to Job that Satan had taken away. Job received back even more than he had had before the suffering. In the end, God blessed His faithful servant; He will bless us for being faithful too.

The sufferings we may experience by being faithful in this life are only for a short while. God will bless us in the end. We may not experience this blessing in our lifetime; however, we will be blessed after this life is over. Paul told the Corinthian believers that suffering was only for a moment, “therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18). “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

The Apostle Paul
Through the apostle Paul’s experiences we learn another very important reason why God allows suffering in the believer’s life. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-6 Paul described a man who went to the third heaven and came back to earth again. Paul spoke of this person as if it were someone other than himself, but after he shared this experience we learn he was the person spoken about.

His experience would be something that could bring about pride in his heart. God, who is the only one concerned about our humility, would not allow Paul to become proud. Instead, God allowed a messenger from Satan to bring into Paul’s life some suffering. Paul described this suffering as “a thorn in the flesh” (v.7). Some believe it was a physical form of suffering that involved Paul’s vision (see Gal. 4:15, 6:11). Others consider the thorn in the flesh to be a false teacher who opposed Paul. However, Scripture does not clearly define the thorn in the flesh. Therefore each one of us can consider suffering that would humble us to be a thorn in the flesh that the Lord allows.

Paul prayed three times that this thorn in the flesh would be removed. God allows suffering to cause us to come to Him for help. Each time God answered Paul’s prayer by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul learned to accept this suffering, which enabled him to remain humble, as God’s will for his life. He experienced the abundant grace that God supplied to match the suffering, empowering him to endure it.

There is a special lesson that we learn from Paul’s experience. Unlike Job, God did not remove the suffering from Paul’s life. We too may have the same experience. God may allow some form of suffering in our lives that will remain for a long time or, perhaps, for the rest of our lives. God wants us to come to Him in prayer, seek His perfect will, and rely upon His perfect timing. If God does not remove the suffering, He will supply the needed grace! This grace is sufficient because it comes from the Lord.

Paul understood that God’s purpose was to keep him humble. This understanding also helped Paul accept the trial and even boast in his infirmities to the glory of God. Paul wanted to experience even more of the power of Christ in his life, knowing that when he was weak in himself, he was strong in the Lord! We can look at sufferings in our own lives in the same way that Paul did.

Conclusion
Suffering is a very big subject. We have only looked at a few examples. The supreme example for the believer is, of course, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some of His sufferings we cannot enter into, but the sufferings He experienced as a Man in this world filled with sin are left for us as an example. Study the Scriptures to learn more on this important subject.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid up for faith in God’s excellent word!
What more can He say, than to you He has said –
You who to the Saviour for refuge have fled?

If through fiery trials our pathway should lie,
His grace all-sufficient shall be our supply;
The flame shall not hurt us;
His only design is the dross to consume and the gold to refine.

Fear not, He is with us; oh, be not dismayed!
For He is our God, and will still be our aid;
He’ll strengthen us, help us, and cause us to stand,
Upheld by His gracious omnipotent hand.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
He will not (He’s said it) give up to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
He’ll never – no, never – no, never forsake.

—Richard Keene (Died 1787)

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me in the opening of my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” — Ephesians 6:10-20 KJV

---

By J. Muckle (adapted from, “An Outline Of Sound Words,” StemPublishing.com)

It is of the utmost importance for the saints of God to be equipped and protected with the armor He has provided for them if they would engage in the conflict of good and evil according to His will. This was never more necessary than at the present time, close to the end of the Church’s history on earth, when Satan is using every effort to wipe out the testimony committed to the people of God. The enemy thought he had finished God’s testimony when he moved men to crucify the Son of God, but he soon found that the testimony continued. This was through the saints and servants of the Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Targets Of The Enemy
Those who have God’s testimony in this world are the saints whom Christ loves. This fact, however, makes them the object of Satan’s malice, or intent to harm, and enmity. During the past centuries many saints have passed through untold sufferings in faithfulness to the name of the Lord Jesus. Now in these lands the wily foe has adopted different means in his opposition to Christ and those He loves. The roaring lion has transformed himself into an angel of light, and his endeavors are aimed at flattering the people of God that they might be unfaithful to Christ. He entices them with worldly advantages through which they can gratify the flesh, and in this way their affections are drawn away from Him. It is undeniable that the world is in the Church, and that the Church is in the world.

Divine Resourses
Amid all the departure of these last days, God’s resources for His saints are undiminished, and His armor is available for us. We have three outstanding Scriptures that bring before us this divine armor. The first is Romans 13:12, where we read: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (KJV). We are passing through a world of darkness. It is under the authority of Satan where men do not have the knowledge of God. To protect us in such a world, we need the true knowledge of God in our hearts: His “word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). The powers of darkness are repelled by the light of the armor that God has provided for us in His Word – if that Word is livingly operative in our souls.

In 2 Corinthians 6:7, the apostle Paul, while speaking of how he and Timothy commended themselves as God’s ministers, mentioned “the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.” With this in view, no matter what the circumstances may be, nothing could ever excuse any saint of God for acting unrighteously. Anything unrighteous would falsify the testimony of the righteous God whom we serve, and it would bring His glorious testimony into disrepute before the world. Therefore at all times and in all circumstances, righteousness must mark God’s servant.

“The whole armour of God” is brought before us in Ephesians 6. It is given to the saints of this dispensation, or period of time, to protect them in conflict with the powers of darkness, as believers seeking to stand firm for God during this evil day. God has richly blessed His saints with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, but Satan wants to keep them from entering into this wonderful portion. We have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and marked out for sonship, according to the good pleasure of God’s will. The mystery of His will has been made known to us, and according to His eternal purpose we have received an inheritance. At present, we have access to the Father and belong to the household of God (see Eph. 1:3-12). The Church has been united to Christ as His body and it soon will be presented to Him as His bride. “The mystery,” which unfolds to us the great secret of the ages, has been revealed in all its parts; and God desires that we should enter into this in its breadth and length and depth and height.

Knowing Satan’s malice and continual opposition to all that is of God, is it any wonder that he is against those who have been so highly favored with such amazing revelations and wonderful blessings? The saints have become the objects of his assaults, and especially when they endeavor to hold fast the great truths connected with the counsels and purpose of God. The enemy presents many things to attract the minds and hearts of the saints, and he will try to mar their testimony to Christ. However, God has given to us His full armor to enable us to prevail in the conflict.

It is essential for us to realize that we have no strength of our own for this conflict, as the arm of flesh cannot match principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. To meet such foes we must be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” The wiles of the devil can only be met by divine armor; we could never stand without it. Nor can we do without it even for a moment – not until we have left this world behind and the “evil day” is over for us.

The Armor
The first part of the armor is the girdle of truth. This speaks of truth in the inward parts, the state formed in us through the Word of God as learned in communion with Christ. When addressing the Father, the Lord Jesus prayed for His own, “Sanctify them by the truth: Thy word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). As truth enters into the soul by the Word, the moral state is produced which sets us apart for God in this world. That gives us power to resist all that is not according to truth.

The breastplate of righteousness protects the seat of the affections. Anything unrighteous in the life of the Christian will give him a bad conscience, and the enemy will not be slow to take advantage of it. We cannot have communion with God if the conscience is bad. No one could successfully stand against evil with a defiled conscience. How different it is when conscience is good and the heart rests in the enjoyment of divine love – Christ dwelling there by faith.

Our feet are to be shod with the peace that is proclaimed in the gospel. How very inconsistent for anyone who speaks of the gospel of peace to be marked by traits that bring unrest and disquiet among the saints of God. Those who cause division and strife do not have their feet shod with peace; such are not able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. This does not mean that we should seek peace at any price. Rather, we should be marked by peace even when in conflict for the truth. One contending for the truth should not take up the sword in fleshly conflict or strike a single blow with the arm of flesh, for our weapons are not carnal, but spiritual.

We need the shield of faith when the enemy suggests that God is not interested in us, or at those times when he presents to the heart the least doubt regarding God’s unfailing care. Whatever the circumstances in which we are found, the shield of faith brings God in for our help and protection. There may be the need for “the trial of your faith” (1 Pet. 1:7). Those who have passed through such trials and have proved the reality of God’s help in them can use the shield of faith in the conflict of the “evil day … to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

For the head we have “the helmet of salvation” to protect all our thoughts and mind. Salvation has come to us from God through grace, and not a doubt regarding this enters into the thoughts of those who have the helmet of salvation. If we had any doubts about our salvation, how could we meet our wily adversary? If we are engaged with the truth brought out in Ephesians 2, we will have taken the helmet of salvation. In that second chapter we learn that we have been made alive with Christ, and even now we sit in the heavenly places “that in the ages to come He might [show] the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (v.7).

To wield the sword of the Spirit we must be acquainted with the Word of God. The Word becomes the sword of the Spirit when it is used under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit. It is very important then to feed upon the Word of God, which is to become in us the engrafted Word. How essential is it that we should always live in communion with the Lord so the Holy Spirit can use the Word through us – that Word by which we have been formed after Christ.

The last part of the armor is prayer – “prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” We must ever remain in the attitude of dependence and confidence in God, being guided in all our prayers and supplications by the Holy Spirit. Jude exhorted, “Praying in the Holy Ghost” (v.20). Our ever-watchful foe will seek to keep us from prayer, but we are to be “watching thereunto with all perseverance.” Many things come in to prevent us from taking time to pray, therefore we must be watchful lest our time become absorbed with other things.

Prayer is not to be confined to our own part in the conflict or to the things that immediately engage us, but we need to think of all saints. The apostle Paul had a very special place in the conflict of good and evil, being set for the defense of the gospel and “an ambassador bound with a chain” (JND) because he was minister of “the mystery of the gospel.” Desiring to continue with this precious ministry, Paul sought the prayers of the saints, well knowing that the enemy would eagerly silence the announcing of this wonderful truth.

In these last days, when the truth of the mystery is so little known among the saints of God, should there not be constant prayer to God that this precious truth might be announced with boldness in the power of the Spirit?

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;
and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.”
—Isaiah 54:17 KJV

By Martin Girard

After being released from prison, a Christian human rights lawyer was able to phone his family. His wife was delighted to hear from him, but she could hardly make sense of what he was saying. The reason was not a poor telephone signal; rather, the isolation and torture he had experienced while in prison had left the man unable to speak coherently. What was his “crime”? He had assisted fellow believers.

For more than 50 days his captors had given him shock treatments by holding an electric baton to his face and piercing his skin with toothpicks. At another time propaganda had been broadcast continuously into his prison cell by means of a loudspeaker for 68 weeks. During his imprisonment the man had no access to reading material or electronic media, and he had no genuine human contact at any time. His one meal each day consisted of a single slice of bread and a piece of cabbage. As a result he lost about 50 pounds in weight as well as many of his teeth because of malnutrition. He has been under house arrest since his release from prison. Although his wife and family members have escaped to the west, the man refuses to leave his home country. He believes God has a work for him to do there.

This one man’s experience is typical of so many others. All across the world, there are individuals who are persecuted for their faith in Christ and are suffering. Those of us who enjoy freedom should be concerned. Hebrews 13:3 exhorts us to “remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” (KJV). Do we think of those who are being persecuted, and do we pray for them? Are our hearts moved for them in their trials? We should, in a sense, know what it means to be “bound with them” as we take their distressing experiences to heart.

Did you know that the Bible has a lot to say about persecution? I decided to do a little research by looking up such words as “persecute,” “persecution,” “suffer,” “suffering,” “oppressed,” “oppression,” “trouble” and “tribulation” in my concordance. I found a lot of references! “Persecution” is just one word; the others help us to understand what persecution means. It is not an isolated concept, for it leads to suffering, oppression and trouble. The psalmist was experiencing it and asked God how long it would continue before his tormentors were judged (Ps.119:84). Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends, declared, “Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). You will understand what he meant if you have ever stood near a fire and watched the sparks flying up into the night sky. Troubles can be plentiful. As part of the human race we are “born unto” them. Persecution is just one of those “troubles.”

Other Scriptures add breadth to the subject. Persecution is often meted out by the proud upon those who are poor (Ps. 10:2). It can result in the persecuted soul being brought very low, for those who do the oppressing are characterized by being stronger than the victims they oppress (142:6). Another fact to consider is this: Those who love God’s Word can often be persecuted on account of it. The psalmist alluded to this when he wrote: “All Thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully: help Thou me. They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not Thy precepts” (119:86,87). He found it difficult to understand why he had to suffer for his belief in God’s Word and his love for it.

A Real Experience
There is a saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This, however, is not always true. Unkind words can wound deeply. Paul faced reproach for his trust in the living God (1 Tim. 4:10). Nehemiah and his fellow-workers were mocked mercilessly as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. They were called “feeble Jews” by their opponents, who ridiculed their efforts. Tobiah the Ammonite taunted the builders by saying the wall was so fragile that the weight of a fox would cause it to collapse (Neh. 4:2-3).

Others have faced false accusations. Charles Spurgeon, the well-known British preacher of the nineteenth century, and his wife kept some hens. Critics accused them of being mean because they always sold the eggs and never gave any away to family members or friends. It was only after the deaths of both Mr. and Mrs. Spurgeon that the truth became known. All profits from the sale of the hens’ eggs were used to support two needy elderly widows. The accusations had therefore been very unkind and must have hurt the Spurgeons.

However, if taunts do not succeed in damaging the Lord’s work, Satan will resort to other tactics. We find this in the experience of Nehemiah. When the accusations of the enemy did not cause the work to cease, Sanballat, Tobiah and their associates “conspired … to come and to fight against Jerusalem” (4:8). Nehemiah now faced the physical presence of the enemy.

Examples Abound From Scripture
Persecution can have a profoundly detrimental effect upon those who experience it, and a believer who is under pressure might sometimes question the ways of God. It is a great comfort to know that the Lord Jesus was severely tested when here on earth and is “touched” by our trials and sufferings at this present time (Heb. 4:15). He was accused of using Satan’s power to perform miracles, and His parentage was questioned by His hostile accusers who labeled Him “a Samaritan” (Mt. 12:24; Jn. 8:41,48). How it must have hurt the holy Son of God to hear their vile taunts! But there were other ways in which He suffered. Before His crucifixion He was scourged and cruelly treated by Pilate’s soldiers. Indeed, Isaiah had prophesied that His face would be marred more than any other man’s (Isa. 52:14). Truly, He was hated without a cause (Ps. 69:4).

Making our way through the pages of Scripture, it is possible to compile an extensive list of individuals who experienced persecution. The first was Abel (Gen. 4), who was killed by his jealous brother, Cain. Joseph, in a similar way, faced the hostility of his own brothers. Hated by them, he was sold as a slave and transported to Egypt. There, falsely accused, he found himself in prison with his feet painfully fastened in iron fetters (Ps. 105:18). Surely he was tempted to think he had been abandoned by God! The nation of Israel suffered slavery in Egypt and were a persecuted people (Ex. 1). Moses, their deliverer, deliberately chose to “suffer affliction with the people of God” (Heb. 11:25). Others, like him, found that there is a price to pay for faithfulness. Daniel’s three friends faced the burning fiery furnace (Dan. 3), and Daniel himself was cast into the den of lions (Dan. 6). Jeremiah, like so many prophets of old, was persecuted (Jer. 17:18; Jas. 5:10). David, too, in many of his psalms described his feelings as he faced the relentless persecution of a cruel enemy and pleaded for God’s deliverance (Ps. 31:15).

The same theme runs through the New Testament. John the Baptist died as a martyr for his faithfulness in speaking the truth (Mt. 14), and others trod the same path. Stephen was stoned; James was beheaded, and according to tradition both Peter and Paul experienced martyrdom. The list is extensive and proves beyond question that many of God’s servants suffered severely at the hands of ungodly men, as Hebrews 11:36-38 teaches.

For Us Today
The prospect of persecution is one from which we cannot escape. In His discourse adjacent to the temple in Jerusalem shortly before His death, the Lord Jesus outlined future events associated with His return. He made it clear that before the “fearful sights and great signs … from heaven” His followers would face persecution and be “brought before kings and rulers” (Lk. 21:11-12). He also taught His disciples in John 16:33 that they would face difficulties in the world. His words should leave us in no doubt: “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” The final part of the verse – “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” – is perhaps quoted more often. We rejoice that our Savior has overcome the world, but we are not so keen to be reminded that we will face tribulation in the world!

When Paul and Barnabas visited the places where they had preached the gospel in order to encourage the new believers, they exhorted them “to continue in the faith” and made it clear that “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Like their Master, these two servants did not want any new disciple to be deluded. The pathway ahead is difficult, and persecution is to be expected from the world. They believed the words spoken by the Lord Jesus: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (Jn. 15:20). Early on, the new believers in Thessalonica had been warned by Paul that they would face opposition from a hostile world. When it arose, Paul was concerned that they should not “be moved” by the afflictions, for “we are appointed thereunto,” he declared (1 Th. 3:1-4).

In fact, although we may find it difficult to understand this, the Lord has a purpose in allowing us to be persecuted. Philippians 1:29 states: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” The word translated as “given” actually means “graciously bestowed.” Have we grasped this? Not only has He graciously enabled us to believe in Christ; He also has graciously bestowed upon us, or given to us, the privilege of suffering persecution for His name’s sake! Although we may not like the prospect, persecution is divinely permitted and is a means by which we can be drawn nearer to our dear Savior who suffered for us.

Conclusion
In drawing these thoughts to a conclusion, two final points must be considered. What can we do when we face persecution for the sake of our Master? Psalm 119 supplies the answer: We must draw upon the Word of God. The persecuted writer of this psalm:

• Placed his hope in the Word (v.81),
• Looked expectantly for it (v.82),
• Refused to forget it (v.83),
• Acknowledged that it was faithful (v.86),
• Did not forsake its teaching (v.87), and
• Vowed that he would obey it (v.88).

We need that Word too! In the trials of life we must cling to its promises and feed upon its truth. Only in this way can we be strengthened and brought through.

If our present pathway is fairly easy, let us never forget those elsewhere who are facing the persecution of a hostile world. As they experience the heat of the furnace, let us constantly remember them in our prayers.

By David Anderson

---

The Lord Jesus Christ totally filled Paul’s life to the exclusion of everything else (Phil. 1:21). The Epistle to the Philippians, shows he was occupied with Christ and “the things which are of Christ Jesus” (2:21 NKJV). The apostle encouraged the church in Philippi: “Brethren, join in following my example, and … so walk, as you have [me] for a pattern” (3:17). He desired that we believers be heavenly-minded because the Christian’s citizenship is in heaven, and from there we eagerly wait for the Savior (vv.20-21). Paul wanted these believers and us to live the Christian life as he did.

The apostle wrote this letter as a bondslave of Christ Jesus, addressing his letter “to all the saints … in Philippi” (1:1) – none was excluded. Therefore any believer who adopts the same mature attitude as Paul (consider 3:15-17) can experience Christ in full throughout his or her life. With this in view, I will consider Philippians using the title “Christ For The Christian” in three ways.

1. The Christian And Christ
In each chapter Paul stated what “Christ for the Christian” means in practice:

• “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:21).
• “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (2:5).
• “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me … I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:12,14).
• “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (4:13).

Paul used one word, “Christ,” to describe his reason for living, “For to me to live Christ” (literally, 1:21). He desired that Christ would be magnified in his body, whether it was by the way he lived or died for his Lord (1:20). He wanted that ultimate experience of Christ, which involved a complete denial of himself and a thorough knowledge of Him throughout his entire life, and even through death and resurrection (3:7-12). Christ magnified was Paul’s motive for living. Christ was his object and aim in all, whether in life or death. In Him he discovered the model of self-effacement – the perfect example of humility – and he desired to have that same mind (2:5). Christ was the mark toward which he constantly reached throughout his life on earth (3:14). He saw Christ to be his ultimate prize in heaven. But Christ was also the secret of his inner strength for serving Him (4:13), the might for every step he took on his journey heavenward.

2. The Christian And Christian Fellowship
Paul experienced real Christian fellowship with the Philippian church. He called them “my beloved” (2:12, 4:1). The apostle held them in his heart (1:3,7), for he was fully aware that God was at work in their lives (1:6, 2:13). They were his “joy and crown” (4:1) in the coming “day of Christ” (1:10, 2:16). Therefore he prayed that they would abound in love, which increased by spiritual knowledge and discernment – so they would appreciate and approve the excellent things of Christianity (1:9-10). He was confident that his God would supply all their “need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (4:19).

3. The Christian And The Gospel
The Person Of The Gospel. Philippians 1:12-18 shows how important the gospel¹ and its propagation, or spreading from person to person, were to Paul. Proclaiming Christ was central to Paul’s life as a Christian. In essence the gospel is the person who is preached – it is “the gospel of Christ” (1:27). The gospel continues to be the primary means by which the Lord Jesus is made known throughout the world (2:9-10; consider Ps. 135:13). Whenever anyone accepts Him as Savior and Lord, Christ is exalted and God the Father receives glory (Phil. 2:11).

The Word Of The Gospel. As “lights in the world” believers must “hold forth the word of life” (2:16 JND) and boldly and courageously speak “the word of God” (1:14). The word of the gospel is God’s message to “a crooked and perverse generation” (2:15 NKJV). It has both content and substance (1 Cor. 15:1-4), and it is elsewhere described as “the message [word, esv] of the cross” about “Christ crucified” (1:18,23). The word of the gospel is used by God to convert people to Christ (1 Pet. 1:23,25).

The Beginning Of The Gospel. The message of salvation through Christ alone was preached by the apostles in the initial days of Christianity, which Paul called “the beginning of the gospel” (Phil. 4:15). In Acts there is a full record of those early days,² including those before Paul’s missionary activities. Some of the means by which we present the gospel today may have changed, but it is essential for us to remain faithful and continue to present the plain facts of the message from the Word of God. Just as in the beginning, today’s Christians are sent by God to preach the word of Christ, so people will hear about Him and by faith obey the word (Rom. 10:14-17).

The Faith Of The Gospel. In Philippians 1:27 the substance of the gospel is called “the faith of the gospel,” that is the whole truth of the gospel as revealed in the doctrines of the New Testament letters, such as Romans. Nowadays we would describe the complete truth of Christianity as “the faith,” of which “the faith of the gospel” is an essential and foundational part.

The Furtherance Of The Gospel. The work of God has advanced since those first days (see Acts 1:8, 6:7, 12:24, 19:20), the Lord Jesus having commissioned “the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12). Starting at Jerusalem, there was a striking forward into Judea and Samaria before the gospel spread throughout the whole habitable world to the farthest away place (Acts 1:8; Col. 1:6,23).

Fellowship In The Gospel. Paul especially appreciated the Philippians’ “fellowship in the gospel” (1:5) – their partnership in his evangelistic work. They were joint-workers with him by prayer (vv.5,19) and practical support in sending financial help and gifts (4:14-18). In Philippians 1:7, Paul stated three ways in which they had joint participation with him in the gospel:

• In his imprisonment for the gospel. They had not abandoned him to his incarceration in Rome but remained true to their Lord and continued to pray for Paul (1:19). It was as though they were there in prison with him (consider Phile. 13; Heb. 13:3).
• In the defense of the gospel. Like Paul, who always stood for and fought for the gospel, they remained loyal defenders of the faith despite opposition and persecution. Perhaps they had learned how to defend the faith from Paul’s conduct when he first brought the gospel to them (Acts 16).
• In the confirmation of the gospel. He particularly remembered those who had physically stood alongside him and actually strove with him in his labors. One of them is addressed as “true companion” (4:3) or “true yokefellow” (KJV), that is, “loyal Synzygus; Greek the yoke-fellow” (ESV footnote). W. E. Vine stated that this was most probably his name,³ and therefore so aptly described their joint effort in gospel work. Paul knew the reality of Christ in his own life, but he remembered that all these Philippians also gave confirmation and testimony to the saving power of Christ. He urged the Philippians to continue to stand firm with singleness of mind because this too was a powerful witness to the continuing effectiveness of the gospel (1:27).

The Service And Servants Of The Gospel. Paul especially valued the fellowship of his son in the faith, Timothy, who was an apprentice to him from the middle of his second missionary journey (Acts 16:3). By the time Paul wrote to the Philippians, Timothy was of proven worth, “he served with [Paul] in the gospel” (Phil. 2:22 ESV). He and the others named in Philippians 4:2-3 not only had been Paul’s trusted co-workers, they also had personally enslaved (Greek for “served”) themselves to the work of the gospel. This suggests that they were subject to their Master’s will and that they applied themselves to the task of spreading the gospel.

Our Lives And The Gospel. Paul’s exhortation, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27), is very challenging! Philippi was a Roman colony and thus these believers would readily understand Paul’s exhortation that they should live as citizens of heaven. Also, “worthy” means that the totality of my life must “balance” with the gospel! This is the practical meaning of “the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (1:7). First we need to know the person of the gospel – the Lord Jesus Christ – and understand the faith of the gospel. Currently much is made of training in evangelism, but we can study the beginning and furtherance of the gospel in our Bibles and thereby be equipped servants of the gospel. We can join in fellowship in the gospel with like-minded believers and work together with them in the task of spreading it either by prayer or by giving practical support and help. “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Lk. 10:2 NKJV).

ENDNOTES
1. “Gospel” occurs in 1:5,7,12,14,17,27, 2:22, 4:3,15.
2. However, it also includes the Gospels – see Heb. 2:3; Acts 10:36.
3. Greek name Synzygus, Yoke-Fellow, W. E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

By Alfred Bouter

---

This wonderful epistle, or letter, is linked to several people in Philippi, a city in Macedonia just north of Greece. These individuals had identified with the gospel of God’s grace, had accepted it and become true Christians.

The first was Lydia, a merchant of purple who had come from the city of Thyatira, in present day Turkey. Then a former Roman army officer, in charge of the local jail, believed. Both of them had a number of servants in their households who also became believers (Acts 16:13-15,23-34). Soon these new believers had others added to them, several of whom may have come to know the Lord through Paul’s coworker, Luke, who stayed in the area after Paul, Timothy and Silas traveled on to Thessalonica (16:10,40, 17:1).

It seems that Luke must have helped these believers to function as an assembly, with elders, or overseers, and deacons (Phil. 1:1). From then on, the believers in Philippi supported Paul with great zeal (Phil. 1:5-7, 4:15-16; 2 Cor. 8:1-6), and they continued to do so while he was in Rome as a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” and “the prisoner of the Lord” (Eph. 3:1, 4:1 NKJV). The financial support they had sent to Paul in Rome and the way it was sent, through the care of Epaphroditus¹ (Phil. 2:25-30, 4:18), was evidence that God not only had begun a work in them, but He continued it. Paul wrote: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6). The apostle was sure that God would continue the work He had started and would bring it to completion, as will be demonstrated in the day of Christ’s public appearance.

During the day of grace in which we live, we may apply the same point to believers who have started to follow the Lord Jesus in this world where He is still despised and rejected. Also today, His disciples are subjected to all kinds of hardships, rejection and persecution, yet they faithfully follow Him.

A Few Ways To Summarize Philippians

	Chapter 1	Chapter 2	Chapter 3	Chapter 4
How To Live	For Christ	Like Christ	To Christ	By Christ
Related To	Our Goal	Our Attitude	Our Objective	Our Enablement
Christ Is	Our Life	Our Model	Our Object	Our Strength
Our Mind	Single	Submissive	Spiritual	Energetic
Main Feature	Committed	Devoted	Focused	Satisfied
Key Activity	Go Out	Go Down	Go Up	Go On

The Message And The Author
Paul started many of his epistles by presenting himself as an apostle of God, sent by Christ Jesus who is in heaven. His title of apostle emphasized the authority God had given him with regard to the new revelations and doctrines that he was called to make known. The teachings were opposed and rejected by many – and even corrupted as far as man’s efforts may go. In Philippians, however, Paul introduced himself together with Timothy as bondmen (slaves) of Jesus Christ. This was in the first place, I believe, because this remarkable epistle presents the Lord Jesus Christ as God’s Bondservant (2:7).

The servant character Paul took when writing Philippians is contrasted by his authority, which he emphasized in other letters. For example, Paul used it to support the authenticity in Ephesians of the new revelations (Eph. 3:1-4:2) and in Galatians as to the gospel message. In Romans, God’s new message was fully expounded by His apostle, Paul, to whom He had given such authority. This authority that Paul received was given to no one else on earth, ever.

Several Themes
One of the themes in Philippians is that the believers “down here” are to represent the Lord Jesus in heaven, “up there.” In fact, our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21), and we may represent Him in this world, here and now. Soon we will reign with Him, but that time has not yet come.

Just as the city of Philippi was built as a miniature Rome to represent the Roman capital as closely as possible, so the believers on earth are Christ’s ambassadors to represent Him in heaven. What a privilege and challenge at the same time! Therefore Paul prayed for the progress of the new believers (1:9-11), a prayer that demands much attention for further practice and growth.

Another prominent topic in Philippians is the issue of the human mind, in this case our mind as Christians, meaning what we think and the way we do so as we follow Christ in true humility. The ten references about the mind² highlight our responsibility as Christians, since the number ten is associated to human duty and obedience. Even though we are not under the Mosaic law, we are under the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2), and we belong to a new order, to serve and represent Christ and to honor God in this world that dishonors both.

Sacrifices Of Joy
“Sacrifices Of Joy” is the title of Bible studies on this epistle in a book written by a former missionary to China, G. Christopher Willis. He worked there sometime after Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) and partly during the days of Watchman Nee (1903-1972), a well-known Chinese evangelist and teacher who suffered much for the Master.

The concept of sacrifices highlights the tremendous price paid by faithful Christians, serving and representing Him with much joy despite trials. How important it is for Christians to be full of joy as the apostle himself was, even in very difficult circumstances. Paul explained that his captivity was used by God to further the cause of the gospel and promote the interests of his Master (Phil. 1:15-20). He had a great desire that Christ would be magnified (compare Jn. 3:30) – so others might see more of Him as through a magnifying glass. In other words, Paul wished that his Master would be seen greater and more wonderful through his own body in which he endured sufferings, to show more of Christ through the process of his sufferings, whether in this life or in death (Phil. 1:20). The Lord Jesus on earth is the great example for all believers (2:5), but He is now in heaven and sustains us through His Spirit and Word to be His followers as well as followers of Paul (3:17; 1 Cor. 11:1).

God’s purpose for every believer from the moment there is any evidence of a true conversion is that he or she may live with this joy. Not a man-made, forced, imitated, feel-good or hyped-up joy, but a true joy³ given by God’s Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and in tune with the wisdom from above (Jas. 3:17). Paul is an example of a true overcomer who kept going against all odds. Even though living under tremendous burdens, he was not discouraged or depressed. Rather, he was riding as it were on top of the waves of the tempest, carried and directed by the Lord Himself. This servant had learned to be content and to rely on God in all things (Phil. 4:11-13) a real example for all believers.

The Greatness Of Christ’s Person
Philippians presents our Lord Jesus Christ as God’s true Bondservant. Adam should have been God’s servant, but he failed miserably, and consequently the whole human race failed (Rom. 5:12-21). However, in the fullness of time God sent His Son (Gal. 4:4), the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth and to His people to accomplish God’s will (Jn. 4:34; Heb. 10:5-10). God had prepared Him a body for His coming (Ps. 40:5-8), and in it He the Creator and Sustainer of this vast universe was trained by God to be the true Disciple (Isa. 50:3-5). Then, as the true Israelite Bondman (Ex. 21:6) He became obedient to death, the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6-8). We may discern seven steps in His humiliation (vv.6-8), followed by seven steps of His exaltation (vv.9-10).

Christians are identified with the Lord Jesus, the great Overcomer (Jn. 16:33) now at God’s right hand, and thereby we are greatly privileged. The immensity of our privileges brings great responsibilities (read Phil. 1:27-30, 2:2-5). Without God’s help we cannot do anything (2:12-13), but with it we may represent Christ here on earth! For this we need seven qualities (2:14-16): doing all things (1) without grumbling or (2) disputing, as (3) blameless and (4) innocent (5) children of God, (6) without blemish, (7) shining as lights in the world. All this is implied in Christ’s magnificent example as our supreme Model.

Philippians 2 also shows three wonderful examples of Christians: Paul (vv.17-18), Timothy (vv.19-24) and Epaphroditus – the man who had brought the special gift from Philippi to Rome (vv.25-30). We can follow these examples with the help of our glorified Lord and of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It is not possible through human efforts, law-keeping, self-improvement or religion. On the contrary, “we are the circumcision” (3:3), meaning that we are here on earth before God in a position where the flesh, even the religious flesh, has been completely set aside. Only thus will we be able to worship in the power of the Holy Spirit and boast, or glory, in our Lord Jesus Christ, without any confidence in the flesh. Paul’s own example illustrated this in a marvelous way, and it is a challenge to all believers to “be thus minded” (v.15).

Sustained By God
The enemy is dead-set against the true Christian position just described, which is not a religious one according to man’s thinking. Instead it is truly spiritual, in total dependence on the Lord in glory and practiced with the help of the Holy Spirit. In the assembly in Philippi, the adversary was trying to use disagreements between two devoted sisters in Christ who had been close co-workers of Paul to sow discord among the believers (4:2-3). Thus, they were in great danger of losing the enjoyment of the beautiful relationship that characterized these young believers.

In this context the apostle gave godly counsel which is still valid and useful for all believers. It tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, to be in His presence and to rely on Him in everything. The purpose of these instructions is that we can be a blessing for those around (4:4-7) as we allow Christ to fill us with His peace. Paul also indicated how to achieve and keep such a good relationship, namely by keeping our mind filled with the eight things⁴ mentioned in verse 8 and by following Paul’s example (v.9). May we be doing so today!

ENDNOTES
1. Paul called him a “brother,” “fellow-worker” and “fellow-soldier,” and described the extraordinary commitment of this brother toward the apostle in Rome and the believers at Philippi, through serious illness and healing (Phil. 2:25-30, 4:18).
2. The Greek verb phroneo (“to think,” “to mind”) is found 10 times: Phil. 1:7; 2:2 (twice),5, 3:15 (twice),19; 4:2,10 (twice).
3. The nouns “joy,” “thanksgiving” and “grace,” as well as the verbs “to rejoice,” “give thanks,” “grant,” “bestow” and “be glad” are all from the same Greek root: 23 references in Philippians: 1:2-4 (3 times),7,18 (twice),25,29; 2:2,9,17-18 (four times),28-29 (twice); 3:1; 4:1,4 (twice),6,10,23.
4. The number eight represents a new order. The Lord desires us to be filled with the things linked with Him – true, noble, just, pure, amiable, good report, virtue, praise – while we are in an environment where He is still rejected.

By Stephen Campbell

On a December night in 1996, an American Airlines plane began its descent toward the airport in Cali, Colombia. The airport’s radar systems had been ruined by terrorists a few years earlier, so pilots approaching Cali would rely on various regional radio signals to determine exactly where to fly as they descended over mountainous terrain. On this occasion, however, the locations of those signals were accidentally deleted from the plane’s navigation system; and then, as the pilots tried to select one of the nearby signals, they chose a wrong location, causing the plane to turn in a fateful direction. Minutes later, the plane slammed into a mountainside, killing 159 passengers and crew, leaving only four survivors.

Airline crashes like this are rare, but it is always particularly tragic when airplanes, which are specifically designed to go over mountains, are caused by mechanical or human error to crash directly into that terrain. Investigators painstakingly analyze these incidents in order to make safety recommendations for future flights.

This example contains spiritual lessons for us, for at the moment of salvation all Christians are equipped to change their altitude from earth-dwelling creatures to those who understand life from God’s perspective. The pattern for faith is set out in our “flight manual” – the Word of God. Potential dangers are identified, but active attention must be given. In the case of the pilots, one probable cause of the crash was the flight crew’s “lack of situational awareness” regarding their surroundings and the location of radio navigation aids. Similarly, in the case of the Christian, a lack of awareness about biblical guidance will lead us into potentially disastrous experiences.

Guidance To Follow
New believers may be particularly susceptible to these troubles. The apostle Paul was especially worried about new Christians in Thessalonica, where he had spent only about three weeks. He was concerned that trials of life and temptations of the Devil might have overcome them, causing them to abandon the pathway of faith. Therefore he was overjoyed to receive the good news that they were continuing in the faith, and he wrote a letter to encourage them further. Let’s consider several valuable principles from Paul’s letter as well as other parts of the Bible.

• Treat the Bible as God’s direct message.
Paul wrote that his Christian friends had “received the word of God … as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Th. 2:13 NKJV). This means that those Christians deeply valued everything they were taught from the Bible. Suppose military officers received a detailed message from their highest-ranking commander. What would you say if they looked over the document and then left it behind, talking only about the weather as they walked away? You would say they had no respect for the message or its author! But what if those officers completely rearranged their goals and strategies because of the directions from headquarters? Then you would be certain that they valued the message and recognized the authority of their commander.

The Bible is the all-sufficient source of information for the Christian when it comes to understanding God, humanity, heaven, hell, sin and salvation. It reveals to us God’s precious promises and His flawless character. It explains what we are without God and what we become when we trust Jesus Christ, whom God sent to be our Savior. It teaches us how to live in godliness, integrity and grace. It contains essential principles that apply to every culture and generation. No other book can take its place, and no voice can supplant its authority.

Skeptics have tried to undermine faith in the Scriptures for many years, but you can trust your Bible! The text is reliable and verifiable. As ancient manuscripts go, thousands of copies of Scripture are preserved for our reference, in comparison to several dozen or even fewer copies of great classical texts by renowned authors like Plato and Aristotle. Skeptics have questioned historical names and other biblical references, claiming they reveal errors in the text – only to have archaeologists later discover precise confirmation of those very facts. Many skeptics who have set out to disprove the Bible have come to trust the God it proclaims.

For all these reasons, treat the Bible as it truly is: The Word of God. Drink it in! It will energize your spirit, inform your mind, invigorate your conscience and guide your feet. Learn the grand themes of the Bible, like forgiveness and justification. Trust its promises and heed its directions. Prepare to rearrange your attitudes, actions and goals. No one who responded to the Bible this way has ever been sorry for it.

• Cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart.
Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (Jn. 6:37). This and many other verses establish the teaching of the eternal security of the believer. However, while no true Christian can ever be lost, many thousands of true Christians have slipped away from a life once devoted to Christ. This is why Barnabas, a leader in the early Church, encouraged new believers to continue following the Lord intentionally and consistently (Acts 11:23).

Paul’s Christian friends in Thessalonica were true-hearted in their determination and dedication. Repeatedly, Paul mentioned the troubles and temptations that came upon them when they became Christians. He had sent Timothy to establish and encourage them in their faith, for he hoped that “no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this” (1 Th. 3:2-3). When the report came back that they indeed had not allowed the trials of life to disturb their confidence in Christ, Paul joyfully encouraged them to continue standing fast in the Lord (v.8).

We should not be surprised when afflictions come. Not only are difficulties a natural part of life, but there are additional troubles for followers of Jesus, the One whom this world rejected. Yet faith in God is enough to establish our hearts. We are responsible to cling to the Lord with determination and purpose.

• Understand the teaching of sanctification.
The Bible doctrine of sanctification has two sides. On one side, Christians are fully sanctified as soon as they trust Jesus as the Savior. Because He offered Himself for us (Heb. 10:10), we are set apart for God, made completely and uniquely His people. Saint, sanctified, holy – all those words carry the same idea that God has separated us for His own purposes. The Bible teacher F. B. Hole said sanctification means that Christians are like God’s good china set, the special plates that are kept separate from the everyday dinnerware. What dignity this doctrine gives to every believer in Christ!

But there is a second side to sanctification. If the first aspect is permanent, the second is progressive. We must intentionally live sanctified lives, keeping ourselves separate from ordinary lifestyles of low morality and little integrity. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust” (1 Th. 4:3-5). He added, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23). We have a daily responsibility to conduct sanctified lives in a world that is satisfied with much less. Culture’s sexual standards, for example, have shifted dramatically in just the last ten years. By the help of God’s Spirit, possessing our bodies in sanctification and honor will increasingly align our behavior with our calling. This is a lifelong process – all the way, until we are in the presence of the Lord.

• Seek unity and community with other believers.
Sometimes Christians tend to isolate themselves from each other. We might feel that no one else understands our needs, and therefore we prefer to work through challenges by ourselves. At other times we might simply feel disinterested in spending time with fellow believers due to a busy schedule, family activities or other reasons.

However, it is actually quite dangerous to live as an isolated Christian who never seeks to be with other followers of the Lord. Naturally speaking, God has designed us to participate in life with others; and spiritually speaking, God makes us a part of His true Church as soon as we become Christians. His Church is described as a building and a body, and those figures of speech make it clear that every part must interact together for growth to take place.

The Thessalonians were encouraged to “increase and abound in love for one another” and to “build one another up” (1 Th. 3:12, 5:11 ESV). These are important parts of the Christian life. You need other Christians to do these things for you, and they need you to do the same for them. Avoiding Christian fellowship eliminates one of the ways God intends to use for our growth as believers. While we can enjoy those blessings, it is also true that life with other believers will add to our challenges since we will be confronted with both their needs and weaknesses. But that is precisely the context in which we learn to apply biblical principles for displaying the unity of Christian relationships.

• Recognize the implications of the Lord’s return.
Sprinkled into every chapter of 1 Thessalonians are teachings about the return of the Lord Jesus. This is not a minor point; nearly every book of the New Testament refers to His second coming. It will be the fulfillment of His own promise: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself” (Jn. 14:3). This teaching reminds us that we are on the way to a heavenly home, traveling through this world like pilgrims who have not yet reached their final destination.

For the Thessalonians, each day was another opportunity to wait for Jesus to come from heaven (1:10). If we are gripped by the same reality, a conscious knowledge of the return of Jesus Christ will keep us involved in His service and will teach us to deny worldly desires. The expectation will help us store treasures in heaven instead of fattening our bank accounts on earth. It will remind us that the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the glory that is to come.

There is nothing to prevent the Lord’s return from occurring today! And if He does not come today, perhaps it will be tomorrow. This is the Christian’s blessed hope. It is a helmet of salvation for us (1 Th. 5:8), guarding our minds as we live for Christ in a troubled world.

Closing Thoughts
The crew on that American Airlines flight crashed because they lacked situational awareness. New believers, and indeed any Christian, will also experience a spiritual breakdown because of the same reason. The world is filled with distractions, temptations and outright evil. If we are unprepared to face, endure and overcome these disturbances, our spiritual course will soon spiral downward.

Planes are not designed to crash, and Christians are not either! With the Bible itself as a guiding beacon, the Christian’s life of faith and godliness will set and hold a true course, navigating safely past every obstacle.

By Milton Jamieson

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee?” —Deuteronomy 10:12 KJV

---

Now that you have bowed to the lordship of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, He requires that you:

• Turn your back on your old life – from the paths of sin and shame, and from worldliness and ungodliness.
• Hate sin and love righteousness.
• Do all your deeds in the light to the glory of God.
• Walk no longer according to the darkness, and the thoughts and ways of men who know not God. Here are some practical suggestions to help you.

Read The Word
As God’s child, God expects you to spend time reading His Word and meditating on it. Do not neglect the Word of God – the Bible. We were born again by it (Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23). The Word is able to:

• Build us up (Acts. 20:32),
• Keep us clean (Jn. 15:3, 17:17; Eph. 5:26; Ps. 119:9),
• Prevent us from sinning against the Lord (v.11), and
• Guide us as a light for our path and a lamp to our feet (v.105).

We need the Word of God for every step of our life. It is by His Word that we judge all things and are able to distinguish right from wrong. We should therefore read it frequently (Josh. 1:8), meditate upon it deeply (1 Tim. 4:15; Ps. 1:2), receive it gladly (Acts 2:41) and obey it readily (Rom. 6:17; 1 Pet. 1:22). By this we will have prosperous Christian lives, and the Lord will use us greatly. He will bless our lives and make us a blessing to many people.

Spend Time In Prayer To God
It is said that prayer is the Christian’s vital breath; as breathing is important physically, so is prayer in the Christian’s life. If we stop praying we will start losing the power of the new life. How very true is the saying “Seven prayer-less days make one weak”! We are encouraged by the Lord to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16), to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th. 5:17), and to “watch … and pray lest [we] enter into temptation” (Mk. 14:38). When we pray we are in touch with unlimited power, talking to and communing with our God. Our Lord sometimes continued all night in prayer to Him (Lk. 6:12). The Lord is our perfect example; let us be like Him.

The first thing we read of Saul, a man who acted violently toward Christians, after he submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ was that he prayed (Acts 9:11). Ananias was afraid to go to Saul, but when the Lord told him that Saul was praying, he realized that Saul was no longer a persecutor. Instead, Saul was now a believer and a brother beloved in the Lord. Prayer is truly a sign of the new life and the relationship that we have come into, wherein we cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).

Attend The Meetings
God has established local assemblies in various locations for our help, encouragement and usefulness. We must not forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Heb. 10:25). The Spirit speaks in the gatherings of believers, for He wants to minister to us not only as individuals, but also as the local church. We bear testimony to the Lord and to the one body of Christ to which all believers belong. In fact, there is no other gathering on earth to which the Lord promises His presence – but to the gathered saints alone. “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:20).

We encourage you to find the local assembly in your area and get the schedule of the various meetings. Be active as a member of the body of Christ in that locality. Do not let your seat at the meetings be empty, unless there is absolutely no way you can avoid being absent.

Get Baptized
Before our Lord left this world to return to His Father, He gave the commandment that those who believe on Him should be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19). While baptism does not save anyone, it is the Lord’s command.

When we are baptized we are publically placed under the lordship of Christ, declaring that we have died with Him, are buried with Him, and raised up to walk in newness of life with Him (Rom. 6:3-4). While being immersed in water does not bring about a good conscience (the blood alone does that), baptism is an answer to it before God (Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 3:21). It is one of the first steps in discipleship, saying we are prepared to follow and obey Jesus Christ as Lord. If you have not done so, do not wait; arise and be baptized in obedience to the Lord’s command.

Get Busy
Get busy in the Lord’s service. The Lord could have taken us home when we got saved, but He has left us here on earth to serve Him while He is away. When He was here He was the Light of the World (Jn. 8:12, 9:5). Now, like the sun at night, He is gone, and we are here to shine as the stars in this dark world. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).

“Let none hear you idly say, ‘There is nothing I can do,’ while the souls of men are dying and the Master calls for you” (Daniel March, 1816-1909) to act. Take a few gospel tracts with you everywhere you go and hand them to people. Some will refuse, but others will be only too glad to receive them. Tell everyone you meet about the Savior; write letters, texts and emails; call your friends and tell them; put a gospel tract with your letters. Help in Sunday School and young people’s programs. Be at the street meetings, prayer meetings and all the other meetings. Don’t wait to be asked to do something; open your eyes and see what needs to be done, be it great or small. Do it for the eyes of the Lord rather than to please men or to get praise for oneself (see Col. 3:23-24). All praise should go to Him.

Keep busy! Satan will find things for you to do if you do not keep yourself busy for the Lord. Visit the Sunday School children and their parents at their homes, the sick and the shut-ins, read for them and pray with them. Attend Bible camp in summer – meeting other faithful Christians of your own age, sharing with and sticking close to them.

Remember The Lord In The Breaking Of Bread
In Acts 2:41-42 we see that not only were the early disciples baptized to show their allegiance to the Lord Jesus, but they continued steadfastly in the teachings of the apostles, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers. It is the Lord’s desire for you to fellowship with His people. You need to be in that company of believers where the Lord is pleased to take His place in the midst, and where you will have things in common with others who are saved. We find that after Saul was converted he was in the company of the disciples who were at Damascus (9:19).

Another thing close to the heart of the Lord, which He would have you do, is to remember Him in the breaking of bread. On the night before He went to the cross, having gathered with His own, He took bread and gave thanks; He likewise took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, “This do in remembrance of Me” (Lk. 22:19). We therefore ought to carry on this happy function of remembering our beloved Lord.

The early disciples used to practice this every day, but later it became the custom to break bread every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). The breaking of bread is so close to the heart of

the Lord that after He ascended into glory, there at the Father’s right hand, He revealed these things to the apostle Paul. So let us remember Him. We cannot do so too often. He said as often as we do it we do so in remembrance of Him, and in this way we show His death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

What If I Sin?
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn. 2:1). God hates sin, and we should hate sin too. But if we sin our Christian life does not end, for we have an Advocate with the Father. He represents us in the courts of heaven on the basis of His shed blood. We, as believers in Christ, are told to confess our sins, and He (God) “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1:9). Do not hide or try to cover your sins, but confess them to God (Prov. 28:13). He loves us as our loving Father, and He will never leave us to suffer forever in sin. Instead, He will pick us up and clean us up that we may fellowship with Him again!

So, what does the Lord require of us? We are to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Mic. 6:8).

By Paul Palmer, Sr.

Dear fellow believer,

When you made the decision to believe on the Lord Jesus and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior, that was the greatest decision you could ever make on earth. You now have “exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Pet. 1:4 NKJV). Such promises are from the Lord Himself, and they are for time and all eternity.

You have eternal life; this is priceless and precious. “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son … These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:11,13). The life we now have – this eternal life – enables us to have fellowship with God the Father and His Son: “Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1:3).

You are embarking on a tremendous future with God in your life. “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Pet. 1:3).

Let me share with you some things which will help you as you begin your Christian walk. I would encourage you to tell others about your decision to follow the Lord Jesus. I know you may be a little afraid – I was too – but the Lord will help you. “With the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). The Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, said, “Go and tell” (Mt. 28:10); “He is not ashamed to call [us] brethren” (Heb. 2:11). The apostle Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He said, “It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). He also said, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12). The apostle wanted Timothy and us to “not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord … but share … in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God” (v.8). The Lord will strengthen you (4:17), enabling you to stand up for Him. Ask the Lord for the right words and all that you need to be a testimony for Him.

Praying is extremely important. You must make everything a matter of prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6). “Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18). “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Th. 5:16-18).

Reading the Scriptures is also extremely important. You will need a Bible to read regularly. This is how you will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. A good place to begin is by reading the Gospel of John. It is the fourth book in the New Testament. You will enjoy reading God’s Word – remember to do what it says. The Lord Jesus loves to see growing Christians. Growth is one of the characteristics of living things. Because we have life in Christ we are able to grow in Him.

There are many good biblical books and magazines available. Read them with your Bible open, looking up referenced verses. Good publications will help you to understand and appreciate more and more the preciousness of God’s Word. If you find something that the Lord used to help you, share it with others that they too can be encouraged and rejoice in the Lord. Seven days without praying and reading makes the Christian weak. Be like the Bereans: “they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Fellowshiping with, which implies “being with,” other believers is also important. Ask the Lord, as the psalmist did, to direct your steps by His word (Ps. 119:133). The Lord will never lead you to a group where His name and Word are dishonored, nor where the Holy Spirit is quenched or grieved.

You have begun your walk with the Lord; continue with Him. “Continue in the faith” (Acts 14:22) until you see the Lord Jesus face to face. Many years ago Philip Doddridge (1702-1751), wrote these encouraging words: “Grace it is, free grace, which keeps us on the road. Till we behold the Savior’s face and city of our God.”

“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

May these thoughts be of help to you.

By Emmanuel V. John

There are various concepts of marriage. From the Christian perspective, marriage is a covenant, commitment and pledge based on the unconditional love of God. It is usually made in the consciousness of the presence of God and other witnesses. This covenant is a complete commitment to the Lord Jesus and each other, more binding and lasting than any legal contract.

Distortion Of The Concept Of Marriage
There seems to be an increasing distortion of the concept of marriage. Some couples express their beliefs that marriage is “just a piece of paper,” or a mutual contract based on trial and error that can be terminated at any time. On the other hand, some are justifying their relationships of living together without marriage. Sadly, their beliefs are often communicated to their children, families, friends and others. Instead of loving, giving, existing, enduring and enjoying each other, the behaviors in unmarried relationships are often reflected in hardness and coldness, being thin-skinned or sensitive, a lack of joy, lusting and getting. Individuals tend to be easily displaced, discarded or divorced.

However, there is hope and help for every hurting heart in such a relationship. Jesus is still the answer today for all our questions in relationships. We do not seek to depend on religion, rituals, regulations, reformation or reincarnation; but on a relationship with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Divine Perspective Of Marriage
The sacred institution of marriage was established by God Himself, not by man, in creation: “The LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘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.’ Therefore a man shall leave father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:21-24 ESV). Therefore, according to God’s design, marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman that is intended to be a monogamous relationship in which various needs are met – physically, spiritually, sexually, socially and other ways.

The Lord Jesus sanctified marriage by His presence at the wedding at Cana of Galilee. He was invited to the wedding, but after a while there was no more wine, a symbol of joy. It is possible for the joy to run out in a relationship, but Jesus can restore it. This wedding was graced by the presence of Jesus and gladdened by His power, in that He turned the water into wine – better wine – and gave glory to God (Jn. 2:1-11)

The Holy Spirit approves marriage as a blessed union between Christ and His Church. “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” (Eph. 5:25-27). In order for Adam to receive his bride, he gave up a part of his life, a rib; but the Lord Jesus gave up His whole life for the Church – all believers. How important it is for a husband to go all-out in responding to the needs of his wife.

The Holy Scripture affirms marriage: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Heb.13:4). Sex in the marital relationship is blessed of the Lord and is a mode of procreation, recreation and communication in an intimate and loving way.

The Dynamic Prescription Of Marriage
It is conclusive that marriage is more than a piece of paper, although the paper, or license, is important as a proof of marriage and commitment to each other in the presence of God and others. Since God has established marriage, then His guidelines in the Bible are the best for all relationships.

Many relationships fail because they despise His Word – deny, distort and disregard His guidelines. But today you can decide to have a new beginning by obeying the Lord and His Word, the Bible. It is not too late to do what is right. You can never go wrong in doing what is right in God’s sight, that your marriage will be more than a piece of paper as it is centered in the precious person of Jesus Christ.

What Does The Rapture Mean For Christ? It is the event Christ is waiting for now. He is the Bridegroom, and it will be a joy for Him to take His bride to be with Him. It is good to think about this aspect, as Paul said, “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ” (2 Th. 3:5 jnd; see Rev. 3:10). When still on earth, the Lord prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory” (Jn. 17:24 KJV). What Does The Appearing Mean For Christ? It will be the moment of glory and display. He had refused to be made king by men (6:15), presented Himself to Jerusalem in meekness (Zech. 9:9; Mt. 21:7-10) and had been rejected shortly afterwards. But at His appearing, He will be universally recognized (Phil. 2:10-11), “glorified” and “admired” (2 Th. 1:10). The One who once bore the crown of thorns – a curse – will then wear “many diadems” (Rev. 19:12 JND), “the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (v.16). —By Michael Hardt

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” —Hebrews 13:4 NASB

---

By Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.

Marriage is the oldest of human institutions. It dates back to the garden of Eden, man’s first home, and was created expressly for man by God. Marriage was not man’s idea, but God’s. Contrary to what many people think, marriage was instituted by God for His glory and for man’s enjoyment and blessing. No piece of paper was involved in that beginning long ago; in fact, the first marriage was absolutely simple, consecrated by God Himself.

God shows us in His Word that human marriage, wonderful in itself, is a picture of something far more magnificent. God planned long before He created mankind, or even the earth on which we live, that human marriage was to picture the marriage of the Church to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This marriage will soon take place in heaven. Although the Church was a mystery hidden by God and thus nowhere mentioned in the Old Testament, some pictures foreshadowing this glorious marriage are already given us there.

When we look at Ephesians 5:22-33 and other passages in the New Testament we see what marriage means to God. Therefore, we can well understand that He promises to judge anyone who deliberately spoils or abuses this depiction of His glorious purpose which He has also lovingly designed for man’s pleasure and benefit. Both fornication and adultery are deliberate acts involving the will of two individuals. God differentiates these sins from rape – the forcible sexual violation of one person by another. God’s Word does not, however, recognize any “accidental” commission of these sins! By contrast, God makes a distinction between murder and manslaughter in His Word. He provided cities of refuge in Israel for those who accidentally, or unintentionally, killed someone else; while for murderers there was no such provision made. Seven times in Numbers 35, God commands that the murderer must be put to death.

The model God gives to us to exemplify His ideal of marriage, as we have already noted in Ephesians 5, is that of Christ and the Church: “Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her” (v.25 KJV). He is the Head of the Church and the Savior of the Body. He sanctifies, cleanses, nourishes and cherishes her – loves her as His own body. One day He will present her to Himself in glorious, splendid, spotless beauty. What a wonderful example He gives in this way to husbands, who themselves are exhorted to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. The Church in turn is subject to Christ and respects Him, a subjection and respect that are not forced on her but that comes from the depths of her heart. This is the example for wives who are to be subject to their own husbands in everything as to the Lord.

Marriage, in this way, is a relationship built to the utmost degree upon giving. It is not based on getting – but oh, how much each one gains by this wholehearted, unreserved giving. Christ gave Himself; He gave His life. In fact, He, God the Son, the Lord of Glory, stooped to become Man in order to be able to give His life. The Church is to be His eternal Consort,* whom God (looking back to the picture given us in Genesis 2) designed to be a help perfectly suited for her husband. Being made by God as a product of the Son’s death, she submits to Him with full respect in everything as a part of Him. Such is God’s ideal for marriage.

Only A Piece Of Paper?
Marriage is certainly more than a piece of paper! What is this expression, “a piece of paper,” all about? Sad to say, more and more people today are rejecting what God tells us about marriage. Many people in today’s world think there is nothing wrong with a man and a woman simply living together without being married. Some give reasons why they prefer this “free lifestyle” to the bonds taken on in a legal marriage. They ask why two people who love each other should have to go through the formality of getting legally married. Many feel that without the legal constraints of being married they are not tied down to only one person, or they are free to move on when they are no longer in love or it no longer suits them to live together. Just how is it that a piece of paper called a “marriage certificate” or a “marriage license” makes a marriage legitimate? “Isn’t love the main thing?” they ask. What connection does love have with a piece of paper?

The piece of paper itself is not the important thing, but what it stands for is absolutely vital. God has established marriage as a relationship whereby a man and a woman are united together before God and man, as husband and wife. In creation, God had made the woman out of the rib He had taken from the man, whom He had caused to fall into a deep sleep, and had brought her to Adam. Scripture then immediately says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:24-25 NKJV). From this point on the woman is referred to either as “the woman,” “Adam’s wife,” or “Eve” after Adam gave her that name. She was not his “girlfriend,” “significant other,” “mistress,” “concubine,” “fiancée,” or “roommate.” No, she was his wife!

A wife in Scripture is a woman in a definite relationship to a particular man. This man has left father and mother; thus he is no longer under their authority. He has left them to be joined to his wife in a profound new relationship that is referred to by several expressions that involve both the sexual union and the intimacy that goes beyond physical union: “knowing her,” “becoming one flesh.” In fact, the expression used of being naked and not ashamed indicates the liberty of complete openness, without any reserve between husband and wife. In marriage, “yours” and “mine” fade into the background while “ours” shines out bright and clear.

We do not find any reference in Scripture to a wedding ceremony, but weddings in God’s Word are usually associated with feasts — sometimes, as in Samson’s case, lasting for several days. Thus, a wedding was a definite event, normally a joyful one, that marked a public change in the status of the two individuals involved. These two – always a man and a woman – thereby became husband and wife.

While custom in today’s world usually places the emphasis on the bride, this was not so in weddings recorded in the Bible. There the emphasis is normally on the bridegroom, for the bridegroom pictures Christ. In the account of the first wedding in the garden of Eden, God created the woman for the man to be his helpmate.

That first marriage was respected throughout the Bible. This was true even of wicked men beginning with Cain and his descendant Lamech in Genesis 4. Incidentally, this Lamech is the first polygamist mentioned in God’s Word. In time other perversions have also damaged the marriage relationship that God began in purity and simplicity. Godly men in Scripture, sad to say, also are often seen involved in polygamy although they honored the institution of marriage. Sexual intercourse outside of marriage is always viewed as sin in God’s Word. Sleeping around and prostitution are always wrong, for sex was not given to mankind as a toy with which to play.

Sex within marriage is not only for procreation, but it is pleasurable and is commended in Proverbs 5:15-20 to the young man who has just been warned against the immoral woman. Other passages show us that sex within marriage is a fantastic gift from God, giving the married couple the ability to express their love and appreciation for each other in a physical way. This gift of God gives pleasure even when misused. However, God calls such misuse “fornication,” or when married persons are involved, “adultery”; and He absolutely condemns both of these sins.

Marriage is definitely more than a piece of paper. Why insist on that piece of paper then? God has appointed authorities in this world for our good. Before He did so, when man had no government but simply had his conscience to guide him, his wickedness increased until God intervened with the judgment of the flood. The Book of Judges gives us examples of the dreadful things that happened in Israel when there was no king, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. In the increasingly lawless world we live in, immorality is blatantly out in the open and is being promoted and protected, even called “right.” Yet for the good of society, governments are still recognizing and, to a certain extent, protecting the institution of marriage. We Christians are told in Romans 13, 1 Peter 2 and elsewhere to obey the laws that governments make and to pay the fees they demand. A license to marry is one of these. A marriage ceremony is another. These “pieces of paper” are a part of what governments require as they function under God to protect and promote marriage. They help to keep man’s passions in check and under control. We Christians should pay the fees they demand and obey their requirements as they act within the framework of the authority God has committed to them. In doing so we are obeying God’s Word.

Yes, marriage is more than a piece of paper – much more! But that piece of paper the government requires is an integral part of marriage in our countries, for it makes a marriage legal and openly recognized as being the bond that binds a man and a woman together while on earth. Marriages may be made in heaven, but heaven tells us to submit to the authorities it has established for man’s good on earth. We do this in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ who has told us to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.

ENDNOTE
* A “consort” is a “spouse, especially of a reigning monarch,” according to Dictionary.com.