Wednesday, November 13, 2013

For the kingdom of heaven's sake

For the kingdom of heaven's sake.

When we say we do something for someone's sake, we are doing it for them. When we say we are doing something for a purpose was say for the sake of that purpose we are doing it. For the sake of the kingdom of heaven, we might do the following, read till the end.

Mat 19:3  The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Mat 19:4  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Mat 19:5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Mat 19:7  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
Mat 19:8  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Mat 19:10  His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
Mat 19:11  But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Mat 19:12  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

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Marriage isn't easy we all know that. Two people being in agreement isn't easy. Two people being as one- not easy, not like it was meant to be. Because of sin we are at odds with each other more often than not. It's not surprise that men and women want to divorce each other. It isn't easy, it takes hard work and dedication to remain married especially today when divorce is so easy to obtain. 

Marriage is also an analogy for Christ and His people- the church.  When God's people went astray they were adulterers.  Betraying God for which there is no, absolutely no excuse. We can't and shouldn't even want to divorce ourselves from God. He is everything!  Is it any wonder that God doesn't want us to as married couples to divorce? The symbolism is there.

Moses allowed for divorce, why? Because of the hardness of the peoples hearts. For our weakness it was allowed.  Jesus said- if a man puts away his wife (except for adultery) then he is sinning, breaking one of the ten moral laws.  After saying this, the disciples said- if this is how it is, it's better not to marry.

Did Jesus dispute that? Yes.

He said-  ALL men CANNOT receive this. All men could NOT remain unmarried.

Jesus explained further- Some men would remain unmarried because they would be physically unable to be married- to consummate marriage. Some men would become unable to consummate marriage because they'd be physically incapacitated by other men making them so.  Also, there would be those who would incapacitate themselves and they would do that for the kingdom of heaven's sake.  Not all would or could do it.

We also know this--

1Co 7:4  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
1Co 7:5  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
1Co 7:6  But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
1Co 7:7  For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

It IS better not to marry- but EVERY man has his proper gift of God, not every man is to be unmarried.

We have a whole religion - the Catholic religion that makes it mandatory for their priests to remain unmarried- something that is NOT Biblically sanctioned but a man made decree. Paul, himself, said not all would remain unmarried. Peter was married.

Mat 8:14  And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
Mat 8:15  And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Yet, for some reason the Catholic church has decided that to serve God you must remain unmarried. Not even Christ said that, yet they want it to be so.

Christ said- some would do this for the kingdom of heaven's sake. Some would refrain from marriage. Some would deny themselves marriage and ALL that entails so they could keep on their path to the kingdom of heaven.

Is it harder to be married and enter the kingdom of heaven?

Yes.

Because a man has to take his wife into consideration in things and a wife can lead a man astray, and vice versa.

Solomon the wisest man was led astray by his wives, wives that were not God's but worshipped false gods and idols.

The power of being led astray is something we (who are far from being wise on the same scale as Solomon) cannot deny. We might want to deny it but we can't.

Being married is a huge undertaking and only by the grace of God may we be married remain HIS and find in Him the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you're not married and you're reading this and you are honestly thinking about remaining unmarried because you realize that it is God's will for you, then may God bless you in this decision. May God help you and give you the strength you need.

May God help all of us.

Those of us who are married have to understand that being married isn't right for everyone and if we can encourage those who are called to remain unmarried, then that's what we should do, all by the grace of God.

The kingdom of heaven, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven we put self last in all things.

The kingdom of heaven -our Lord Jesus Christ!

IN HIM, through HIS LOVE!

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