Category Archives: Church

Belief in God’s Revelation (Pt 2)

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If the Church’s primary ailment is unbelief,[1] then throwing another programme at a perceived symptom will do very little. As we noted in the introduction to this series, treating the symptom is but a slowing down of the death process. It is not a cure.

Therefore, if we are to counter the ailment effectively, we must counteract the underlying cause. In this case, we do not need to institute yet another new programme. We simply need to encourage people to a true and profound belief in all that God has to say. We need to believe the whole counsel of God.[2]

I cannot pinpoint the exact date on which we decided by consensus to give up on believing God’s truth. It is fair to say that there has always been elements within the Church that have questioned what God has to say and have affirmed doctrines that are not in keeping with God’s revelation.

In the modern era, I believe that World War Two had a lot to do with the loss of faith and belief. Prior to WW2, Theological Liberalism was on the rise. It robbed the Scriptures of everything supernatural and internalised both faith and epistemology. In this trend, Theological Liberalism was but following the Secular trend of the exalted self.

When war broke out and millions of lives were thrown into chaos with people being forced to witness and endure brutalities scarcely heard of, people rightly sought answers. Sadly, Theological Liberalism had no answer. Liberalism could not impart understanding. It could give no reason. Most certainly, its comforts were but hollow words; heartless and without warmth.

Not surprisingly, Man began to question the point of a religion that could not provide answers to the basic questions of life.[3] Thus, Man turned further from the Church and found the warm embrace of Rationalism. This was but a natural step as the exalted self had been long courted by Rationalism. The Liberals had caused Christianity to be transformed into a mere shadow of its former self. This new emaciated Church was gaunt precisely because it had been taught to feed upon Man and not upon “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”[4]

At this point, we had a culture that was enamoured with the exalted self and the basic tenets of Individualism. From that point, we have simply witnessed an outworking of this process. We have seen our society completely dominated by rank Individualism. We witness it every day in the death of society and the fragmentation of our culture.

What of the Church? How has she faired? Well, to use terminology from WW2, She is absolutely “shell-shocked”! 1977 saw this trend of disbelief culminate in what came to be known as Union. At that time, the majority of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches were rolled into one body, which we know today as the Uniting church.

One only has to look at the resultant state of that new body to see how disastrous the doctrines of the exalted self were and are. This body is almost devoid of any semblance of Christianity. It is noticeably void of anything closely resembling a belief in ‘the authoritative word of God’. Its doctrines are based not in Scripture, but in Secularism and Humanism.

What then of other denominations and those that refrained from joining the Union? Regrettably, the process of disbelief has largely continued unabated. It has to a lesser or greater degree infiltrated most denominations. The result of which has been disastrous.

Here is the problem. Having given up on God’s word as the source of truth, many denominations have drifted into a modern form of Liberalism. As we noted in the introduction, this is the sinister aspect of this ailment. Without a foundational belief in God’s word as their only authority, they will continue to drift. The one thing they must do is the one thing the exalted self does not want to do – completely trust God!

Tragically, this false belief has also had a major impact on those reform movements that have sprung up. When some good folk looked around the Church and saw that She was not having an impact upon the world; when they saw dwindling numbers; when they witnessed injustices; when they realised that people were not being converted, they set out with all good intent to improve things.

Enter the sinister ailment once again. When these people set out to find a cure they failed to realise that they had been so indoctrinated by the exalted self that they simply produced more symptoms. Rather than return wholeheartedly to the God of the Bible and His wondrous revelation, they looked to Man for wisdom. If the Bible was consulted, such consultations were completed in a selective manner; choosing only those texts that seemed to legitimise the new approach.

Consequently, when Church numbers dwindled, demography was proposed as the solution. When church services were poorly attended, entertainment was embraced as an answer. When fallen men found certain teachings unpalatable, the response was to reject those doctrines or to hide them from public view. When desires for different forms of worship were voiced, the corrective was found in the deliberate fragmentation of Christ’s body. When Sexism was raised as a criticism, all barriers were cast down – gender neutral Bibles were invented. When the Government enacted laws on vilification and equality, the reaction was to disown more doctrine and to simply remain silent.

All of these correctives, responses, reactions, and answers have availed naught precisely because they come from the same poisonous root. They are delivering more poisoned fruit, more symptoms, because they are the inventions of Man and not the declarations of God.

As well intentioned as these brethren may have been in their desire and efforts for reform, they failed to realise and react to the true problem, unbelief! As a consequence of this failure, their efforts realised and propagated a new set of errors (symptoms). Therefore, these labours have not led to the Church’s healing. On the contrary, She has been confined to Her sickbed for a prolonged stay.

If we truly want to realise a healthy Church; be a vibrant community of faith; attain to a faithful and pure Bride; offer up spiritual sacrifices; and be a holy priesthood, then we must truly, with all our heart, mind, and soul, believe God’s word and trust to His ways.

If there is one text that we must understand, it is Isaiah 55:8-11:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.[5]

Anyone who is the least bit familiar with the Bible should know that God’s ways are not Man’s ways. Man’s wisdom is foolishness to God[6] and God’s true wisdom is not accepted by Man.[7]

Therefore, if we truly desire to see a healthy, vibrant, obedient, worshipping Church, we must put to death the exalted self and be pleased to wholeheartedly and tenaciously cling to the prescriptions of Almighty God – whether it makes sense to us or not!

Believe! As Jesus said, “Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”[8]

Part 3

[1] Hebrews 3:17-19 gives us a harsh reminder of the consequences of unbelief and the need we have to always guard against it – And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Deuteronomy 8:20 sums up the Old Testament equivalent – Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.

[2] Acts 20:27. The KJV uses “counsel”; the NIV “will”; the NASB “purpose”. ‘Counsel’ and ‘purpose’ are probably the better translations in that they imply the necessity of interaction and compliance on the part of the hearers.

[3] This is, of course, an irony as the alternate religion embraced by Man gave no answers to life’s questions either. It would seem that there was enough capital from the Christian worldview left in the bank to inspire some optimism. World War 2 completely shattered any remaining optimism and the subsequent years have shown that the bank account is continually in the red.

[4] Deuteronomy 8:3.

[5] The New American Standard Bible, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977. Emphasis added.

[6] 1 Corinthians 3:19 – For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.

[7] 1 Corinthians 1:20-25 – Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

[8] John 11:40. Yes, taken from a different context, but the principle holds. How do we expect to see the magnificent works of God in this world if we will not believe God’s word and what He says He will accomplish through that word?

Programme or Belief

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There are, no doubt, many problems with the Church today. We may well say that the Church is sick. Like any illness and the necessary diagnosis, the physician must be able to distinguish the disease from the symptoms.

Much of what we see in the Church today are but symptoms of the disease. We can attempt to treat these symptoms, and they certainly need to be addressed, however, if we do not treat the underlying cause, we will be consumed by treatments that never lead to a cure.

Imagine a man with a festering sore on his leg. He goes to a doctor who does nothing but clean the wound, excise any dead flesh, and then redress the wound. In the end, this man will lose his leg and possibly his life. Yes, he is being treated, but only at a superficial level. The treatment will go on. The treatments will change as the wound grows and the necrosis consumes more of the man’s flesh. Yet, in the end, all you are doing is treating the symptom.

Whilst these treatments are necessary, the doctor must also address the cause. He must prescribe an antibiotic or antivenene to deal with the underlying source, otherwise the visible manifestation of the problem will only become more obvious, more serious, and, eventually, life threatening.

The Church is sick. Many have ideas about what is wrong. However, most are only looking at the symptoms. Suggestions about new programmes for this or that are promulgated and the appropriate propaganda developed. The trouble with this approach is to be found in the methodology itself. Where in the Bible do we read of “programmes”? How do we know that these are the panacea?

The Gospel is not a matter of having the appropriate programme; it is a matter of belief. As God’s creature, regenerate or not, we are obligated to believe what God says is true; not reinvent truth to suit our opinions, outlook, or self-established purpose.

Therefore, it must be said that much of the sickness in the Church derives from varying states of unbelief.[1] We are simply unable or, worse, unwilling to believe the Word of God. This unbelief manifests itself in various ways, but these manifestations are but symptoms of the greater and more sinister ailment.

The sinister nature of this ailment is to be seen in the fact that unless we begin to trust God and take Him at His word, we will never find the cure; for belief is the cure. All we will do is engage ourselves in another programme, which is nothing more than symptom chasing. We will swap bandages and bathe wounds, but we will not realise a cure.

You see, the whole “programme” philosophy is one that is suggested by the world. It is not something you will find in God’s word. Thus, the very fact that we tend to solve problems by “throwing another programme at it” clearly demonstrates that we have lost faith in God and His absolute Word. Consequently, we are seen to be following an ungodly philosophy in trying to bring health to the Church.

When we examine the Bible, we do not see programmes; stepped projects, or 5 point plans. The Biblical approach is very simple. It consists of a basic dialogue – God speaks; Man listens. Viewed differently, God speaks and Man either obeys or disobeys. Consequently, Man is either blessed or cursed.

The beauty of this system is its simplicity. If the Church is not prosperous we need only ask two questions: “Are we persecuted for righteousness sake?” or “Are we under judgement for disobedience?”

When the questions are this simple, we do not need “committees” or “programmes”. We simply need to exchange the “worldly programme” or “lie”, as Paul would term it, for a Biblical approach: 1. Listen to and believe God; 2. Act obediently upon His command.

Part 2

[1] In general, we may believe the key doctrines regarding Jesus. However, as soon as we move from these into essential everyday applications – also important doctrines – we see a great divergence.

Reformers Reforming: Post Tenebras Lux

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Most are familiar with the Reformation and the cry, post tenebras lux – after darkness, light! This cry, issued by the Reformers, illustrated the very heart of and need for reform within the Church. Darkness had enveloped the world and it was necessary for the Light to shine. What was this darkness? It had to do with the fact that the True Light, coming into the world (John 1:9), had been placed under a basket. Little flashes of light were seen from time to time, sneaking through the weave, but for the most part, the light was contained.

This state arose because the Church, appointed by Jesus Christ to proclaim His Law-Word to the ends of the earth, and therefore to shine the light to its greatest degree, abandoned the idea of service to Christ for an attitude of self-service. In short, the Church began to serve its own purposes, desires, and inclinations. The message of the Gospel was forgotten. The proclamation of Jesus as the only means of reconciliation to God, with all its attendant good for the world, was replaced by a proclamation of Rome and Her own importance.

Instead of the proclamation of Jesus Christ and the fullness of His being as the very revelation of God – a revelation that brought truth, purpose, meaning, freedom, reconciliation, and light to those who dwelt in darkness – Rome brought error, hopelessness, confusion, slavery, discord – especially between man and God – and the light was shut up. So darkness fell! As darkness fell, ignorance grew. Men were as far from God as ever. Sadly, the institution appointed to bear light, chose darkness instead.

Into this situation, by God’s merciful hand of providence, came a long line of Reformers. They had a motto: Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei (“The church reformed, always being reformed (or always Reforming) according to the Word of God”) The Reformers understood that true light could only be attained by a faithful proclamation of the True Light – Jesus Christ the Righteous Son of God. However, they did not simply stop at proclamation. They went to the source document, the Bible, to see exactly what God had revealed and commanded of men. They were no longer guessing in the dark. They opened God’s eternal word written and therein found God’s eternal Word living. They found the Light of the world and they began to let that Light shine; and this by faithful and obedient proclamation of the whole counsel of God.

Why are these points raised? Why the little history lesson? These questions are best answered by the old saying, “Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it.” The argument, here, is that once again the Church is failing in her duty to faithfully proclaim the truth of the Light, Jesus Christ. Once more, we see departures from and a weakening of the Light – the proclamation of the whole counsel of God as revealed in Jesus the Christ. We once more see institutions begin to be self-serving, rather than self-sacrificing. We see some sectors of the Church unsure as to where to look for answers. Such a state will only bring in ever increasing amounts of compromise. This compromise will in turn lead to darkness, confusion, and slavery.

When faced with such a situation, we necessarily must ask, ‘What is the best way forward?’ The answer, the sole answer, in this situation is to return to the cry of the Reformation – “The church reformed, always being reformed (or always Reforming) according to the Word of God!” This creed, if you will, gives us the sure foundation because it encapsulates all the necessary aspects of successful Church life. In contrast to this full creed, the moderns are tempted in one of two ways, both of which bring disaster to the Church and to its function as a faithful proclaimer of the Light.

The first error is seen when the creed is altered to, “the church reformed, reformed according to the Word of God.” The change here is subtle, but it essentially makes the Reformation, a fact of history, the be-all and end-all of Church reform. The problem with this view is that it fails to grasp the idea that the Church is a living organism. In this view, the only reform the Church needed, and which it will receive, has happened and we must cling tenaciously to every word uttered some 500 years ago, as though that is the last word. This view, however, misses the clear fact that, by its very nature, the Church must grow and mature. It must turn from a seed to a giant tree, which, in this case, fills the whole world. None of us would be satisfied if we reached puberty and stopped developing. The horticulturists amongst us would not be satisfied with a yard full of immature plants. Imagine a summer without the ripe fruits because all the trees had budded, but no bud had matured. Similarly, the Church is alive and it is growing. Consequently, it must change. It must pass through different stages of growth.

The second error is seen when the creed is altered to, “The church, always reforming!” Here, we clearly encounter the desire for change, but note that the standard of change has been omitted.  God’s word no longer holds the place as the sole director of the Church’s life. Rather, we are influenced by men, vain philosophies, and dare it be said, carnal desires. It seems that this is the particular situation that plagues the Church of today.

In such circumstances, we encounter a flurry of activity. People, left, right, and centre, are running a programme for this and a programme for that. There is always one new, sure–fire, guaranteed way to fill the Church or to have a greater impact upon society—that is, until it is discarded for the next sure-fire, guaranteed way and so on! The problem at this point is singular. We have omitted from our creed the one objective standard that would give sure guidance and which would allow the Light to shine. That objective standard is God’s word, the Bible. It is not a coincidence that, in the post-modern world, the Church’s rejection of Scripture as its sole authority has led to a post-modern infiltration into the Church in which ‘men do what is right in their own eyes’.

Examples of this modern approach abound, here are two, taken from two different mission organisations: “To that end, people are given the freedom to experiment with new ideas and implement creative methods and even if they fail, they can try again. … We encourage men and women to use whatever means will be effective in communicating the gospel. Creative ideas, innovative strategies and unique concepts are being employed….” “We do not encourage the espousing of doctrinal emphases that could and would divide us and distract us away from our objectives.”

Please note the absolute lack of reliance upon God’s word. Rather, we see that men are to “experiment” and realise “creative methods.” Why? Is it the case that if they happen upon the exact method of success they will patent it, bottle it, and ship it to every Church? It would seem not. Sadly, all this creativity is couched in words that expect failure! Interesting. Does God in His word expect failure? Is God at present sitting in the heavens bewildered and distraught that He cannot make things work according to His purposes and plans? Methinks not (Isaiah 46:8-11)! The modern Church is filled with those whose activities are not governed “according to the word of God.” Consequently, they are trying to reinvent the “theological wheel”. They experiment and become creative in a vain hope, rather than taking instruction from the only wise God (Romans 16:27).

Then we view the second quotation. Heaven forbid that doctrine should get in the way of men’s ideas. Well, no! May God forbid that men’s ideas should get in the way of true doctrine! The believers in the early Church had “all things in common. (Acts 2:43)” This included doctrine. They all believed the same thing in regard to Jesus Christ, His person, work, and purpose. Why is it today that we want to avoid doctrine and that we are certain that Biblical doctrine will divide rather than unite? Could it be that we prefer the subjective autonomy provided to us by a post-modern world where truth is unknowable and where we can rule our lives according to our own standards, rather than by God’s standard?

Here is a plea for a vibrant, healthy, maturing, Church, in which the redeemed constantly and consistently “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!” (1 Peter 2:9) It is a plea to be consistent with the Reformational creed. Let us realise and glory in the fact that the Church is a living entity and that it is encumbered upon Her to meet each new challenge in every subsequent age. It must be said – lightening rods on standby – that Luther, Calvin, and co, did not have everything nailed down. However, let us also understand that the Church’s obligation in these challenges is not to rely on man’s inventiveness or creativity. It is, rather, to declare, “Thus says the Lord God!”

The path to a living, maturing, vibrant church, that truly impacts the world and glorifies God, is to be found in humble, covenantal obedience to the Biblical standards revealed in Jesus Christ and attested by the Holy Spirit. It is found in believing and applying God’s revealed objective standard, the Bible, and not in man’s subjective invention.

Marriage is Life!

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There is little doubt that, in Australia today, we are experiencing a clash of worldviews. Over the last decades, the Secular Humanist attack upon Biblical Christianity has gathered pace. However, in 2012, Secular Humanism is presenting a challenge to this nation such as never before. The attack is of such intrinsic importance that both Christian and Secularist alike must be made fully aware of its implications.

Christianity, both as a belief and a worldview, has been systematically attacked in this country for at least fifty years. In that time, attacks have been mainly focused against the application of Biblical law. Examples of this may be seen in the erosion of (traditional) marriage. The concept of both “de facto” relationships and divorce were popularised and de-stigmatised. By stealth, therefore, marriage was undermined. Its significance and importance was devalued. Marriage was relegated to the status of a cultural relic from the bygone age of “religion” and non-enlightenment. With the devaluation of marriage, came the subsequent depreciation of the family. Families were no longer the building block of society. They were no longer afforded protection, assistance, and honour.

All of this is attributable to Humanism’s attack on the application of Biblical law. Of course, all of this stems directly from the fact that the Secular Humanist has denied the existence and importance of the Bible’s God (Psalm 14:1). With God removed, the Secularist believes himself free to set about making this world after his own laws. Consequently, the Secular Humanist has sought to erode any law that was explicitly based in Scripture. Well, not quite. He has eroded any law that means he must restrain himself as far as carnal appetite and pleasure are concerned. He is rather keen to keep the laws regarding murder and theft as he wants to live long enough to enjoy his greed and hedonism.

The question for us all is, ‘What is next?’ What is Humanism about to redefine after its own making? The answer is already before our eyes. 2012 has seen several bills introduced to parliament with the express purpose of changing the definition of the Marriage Act so as to allow for homosexual marriage. The thing that must be impressed upon all, at this point, is that this is an escalation in the war. No longer are the Humanists simply attacking the peripheries in the application of Biblical law, they are insisting on nothing less than a redefinition of man. This battle is not about the institution of marriage as a standalone item. No. This battle is about marriage as an essential part of Man, his definition, and his purpose. At heart, it is an argument regarding Man and Marriage as life.

When Christians argue against homosexuality, they typically turn to texts such as Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” or Romans 1:26-27. These are good texts. They teach us much. Yet we must press to the crux of the matter, if we are to argue the best case in our day.

The question that must be asked is, “Why is homosexuality and homosexual marriage Biblically wrong?” To answer this, we must return to the book of Genesis and to the Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:26-28). There we find the incontrovertible evidence. The Cultural Mandate reads: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

In this text there are some fundamentals that simply cannot be ignored. First, let us start with the simple but important fact that Man is made in the image of God. Of priority, we must grasp and understand that God made Man. God Almighty, in Trinity, determined to create and Man was part of that creation. Man is not, therefore, a creature from the black swamp that one day “got smart” and decided to crawl out of the primordial slime and make something of himself. Man is not the Mk 4 in monkey design – as though each new version of monkey could self-assess and rationalise what further improvements would be beneficial and then will those changes into being as the next model. Man is not chaos, chance, randomness, coincidence, or accident. He is not a cosmic virus virulent upon the earth as some type of intergalactic plague – with the earth hoping for vaccine! Man is not the meaningless, unknowing, unintelligible, transient dream of the existentialist! Man is the product of nothing less than the perceptive, absolute, unmistaken, determinative will of Almighty God. No mistake. No design flaws. No errors. Made in fullness! Made in perfection! Man, made as God intended him. Man, endued and imbued with every power, grace, gift, talent, ability, faculty, facility, and function that God intended him to possess. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Second, we note that there is “Deflation” and “Inflation”! A) – Deflation: Man is not God! He is like unto God, but he is not God. Hence, man is not a demiurge or demigod; We are not god’s trapped in mortal wrappings; We are not, as Jesus, partakers of the Divine nature. No. We are human. Our nature is human. Yet, our human nature is God like. B) – Inflation: We are more than animals. Man is not just the best of animalia. Man stands above the animals. He stands above the creation. He is God’s vice-regent over creation.  Thus, we understand that Man is elevated above creation, but we must also see that the elevator does not travel all the way to God’s throne. We are shown the magnificence of Man, but also his limitations.

Third, and this point must hit home, God’s Man was created in plurality! Man is made in God’s Image and he is made male and female. Like a coin, Man was made with two sides. Both image bearers. Both endued with God’s gifts, talents, and purposes. When the two are brought together in the marriage covenant, the whole becomes far greater than the sum of its parts. Thus says the Lord God (Genesis 2:24)!

This point must be understood, for it is the essence of any and every rebuttal to all schemes which attack Man and particularly the relationship of man to woman. In Genesis 1:28, God pronounces a blessing upon Man. Part of that blessing is that Man should be fruitful and multiply. God’s Man, made in plurality, covenanted in unity through marriage, can receive this blessing and bring it to fruition.  Humanism’s Man cannot. It does not matter how much semen you pour into a man’s rectal cavity or how many attempts are made to fashion the perfect phallic symbol, Man’s futility can never replicate or replace God’s fertility! The only reason these contemporary perverts claim any right to success is because of modern scientific advances and perverted moral behaviour. God did not need a test tube! God did not need a surrogate womb! God did not need to hatch a foul plan to inebriate some poor unsuspecting; just so the lesbian could steal his seed and claim to be fruitful! No, God made Man male and female. God gave them perfect fertility and bodies designed and equipped to fulfil Man’s assignment within God’s purpose and plan.

Therefore, the homosexual desire for marriage is not simply a desire to change a rule or definition in regard to marriage. Rather, it is a diabolical attempt to redefine Man according to the idols of Humanism. It is an attempt to rebuild Man without any reference to God, which basically means that Man must be smelt and recast. Consequently, it is nothing less than an attempt to destroy Man. In short, it is death.

Marriage, as we have seen, is not a human institution, statist or otherwise. It is not a convention or human cultural tradition. Marriage is the inherent consequence of Man being created male and female in the image of God. Marriage, therefore, is not only bound to Man as male and female, but it is bound up in the essential nature of Man as male and female. You cannot remove marriage from Man anymore than you can remove the male and femaleness of Man. Any attempt in that direction ends in the destruction and death of Man. Therefore, homosexual marriage must be repudiated as a travesty.

God made Man in His image. God made Man in plurality as male and female. God blessed Man in his plurality. All this meant that Man could come together in the union of male and female and bring forth life. God’s design had included every aspect necessary mentally, physically, and spiritually. God also gave to Man marriage; the covenant bond in which plurality became unity. Here, two halves met as rain meets a parched land. The result was an explosion of life, effervescent and vibrant. Life as God intended.

Therefore, marriage is life! That is, one man and one woman in covenant union before God. Marriage is life!