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Tag Archives: Church

Random Thoughts Concerning a Mystery…

28 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by Savannah in Reformation, Spiritual Warfare

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christ, Church, Glorifying God, Kingdom of God, Mankind, Marriage, Scripture

A Mystery

“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” ~Ephesians 5:32

Having recently begun reading in Genesis again, I have had reason to pause and consider the subject of marriage and its purpose as God ordained it. The following are merely some random notes drawn from my musings upon what the Scriptures expressly say about marriage.

A. There is no escaping from the fact that Adam named his wife. In fact, he named her twice! On two separate occasions (Genesis 2:23; 3:20), he named the woman that God brought to him. This seems to infer that there is a hierarchy in the very fabric of marriage, as instituted by God in the beginning, especially since the sin of the fall was set to his account.

B. Part of the curse was a setting up a conflict between the woman’s desire for her husband and his rule over her (Genesis 3:16). Sin always disrupted, corrupts, and destroys the things that God created good.

C. “Woman” was her name before it was “Eve”, which means something along the lines of “life-giver” in Hebrew. She is woman, the helper to her man, before she is the “life-giver” of his seed.

D. Together, Adam and Eve, male and female, were made after the image and likeness of God to have dominion over the earth, multiplying, filling, and subduing it, according to all that the Lord taught them (Genesis 1:26-28; cf. Matthew 28:18-20).

E. Adam was not alone given this task, nor could he have fulfilled it without the spouse God provided for him through no effort of his own.

F. Adam was delighted with Eve before she had done anything for him. He loved her and was with her (Genesis 2:23; 3:6).

G. Marriage was ordained by God for godly offspring and for the rule of mankind over the earth, for so it pleased God to create the universe (Malachi 2:15; Genesis 1:27-28).

H. Marriage is a covenant bond between a man and a woman. The two are to grow together, united as one person, in the Spirit of God (Malachi 2:15). This is a spiritual reality as set forth in Genesis 2:24 and the breaking, misuse, neglect, and abuse of this is grievous before the Lord who ordained it (ex. Malachi 2:16).

I. Very often throughout Scripture, God likens his covenant with the elect to be God to them to a marriage covenant and sin on the part of his people as adultery. For sin is a transgression or failure to keep his law-word of the covenant.

J. A man safely trusts the wife of his bosom — the Lord Christ has set his Spirit in the church that she might obey and be faithful to him only (Philippians 2:13; John 14:26).

K. The Father provided a wife for his eternal Son, the Word of God (ex. Ephesians 1:22-23). He, the Creator and Upholder of all things, became the One who redeemed his adulterous bride because he loved her, named her, knew her, and was with her, even though she had not yet done any good for or towards him (ex. Romans 3:8).

L. A wife is to be subject to her husband’s authority, even as the church is subject to the Lord, the great King (ex. Ephesians 5:24).

M. In this, there is not necessarily anything burdensome (cf. 1 John 5:3). Even as Adam could not alone fulfill the purpose of mankind, so it is, by the will of God, that Christ said that his church would do greater works on earth than he had done. The reason is because he was with and in them by his Spirit and all power and authority was given him by the Father (John 14:12-14). Likewise, in such a manner, a wife is invested to live in the name of her husband — her deeds are accounted as his, because she bears his name. Cf. 1 Corinthians 11:11-12.

N. A man must love his wife as himself, for, in a way, she is him. This is after the image of God, is it not? The church is the body of Christ — as a wife is to her husband (Ephesians 5:28-32; 1 Corinthians 12:27).

O. A woman is under authority in this most personal way to her husband — and to him only, for she bears his name and is one with him only. She is not subject to every man. Other authorities overlap, but, under God, her husband is her only head (1 Corinthians 11:3).

P. Christ gave himself for the redemption and preservation of his adulterous bride on account of his covenant word, which he would keep, even though she had broken it to the uttermost. He redeemed her, cleansed her, beautified her, taught her, kept her, provided for her, washed her, making her fit and capable of being faithful to him (ex. Ezekiel 16; Ephesians 5:25-27). There is not a total likeness here in human marriage, for no man actually has the power to do for his woman as Christ has done for the church. However, it is with such a love and dedication to the covenant word that a man ought to be towards his wife, be she ill-behaved or trustworthy (cf. Hosea 3:1; Proverbs 5:15-21).

Q. This is the root and ground of that jealousy of love in marriage — a reflection of the flame of the Lord, a product of real love, which hates everything contrary to it (Song of Solomon 8:6; Psalms 97:10).

R. Even though Christ came to redeem to himself a faithless bride, a Christian man should be looking for a prudent, wise, and faithful Christian woman fit to be a helper to him in particular. This is because the purpose of marriage as God ordained it in the beginning was for their union in seeking first the kingdom of God.

The People of God

10 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Savannah in Uncategorized, Words

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Church, Covenant theology, Darkness, Glorifying God, Holiness, Light, Mercy of God, Scripture

The Bay of Naples, 1845

Image via wikiart.org.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” ~1 Peter 2:9-10

Stuff and Things and Psalm 121

07 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by Savannah in Life, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Church, Glorifying God, God, Grandparents, Life, Psalm, Sewing, Sleep

Stuff and Things

“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” ~Psalm 121:7-8

For me, life is always interesting. And sometimes life is very interesting. And sometimes I can’t figure out what is going on.

Today is a day like that–which is also interesting.

It is a rainy spring evening in the American Midwest. The sky is a soft, pale grey, the air is still quite chilly, the rain is blowing and dripping heavily, and the wind is slipping by as quickly as the time seems to be flying….

I awoke this morning with my head full of the things I had been planning on doing this week–I have a few sewing projects with my name on them all cut out and ready to assemble. But I have not done this because I have felt ill all day long, dull of mind, and weak. Experience has taught me that, in such a state, I surely would have merely bumbled my sewing, made huge messes, and ended up with a less-than-excellently made garment…. When I am in a slightly more “normal” state of mind, I love the process of “building” clothing–especially when it is to be pretty outfits for a specific event…but I simply cannot find it in myself to enjoy this work in the state in which I found myself this morning.

The other foremost thoughts in my mind upon awakening were of my grandfather who lives with us. He had a long day out and about yesterday getting his dislocated hip reset–only to discover that it was quite visibly out of joint again by bedtime. My exhausted father was immediately on the phone with various hospitals and doctors, which resulted in a plan to take him in first thing in the morning. My grandfather has had significant decline since he broke his hip the end of November last year–but the amount and significance of his decline of the past week, in particular, has been difficult to watch. By this afternoon, I learn that he also has a previously undiagnosed heart condition which has (most likely) been somewhat contributing to his current frailty.

Meantime, along with all this and many more thoughts scattering around my dulled consciousness, I am wondering what is going on with me and my indwelling spirochetes, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses, for my symptom sets seem to be shifting here recently and I don’t know what to make of it…but the words of Psalm 121 keep running through my head. When my mind is as grey and befuddled as it is today, I can’t seem to keep focus on any series of thoughts for very long–at least, not to any significant depth. The short Psalms of ascents are especially suited to such days…. Not only have I read Psalm 121 multiple times in my daily Scripture reading over the past week, but the sermon at church yesterday drew heavily from this passage, as well. Indeed, yesterday “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!'” (Psalm 122:1). Some of us in my family have been taking turns staying home from church with my grandfather and I had thought that it was my turn to stay home yesterday. But the good providence of God had arranged otherwise–and I also was among those who were assembled together to worship our gracious Lord. Not only that, I was feeling pretty good; so I was doubly blessed yesterday.

Here, then, are a few of my bumbling thoughts from Psalm 121….

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Up, up…looking up the side of a mountain, up to the fortress, up to the stronghold, up to the throne of the King…it is from there, from on high, not from the earth or from any earthly physical power that we are given strength to persevere. Not only that–our God finds and helps each one of us individually…and it is with the same power of him who made heaven and earth that he stretches forth his hand to help us, each one….

“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” The Shepherd of Israel, the King of the Church, watches over all his own, he keeps each one of us, he knows all our paths–all the time…. In the hour when we are not able to sleep, he is there. In the times when we are given sweet rest, he never slumbers. Always he watches and guards each one of his own….

“The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” Not only does our Shepherd and King never sleep in his watching over us and strengthening us, he promises he will keep us and bring us safely at last into his presence forever. We are his–our lives are in his hand because we belong to Christ–and he will preserve us through all those things he has ordained for us to pass through, for our good, for the good of his people, for his name’s sake, for his glory……

 

For His Glory!

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by Savannah in Life, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

2013, Christ, Church, Glorifying God, God, Life, Sanctification, Truth

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It has been a long year for me this time around. It hasn’t been an easy year for me by any means, but I have been mightily blessed by God, day after day after day. I have complained much. I have repented much. I have grieved much. I have laughed much. I have felt as if I have lost much, yet I have been given much. I have found true friends in the Lord. I have been nearly stuck in the mud in Georgia and I have sheltered from a Hoosier tornado. I have ridden a horse in Florida and I have danced in Illinois. I have had turmoils of soul and now I have peace. I have not done what I had wished to do this year. Regardless, I certainly have reason to rejoice in the One who created me, redeemed me, sanctifies me, and before whom I shall someday stand in glory, singing in praise of his majesty and steadfast love. As a new year is entering in, I think of things such as this: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the people’s praise you!” ~Psalm 67:1-2

This is also my prayer, as in all the paths of life down which I am lead by the good hand of God it is to the glory and honor of him who has saved us; not only that I myself might grow in the knowledge of God and in sanctification, but that the Name of God might be honored among the nations because of his faithfulness in steadfast love shown to his people, his nation, his church. He is the God who is. He is the God who is not silent. He is the God who defines the universe. He is the God who proclaims what is true and what is just. And he is the God who has come and is even now with us, his people, and with whom we shall be unto eternity. This is salvation and this is eternal life.

And this is what my year has been about: the glory of Christ.

The Lord Reigns!

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Savannah in Spiritual Warfare, Uncategorized, Unity and Diversity

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Church, Creation, Glorifying God, God, Gospel, Spiritual Warfare, Universe

image via wikipaintings

image via wikipaintings

“The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” ~Psalm 97:1-2

The LORD reigns!

Is this not a beautiful summary statement for the deepest core of Christian life and doctrine?

We live because he lives. We exist by him, through him, for him. We bear witness to the truth that he lives and reigns. We were saved that his name might be known among the nations and the spiritual rulers of the world through us, his church, all the congregation of the redeemed.

This is the heart of the gospel–that God reigns! If it were not for the fact that God is and that he reigns, being neither merely a part of the being of the universe, nor so removed from it as to be ignorant of it, what would the gospel be but another false teaching that does not give satisfying meaning to us or to our own place in the context of the whole fabric of the universe?

For if God is, he is God. If he is God, then he reigns. If he reigns, his are the standards of right and wrong. If he reigns, his is the word of judgment and of pardon. If he reigns, his is the purpose and plan for all of creation. If the purpose and plan for the universe is his, in this–and only in this–we may truly find our own purpose and meaning of our own lives and contexts.

Our Lord commissioned his church to proclaim the good news of the kingdom–what good news is this–that God, the merciful, everlasting, just, covenant-keeping God, reigns! Is this not one reason the Scriptures call the saints, “believers,” for they believe the testimony of the One who reigns from on high?

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” ~Psalm 115:1-2

Home…

22 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Savannah in Life, Uncategorized

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Tags

Christ, Church, Family, God, Home, Lord, Photography, Prayer

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“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” ~John 14:23

What a rich verse! The unity and fellowship of the Triune God dwelling in the heart of a believer! This is indeed the truest definition of all that is wonderful in the word, “home.”

I have always thought that where my immediate family is, there is my home. It doesn’t matter if the setting is a camper, a tent, or a house of our own; for is it not the people, instead of the location, that truly makes anywhere really “home”? That understanding has had to change just a bit for me in the past year or so because it has become necessary for my immediate family to be separated by many miles. For this reason, “home” can sometimes seem like a slightly elusive concept at the present hour. Regardless of that, I haven’t really had a case of the “homesickness” because I have maintained communication with my family–and communication is so very much of what draws people together and makes home “home.” 

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” ~I Corinthians 12:12-13

Additionally, in the past few years I have come to see that the people of God are also, in a way, family, being fellow members of the body of Christ. Therefore, where the people of God are, there I also may perhaps have a little taste of the unity and fellowship of “home.” I praise the Lord that I am one who is very blessed to have my own blood family as my spiritual family, as well.

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” ~Psalms 62:8

But there is one thing that is greater even than these things: that is that God is my home in an ultimate sense. When I think of God as my home, I am reminded that, just as conversation takes place during daily life among the members of a family, binding them together in communication, even so our prayers should be often lifted to our God. As throughout the day we speak with one another of everything–whether of the mundane business of cleaning up, or of the large things looming on the horizons of our futures, or of the dreams near and dear to our hearts–even so we should all be familiar with God as with our Father, speaking to him often and of everything within our hearts and minds. For in this he is pleased–and in this we are also brought nearer to him. In this way, we dwell, as it were, within the very house of God. And that is the believer’s final hope, final rest, and final home–what a blessing to even now have a foretaste of that here in our own families, in our own churches, and our own walk with the Lord….

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints, for the courts of the LORD…” ~Psalms 84:1-2

The Benefits of the Invisible Church

26 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Savannah in Westminster Larger Catechism

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Tags

Christ, Christian, Church, Communion, Grace, Invisible Church, Union with Christ, Westminster Larger Catechism

Westminster Larger Catechism in modern English question number sixty-five:

Q. 65. What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy in Christ?

A. The members of the invisible church in Christ enjoy union and communion with Him in grace and glory. 

The Invisible Church

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Savannah in Westminster Larger Catechism, Words

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Tags

Body of Christ, Christ, Christian, Church, Invisible Church, The Elect, Westminster Larger Catechism

Larger Catechism in modern English question number sixty-four:

Q. 64. What is the invisible church?

A. The invisible church is the whole number of the elect—those that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head. 

The Privileges of the Visible Church

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by Savannah in Westminster Larger Catechism

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Tags

Christ, Church, Gospel, Means of Grace, Providence, Saints, Salvation, Visible Church, Westminster Larger Catechism

The Larger Catechism in modern English question number sixty-three:

Q. 63. What are the special privileges of the visible church?

A. The visible church has the privilege of being under God’s special care and government; of being protected and preserved in all ages, despite the opposition of all its enemies; and of enjoying the communion of the saints, the ordinary means of salvation, and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying that whoever believes in Him shall be saved, excluding none who come to Him. 

The Visible Church

01 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Savannah in Westminster Larger Catechism, Words

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Tags

Christian, Church, Covenant theology, Visible Church, Westminster Larger Catechism

Westminster Larger Catechism in modern English question number sixty-two:

Q. 62. What is the visible church?

A. The visible church is a society made up of all those that in all ages and places of the world profess the true religion, and of their children. 

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