Created

So, I hadn't planned on writing about this topic; however, when I went to yahoo.com, I read an article. There is a German politician, Gabriele Pauli, who wants all marriages to be dissolved after seven years. She has one major reason for advocating such a position: she claims that many people remain in marriages just because they feel "safe."

It is becoming absurd that we are wanting to dissolve marriages after seven years. We need to get back in touch with who we were created to be.

The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He has taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, :This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. -- Genesis 2:22-24

Here we read about who man and woman were created to be and what marriage is really supposed to look like. How can we possibly advocate the dissolution of marriage after seven years if, when we marry, we become on flesh with our spouse?

Let's think about this for a second. So right now I kind of want to see. I think that vision is pretty cool, as do most people I think. Don't get me wrong, there are things that I most certainly would not want to see, but all-in-all, I really like being able to see.

I can almost guarantee that seven years from now I am still really going to like to see. I think that my passion for seeing won't die. Now, this is my own flesh, I like it, I like to see it flourish, I like to have it. This is what marriage is supposed to be like. We are to value our spouse in the same way that we value our eyes and our vision.

If we are able to recapture this belief of marriage, we won't have people like Pauli advocating its dissolution. We need to recognize it as an awesome covenant that is given to us by God.

We were created to be in these relationships. We are created imago Dei (see Gen. 1:26-28), who is in perfect relationships within the Trinity. We are created with that same need and desire for relationships. We are created to be relational beings.

Life

Again, the Old Testament class I am taking has challenged me. This time in a quite intriguing manner. Our professor was talking about the academic study of Scripture (Ryan recently commented on my earlier post about this as well). At one point he said this:

"I hope that in our academic study that you are strengthened either in your faith in God or even in a more vital faith."

For me, this was a bit of a shock. A more vital faith? There is no more vital faith than the faith that we have in Christ.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -- The gospel of Jesus Christ according to John 14:6

Note that Christ does not say "I am A way, or A truth, or A life," but rather He says, "I am THE way, THE truth, THE life." Why is this such an important distinction? There are several reasons.

First, there is nothing, or no one else, by which we are saved other than our faith in Christ. He is our source of life. How can we have a faith that is more vital than our faith in Him if He is our source of life? It just cannot exist. Our life, our livelihood, our being is found in Him. As such, all of our actions and our faith should be rooted deeply in Him.

Second, He is "the way." There is no other way to eternal life and salvation. We cannot find rest in anything other than God and His mercy. There is nothing more vital than our eternal life. There is nothing more important that the salvation found in Christ.

What are the dangers of not believing this? What awaits those who do not have faith, or do not see the importance and urgency of trusting in Christ?

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" -- Revelation 6:15-17

Crying for the rocks to fall on them so they do not have to face the "wrath of the Lamb." I do not know what is more vital than to have a faith in Christ so that we do not have to fear death any longer, that we do not have to fear His wrath on Judgment Day.

Change

We started classes here at W & J on Monday (yes, Labor Day). My first class of the year was also my first religion class that I have taken here. It is Religion 201 -- The Old Testament. It should be an intriguing class.

The professor is "somewhat" liberal when talking about Scripture. It has been a challenge to hear him speak on some issues, which I will delve into here a little bit later. I have been warned previously about this professor, most notably by Ryan. I am still trying to go into the class as open as I possibly can though, and I am extremely excited to be able to take a closer look at the Old Testament, where I am not nearly as strong.

One of the reasons that this class should be a challenge is because the professor has brought up several good points already this week.

The first point that he brought up is this: "If you are to believe something as truth, yet it does not change who you are, then is it truth at all?"

I think that there is a lot to be said about this, especially on our campus. There are many students who would say they are Christian, who might even proclaim Jesus as the Christ, yet are not changed by this fact. Do they really even beleive what they are saying then? It is impossible to believe in these Truths and not have them radically change your life.

Let's just take a look at what Jesus said about some of this:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" -- The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 16:24-26

We are called to change by Christ himself. If we want to find our life, we must lose it for His sake. This is a radical change. We cannot go on living in our current lifestyles -- we cannot continue to live in our sexual immorality, our greed, our filthy language, our selfishness. We must learn to allow the love of Christ to reign in our hearts. We need to become compassionate towards our neighbors.

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' -- The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 25:40

Again, this shows the radical change of caring for our brothers more than ourselves. We again are commanded to do this:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul adn with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -- Christ speaking, The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 22:37-40.

We are all called to this change; we are all held responsible for this change. In order to live as Christ lived, then we must begin to allow these Truths to change us.

Why haven't you changed? Where is it that you need to change? Where is it that you need to "lose your life to Christ, that you may find it?"