Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4
When we become a Christian, we enter into a marriage relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the husband, and the church is His bride.
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2
Even an Earthly marriage is symbolic of this relationship, as the man represents the Lord, and the wife represents the church. But just as a wife is forbidden from leaving her husband, those who become a Christian are never to depart from Christ.
“Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:20
Although divorce was permitted under certain circumstances in Judaism, it is forbidden for anyone who professes to be a Christian. She is to remain faithfully by his side, humbly submitting herself to his guidance and leadership all the days of his life. But there are certain things that can come in between her loyalty and faithfulness to her own husband. Her love can become greater for the things of this world, rather than her own spouse. For example, she might love her own relatives more than him, listening to their guidance rather than obeying his commands. She might develop close relationships with others which become stronger then her bond to her own husband. Other things entering in become greater in her life than obedience to Christ and the man that God has placed over her. Marriage is symbolic of our relationship with the Lord Jesus and to depart one’s husband is to depart the teachings of Christ. Lot’s wife did the same thing, when she left her husband for the world and was quickly destroyed by God. The things that happened to her is an example to all those who treacherously walk away from the will of God and the teachings of Christ.
Genesis 19 ²³ The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. ²⁴ Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; ²⁵ And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. ²⁶ But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Love is an extremely strong emotion, and you have to make sure that it is placed on the right things in order to become pleasing unto God. Our own salvation depends upon it. Judas loved money more than Christ Jesus, and he eventually betrayed Him because of it. Esau loved food more than his own birthright. When a woman’s love becomes greater for things outside of her own marriage, the love of her husband is not in her. To be obedient to Christ, she must remain loyally by her husband’s side, just as the bride of Christ must remain loyally by the Lord’s side. Misplaced love can ruin somebody’s life, which is why the Apostles constantly warned the church to keep their hearts on Christ Jesus.
1 John 2 ¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Mark 3 ³³ And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
³⁴ And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! ³⁵ For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
These verses clearly teach us that in order to obtain eternal life we must abide in the will of God. To truly love Jesus is to love and obey the teachings of His Holy Word.
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” 1 John 2:5
As a wife proves her love towards her husband through her steadfast and loyal obedience to him, our love for God is proven by our faithful obedience to His will.
John 14 ²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ²² Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? ²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. ²⁴ He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Many people claim to be a friend of the Lord Jesus, but that relationship is defined by complete submission to His will.
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14
Because of his obedience, Abraham was called the friend of God.
James 2 ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Those who live in sin are not a friend of God.
Matthew 7 ²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
When a wife loves anything or anyone more than her husband, she is deceived by her own heart. When she leaves and eventually divorces him, she divorces the teachings of Christ and commits Spiritual adultery against the will of God. Like a woman fornicating with some strange man, disobedient Christians fornicate with the world. Rather than forsaking sin and embracing the will of God, they embrace sin and love the world instead, becoming the enemy of God.
Romans 8 ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Marriage is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the church. A woman who gets married will have to learn to obey her husband in everything, just as the church must learn how to serve Christ perfectly as …
…….The Faithful Bride
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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