March 19, 2000 Volume 1 Number 12
What
Love Will Do
One of the most often quoted and memorized passages in
the Bible is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.” In this
verse God's love is set forth as the motivating cause for Him to give Jesus.
We have all felt this feeling at some time in our life.
The feeling that comes when someone you care about has a need and you
have what it takes to fill that need. We
often make great sacrifices for those we love, and this verse reveals that God
has done this for us. This is the type of love that is expected from every child
of God. For him this type of love
does not ask who or what he loves, for he should love all people, and all things
that pertaining to truth and righteousness.
What does it cause us to do?
Love
Will Cause Us To Keep God's Commandments.
It is without a doubt that when certain commands of God
are brought forth, many will argue and say, “Well, I don't think that is the
way it should be.” Many people
have their lives so intertwined with the doctrines of men that they will not see
things in a different light. But
when asked if they "love God" the answer is almost always and
universally in the affirmative. "Yes,
I love God." So why is it that
we find disagreement in doctrine, in practice and in thought. Jesus said,
"If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15, see also 1John 2:3-5).
Love is a demonstrative characteristic.
It is a doer. It is active not passive.
It is a worker. It is the very pinnacle of the upward call of God.
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in
anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to
the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us
be of the same mind (Phil 3:14-16). SO, If you love God what are you going to do
when you are called to obey God’s commands? Remember it is love that caused
God and Christ to act. Rom 5:8
says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.” As a result of the action taken by God we
too must demonstrate our love for Him. It
will be the motivating force behind our actions. Love will cause us to obey God. No matter what He asks. It will overrule our own thoughts,
our prejudices in the realm of religion. It
will over rule our conduct with mankind. Here are some examples.
Love
will cause us to be good neighbors.
If we love our neighbors, we will not seek to do them
any harm. It is significant that
six out of ten commandments deal with man's duty to man.
In the story of the "good Samaritan" when the lawyer asked,
"Who is my neighbor" Jesus answered in a poignant way to teach that a
neighbor is anyone we may meet. And
what more can we do for someone than to introduce them to the gospel.
Love
will cause us to forgive those who sin against us.
Love that goes far enough to forgive is genuine love. We
see it perfected in a number of Bible examples.
Think of Joseph, despised and sold to strangers as a slave, but when he
looked back over his life and the blessings that God sent to him, he did not
resent or hate his brothers. He
even wept because his brothers thought that he might not have forgiven them.
Consider Stephen, the first Christian martyr of whom we have record.
Though dragged out of the city and stoned by a mob---what was his prayer
for his enemies according to Acts 7:60---God, strike them dead!?
Isn't that what we would like to have done. Note Stephens response, Then
he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them
with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Picture David as he wept over the death of his wicked
son Absalom. Much to the surprise
of the messenger who brought the news of Absalom's death, David did not rejoice
that a renegade son had fallen. Just
listen to David's broken heart speak in these words, “…"O my son
Absalom-- my son, my son Absalom-- if only I had died in your place! O Absalom
my son, my son!" (2Sam 18:33). Why was this not a great victory for David?
Because, although he had won a victory, he had lost a son---a son he
loved dearly, despite his sinful ambitions and ill treatment of his father.
Love
Will Cast Out Fear
If we love God, we also trust Him and enjoy His
presence. Our trust in Him drives
away fears. We will not have a Fear of being without.
Was it not love that enabled David to say, "The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want." The same
Shepherd says to us, in Matt 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Will not
have a Fear of being forsaken. When
Jesus sent His disciples out to preach to the whole world, He gave them the
assurance of His presence, saying..."teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." Amen (Matt 28:20). We will not Fear death.
Psa 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.” Many times in the word of God we find the words,
"Fear Not" and how comforting it is to know that these words may ring
in our ears even in the hour of death. I would like to conclude by quoting two
verses. First of all, I Jn 4:18 which states, “There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has
not been made perfect in love.” And Psa 118:6, “The LORD is on my side; I
will not fear. What can man do to me?” Those who have love are victorious, for
love never fails. It is the
"badge of discipleship," for "By this all men know that you are
my disciples."
Carlos M. Aguilar
Home
and Family:
Early
Marriage
The rapid increase in the number of early marriages
over the past several years coupled with the extremely high rate of divorce
within this same group makes this subject extremely important.
If you are a teenager and are seriously considering an early marriage,
these are a number of potential problem areas of which you should be aware, so
that, if you do decide that this is the best course of action, you will be alert
to the possible difficulties that could lie ahead.
First, the problem of adequate financial support is
obvious. Although money does not buy happiness, it is true that a tight
financial situation can create tensions that can undermine an otherwise happy
relationship. While some financial problems are to be expected in almost any new
marriage, it is important to take time to think sensibly, so that such problems
will not destroy what could otherwise be a beautiful relationship, if not
undertaken prematurely.
This is not to suggest that you wait about marriage
until every possible financial problem has been completely solved, but rather
simply suggests that you do not close your eyes to the real situation whatever
it may be.
Talk with other young couples that have been married
for several months to get a more realistic idea of the financial problems you
are likely to face. It is unfortunate, but true, that what sounds like a lot of
money to you now, may seem to be very little when monthly bills must be met.
It is also a good
idea to realize that if parents or in-laws are depended upon too heavily for
financial support that this can provide the basis for other later family
conflicts as well. Regardless of the good intentions involved, it is almost
always true that the person who controls the money ultimately rules the
situation.
Although some newly married couples find it necessary
to temporarily make their home with their parents, this is generally not a wise
choice unless absolutely necessary and then only for as short a period of time
as possible (Genesis 2:24). The old proverb, which states "no house is
large enough for two women" can also apply to other members of the family
as well. Not only does this type of arrangement tend to produce family
conflicts, but the lack of privacy also tends to make early sexual adjustments
much more difficult, thereby producing an atmosphere which can lead to far more
serious problems in later years.
A second problem, which must be faced by those who
enter into an early marriage, is the problem of personal maturity. While
immature and irresponsible actions may sometimes seem funny before marriage,
they can become serious pitfalls within the marriage bond. This is one reason
why a courtship of at least several months should precede any marriage, since
even the most irresponsible and self-centered person can put on a good front for
a few weeks or months.
Two keys to the real personality of a young man are,
first, the kind of things it takes to make him angry, and second, the way he
treats his mother. With only extremely rare exceptions, a person who mistreats
his mother will after marriage soon also be finding equally plausible sounding
excuses for mistreating his wife. Don't let anyone fool you; regardless of all
the promises that may be made, the habits of a lifetime are very hard to change.
This same principle, of course, holds equally true for a young lady as well.
One of the
surest signs of immaturity and irresponsibility in both young men and young
women is a lack of willingness to do a reasonable share of work in a consistent,
dependable way prior to marriage. When such an indifferent attitude is
demonstrated before marriage, you can be sure that it is only likely to become
worse after marriage.
A third potential problem to be considered is the
problem of growing apart. This simply means that while two young people in their
middle teenage years have much in common, that in many cases, our ideals and
goals change as we pass the teenage years, to such an extent that we may easily
find ourselves married for life to a person with whom we will ultimately have
very little in common.
Perhaps the worst mistake of all is to marry simply to
get away from an unpleasant situation at home. Even if you are presently facing
home problems that seem almost unbearable, you will not have to remain in such a
situation forever. When you marry, however, it is for life (Matthew 19:3-9). So,
don't let current personal problems drive you into a marriage, which you may
otherwise not really want. Such a choice usually proves to be a very poor trade
indeed, and one that often leads to a lifetime of regret.
The extremely high rate of divorce among those who
marry early should act as a large caution sign to those contemplating an early
marriage. Sometimes early marriages work out beautifully and if you decide to
marry at an early age, you may very well be among them. Those that have been
successful, however, have usually been those that have been entered into only
after very serious thought and consideration. If you are a Christian, you need
to spend time in prayer and meditation before reaching a final decision. If you
are not yet a Christian, a right relationship with God would be a valuable asset
to you in reaching such an important decision.
Early marriage, though possessing certain inherent
dangers, is widely practiced in contemporary America. By way of discussing the
dangers of early marriage, may I point out that true love is the only basis upon
which a successful marriage may be constructed? (Happy marriages are made they
do not just happen.) One problem here is a proper definition of love. "Love
is a dynamic that seeks the highest good of its object, regardless of sacrifice
or suffering." In Ephesians 5:25, Paul says: "Husbands love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it."
True love would therefore dictate that one not subject one's loved one to undue
sacrifice and suffering due to one's own lack of preparation and ability to
provide adequately for them. While money is not the basis of a happy marriage,
it can be allowed to become a prominent factor in the dissolution of marriage.
After seriously considering the potential problems
mentioned above, if you still feel that an early marriage is your best choice,
or if as a very young man or woman, you find yourself already married, there are
a few basic, simple, scriptural rules for marriage, which can help you in making
your marriage happy and successful.
Marriage, by scriptural definition is: "The
blending together of two lives, two personalities of the opposite sex for as
long as the two shall live in this world. It is the building of a home that
respects the law of God and protects the morals of mankind."
Marriage is sanctioned by Jehovah God and is to be had
in honor among all men as you may observe by reading Genesis 2:18-24. God said:
"It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for
him." (Verse 18) Adam then said: "This is now bone of my bones, and
flesh of my flesh: She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of
man" (Verse 23) Moses then added: "Therefore shall a man leave his
father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one
flesh' (Verse 24). Marriage, in God's divine plan, is monogamy in form, (one
husband for one wife) (I Corinthians, Chapter 7, verse 2). It is procreative in
design, (Genesis 1:28; 1 Timothy 5:14); patriarchal in government, (I Timothy
2:13; Ephesians 5:23); religious in spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4-9); and is intended
to be indissoluble in nature (I Corinthians 7:39 and Matthew 19:6).
Three distinct
purposes are served in God's divine arrangement of marriage:
1. Companionship - God said: "It is not good that
the man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). If the wife forgets the design of
her creation, the marriage will likely be unhappy. She is first, last, and
always a companion to her husband.
2. Procreation - God said: "Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28).
3. To avoid fornication - God teaches through the
inspired apostle Paul: "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man
have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband
render unto the wife due benevolence; and likewise, also the wife unto the
husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband; and likewise
the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud you not one
the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to
fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your
incontinency" (I Corinthians 7:2-5).
If you will keep these simple rules in mind and
remember that marriage is a serious business because God is its author, it is a
life lasting contract and it involves the rearing of a future generation, you
can have a happy, successful marriage.
~ The Bible Research Library
You
should know that--
The
church was--
Built
by Jesus Matt 16:13-18
Built
on Jesus Christ who is the only foundation 1 Cor 3:11
Not
built on Paul, Apollos, Peter, or any other man
1Cor 1:12-13;
Eph
2:20-22
Established
on the day of Pentecost
Acts
2:1-47
~excerpted from
pearlstreet.org
We
hope you find this bulletin useful in your Bible study.
2
Sam 22:31
As
for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to
all who trust in Him. NKJV