The Attack on Marriage

I wonder if we (Christians) can discern the trends of our day as pertaining to Marriage. I ask this because if we observe correctly and can accurately interprete the worldly and I dare say satanic discussions surrounding the Godly Institution called Marriage, then perhaps we will understand what I am talking about.

It's no longer news that same sex marriages are being legalised and welcomed in our society. As if this isn't shuddering enough, what is more appalling is the plan to legalise multiple partner marriages and multiple gender marriages. Of course there exists today, sexual fetishes where it is commonplace to share partners, swinging and three, four or more partners in bed. Soon clamour for legalization of these in marriage will start.

This is a direct attack on God's institution. Marriage is a sacred gift given to us by God as it depicts the relationship he shares with us in Christ. The Institution has been typologically used to describe God and his Church (body).

The idea is this: since Marriage is Biblically regarded as the Union of Man and woman in matrimony, then where a man and another man, a woman and another woman can legally unite, and where a man can unite with two or more women and vice versa, or a woman in unision with another man and another woman etc (endless permutations isn't it?), then soon Marriage will sieze to exist as a Holy entity.

If God has defined Marriage as the Union of Man and Woman, and if in our day any other combination can be called Marriage, then soon everything can be called Marriage. Then the question begs to be asked: What indeed will marriage be? I'll spare you the thoughts; NOTHING!

Here's the world's plan (need I say devil?). If anything can be called Marriage, then nothing can hold on to a sole claim as marriage. Then the institution will seize to be sacred, God forbid! Like Rod Parsley titles in his acclaimed book "Silent No More", we as Christians need to awake to the issues of our day.

Please let me have your views.

Religion or Relationship

One of my Favourite Gospel artists is the Group 'Cross Movement'. Recently I was listening to one of their albums and the track " Spare Rituals" got me reflecting. The Chorus says "without Christ you ain't spiritual, what it is' a bunch of spare rituals".

These words struck a familiar chord in my soul. I recall a few days ago I was discussing with a dear friend about my observation of comtemporary Christian sermons and issues these days. It seems that much of our pre-occupation and teaching have simply dealt with encouraging men and women to 'just come to church, get involved with activities, the promise of wealth-a-plenty, and of course the incessant call to stop sinning'.

Of course I am a firm believer in church work, prosperity and righteous living. However I shudder at the thought that most professing Christians today are merely Church goers, moral living people who have been deceived to think that once you sign up to Church and 'godly' living, heaven is yours!

Christianity isn't mere religious rites! It is not a religion, rather it's a call to relationship with Christ and God. A union with him, fellowship and participation with him as well as access to his throne. Like a man and woman unite in ideals, values, beliefs and share all things in common (in marriage), so is the call to Christianity. It is primarily a fusion of two wills into one: Yours and Christs.

Thence follow actions that depict the newness of your purpose as permitted in your relationship with Christ. No longer are you driven to and fro by religious obligations but rather by a firm resolution to live for the one you are united with. It's like the Chicken and the Egg, which comes first?

Do not live a life having a form of godliness but denying its ability. That isn't Christianity, it's some other religion not even close to Christs'. Of course there isn't a promise of heaven therein. Cross Movement is right: without Christ it really is a bunch of rituals, ceremonies, and externals.

What do you feed your mind?

The question begs to be asked; how do you deal with your mind? What do you feed him? The mind represents the centrepiece of our being, the very location of all our thoughts. It is where our actions are shaped and decisions made. Solomon knew the importance of this he exhorted in his beautiful and poetic warnings: "Keep your heart (mind) with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life" Prov 4:23

Hear Paul's words:

"I beseech you......that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.......and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....." (Rom 12:1,2).

Man is a triune being. His Spirit is the very essence of him, this is where his connection or disconnection from God occurs. The Spirit is the being of man created in God's image, the only part of man that will return to his creator. The body is the shelter of man. Here is our physical outlook and appeal to the rest of creation, its composition has been described by scientists as mamalian, and further Homosapien. Then comes the location of man's intellect, his reasoning, his thoughts and factory of all his actions and consciences- the Mind.

While the Spirit has been dealt with in the new birth (regenerated and infused with God's spirit), the body and mind hasn't been changed! The body will of course be replaced at Christ's coming (what scripture calls the unveiling of immortality). The platform has of course been made available at Golgotha, and thanks to the resurrection, we can look forward to the day when we will "put off" this old body for a new one.

However the changing or renewing of our mind has been left to us. As long as we live in this world, we will be exposed to "worldly" ideas, images, thoughts and sounds. Any wonder Paul exhorts as above? We must be equiped to handle such pressures keeping our focus on Christ and our mind in subjection to his will.

.....to be continued.....