126. Praying For Healing For A World In Rebellion Against God. Through Its Idolatry

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

In recent blogs we have looked at why the world is in such a mess. God Himself gives us the reasons through St Paul in Romans, chapter 1. We saw that it is due to human rebellion against the Creator-God. Paul describes this in three areas where He as Creator is exchanged for, or substituted by, created things.

We saw that the first of these exchanges is Replacing the true worship of God by Idolatry. Romans 1:21-23,For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  (22)  Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (23)  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

The second exchange is Replacing the revealed truth about God by False religion. Romans 1:23, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

The third exchange is Replacing God’s revealed purpose for sex by False expressions of sex.   Romans 1:26-27, For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

In this article we look at the first of these exchanges. We consider the practical outcomes that have resulted from that exchange as God has been substituted in people’s minds by idols. Romans 1:22-23, Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (23)  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Humans failed to recognise God (YHWH) as the Creator. They failed too to see themselves as dependent on Him for their existence. They rebelled against Him seeking to do their own thing whilst ignoring the evidence in creation that a Creator exists.

Admitting that there is a Creator means that one, as a created being, has some responsibility towards Him as a Higher Being. But when people refuse to acknowledge the existence of a creator, they feel that they are free to do whatever they wish. When God is “removed’ from the scene it means there are no absolutes. People feel that they can become the masters of their own destinies. But there is a tragic consequence. The Judaic-Christian viewpoint based on the Bible is that humans are made in the image of God. However if people believe there is no god then humans lose their special significance in the creation. If humans are not made in the image of God then they are just material entities. As such they have no special significance. In the eyes of many people their fellow humans are not to be valued but can be exploited for their own personal benefit.

If humans are of no special significance then they can be treated as one wishes. So people who are regarded as having no ongoing value need no special care. But the great tragedy of tragedies is the attitude adopted to the young. If an unwanted pregnancy occurs then many such people in rebellion against God do not regard the foetus as a potential human made in the image of God, but an unwanted “entity”.  It means that “unwanted” or “inconvenient” foetuses or even new-born babies can be got rid of. They can be removed from the scene like pressing the “Delete” button on a computer to get rid of unwanted “material”.

It seems to many Bible believers that an abortion is often used to “delete unwanted material”. To believers the “material” is a brand new life, a being made in the image of God. There are those now who argue that women must have the freedom to do what they want with the foetus even after the child is born. So while they call it “exercising personal freedom”, Bible believers call it “terminating life”. Others call it “murder”. On a grand scale in even many developed countries, some call it “infanticide”.  For example, it is estimated that since 1973, in the United States alone, roughly 50 million legal induced abortions have been performed. Many of them have been for medical reasons such as protecting the life of the mother. But a massive number would have been from other less worthy motives. It is absolutely tragic from a Christian point of view that so many leaders of the developed nations of the world are not only pro-abortion but are actively promoting abortions in their own countries and in foreign nations as well. Many of them seek to silence the voices and influences of “pro-life” supporters. Human rebellion against God and against His purposes in creation is never over-looked by God even when the rebellion is by a President or a Prime Minister or a Bishop or some other notable person.

Does God, if He exists, care? Obviously He does if we read the words of Psalm 139. Here King David sees his existence as coming from the hand of God,  Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  David saw all life originating in God Himself.  Thus human life is valuable. To deliberately destroy the lives of the young is seen to be repugnant in the sight of God. For example we read in Jeremiah 7:30-31 “For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. There are many well-known figures in society who in reality are promoting the termination of lives that God is fashioning in human wombs. They receive great applause from fellow humans for doing so. But the deliberate death of the young was never God’s intention; never part of His purpose for the world. It appears that it did not enter His mind for humans to do that. Humans in rebellion against the Creator choose to do it. They are foolish! They are guilty! But the innocent suffer – suffer Death!

The Bible says in Psalm 53:1, “ … The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (ESV). Or in the words of the Holman Christian Study Bible, ‘The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”’‘  Foolish humans who rebel against their Creator come under His judgment. We saw that when we looked at the 3 areas of human rebellion against God in Romans 1. Each is followed by the phrase, “God delivered them over…”.  In other words He allowed them to do what they were determined to do in their free-will and in their rebellion against Him. But they were accountable to Him for their actions. To deliberately continue to do what He declared was contrary to His will, makes them even more guilty. When such people, (the foolish in God’s eyes) act in this way, they cause great human destruction. But they also bring others who follow them under the judgment of God as well as they become complicit in what is happening.

My personal prayer is that those who are acting contrary to God’s revealed will, especially national leaders, may come to understand that they have been at odds with the purpose of God for His world. Not only that but I pray that they may publically repent of all they have done in encouraging a practice that is utterly abhorrent to God.  My prayer is:-

Dear Lord, we pray that You would open the eyes of those who are deceived, who cannot recognise You as the Creator of all things. May they come to recognise You as the One who is responsible for all life on this earth. Convict them of the sin of regarding humans as merely things that can be disposed of as desired. Enable them to recognise the truth of Your word that all humans are created in Your image and that all human life is sacred.  May they turn to You to ask for forgiveness for promoting what is evil in Your sight. Bring Your healing to those who are now living with guilt and shame and regret. We ask these things in the name of Jesus, our Creator, Saviour and Lord. AMEN.   

Blog No. 126. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Wednesday 23rd July 2013

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125. “What’s Wrong With The World?” Humans Replaced God With Idols! Romans 1:18-32

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

In previous articles we looked at St Paul’s description of how God as Creator had revealed Himself in His creation. His creatures were meant to willingly submit to Him. However they incurred His wrath by rejecting Him. Their rebellion had consequences.  We saw that they were affected adversely. They became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22  Claiming to be wise, they became fools. In their foolishness they pushed God off the throne of their lives and exchanged Him for idols. They exchanged His values for values repugnant to Him as Paul showed in discussing the 3 exchanges. We saw these as:-

i).   The First Exchange. IDOLATRY. (Replacing God by idols.) Rom 1:23 they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. God was not pleased! His response? Rom 1:24  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves

ii).  The Second Exchange. FALSE RELIGION. (Worshipping the God-given creation instead of the Creator Himself.) Rom 1:25 they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator. God’s response? Rom 1:26  For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions.

iii).  The Third Exchange. HOMOSEXUALITY. (Humans rejecting the God-created order for human relationships and substituting their own.)  Rom 1:26 their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27  and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another … . God’s response? (28)  And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 

As we follow Paul in chapter 1, it appears that when “God gave them up” as a result of these 3 exchanges, He was handing them over to be under their own control, not His. The Greek word used for “gave up” or “hand over” describes the handing over of someone to the power of another.  It is used for example in Mat 20:18 for the handing of Jesus over to the power of the chief priest and scribes. God handed humans who rejected Him over to the power of their own lusts and passions so they could do what they wanted to do. In that sense it was His judgment on the people who had rejected His authority over them. They were in conflict with His purpose for human relationships. He allowed them to “do their own thing”.

That is brought out in the terms used in verses 26 and 27. The contrast is made at the end of verse 26 between “natural relations” and those “contrary to nature.” The word for “natural” is (phusikos) meaning “according to nature”, the natural world God created. “Relations” is the word (chrēsis) used only in these 2 verses, meaning “uses” or “functions”. So the women exchanged the “natural use” of their body for a use or function that was contrary to God’s design. The men did likewise in exchanging the “natural use” of women, and had sex with those of the same sex. It was as though they were setting up a “sexual universe” on earth that was parallel but contrary to the one God had made. In this universe, humans called the shots regarding sexual activity, not God. In this universe, what God had called an “abomination” in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, now became acceptable.

What St Paul wrote may seem to some to be out of step with the way many people think today. But he was explaining why the world is as it is. It is in rebellion against its Creator. Was it the only time he wrote against human rebellion and against same-sex relationships? No, he also wrote about them in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. In this passage he listed a number of attitudes, and activities stemming from those attitudes, that showed that those who were guilty of them would not inherit God’s kingdom, Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: no sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10  thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. (ESV). The words, “male prostitutes” do not mean men who offer themselves as prostitutes to women. Rather it means men who have sex with men. A couple of modern translations bring this out. For example the Lexham English Bible translates the phrases as “passive homosexual partners” and “dominant homosexual partners”. The NET Bible has, “passive homosexual partners” and practicing homosexuals. These translations bring more clarity than the “effeminate” used in the AV and NASB and other translations. The NIV2011  combines the two terms, “men who have sex with men.” The ESV also combines the two terms as, “men who practice homosexuality”.

We need to note that it is not only sexual sins that prevent people from inheriting the kingdom. The list in 1 Corinthians 6 also included “thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers.” In that case, it might be argued, none of us would inherit the kingdom of God! Everyone has been guilty of greed!  What Paul is saying is that to be among the righteous or just, in the sight of God, people need to repent of such behaviour, ask for God’s forgiveness, get right with Him through faith in Christ and seek His strength to be different. Only in that way will they be freed of habitual sin and guilt in those areas.  Paul reminded his readers that many of them had been guilty of such things. But they had been changed, 1Co 6:11  And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Such change was available to all those who turned to God in repentance and who asked God for help to be different. If they didn’t do that then there would be no forgiveness. If there was no forgiveness sought and received from God, His kingdom would be closed to them.

So sexual immorality including homosexuality is part of the wide range of human sin committed in rebellion against God. But as Paul reminds us, forgiveness is available and so is the possibility of being changed by God to be able to live different lives.

No judgment! We all need Gods’ grace in forgiveness and strength to live as He wants. Paul went on in the remaining verses in Romans 1, to talk about a wide gambit of human sin resulting from human rebellion against God. We looked briefly at this in the last article. But perhaps a bit more detail might be helpful. Paul wrote of the power of sin in human lives as he wrote in verse 29, They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. The tense of the verb “were filled” denotes a fullness already reached, perhaps “full to the brim”. Not only that but they were “full of” envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. These characteristics are all based on hateful attitudes to other people, and the desire to do them harm.

The list continues with other sinful attitudes. They involve unloving speech towards or about others, such as gossip, slanderers, insolence. It includes proud attitudes such as haughtiness and boasting. It involves being haters of God, and being disobedient to parents, instead of being those who love God with all their being and who honour their parents as commanded in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments.

The list of sins concludes with four words beginning with the letter “a” in the Greek. The “a” or “an” is similar to our English prefix “un”. It is a means of changing a word to its opposite meaning. So in verse 31, rebellious humans are a/sunetos= foolish, a/sunthetos=faithless, a/storgos = heartless, and an/eleēmōn = ruthless, instead of being wise, faithful, loving and merciful. The latter are the qualities God requires of His creatures. Rebellious attitudes in rebellious people reverse what God wants.

The final verse is applicable to every person in every age. Rom 1:32, Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. There is in every sane person a sense that they are not perfect. They certainly see that no one else is perfect! Our consciences may be a guide to us but are not totally reliable. In the New Testament consciences are described as “good”, “clear”, but also as “weak”, “defiled”, able to be “wounded”, “evil”, and consciences can be “seared with an iron”. The Message version translated the last phrase as “they’ve lost their capacity for truth”. This is so true. People begin to do the wrong thing and as they continue to do it, their consciences become seared. The writer to the Hebrews put it, Heb 3:13  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin hardens consciences. It deceives. That’s why people think they can get away with the wrong things they are doing. They are hardened. So as our verse 32 says, “they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them”.

It is an upside down world! People of all cultures around the globe are saying it. That happens when you replace God with idols. When you do that you begin to live in deception. Everything is reversed. What God called “good” is now seen to be “bad”. What He called “evil” is now seen to be “good” or “desirable”. And as verse 32 reminded us, people not only do the wrong things in life, but approve (“applaud” in HCSB version) others when they do the same things. In the very descriptive words of The Message translation, And it’s not as if they don’t know better. They know perfectly well they’re spitting in God’s face. And they don’t care–worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best! (MSG).

 Perhaps what the world needs to do (and to do soon before our western civilization slides over the edge into oblivion and a God-hating and God-forsaken world takes its place) is to follow the lead of the people in Corinth in New Testament times. As we saw in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, many of Paul’s readers were part of the moral degradation of the day. But they learned that life could be different! They changed from being sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practiced homosexuality, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers and swindlers. They heard the gospel message about new life in Christ. They responded to the message.  They were changed as Paul reminded them, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  Or in the words of The Message, 1Co 6:11  … for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit. He can do so in today’s world in the life of any person who wants to be different. But they need to recognise that they have been in rebellion against their Creator. They must repent of living life apart from Christ and invite Him to be their Saviour from sin and the Lord and Master of every part of their lives. (As He was always meant to be!)

Blog No.125. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Wednesday 26th June 2013

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124. “What’s Wrong With The World?” Revolting Humans! That’s What! (An Overview of Romans 1:17-32)

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

St Paul shows us very clearly in this chapter why the world is in such a mess. We will follow his line of thought as he explains the situation in these verses in Romans 1:17-32. He shows us that humans are in revolt against their Creator. They rejected His revelation of Himself in creation. 1:17-20. They failed to acknowledge Him as Creator and as their provider. Their attitude of rejection led to outward expressions of rejection. However such sin has consequences. We see that their sin led to them having futile minds, darkened hearts and foolishness in the sight of God.  They began to make wrong choices. Paul described it as exchanging or replacing God’s values and substituting their own. There were three main exchanges in their rebellion against God.

i). The First Exchange. IDOLATRY. (Replacing God by idols.) Rom 1:23  (they) exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. God’s response was this. Rom 1:24  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves. He handed them over, allowing them to do what they wanted to do. What happened was physical degradation.

 ii). The Second Exchange. FALSE RELIGION. (Worshipping the God-given creation instead of the Creator Himself.) Rom 1:25  … they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  God’s response? Rom 1:26  For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions. They wanted to live in this way. God allowed them to do so. Paul goes on to tell us in the following verses what form those passions took.

 iii). The Third Exchange. HOMOSEXUALITY. (Humans rejecting the God-created order for human relationships and substituting their own.)  For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; Rom 1:27  and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.  God’s response? (28)  And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.  Humans failed to acknowledge God’s right to dictate human behaviour as their Creator. They rejected what He wanted of His creatures in the sexual sphere and substituted their own desires springing from debased minds. The word “debased” is a very strong word in the different translations. It is translated as “worthless”, “reprobate”, “depraved”. The rebellion is, after all, the incredible situation of creatures rebelling against their Creator!

Paul continues listing the consequences of rebellion against God as he closes the chapter. He shows the wide expanse of human sin in addition to the idolatry, false religion and homosexuality he has just mentioned. Humans are “filled with” all manner of unrighteousness, and are “full of” characteristics forbidden in many of the 10 Commandments. The list continues as humans are seen as haters of God and disobedient to parents instead of being those who love God and honour their parents as commanded in the Decalogue. They are seen as not being loving towards their fellow humans either, as seen in their gossip, slander and insolence. Moreover their problem is seen in their exalting of self in their haughtiness and boasting and in their personal pursuit of evil.

As though to sum up the case against humans in revolt against God, Paul says humans are the opposite of what God wanted them to be. He does this by using four Greek words denoting fine character, and placing an “a” at the beginning of a word to give the opposite meaning. Instead of being wise, faithful, loving and merciful they are foolish, faithless, heartless and ruthless.

Humans are guilty, writes Paul. Doubly guilty! They know that those who commit the sins he has outlined are seen by God to be deserving of death. Yet they still go ahead and do them!  Not only that, but they are doubly guilty in that they approve, and even applaud others who commit those same sins.  No wonder Paul could write in a later chapter, Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Every human is in the same boat. They have all sinned in one way or another. But praise God that they can be cleansed, forgiven and transformed to become new creatures in Him.

In our next article we will look at these verses a bit more closely to see where those involved today in idolatry, false religion, homosexuality and the vast span of other human sins, stand before God.

Blog No.124. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Monday 24th June 2013

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123. What’s Wrong With The World? Rebellion Against God! Romans 1:17-18

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

“The world is in a mess!” Countless people around the world would agree with that statement. But why is it so? God has some answers. He used St Paul to express in Romans 1 some good news and some bad news. The good news was that God has revealed His character through the good news of the Gospel message. So in verses 16 to 17 Paul shares his appreciation for the gospel message which had led to his salvation, 16)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.(17)  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” God in His mercy and love has made known to humans what He wants from them. The term “righteousness of God” in verse 17 in its simplest definition can mean “what God wants.” The righteous are those who by faith always seek to do “what God wants.” The unrighteous don’t trust Him! Neither do they seek to do what He wants! The good news God has revealed is that He accepts all those who trust in Him by believing in the gospel of His redeeming and forgiving love. In response to His love they desire to always do what He wants, by trusting in Him for every moment of their lives.

But there is another revelation to be found in the following verse. It also reveals something about the character of God. This time it is a revelation of His wrath. Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. How can God be characterised by love and also by wrath? It helps us to understand that “wrath” (orgē in the Greek New Testament) doesn’t mean anger out of control, as we often observe anger among humans. Rather it is His settled disposition against all that is evil. The tense of the verb confirms that. It is present continuous tense showing that this revelation of God’s wrath is an ongoing revelation. It is still being revealed. He knows how damaging sin is to the human race. That’s why He abhors it. That’s why it incurs His wrath.

Towards what is that wrath directed? Verse 18 tells us, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.  Instead of being godly, humans were ungodly, living in ways that did not reflect the character of God. Instead of being righteous, they were characterised by unrighteousness. They didn’t do what God wanted. But what was so heinous about that? Paul tells us, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. If they had been godly and righteous as followers of God they would have shown forth the character of God in their human lives. But they didn’t. Instead of revealing what God was like in their character, and revealing what God wanted through the deeds, they “suppressed” the truth. This is a very strong word. It means here more than just being difficult towards people who want to live godly, righteous lives. Rather it means that God wanted to reveal Himself and His ways through human instruments but they suppressed the truth. They held it down, did not allow it to be revealed as they lived in ways opposed to God’s will and desire for humans. In the very descriptive words of AT Robertson, “Truth … is out in the open, but wicked men, so to speak, put it in a box and sit on the lid and “hold it down in unrighteousness.” Their evil deeds conceal the open truth of God from men.” (Word Pictures in the New Testament).

 There was a human who did in fact live the godly, righteous life that God wanted to be manifest in humans. His name was Jesus. His words and His life revealed the truth about God, Jn 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. He didn’t suppress the truth; He revealed it! Just as every human is meant to do as a creature made in the image of God!

If God’s wrath is being revealed against those who suppress the truth then who might those people be? That is what we will look at in later articles. It is important that we do so. As the writer to the Hebrews put it, rejection of God and of the truth of God has inevitable consequences, Heb 10:29  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? … 31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God is never deceived. A life characterised by rebellion against God and the ongoing rejection of His will (what He wants) will not have a happy ending.

But praise God there are those who do repent of their rebellion against God and receive the truth in Jesus. These are seen as those who become righteous in the sight of God, 2Cor 5:21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Good news for those who repent and believe in Jesus. Bad news for those who continue in their rebellion against God.

Blog No.123.  Jim Holbeck. Posted On Wednesday 19th June 2013

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122. Healing. A Hidden Gem In The Story Of The Centurion In Luke7

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

In my last article I wrote of the “such faith” of the Centurion that astounded Jesus and brought wonderful healing to someone in desperate need. As I was writing I was led to reflect not only on the special faith he possessed in Jesus, but also on the very fine character of the man. The story focusses on the healing Jesus brought to one of the Centurion’s servants. Luke records in his Gospel that the servant was highly valued by him. (ESV).

When we look a little more deeply at this passage in the original Greek we see that the sick man was a “servant” where the word is doulos. This is the usual word for a slave or a servant, one who lives in servitude to another person.  Such servants or slaves had no privileges or rights and could be discarded like old clothes or tools when their usefulness came to an end. The word used for “highly valued” is (entimos). It can mean “precious”, “valuable”, “esteemed”. It is used only 5 times in the New Testament.  In two occurrences it refers to Jesus, in 1 Peter 2:4 where He is described as “a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious”, and in 1Peter 2:6 as “a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious.”

It is surprising that the word used in such an exalted way of Jesus could be used to describe a human relationship. One could understand it to some extent in Philippians 2:29 in the description of  Epaphroditus. The believers in Philippi  were to welcome him as Paul’s “brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26  for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27  Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28  I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29  So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30  for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. It was obvious that such an outstanding Christian man should be seen as precious and held in high regard in the churches.  He had nearly died for the work of Christ.

 That is why it is very surprising to read that the Centurion highly valued the servant in this way. He too had nearly died, in serving the Centurion.  But the Centurion showed incredible care for the servant in sending the Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. Then perhaps with an after-thought he realised that when Jesus came He would have to enter his home. He knew that the Jews saw Gentile homes such as his own as unclean. So to prevent Jesus being put in a compromising position he sent his friends to suggest an alternative to Jesus. They were to tell Jesus that all Jesus had to do was to speak healing into the man from a distance. As he himself as a Centurion could cause things to happen by speaking a word of command, so he believed that Jesus as a man under God’s authority could bring healing by a word from a distance.  It was “such faith” that Jesus commended.

However there appears to be another hidden gem in the narrative. In verse 7 we read the words of the Centurion, Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.  The word “servant” here is different to the word in verse 2. It is “país” which can be read as a more personal term.  In this context it seems to imply that the servant was a young man or a person of whom the Centurion was particularly fond.  In the words of AT Robertson in Word Pictures in the New Testament, “Pais literally means ‘boy,’ an affectionate term for the ‘slave,’ doulos (Luk_7:2), who was ‘dear’ to him.”  In Australian parlance it could be read as, “But say the word, and let my young fella (or the young bloke) be healed.”

The passage made me think about many of the people I had worked for and with during my life. There were many who were similar to the Centurion who valued their employees or their less- senior workmates. But there were some who unfortunately did not seem to care very much for their employees or those under their care. Having counselled hundreds of folk over the years, it is certainly true that people can tell the difference.

How the church and the world need people who notice the needs of others, and who are willing to take some responsibility towards finding ways of meeting them. The Centurion was such a person. Perhaps we all need his virtue of valuing people and his faith to believe that Jesus can bring healing and blessing to people “out there” as we pray for them “here”!

Blog No.122.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Sunday 2nd June 2013

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121. Healing. What Characterised The “Such Faith” Of The Centurion In Luke 7:1-10?

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

Sometimes people have amazed us. It may have been some unexpected aspect of their character. Or it may be that we were amazed at the things they said. That was the impact that Jesus had on people. But it may surprise us to realise that Jesus was twice amazed at people. He was amazed at the unbelief of those who should have known better, His own countrymen in His own hometown of Nazareth. Mk 6:5  And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

However the other incident in which we are told that Jesus was amazed is in Luke 7. He was amazed at the faith of a most unlikely person, a Roman centurion. Let’s see what we can learn from this man about the nature of faith that brought commendation from Jesus and ultimately great blessing to someone in desperate need?

1).   POSITIVE ATTITUDES THAT BRING BLESSING. (As seen in the Centurion)

i. He noticed human need.  7:2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death. This Gentile military man in charge of about 100 soldiers was unusual. At that time servants had no rights or privileges. They had no value in the eyes of their masters. But this centurion was different. He had come to know that not only was this servant quite ill, but also that he was at the point of death.

ii. He cared about humans and their needs.  7:2  Now a centurion had a servant … who was highly valued by him.    Luke writes that the Centurion valued him highly but he used a word (entimos) that means “precious”. Peter used it in his first epistle to describe Jesus as “precious” to God.  1 Pet 2:6  For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7  To you then who believe, he is precious. Jesus was obviously precious to His Father in heaven. He was to become precious to His disciples when they came to fully understand why He had come to earth and the relevance of what He had come to do. But here in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry we come across an important military man who saw one of his own servants as “precious”.

iii. He longed for human need to be met.  3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. He wanted his servant to be healed. He sent the Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal the servant. He didn’t rely on his status as a military commander. He humbly sent the Jewish elders to ask Jesus as a fellow Jew, for help.

iv. He was open to God and to God’s people. That was seen in:-

a). His love for the people of God.  “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation.  He stood against the anti-Jewish feeling of the time. The Jewish people could know protection under his care. His love had been seen in his attitude and in his actions towards the Jews.

b). His support for the people of God.  and he is the one who built us our synagogue. The word (autos) here would seem to indicate that the Centurion (himself) was responsible as an individual for the building of their synagogue. He was concerned that the people of God should be able to meet together and to learn from their scriptures in their synagogue.

c). His concern for the honour of the God of Israel.  He apparently wanted the Jewish people to honour their God. The synagogue would play a big part in that possibility.

d). His openness to the ministry of Jesus.  He was willing to approach Jesus. That was surprising when many Jewish and Gentile hearts were already hardening towards Him. Perhaps he recognised real care and authority when he saw it in another person, for he himself was a caring person whilst possessing great authority.

2).   POSITIVE FAITH IN JESUS’ POWER TO HEAL. 7:6

i).    He humbled himself to ask Jesus for help.  7:3, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. … 7:6 And Jesus went with them. But then we read, 7:6 … When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.

The Jewish elders were saying about the Centurion.  He is worthy to have you do this for him.

He was saying of himself, I am not worthy to have you (Jesus) come under my roof.

Their comparison. They compared him to other people, He is worthy to have you do this for him because he has done this and this and….    

His comparison. He compared himself with Jesus. If Jesus was God’s servant in healing people then he felt unworthy to ask Him favours.

He may have begun to realise that He had asked a holy man of God to go to his unclean (in the sight of the Jews) Gentile home to minister to the servant.  (And Jesus had begun the journey!)

But as he reflected on what he had done, he realised something. Jesus didn’t have to go into the house for healing to take place. We see now another dimension to his positive faith.

ii).    He believed in the authority of Jesus to heal by a word. 7:7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.  This is really quite amazing. A Gentile, a non-Jew believing that all Jesus had to do was to say a word of healing and healing would take place, even from a distance. Why would he believe such a thing? Because of his own experience of the power of words coming from someone with authority. He as a military man could utter a word of command and it would happen. He knew that words spoken from someone in authority accomplished what was commanded. So he believed that Jesus as a man with God’s authority could command healing to take place, and it surely would.

3).   JESUS’ AMAZEMENT AT THE CENTURION.  7:9.

We see here Jesus’ surprise at the faith of a Gentile. He called his faith, “such faith” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Such faith to believe that Jesus could and would heal a lowly slave. Such faith to believe that Jesus could do it from a distance.  (There were many by this time who had faith in Jesus’ willingness and ability to heal. But this was the first time he had encountered someone who believed Jesus’ word could heal from a distance.)  Even Jesus was astounded at who possessed such faith,  a Gentile, “… not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

4).   THE HEALING.  7:10. 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. Imagine the surprise of the Jewish elders and the Centurion’s friends as they arrived back at the house to find the servant well and whole. The word for “well” is from hugiaínō (which is the source of English word “hygiene”) meaning to be sound and healthy. What a contrast they saw. The servant about to die in utter weakness but now whole, sound, healed.

It is interesting to note that Jesus healed from a distance on another occasion. Even more interesting is that He did it for another Gentile. A Gentile woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter who was some distance away. She showed her faith in Jesus’ character and power by saying that she believed that He could and would help her even though she was a Gentile. He said to her, Mark 7:29  “For saying that, you may go–the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

THE CHALLENGE FOR US TODAY

i). We need to emulate the positive attitudes we see in the Centurion.  Attitudes such as

a).   noticing human needs;

b).  caring enough to want  to see those needs met.

c).  all with an openness to God and to the people of God.

ii).        We need to emulate his faith that God does heal and can do so from a distance.   To realise Jesus can heal today in the same ways, for He is the same yesterday, today and for ever.  (Heb 13:8).

One of the privileges involved in Christian ministry is seeing how God answers prayer in bringing healing to those some distance away. That was a frequent occurrence in the Healing Ministry at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney during the time was the Leader of the ministry. Very often in our services we would pray with someone in the Cathedral for one of their family members or friends who lived in other parts of the globe. At a later time they would return and tell us what healing had taken place in answer to prayer. Sometimes it was at exactly the time we were praying with them in the Cathedral for their loved ones! Or over a period of time they would report on the progressive healing taking place in their loved one “out there”.

What might He do through us if we had the same positive attitudes and the same positive faith as the Centurion? What might He do through our prayers if we really believed we can pray for people “here”, and “out there” with the expectancy that He is willing and able to heal “here” and “out there”?  I suspect a lot more would be happening than we are seeing at the moment.

Blog No. 121. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Saturday 1st June 2013

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120. A Tribute. The Rev Thomas John Jewett. Australian Pastor-Teacher. 1927- 2013.

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

“He WAS my bishop!” These were the opening words as the preacher began his sermon. The occasion was the Thanksgiving service for the late Tom Jewett in the Anglican church in Devonport Tasmania. ( A summary of Tom’s ministry as Director of Teen Challenge in Sydney, Director of the London Healing Mission in the UK and as founder, with his wife Anne, of Isaiah 61 Ministries can be found on his website http://www.tomjewett.com.au/about.html ). I had just spoken at the service and paid tribute to Tom’s ministry as I had experienced it. I had made the remark that Tom would have made a great bishop in the church.

The preacher had taken hold of my words and was expressing his gratitude to God that Tom had indeed mentored and encouraged him in his ministry over many years, as bishops are meant to do. I was to learn a little later in the service that there were many ministers in a number of different denominations around the world who indeed had looked to Tom for spiritual and practical help for their ministries. He had indeed fulfilled the requirements for a bishop as I had outlined them in my tribute.
Firstly, as we see above, he was a pastor to the pastors. His counsel and encouragement were known and appreciated by pastors in Australia, Great Britain and in many parts of Europe.
Secondly, he was a pastor to the people. People flocked to attend his Seminars on Healing in Australia and overseas. They came from a wide variety of backgrounds. I would see well-known medical specialists and others in the Health professions in these gatherings. There would also be full-time Christian workers, and those from business and legal professions. Joining them would be people from affluent backgrounds, and those from very, very humble circumstances. They all came with an openness to hear from God through Tom and to be ministered to by Tom and his wife Anne after his talks. Very often they would pray with people for hours after the meeting, so concerned were they to ensure no one would miss out on what God wanted to do through them for those present.
Thirdly, he was a great administrator. Experienced business folk marvelled at his ability to see the whole situation quickly and comprehensively as he chaired meetings. That ability was seen in the secular world as well. Tom worked on major projects for Tasmanian and Federal Government agencies. Can you imagine a Motel being constructed in 6 weeks, in time for the Queen’s visit to Hobart? If Tom was supervising the work it could have been. Indeed it was! He supervised the building of the six upper floors at the same time as he was supervising the furnishing of the lower floors! Shopping Centres and other notable buildings came into being under his supervision. The same careful control and care marked his leadership of Christian organisations.
As part of my tribute I asked the congregation to imagine the situation if Tom had ever been appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury. There was widespread laughter! They laughed, not because it was so unlikely, but because they knew that Tom would have done things differently. He would never have tolerated anything that was heretical in the church. As someone who loved the church of God he would have done all in his power to ensure that false shepherds did not come in to spoil the flock. Lambeth Conferences when the Bishops of the world-wide Anglican Communion meet, would have been quite different if Tom had been doing the inviting and the programming!
So as we gathered in the beautiful St John’s Anglican Church in Devonport Tasmania to celebrate Tom’s life and ministry we were sad to know that we would not see him any more in this life. But there were lots of smiles and plenty of laughter as we recalled together the life of a man who loved his wife and family, who loved his church and served it so faithfully for several decades of ministry. Moreover, he left us a wonderful example of a pastor who loved and served His Lord throughout his life. What Paul wrote to Philemon could easily have been written to Tom Jewett, Phm 1:7, For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Together with thousands of folk around the world we assure Anne and Alexander and Victoria of our gratitude to them for sharing Tom with us. We also assure them of our ongoing love as we continue to support them in our prayers.
Blog No. 120. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Friday 17th May 2013.

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119. Same-Sex Marriage and God’s plan in Genesis 2:24

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

There appears to be a shift towards the acceptance of the concept of same-sex marriage. I say “appears” because of the dubious nature of the research involved in various studies. However many prominent people have shared that they have recently changed their minds and are now in favour of same-sex marriage. Their comments focus on three major reasons for a change in their thinking.

The first reason is that people want to be fair. Few people want to see others being deprived of what they think should rightfully belong to them. So there is a stress on justice and equal rights. There is a strong sense of this in nations like Australia where an underlying characteristic is that everyone should give others “a fair go”.  It is a good attribute provided that what they want to have “a go at” is legal and beneficial. But we live in a world where God has given His creatures free-will. That does not mean licence to do whatever one wishes, but freedom to do or to refuse to do what God sees as best for His creatures. This involves both privileges and responsibilities. We have the privilege of being sexual beings. But there comes with that privilege, the responsibility to ensure that any sexual activity is to be carried out in the relationship He has endorsed, namely between a man and a woman in marriage. In God’s sight, chastity is the only other option. It might sound an impossible option to live by, but millions in every generation have done so. Many by seeking God’s help.

A second reason is that with more “outings” taking place people among prominent celebrities, some family members or personal friends have also been encouraged to “come out” as being gay. It is a very difficult thing to look at those close to us living in what appears to be a loving same-sex relationship and see that there is anything wrong with such a relationship. As one writer put it, when we are faced with beloved family members or close friends declaring themselves gay, out goes theology with its belief that God has spoken His mind about sex in declaring that only in a loving husband–wife relationship is it acceptable in His sight. One’s theology is overcome by a deep desire to maintain those close relationships and not to pass judgment on their personal activities. (Or by the temptation to twist one’s theology to cater for recent personal circumstances). That is perfectly understandable. Who would ever want to drive a wedge between ourselves and those whom we love? But in such cases we are faced with a choice. Either to go by what God has said in His eternal word or to disagree with what He has said. To reject His commandments is a breach of love towards God. To water down God’s commandments in order to maintain our friendships is not an act of love towards our loved ones. It is misplaced loyalty. His commandments can’t be watered down. What we can do is to love all people by seeking their best interests whilst disagreeing with the forms of sexual activity of some of them.

Some months ago a very loving, gracious Christian woman asked to share a deep concern with me. It turned out that her daughter had declared herself to be gay and was now living in a lesbian relationship. Some of the woman’s friends had expressed to her their sadness at what had happened. Others had suggested that she should think about closing her home to her daughter and her new friend. The woman asked me what her response should be. I suggested to her the following.  I reminded her that she had an unique relationship with her daughter. She was the only mother her daughter would ever have.  Nothing could change that. Christian love demanded that she continue to love her daughter by seeking her best interests. That meant being always available to her daughter when her daughter wanted contact or whenever she was in need. It meant keeping her heart and her home open to her daughter.  But Christian love also demanded that she not consider the lesbian relationship as blessed by God especially in the light of Bible teaching that He saw such relationships as contrary to His will. Nevertheless she could love the daughter’s partner by seeking her best interests. It was not condoning the relationship but loving both partners in spite of the relationship. The woman told me later that she had come to experience a real love for her daughter’s partner who meant so much to her daughter and who was not trying to turn the daughter against her mother.  The mother had come to know real peace in loving both parties in the relationship. But she still held to Bible teaching that such a relationship was contrary to the will of God. She had begun to pray that both her daughter and her partner might discover and walk in the will of God for them. In the words of the Lord’s Prayer she was humbly praying that God’s kingdom might come and His will be done in their lives as well as in her own.

A third reason why there appears to be a shift in the attitude towards same-sex marriage is that some gay advocates have been extremely successful in selling the concept that “being gay is normal”. Others go further and suggest that gays are born that way having a gay gene. There appears to be no medical evidence for such a concept. On the other hand there are thousands of those who once embraced the gay lifestyle believing they were gay, who have turned their backs on that lifestyle and embraced heterosexual marriage. Others have chosen chastity until they meet a life-partner of the opposite sex. The trouble is that evidence to show this change is usually ignored or suppressed. Those who seek to give testimony as to the change in their sexual orientation are often shouted down or persecuted. In recent days there has been a disturbing trend towards silencing those who have asked for and received counselling to be successfully set free from their homosexual life-styles. Their vocal opponents believe it is not possible to change, so they feel they must silence those who say they were changed.  Because of this some have coined a new word “homo-fascist” to describe those who seek as one writer put it, to demonize, marginalize, and silence any criticism of or opposition to homosexual acts. It is sad that such terms as homophobe and homofascist have come into our vocabulary. Sad too that we can’t listen to each other without calling each other names or trying to ridicule or silence each other’s views.

As we discuss this whole topic we must never forget that the Creator who created all things and all people knows everything about human nature and what makes us what we are. He has revealed His will about sex and family life. He still declares same-sex activity as abhorrent in His sight. My very deep concern in all this lies in the fact that marriage and family life have always been the mainstay of society (even though some families have not been open to His guidance and love). Any attempt to overturn God’s plan for His world by redefining marriage to be something it was never meant to be, will have disastrous consequences. It will open the way to a push to have other sorts of relationships recognised which are far removed from the plan of God. In Australia we already have those who are pushing for relationships such as polyamory (the practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time). It could even lead to anarchy when people who have turned their backs on God and His laws and human laws based on His laws, feel no responsibility towards anyone else. They live only for themselves using others for their own advantage.  This is the very antithesis of marriage as God planned it where a man and a woman come together in love in marriage and bring up their children in safety, security and in self-giving love. Marriage cannot be redefined. If it is, the cohesion of society will be damaged beyond repair. It will need a later generation to recognise they are creatures of a Creator and submit to His will in all things, especially marriage and family life as He intended.

Blog No.119. Jim Holbeck. Posted Sunday 14th April 2013.

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118. US SUPREME COURT AND REDEFINING MARRIAGE. Decision? Division? Treason?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

What should the US Supreme Court decide on the possibility of redefining marriage? One answer is really simple. They should decide not to make a decision. One reason expressed is that they are not qualified to do so. Marriage is a “given” in its present form. As I wrote in my previous article, marriage is a given from the Creator Himself. It has the formula “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” Gen 2:24. It was given by God the Creator for the benefit of His creatures. It is His only pattern for marriage. It cannot be “extended” to those of the same sex because that would be contrary to the Creator’s expressed will regarding Marriage. His view of marriage is permanent because He alone is permanent. People with various opinions may come and go but His precepts are eternal. No matter what humans may decide, His will for marriage remains the same. He does not adapt His will to meet the vicissitudes of changing cultures. Rather those in changing cultures are meant to get into line with His declared will for humankind revealed in the Bible. 

Another answer is that the Supreme Court should defend Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. This states, Section 3. Definition of marriage. In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Regardless of any other decisions the Supreme Court may make, that definition of marriage should remain the basis for American and every other society. Any other relationship cannot be described as marriage by this definition.

We have to live with the “givens” of life. For example there is a defined unit of measurement called a “metre” or “meter” in the USA. Humans didn’t just pluck the measurement out of the air. Rather they came to that measurement by observing the measurements of our given world, and decided that a certain length, a certain proportion of the earth’s measurements, should be one metre. But I have a problem with the given metre length. It rules me out of gaining the Gold Medal for the 100 metres sprint at the next Olympics. The metre in its present prescribed length discriminates against older folk like myself. I certainly could not beat Bolt or the next bolter while a metre remains one metre long. However if the definition was changed so that for me alone it now measured 10 metres, I might have a chance of getting the Gold Medal. You’ve done the Maths. I would only have to run 10 metres in the race! Everyone else has to run the full 100 metres! Some unkind folk might object to this special allowance being given to me alone. They would argue that the definition of a metre can’t be changed. It must always remain the same length.  They would be right!  But it is the same thing with God’s definition of marriage. It’s a given. It can only be used for the relationship of a man and the woman who becomes his wife. His pattern for marriage is unalterable.

Division. If the US Supreme Court were to decide to redefine marriage so that is no longer just between a man and a woman it would be contrary to the Creator’s wishes and plan for His creatures. It would certainly cause a division. Most of those who hold to the Biblical view of marriage will never change their minds about the nature of marriage to accommodate other views. In their minds God has set the pattern for marriage. They will accept no other pattern. They will not tamper with God’s revelation of His will in His word about marriage to fit in with changing cultural patterns. Division would be regrettable but inevitable.

Another factor needs to be kept in mind. It is the possible danger that could come to millions of people around the world if the definition of marriage is changed to include same sex couples. There are those in other religions and in other cultures for whom the thought of “gay marriage” is anathema. If the US Supreme Court does decide that marriage can be extended to same sex couples it could cause an even greater hardening of people towards Americans. In some cultures the USA is already seen as “The Great Satan” because of the perception that it is corrupt and immoral. Certainly many in other countries who have become aware of American produced films and TV productions think they have reason to believe Americans are immoral. When you think of the many shows which depict people in authority in the United States such as parliamentarians, police personnel and military as being immoral and corrupt it is no wonder that some in other countries think that is a true picture of America as a whole. They are certainly encouraged strongly to believe so. So if a US Supreme Court as the highest legal authority in the land were to come out in favour of something that these people see as anathema, it would give the leaders in such lands and cultures incentives to really poison the minds of those who don’t know better. It could help to incite even greater hatred towards Americans at home and abroad. It could make it extremely dangerous for American nationals living in such places. It could make it even more dangerous for Christian and Jewish minorities in many lands.  It could be said of them (as those friendly with America) that they are “friends of the Great Satan”. It could place their lives at risk.  This is no idle speculation. This is reality in today’s world in many countries.

Treason? Someone said recently that it could be a treasonable offence if the US Supreme Court were to come out in favour of extending the definition of marriage to include Gay Marriage. They reasoned that if such a decision led to the deaths of Americans and others in the USA and beyond, the judges would be culpable. It sounds a bit dramatic. After all they are only doing their job! In the USA treason is defined as follows in the Constitution. Section 3 -. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. There are those in the world who are the enemies of the USA and want to see the destruction of the Great Satan. To give such enemies ammunition to use against Americans (“Look at their Supreme Court. See how immoral and corrupt these Americans are”) and the incentive to destroy them would not fit the definition of treason. However decisions have consequences. There are many astute observers in today’s world who believe that what could be seen as an acceptance of same-sex marriage by America’s highest court could lead to a proliferation of attacks on Americans and others around the globe. One hopes and prays that the nine members of the US Supreme Court can arrive at a decision that doesn’t eventually lead to great bloodshed.

There was a time when another court was considering what to do with those who preached God’s truth. The initial thought of those in the court was to silence those with whom they disagreed by killing them.  The messengers were Peter and the apostles. Their motivation in preaching the truth they preached was, “We must obey God rather than men”. However a very wise man named Gamaliel gave a stern warning to the court.  He said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. …. I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”  Acts 5:38-39. There are millions of people around the world praying that the members of the US Supreme Court will not be found to be opposing God by the decisions they reach.

A final comment. Why is there supposedly a swing towards the acceptance of “same-sex marriage”? There are a number of reasons. But that will be the focus of the next article.

Blog No. 118.   Jim Holbeck. Posted on Sunday 7th April 2013

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117. Divine Comedy 2. God in the Dock regarding Marriage. Genesis 2:24

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

No, this has nothing to do with Dante’s famous classic! Rather it refers to a situation that God has allowed in His divine providence and over-ruling as the Lord of this universe. It is a ludicrous situation. But it is not funny. It has to do with many people around the world attempting to change the definition of “marriage”.

Well, where did the concept of “marriage” come from? It came from the Creator of all things, God Himself! It was His idea! From the beginning! As He created the human race He instigated the concept of marriage. He did so according to the formula He devised. It was this, Gen 2:24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. From this union children would be born with a mother and a father and grandparents as well. Marriage could lead to an ongoing increasing family where the children would have loving parents to love and protect them. All in all a wonderful concept that has lasted for aeons, though some have abused their God-given privilege as parents.

But now in 2013 we have the situation where the US Supreme Court is considering a couple of cases which could lead to a re-definition of marriage. Thousands are waiting with bated breath to see what these nine people decide and how their lives might be changed as a result. (Could millions of people’s lives around the world be affected by the decision of nine people? It sounds absolutely crazy, but the answer is yes!) Leaders in other countries are also considering a re-definition of marriage.

If we take a step back to assess what is going on we arrive at this conclusion. It is God Himself who is in the dock. His concept of marriage is under critical scrutiny. His formula that has worked so well for generations is in danger of being tampered with. His thoughts expressed in His revelation to humans about marriage are in the Bible for all to see. To reject His words expressing His concept of marriage is really a rejection of Him. It is serious stuff! It is potentially alarming for generations to come!

Here are the characters in this Divine Comedy 2. The creatures are in revolt against their Creator! Those who owe their existence to Him are in danger of ignoring His words, rejecting His plan and purpose for the world and substituting their own. How pathetic! How short-sighted! How revolting! The Bible says that when people have done that to God in the past, He laughed at their pathetic attempts,  Psa 2:1-12 (1)  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? (2)  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, (3)  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” (4)  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Some folk think they are becoming free by rejecting what God has said about marriage. They think they are progressive and inclusive by declaring blessed, other relationships He has strictly forbidden.

But there are others in this Divine Comedy. There are those who see that God is God, that His will must be done, in His way, to His glory. They accept His plan and purpose for humankind especially in seeing that marriage is as He expressed it in Genesis 2 and as Jesus affirmed it in Mat 19:5  ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? And as the apostle Paul affirmed it in Eph 5:31  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Yet it is these people who are faithful to their Creator God who are at present being castigated as old-fashioned, out of step with modern thinking, unloving and even called homophobic when the opposite is the truth. (See my article on who are the real homophobes.)

In this Divine Comedy 2, God is not laughing at those being thus castigated. He is laughing at those  whom He sees as “the wicked” in His sight, Psa 37:12-15, The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, (13)  but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.(14)  The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;(15)  their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. God is not mocked, even by those who are advocating a form of marriage that He sees as a mockery in His sight.

Divine Comedy 3. The year 2113. All the characters in Divine Comedy 2 have gone. They have left their mark for good or evil in the world. Only God remains from all in the cast. No matter what the characters managed to do or to change in their lifetimes, (whether it be to help introduce gay marriage, polygamy or even polyamory, meaning open relationships with more than one person at a time) His view on marriage will still be the same, Gen 2:24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Job the Old Testament character placed God in the dock to ply Him with all sorts of questions as to why he had suffered when he was such a righteous person. But the time came when God reversed the roles, placed Job in the dock and said in effect, “Now it’s my turn to question you. Just who do you think you are? I’m your creator. You have to answer to me.” Job confronted with his human weakness blurted out before God, Job 42:2  “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3)  ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4)  ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5)  I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6)  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Divine Comedy 2 will only end happily for those who humble themselves before God as Job did. We may put God in the dock and question His view on marriage and judge Him (and those who follow Him) as guilty of discrimination. But He has told us as our Creator that He will not “extend” His revealed concept of marriage to any other relationship. As His creatures, dependent on Him for even our next breath, neither should we! The time will come for all of us when He will place us in the dock, not to ascertain our views, but to judge us according to His!

Blog No.117.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Saturday 30th March 2013

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