Happy weekend to you all in Jesus Name. Glad to write to you again. My prayer is for everyone of us to end our race on the earth well in Jesus’ Name.
God brought the term marriage into our union with Himself and Christ to drive home what He planned for our eternal life to raise our standard, that we may become one with Him and be like Him in nature forever. This means that His original plan is fulfilled. Proverb 19:21 says, “…But the counsel of the Lord will stand.” When we talk about marriage, we must know that marriage has gone beyond the level of casual friendship, wedding ceremonies, and mere interactions with one another. People cannot get the full benefits of relationship when operating outside of marriage. To understand the mystery of marriage is to know the mind of God when He said two SHALL become one flesh according to Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:8.
Two people who does not have the understanding of the mystery of marriage usually ended in destroying friendships, relationships, families, and the communities of people. No matter how much money spent in organizing elaborate weddings, if there is no understanding of this beautiful union, it wouldn’t stand the test of time. It becomes what people endures, not enjoyed. It becomes one party taking advantage of other; and taking the other for granted for personal benefit. It become a ruse.
The genuine purpose of marriage is to marry a soul mate embarking on eternal journey. In this journey of a lifetime on earth, you get to know each other better with the covenant of marriage biding you. If you get married for the sake of having children as some people do, and you later discovered that your spouse has medical issues that may not allow him/her to bear children, trouble would ensue right at that point; and love will turn to hate. If you marry someone because of outward beauty, what if accident happen along the way and take away that pretty facade? We must marry one another for love, conviction and commitment. The Scripture says,
Christ’s Sacrifice for the Ungodly
…7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!…”
God sees the end from the beginning, and He wants us to see as He sees, but unspiritual man only sees the present, immediate to enjoys only instant gratifications; this is why we regrets. When we go into relationship for selfish reasons, we unfairly put others at disadvantage and awkward position.
This morning I decided to take a long walk on my street to get fresh oxygen into my lungs and to exercise my limbs. The moment I hit the main road out of my street, I noticed a man seated in a shop frontage, the shop was not yet opened because it was still early. As I walk passed him, my spirit wanted me to talk to him about the Gospel of Christ; I always pray for opportunities to witness Christ. So, I approached him with greetings and asked if I could speak to him about Christ. He obliged. I started by telling him of the love of Christ and how he must have Jesus Christ in his life for salvation/eternal purpose.
He said he is a Muslim, but I shared with him one of the Islamic prayers from the first surah in the Quran (Surah al-Fatihah), which says ““Ih dinas-siratal mustaqeem” means we are asking Almighty Allah (SWT) to guide us to the straight path, the main highway which goes towards paradise.” I said this prayer has been answered in Christ in John 14:6, where Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” And while I was talking to him, I noticed he was wearing a wrist rope that is decorated with tiny crosses, this is the type people gets from the uniformed churches like Celestial Church of Christ (CCC). I quickly confronted him by asking if he is a Muslim as he claimed, why is he interacting with the God he is not ready to accept for relationship/marriage? why going for consultation as if going to the herbalist to consult idol? As if you prefer a prostitute over a relationship that leads to permanent unity (marriage)? This man does not want relationship with God, he only visited churches to get quick fix, or a tranquilizer for his business, health, or other matter; but Jesus always want to take the relationships further to the next level with anyone that come to Him, so He has ahead of time proved His love by laying down His life. Why would anyone do that if they are not seriously committed to marriage? He already gave ALL He has, it is either He lost ALL or gain ALL.
Now, this man is interacting with God in a relationship that cannot lead to Salvation of his soul. The reason Jesus came is first and foremost Salvation of our souls (John 3:16). Unfortunately, there are many people like the man I met in churches that are only in the Church to patronize God mainly for consultation. Immediately they get their fill, they go their way. Just in the same way we have false/fake pastors, we also have fake brethren in churches, their long years in the church does not matter but quality of your commitment. I believe if you meet people like that man in a church service, you will be deceived to think they are members in the household. Many are in the church for the sake of their hearts desires to be met, this is one of the reasons there is proliferation of false churches and false prophets. This has caused great exodus (large migration) of enchanters into the Church of Jesus Christ, to serve the false brethren and deceive the un-watchful sheep. May the Lord expose them and cause genuine brethren to be set free from under their yokes.
This situation didn’t just started today, there were people that followed Jesus mainly for food, some for healing, and many to hangout with Him, Jesus was not DECEIVED by their coming to church on time, or fakery in departmental activities. He saw beyond the physical, into the hearts of men.
John 6: 25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
Among many that followed Him, only few people like Peter followed and stay with Him for the things beyond the physical. Just in the same way in bad and deceptive marriage when life can changes grows people apart, something happened in the time of Jesus that caused some of the followers to desert Jesus, at a time He asked His closest allies if they were leaving Him, but Peter answered: 66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him. 67So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?” 68Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
This statement of Peter means, come rain, come sunshine, we have decided to stick with you till the end. In the popular covenant message reads out during weddings, how many adheres to: “In death and in sickness”? Success in Marriage (Relationship) is not automatic, but the more we walk together, live together and weather storms, the good, the bad and the ugly seasons of life together; the stronger our relationships become. Marriage is not for the lily hearted, chicken-hearted, faint-hearted, cowards, and Ignobly people that lacking in courage. So also following the Lord, you will face many storms, Red Sea, wilderness, jungles, dry bones, etc; but the joy of it all is that in all these perils; He is there with us (Ps. 23; Matthew 28:20b; Act 7::56; Joshua 1:9; Jeremiah 20:11). This is the yardstick God expected and why He hated divorce. God knows our frailness, He understand our weakness, yet, He could stick to His covenant with us; but do we?
DANGER OF NOT KNOWING OR LEARNING THE WAY OF YOUR PARTNER
Many church people complains about the God they claimed to follow, I used to until I begin to learn His ways. It is an interesting journey. You can never know more about your partner until you live together and are committed to one another. The danger of being in a relationship where one partner is not committed to the covenant of marriage is very grave. They can use you and dump you, they can break your heart, and disrespect you in the presence of others.
When you follow God for the sakes of your selfish gain, He becomes an unknown God to you. You will be at lose because you may be asking Him for one child, but He may have nations for you. Patronizing an unknown God is dangerous and has great implications and complications; it would be like sleeping with a strange bedfellows. Enough of our interactions with God that cannot lead to Salvation, life will become miserable because:
You cannot decode or interprets His language
You will do evil in His sight and discrete His presence
You will offer Him Abominable prayers and offerings
You will approach Him wrongly
You will offer to bribe Him with offerings like the gods of the Amorites
Instead of offering Him your body, soul and spirit, you will offer sacrifice that He has provided for Himself.
In Acts 17:23, the religious people in Athens served an unknown God, I wonder how they want to please Him. In Christ we have pleased God, the price is fully paid. This is our peace. If you don’t know how to please God, you will be running from pillar to post to prayer contractors to help you speak to Him and they will deceive you and make your situation worse. When we are in genuine union with Christ, we become one with Him, He feels our pain as the scripture says, Jesus the Great High Priest
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. “
As the time of Easter draws closer, let us remember what He did on the Cross for mankind and love Him genuinely. If we truly in Him, we will have interest in knowing Him more through His Word and we will tell others of Him.
Blessings!