Sunday, July 20, 2008
THE CURSE REVERSED
Eph. 5:22-33; I Tim. 2:13-15
Last week we considered God’s curse on the woman. Remember that this curse is in addition to the general consequences of sin that came upon all people. Because of Adam’s sin, sin and death came upon the entire human race. Nevertheless, in Genesis 3 we find some very specific curses pronounced by God – upon the serpent and Satan, upon the woman, and upon the man. As we discussed last week, those curses have a far-reaching application. Women are still affected by that simple but powerful curse found in Gen. 3:16, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
That curse hits a woman very hard. Why? Because it strikes at the heart of the home, and the home is the woman’s domain. That’s the way God designed it from the very beginning. Now it is true that there are some women who do not marry and others who marry but do not have children. And let it be said that God calls some women to be single for His glory. Nevertheless, marriage and family are the norm for women. For many years a woman’s life is wrapped up in her husband and children. The curse of Gen. 3:16 affects both of those relationships.
As we saw last week, with regard to children, the curse manifests itself in childbirth and continues from there. Not only does it involve intense physical pain, but it continues with extreme emotional pain as well. And then there is the marriage relationship, designed to be the most intimate and fulfilling of all human relationships. But then God says, “And your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” The woman has a great desire for a man, even though that man may not treat her right. A comparison with Genesis 4:7 suggests that the woman also has a desire to control her man. While the man was given authority over the woman from the creation, now that authority is expressed in the term “rule.” As history has revealed, the man would often rule over the woman with an iron, uncaring hand. Add the man’s tendency to dictatorship to the woman’s tendency to try to control and manipulate, and you have the marital conflict that we have seen down through history and still see today. In short, the woman is cursed in that she is not only a sinner herself, but she is married to a sinner and is continually giving birth to more little sinners. That is the nature of the curse.
We must understand that the bearing of children was not a curse. That was God’s plan from the beginning, for He had told them to be fruitful and multiply. The curse was in the pain and sorrow that would accompany the bearing and raising of those children. What was intended as a great blessing became a curse. And why was that? It was because of the woman’s sin. Because she refused to remain under the leadership of her husband and demanded to be independent, her very desire became a curse. And so it was with the marriage. What was intended to be the most fulfilling human relationship received a curse that would subject it to great agony and conflict.
Praise God that the story doesn’t end with the curse. As there was a blessing for mankind within the curse upon Satan, so there is a blessing beyond the curse upon the woman. Yes, God pronounced the curse, but He had already set in motion a way to reverse the curse. And that is what we want to consider this morning – “Reversing the Curse.”
I. Reversing the Curse in Marriage
Is there any married couple here that can testify that you have never had any conflicts in your marriage? I didn’t have to worry about someone raising his or her hand. If a husband had raised his hand, the look on his wife’s face would have exposed him as a liar. The same would have been true if the wife had raised her hand. The truth is that in every marriage there is or has been conflict. Of course, we could make a case for saying that conflict is healthy, if handled right. But wouldn’t it be better to say that it is the proper handling of the conflict that is healthy, not the conflict itself. Had there been no sin in the garden, there would have been no conflict in marriage. Adam and Eve would have related day in and day out with no anger toward one another, no resentment, no jealousy, etc. But because of sin and the curse, marriages experience conflict. One result of that conflict is the fact that about half of the marriages in this country end in divorce.
Let us be reminded that there is hope for marriage. While the relationship between men and women is under the curse of God, the God who pronounced the curse gives us hope. Since it is God who cursed the woman, then surely it is God who has the solution. There is no other. We have proven it in this society. With all the counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists feverishly working to deal with marriages, what has been the result. The divorce rate remains extremely high, the marriages that remain together are often plagued with turmoil, and many people have chosen to simply live together without marriage. The world has no solution. Praise God that He does have a solution and He has revealed it in the Bible.
Come to Ephesians 5, the classic biblical passage on marriage. Don’t worry – we are not in danger of wearing this passage out. For those who are married, it will be our refuge until Jesus comes. Let’s read it again. Eph. 5:22-33..
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
You wives who are under the curse, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as unto the Lord. You were cursed with a desire for your husband. You need your husband, though there may have been times when you wished you didn’t. And you find that there are times when you do not like the way he rules over you. You resent the fact that God put you under him. You would like to take the reins. Surely you couldn’t do any worse than he has done. To you who are under the curse, the Lord says: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”
But why? Because it is through the truth of this passage that the curse is reversed. Here in Eph. 5 we see the ideal picture of marriage. It is a marriage composed of a woman who lovingly submits herself to her own husband. It isn’t always easy, but she recognizes that it is really about submission to her Lord. She can’t submit to Jesus Christ and not submit to her husband, any more than a man can love God and hate his brother. She recognizes that God has designed her husband to be her head – her deliverer, her protector, her provider. She also realizes that as she submits to her husband, she is painting for the world around her a picture of the church and how it is in submission to Jesus Christ.
At the same time, she is married to a man who is not free to rule as he sees fit. No, he is under command of Christ to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Wives, wouldn’t you like to be married to a man like that? You are! The Lord is saying to your husband, “Love your wife like Christ loves His church.” Some of you say, “But he doesn’t love me like Christ loved the church.” No, he doesn’t. And could I be bold enough to say that you don’t submit to him as God designed the church to submit to Christ. Nevertheless, the Lord lays out the ideal for both husband and wife. As a husband and wife give themselves unselfishly to live out this passage, the curse is reversed. Though things are not perfect, there is love and joy and peace in that home. Respect and appreciation are obvious in both the husband and the wife. The husband is quick to admit that he hasn’t arrived, as is his wife.
But I must make something very clear. This solution is available for the child of God, for the one who is in Christ. Just as the solution for the sin that was introduced at the fall is only in Jesus Christ, so the only way to reverse the curse upon the woman (and the family) is found in Christ. It is very easy to demonstrate this truth. Just read the context. Eph. 5:22-33 is in a larger context. After these instructions to the wife and husband, Paul then speaks to children about honoring their parents, to parents about raising their children, and finally to slaves and masters about their mutual relationship in Christ. The whole section from 5:22-6:9 is about relationships. But that too is in a context. These proper relationships occur as a result of something else. That something else is found in 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.” Literally, “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” Unless a person is controlled by the Holy Spirit of God, he or she cannot fulfill the godly roles in these relationships. It is an absolute impossibility. If you don’t believe it, I issue this challenge to any wife here: Use your own will and determination and submit to your husband with a gentle spirit and without resentment.
Some of you may be thinking, “Pastor, when you talk about all the conflict in marriage and about how the curse has made it so bad, I don’t understand that. We have a good marriage and find great joy in it.” Praise God! I am not disputing that. What you must understand is that it is because of Jesus Christ. It is very rare to find “a good marriage” among those who do not know Christ. And even in that marriage is “good” in the eyes of the world, it can never be what it is intended to be.
Isn’t it amazing how God can indeed reverse the curse as he brings us into a relationship with Jesus Christ. If we could live for a month with a married couple who doesn’t know Christ, we would have a greater appreciation for what God has done and is doing in us.
If you are Christians and are not finding this curse reversal in your own marriage, this passage offers you great hope. Will you rely upon your own experience or upon the Word of God? If you feel like your marriage is a failure, then confess your own failure. You have proven what is humanly possible and humanly impossible. Now pray that by the grace of God you will allow Him to demonstrate what He can do in your marriage. He has already given you the outline right here in Ephesians 5. Brothers and sisters, may we continue to pray for one another in this area. No one has arrived, but we are pressing on with rejoicing for the glory of God. If we are seeking God in our marriages, then the best days are yet to come, and it doesn’t matter how old we are.
II. Reversing the Curse with Regard to Children
You will notice that I did not say “reversing the curse of children.” Children are not a curse; they are a blessing. That is the way God intended it from the beginning. But because of Eve’s sin, God brought a curse that goes along with the bearing and raising of children. Let’s read it again: Gen 3:16, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…”
Some of you ladies might be thinking: “So why has God not removed the labor pains of bearing children? Surely if God wanted to reverse the curse, that would be a great place to start, but I see no reversal of that curse.” As far as I know, you are absolutely right. Best we can tell, a woman today (even a godly woman) has as much pain as ever in childbirth. But again, let me remind you that this is exactly what we should expect, because it parallels the situation with sin and death. Rom. 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” So when a person is reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, is the sentence of death reversed? Yes, and no. Jesus tells us that anyone who believes on the One who sent Him has everlasting life; that person has passed from death to life (John 5:24). So will that person who has put his trust in Christ die physically? Yes, he will. Though God has reversed the sentence of death, the reversal is spiritual. The man or woman will still die physically. It is the same way with the pain of bearing and raising children. Yes, there is still great physical pain, but there is a reversal of the curse for the woman who is trusting the Lord. The reversal of the curse is in the spiritual realm rather than the physical.
Let’s come back to that verse we read last week from John 16:21, "A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." Even in this, I believe we find more than a hint that the curse is going to be reversed through Christ. Isn’t Jesus looking beyond the curse? Oh yes, it’s true that the mother is delighted to have delivered her baby. There is a great excitement. But here I believe that Jesus is speaking of a deeper joy that is based on more than the excitement of the moment.
Think about the prospects of raising children in this wicked world. Of course, we often emphasize how bad it is today compared to the past, but the world has been exceedingly wicked since the fall. Remember that a wicked ruler sought to kill Jesus shortly after his birth, just as was the case with Moses hundreds of years before that. There are plenty of logical reasons for a mother to greatly fear for the child she brings into this world. Will he be delivered safely? Will he have some birth defect, some permanent disability? Even when he is little, Mom will have to watch him carefully because of all the wickedness in the world. She doesn’t want him to be abused or kidnapped. She will have to guard him concerning what he sees and hears in this world. At times it will be like tiptoeing through a mine field. And what if he grows up and does not respect his parents? What if he becomes a criminal or adopts an alternative lifestyle? What if he has to go to Iraq or some situation that is even worse? Could a mother think of all those things? Fifteen minutes will be enough time for her to explore all those possibilities and more.
Yet Jesus speaks of a great joy in bringing a child into the world. Is it not because the mom Jesus is picturing is one who trusts the Lord with all her heart? Surely He is thinking of the mom who would read Psalm 127 and praise the Lord. Psalm 127…
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD
keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Now please come with me to I Tim. 2. We want to focus on the last verse, but let’s just read the whole chapter. I Tim. 2:1-15…
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10. But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
We obviously are not going to try to cover this whole passage this morning. However, it is clear that in the latter part of this chapter Paul is dealing with the relationship between women and men in the context of the church. In that context, he makes it clear that God designed men to lead the church, just as he designed the husband to lead the family. Paul states emphatically that he will not permit a woman to teach nor take the authority over the man. While some will say this was only true for Ephesus, where Timothy was at the time, that view is very difficult to reconcile with what Paul says in verses 13-14. There he reminds us that Adam was formed first and then Eve. That does not mean that man is superior to woman, but it does say something about order, headship, and design. Then in verse 14 Paul further reminds us that it wasn’t Adam who was deceived, but it was Eve. Does that mean that the woman is morally and spiritually inferior to the man? Not at all. As a matter of fact, we are told in Rom. 5:12 that sin and death entered the world through one man. Then in 5:14 he specifically refers to Adam’s transgression. Eve isn’t even mentioned. The primary weight of the fall was on Adam’s shoulders. Why? Because he was given the greater responsibility, in addition to the fact that God gave the command directly to Adam.
Then why is Paul so hard on the woman? While she did not sin in the same way Adam did, she did indeed transgress. Her transgression was two-fold. First, she disobeyed the command of God, which she knew through Adam. Secondly, she violated God’s designed order. Rather than deferring to Adam, she acted independently. As one writer puts it…
…Woman who is designed by God to be under a head and a leader and a helper and a protector and a savior, when she stepped out on her own and acted independently of the headship of Adam, when she acted without his leadership, without his counsel, without his protection, she became vulnerable. And it is inherent in the nature of woman that she should not find herself in that position of ultimate responsibility. For woman has a deceivability when out from under the headship of a man. (MacArthur; sermon on II Tim. 2:12-15)
Both the man and the woman are guilty, but their guilt came about in different ways. Eve acted independently of the man she was designed to follow. Adam, on the other hand, submitted to the woman he was intended to lead. We have been reaping the results ever since. What we see revealed in this passage is a timeless principle rather than a temporary cultural consideration. If these were intended only for the Ephesian situation, surely Paul would not have taken his argument all the way back to creation and the fall.
Having said all that, it is still obvious that the woman bears a great deal of responsibility. But does she deserve to be in subjection to the man, even in the church of God? Does not Paul say in Gal. 3:28 that there is neither male nor female in Christ? Indeed, he does, and he means it. Praise God that there is no superiority and inferiority in Christ, for all are one in Him. Nevertheless, the spiritual equality of males and females does not eliminate the roles God has given them. Women still have babies and men don’t. And, as Paul states here, it is still the men who lead the church and not the women.
Now we come to verse 15. So does the woman have a role? Is her only role in life to submit? Isn’t there anything she can do? 1 Tim. 2:15, "Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." Though this verse has been given various interpretations, let’s not be afraid to look at it, for it is a precious promise. It obviously doesn’t mean that a woman will be saved from sin when she bears a child. The word translated “save” can certainly mean salvation from sin, but it can also refer “to deliver” or “rescue” in a sense other than ultimate salvation (and is so used in the New Testament; For an example, see Matt. 9:21). Nor does it mean that if she is godly, her physical pain will be lessened during delivery of a child. Some have seen it as a reference to the birth of Christ, but there doesn’t seem to be anything in the context to lead to such a conclusion.
The word “she” seems to be the generic term for a woman in general. And then in the second part of the verse the “she” kind of melts into “they,” making it clear that Paul is speaking of women and not just one woman. Notice that women shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sobriety (or self-control). Paul is making a promise to godly women. It is a promise that may be claimed by the woman who trusts God and follows the Lord Jesus. If she lives this kind of life, then she will be delivered from the stigma of contributing so greatly to the fall of mankind. She will be delivered from the hopelessness of having no role to play in God’s plan. For, as she continues to live a life of faith and love and holiness, she will raise a godly seed that will bring honor to her Lord. God has so designed it that it is the mother who spends the most time with young children, nurtures them, and sets the course of their direction. She has a relationship with that child that we fathers know nothing about. Such mothers will bear and raise the men who will be godly leaders in His church.
It is here that we see the reversing of the curse with respect to children. As she trusts the Lord, she is delivered from the fears that plague a mother who brings a child into this world. Instead of fearing, she claims the promise of Psalm 91. Ps. 91:1-2, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." This attitude leads her to faith, love, and holiness. And then she has the promise of Ps. 91:9-10, "Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." Though the world is full of wickedness and corruption, it won’t come near her door, because she is abiding in her Lord, even as she nurtures her children.
So the godly woman finds great joy and blessing in her role as wife and mother. Her role is no less important than the role of those men who lead the church. Roles for men and women are different; not greater or lesser. Praise God for mothers who take seriously the raising and nurturing of their children. That is not to say that men have no role or even a small role in raising their children, but the role of the mother is unique and powerful.
Listen to this little summary from Pastor John MacArthur…
The pain of childbearing was the punishment for her sin, but the result of bearing children… is the deliverance of the stigma of that sin. Marvelous how God has worked that out. The pain she goes through reminds her of her sin; the result reminds her of God’s restoring grace and puts her back in the place where she makes a positive contribution to the godliness of the next generation. She may have caused a generation to plunge into sin, but she can by being a mother who raises godly children bring a generation to God. (MacArthur, ibid)
I must be quick to say that I am aware that there are some women who will not be mothers. Some will not be wives. As a matter of fact, some shouldn’t be wives, because God has designed them for singleness, according to I Cor. 7. Nevertheless, this is the common role for women, and it is a crucial role. Any man who thinks the role of a mother is easy or unimportant is foolish indeed.
Conclusion
Let me close with an example of a godly wife and mother. We would not know her name were it not for two of her sons. Other than raising children, she did nothing to call attention to herself. When I call her name, you will know nothing about her, until I tell you who her sons were.
This woman was the wife of a pastor and the mother of 19 children. If we were to read the details of the way she raised the children, most of us would think that was way too strict and maybe even harsh. Her pastor husband was away preaching a good deal of the time, leaving her a demanding task. Nevertheless, out of that home came John and Charles Wesley, whom God used to bring revival to England. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist denomination, which had a different spirit in those times than today. Charles Wesley wrote hundreds of Christian songs, ten of which are in our hymnal. Some of them you will readily recognize…
… O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
… Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
… Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
… Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
… Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Recently we have gone over the words of another of his hymns, which is entitled “And Can If Be that I Should Gain.”
Praise God that the curse upon the woman and the family is reversed in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul speaks of being filled with the Spirit and of living a life of faith and love and holiness, there can be no such life apart from Christ. Religious duty will never produce that kind of life, neither for a woman nor a man. Striving hard to keep the commandments will not produce that kind of life. But our Lord lived that life and died that He might share itwith those who trust Him. To God be all the glory!
Again, it’s all in Christ. Isn’t it beautiful to see that just before the curse of Gen. 3:16, we find in verse 15 the first promise of Christ the Savior! Yes, it’s all in Him!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
TheCurse on the Woman -- 7/13/08
Sunday, July 13, 2008
GOD’S CURSE UPON THE WOMAN
Gen. 3:16
I would like for you to think with me a bit about the plight of women down through history. The life of a woman has not been easy. Of course, we sometimes think of the way women in pioneer days had to wash clothes on a rub board, do dishes without any of the modern conveniences, and bear up under generally rugged conditions. I have a brother whose name I won’t mention, but this brother sometimes gets on a roll and talks about how he would like to go back to the old days without electricity, etc. Of course, I’m pretty sure that Alisa doesn’t share his viewpoint. (What are you snickering about; I didn’t say his name).
But I’m not really talking about the difficulty of housework and that sort of thing. I’m thinking about the kind of things that go deeper than that. Who can deny that down through history women have often been treated as second-class citizens? But that isn’t the half of it; more often they have been treated as slaves. It seems that because men are bigger and stronger, they have brutally imposed their wills upon women, both in the home and in society. Even among the ancient Jews, life for women was far from pleasant. The most respected religious leaders in the land (the Pharisees) arose in the morning and regularly prayed, “Lord, I thank you that I’m not a Gentile or a woman.”
Of course, we live in an enlightened age where women have rights. I’m not being facetious; there is great truth in that statement. In spite of the fact that there are many in our society whose thinking is way off base, in general American women have a much better life than in many cultures. What American woman would like to live under the Muslim standards?
But think with me. Even in our own culture, life can be very hard for women. Don’t
confine your thinking to our own little circle, but think about women in general in our country and in the world. Who is it that gets the privilege of having babies? And who is it that generally has the responsibility of taking care of the children she bears? And while she’s taking care of the kids, she has to be concerned about her husband. Let me just give you a little quote from Pastor John MacArthur…
…It's difficult dealing with husbands. You know, it may be difficult dealing with your husband when you're living in a third world country or when, in ancient times, you were in some tribal environment. But from the looks of things today, it probably isn't any easier to deal with a husband living in the fast pace of the 20th [21st] century high-tech world, who may be equally or even more insensitive to your needs, [if he's at home at al]l to find out what they are. So here's a mother, continuing giving birth to little sinners, and married to a big one.
Now all of us will readily admit that we live in a messed up world. All we have to do is open our eyes and look around. And why is that? Because of sin. Sin has taken its toll on the whole human race and has even affected all of creation. Nevertheless, women have their own peculiar trials.
Let’s conclude our introductory thoughts about women and come to our text for this morning. We are in Genesis 3, the third chapter of the Bible. Only the third chapter and we have recorded for us the fall of mankind. After Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam, their eyes were opened. They realized that they were naked before one another, and when God came looking for them, they hid themselves. Then when God began to question them, they shifted to the blame. Adam said, “The woman you gave to me – she gave me the fruit and I ate it.” When the Lord turned to the woman and asked, “What is this that you have done,” Eve replied, “The snake deceived me, and I ate.” That is where we picked up the story last week, with the curse upon the snake. It was through that curse upon the snake that man received such a wonderful and gracious promise. Within that promise is the seed of the gospel, the first promise of the Savior. Let’s recall that promise as we read this morning Gen. 3:14-16…
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Here we have God’s curse upon the woman. Before we look at it specifically, there is one thing we must note. Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin and death entered the human race. We read it in Rom. 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spead to all men, because all sinned--…” (NKJV). Every human being alive feels the consequence of sin; there are no exceptions. However, God specifically and deliberately pronounced a curse upon the woman, just as surely as He pronounced a curse upon the snake, Satan, and later the man. The substance of the curse in verse 16 goes beyond the normal consequences of sin. This is a direct curse pronounced upon the woman because of her specific sin.
As we look at this curse, we can easily see that it involves two realms of a woman’s life. For most women, these are the two realms that dominate her life more than any others. We are talking about her relationship to her children and her relationship to her husband. God’s curse was directed to these two areas of life. Let’s read it again in verse 16, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
I. The Woman’s Relationship with Her Children
For most people, the first thing that comes to mind is the pain of childbirth. This is part of the curse upon the woman. Most women would give a hearty “Amen,” when we refer to this pain as a curse. There are quite a number of us here who have had very little experience bearing children, but this curse is so severe that even we have some sense of the seriousness. And it goes beyond momentary pain. Some of you ladies can testify of being sick for weeks or months while you were pregnant. Down through history, how many women have lost their lives in the process of giving birth? I can think of two such instances recorded in the Bible – Rachel (Gen. 35:18-19) and the mother of Ichabod (I Sam. 4:19-22). In ancient times the delivery of the child was a very dangerous thing.
I did find something kind of interesting as I was looking at this passage. I ran across the idea that the great pain of childbirth is a rather new thing, that women of ancient cultures didn’t have that kind of pain. As I was trying to check this out, I ran across something written by a modern American midwife. She said that the only reason women have pain in childbirth is because of the fear factor. A woman is told that this is going to be extremely painful. As a result, she goes into labor very fearful, and it is the fear itself that paralyzes her and prevents the muscle groups from working together as they were intended to do. If the fear is not there, she will be relaxed and will give birth with very little pain. I bounced that idea off a mother and she was bit skeptical, to say the least.
So is there anything to that theory? I believe we find the answer clearly in the words of Jesus. While there are other scriptural passages that allude to the same truth, I believe His words settle the issue. John 16:21, "A woman when she is in travail [labor] hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." In this case, it seems obvious that the sorrow Jesus is speaking of is physical pain, because it doesn’t last very long, only as long as the labor lasts. Jesus refers to the pain as “anguish.” That word translated “anguish” is a Greek word that I mention often. It is the word that is most commonly translated “tribulation.” It is the word that speaks of “being squeezed.” I can tell that some of you identify. One doctor who did a great deal of research in this area concluded that the pain of childbirth was comparable to having your finger chopped off without the aid of anesthetic. Though I have never experienced it personally, I have to conclude that childbirth is painful and has always been painful. And according to the Word of God, that pain is a direct result of the curse that God pronounced upon the woman.
Here in Gen. 3:16, we find a difference in translations. The King James is most literal: “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.” The NASV reads: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth.” Similarly, the NIV renders it: “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing.” You will notice that both the NASV and NIV eliminate the word “and.” They change “your sorrow/pain and your conception” to “your pain in childbirth.” While that is permissible grammatically in the Hebrew language, the KJV rendering is much more in keeping with normal usage. It is possible that God did indeed curse her by multiplying her conceptions (or pregnancies).
This becomes a bit difficult for us to sort out, because we are told in Psalm 127 that “children are an heritage of the Lord” (127:3), a wonderful blessing from Him. While that is true, there is also great sorrow that comes with the bearing and raising of children. We would certainly have to say that this wasn’t the case before Eve’s sin. When we read that God says He will multiply or increase the woman’s sorrow, He is not saying that she had sorrow before. He is simply saying that He will make that sorrow great. Let me read you a very literal translation: "causing to be great, I shall cause to be great your sorrow.” The repetition is for emphasis. It isn’t that it is going to be worse than before; He is simply emphasizing how severe the sorrow will be. Before the fall, there was no sin; there was no sorrow.
We don’t know the complete effect of the curse. It is possible that God was saying He would increase the frequency of her pregnancies. God had already commanded them to replenish the earth. That was His plan from the beginning. Think about this: After the fall, that task would be more difficult. Why? Because now every child brought forth would die. Reproduction would have to outstrip death in order to populate the earth. In order to accomplish this, it may be that the Lord increased the fertility of the woman and multiplied her pregnancies. And with more pregnancies comes more sorrow.
But that is not the end of the story. Have you ever noticed in the scripture, that while the physical is real and undeniable, we rarely get the whole picture if we don’t go beyond the physical? This is true even of death itself. We read in Rom. 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” We look around and find that to be true because everyone dies. But that is only a small part of the picture. Death cannot be confined to physical death, the separation of the body from the spirit. There is a spiritual death that we have all experienced, because we were born into this world spiritually dead. That is, we were separated from God, cut off from God. And unless something is done about our condition, we face eternal death, separation from God forever in hell.
We find the same thing to be true to be true of the curse that God pronounces upon the woman. The physical pain of childbirth is intense, as we have already discussed, and that is part of the curse, but that is not the end of the woman’s sorrow. In reality, that is only the beginning. When a woman bears a child, she brings that little one into a corrupt and wicked world. As Herod tried to kill baby Jesus, the evil one unleashes powerful forces against our children even at a young age. You will remember the words of Simeon to Mary the mother of Jesus. When the baby Jesus was less than two months old, Simeon spoke these prophetic words: "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35. (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Lk. 2:34-35). Surely those words were true. We find it hard to imagine how painful the sword that pierced Mary’s soul, as she watched her son die on that cross. Though no mother’s pain can quite match that, think of the mother whose daughter marries a man whom the mother knows will give her nothing but grief. Sorrow with that mother who witnesses her son being sentenced to life in prison. Grieve with the mother whose 15-year-old daughter is raped. Cry out for the mother who watches her grown son die with absolutely no evidence that he knew the Lord. No, the sorrow doesn’t end with childbirth. Though the pain of childbirth is extreme, there are greater pains to come for many mothers.
How tragic that the Lord said to the woman: “In sorrow you shall bring forth children.” Though there is certainly joy over bearing a son or daughter, the sorrow is there as well – pain at the time of birth and even deeper sorrows through life. Just ask some of these mothers who are in their 80’s if the sorrow of a mother ceases with age. When the child hurts, the mother hurts. And somehow that is more true of a mother than a father. To some extent, it is a part of the curse.
Now let’s look at the second aspect of the curse…
II. The Woman’s Relationship with Her Husband
Read verse 16 again, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." “Your desire shall be to your husband and he shall rule over you.” How much ink has been spilled over those words down through the centuries! Such a few words, but such confusion and controversy over their meaning.
Let’s begin with the word “desire.” Your desire shall be to your husband. Some believe that this speaks of sexual desire. Surely that is not the case. God intended a sexual relationship from the beginning, because He told them to be fruitful and multiply. Such a desire was not part of the curse, for Eve had that appropriate sexual desire for her husband from the beginning. Since the desire of verse 16 is a curse from God, we should look for something negative, something that isn’t appropriate.
Some teach that the woman’s subjection to her husband is the substance of the curse. I do not believe that is what this verse teaches, for two reasons…
1. There is ample evidence that even before the fall God intended Eve to be subject to Adam. Eve was made to be Adam’s helper. God made her as a help meet for Adam – that is, a helper suitable for him. Though our society doesn’t like to accept it, God created mankind with a certain order. He made Adam first. He gave His command to Adam and expected him to pass it along to Eve. When God made Adam and Eve, He made Eve subject to Adam.
2. As we will see next week, much of the curse upon Eve is reversed in Christ. However, as we will see, the concept of the wife being in subjection to her husband is not reversed. This concept of wifely submission is clearly taught in Ephesians 5.
I must conclude that the subjection of the wife to the husband is not part of the curse. Rather, it is a part of God’s original plan.
So what is the curse? What is it in the words “And your desire shall be to your husband” that is truly a curse? The basic traditional view is expressed well by Richard Strauss…
The consequences were almost more than Adam and Eve could bear. For Eve, the pain of childbirth would be a recurring reminder of her sin. In addition to that, she would experience an insatiable yearning for her husband, a piercing desire for his time, his attention, his affection, and his assurance. Her need would be so great, her sinful husband would seldom be willing to meet it.
And finally, the authority Adam possessed over Eve from creation was strengthened by the word rule. “And he shall rule over you.” In the hands of a sinful man, that rule would degenerate at times to harsh and heartless domination over her—disregard for her feelings and disdain for her opinions. Eve no doubt chafed grudgingly under the sting of her sin as Adam drifted farther from her, paid less attention to her, and became preoccupied with other things. Bitterness, resentment, and rebellion began to settle in her soul. (“The Honeymoon Is Over—The Story of Adam and Eve,” by Richard L. Strauss. Found at http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1288)
This interpretation stresses the need the woman would have for her husband, the great longing for understanding and compassion. It would be easier for her to just strike out on her own, but deep within would be this longing for her man. Though the bearing and raising of children is full of pain and sorrow, she finds her desire is to that man who teams with her to produce more children. Perhaps all would be well, if that man treated her the way she longed to be treated. Instead, she finds him to be a domineering despot who is more interested in his own needs than hers.
Now let me ask you to consider another idea. It is a somewhat different interpretation, but when put together with what we have just considered, it seems to strengthen the picture of the curse. There are a number who have pointed to the idea that the word “desire” here refers to a desire to control. This idea comes from a comparison with Gen. 4:7. The word translated “desire” in 3:16 is found in only two other places in the Old Testament (the other is Song of Solomon 7:10). It is rather amazing that one of those occurrences is so close at hand, even in 4:7. What is even more amazing is the parallel structure of the ends of these two verses. 3:16, “… And your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” 4:7, "And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." It is impossible to miss the parallel. Many translations take the “his” as a reference to sin, which is the subject of the first part of the verse. (There are those who take it to man Abel.) Read all of Gen. 4:7, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." So if it is sin that is still in view, then the idea is this: “To you is sin’s desire. It desires to control and dominate you, making you its slave. You must rule over it.” (See Amplified, NIV, NASV).
Now if this is the sense of 4:7 and we look at the parallel structure of 3:16, it would indicate that “desire” would have the same meaning here. And if that is so, then this is speaking of the woman’s desire to control her man. It would speak of a deep resentment of her being in subjection to her husband.
This interpretation is not totally at odds with the idea that the woman will have a desire and appetite to be with her man. I don’t see these ideas as mutually exclusive. Rather, I see this idea as increasing the extent of the curse, because it adds to the difficulty of the relationship between the man and the woman, especially the husband and the wife. God intends her to submit to her husband, but she resents that submission. The more she bucks up against it and tries to control and manipulate her husband, the more he either becomes more dominant or withdraws altogether. Nevertheless, she has a great desire to be with him (or, at least, with some man). What a mess. That’s why it is a curse.
III. The Relationship Between the Sin and the Curse
God intended the woman to follow the man. No, she was not inferior in any way. Nevertheless, it was God’s design that Adam lead and Eve follow. Instead, Eve took the lead. It may well be that Adam was not being the leader he should have been, but that does not soften the truth that Eve acted on her own without consulting with her husband. She acted independently. She struck out on her own, disregarding the God-given authority of her husband and disobeying the commandment of her God.
So now the Lord pronounces this sentence upon her. Gen. 3:16, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." She sought independence, but God links her ever so closely with her husband in that they will produce children together. Not only that, but her desire will be to her husband. There will be a continual looking to the husband to meet her needs. But even in that, she will resent the fact that she needs him. Rather than submitting quietly, she will buck up against the idea of wifely submission and will try to take control herself. And as she does, her husband will not be the loving spouse that she longed for. Rather, he will treat her harshly and will “rule” with an unloving hand.
You may be quick to point out exceptions. Where there are exceptions, it is the grace of God. This is not to say that marriages do not experience any happiness. Nevertheless, there is deep pain not only in the bringing forth of children, but also in dealing with the man. When we look at the world as a whole down through the years of history, this is largely what we find, and it is the direct result of the curse that God pronounced. Ladies, if you don’t see much of this curse in your life, thank God for His grace in Christ.
Conclusion
So why did God curse the woman? Did He do it just to demonstrate His power, to remind Eve who is in charge? Isn’t this cruelty to curse not only Eve, but all of the women who are descended from her? Why this terrible curse?
Please allow me to suggest two answers to that question. First of all, this is indeed punishment. Sin does have consequences, and sometimes the consequences are related very closely to the sin. That was the case here. Because she tried to escape from the protection of the man, God cursed her within that relationship. As a result of her sin, her attitude toward the man would hinder their relationship.
But what about the pain and sorrow in bearing and raising children? That brings me to the second reason for the curse. The curse would be a continual reminder of her sin. And so it is today. God’s curse is intended to be a reminder of sin.
This is very difficult for us because we live in a society where most people refuse to relate evil to sin. Let me give you an example. Consider sexually transmitted diseases. The world will not accept the idea that these are the consequences (even the curse) of sinful, immoral behavior. Could it be that those diseases are intended to be a powerful reminder of the sin that brought them about? Or consider what we call “natural disasters.” If someone even suggests that the crushing of New Orleans by hurricane Katrina was a result of the sinful things that went on in that city, our society will crucify him. I’m not saying that was the case, but I must remind you that this is exactly what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah. How foolish to think that it cannot happen again. Of course, we have to be careful. Remember these words from our Lord Jesus in Luke 13:4-5, "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5. I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." All disasters are not directly related to specific sins of individuals, but some are, and that is definitely the case with the curse upon the woman.
Let’s get practical. Lindsay, I am going to pick on you because you are pregnant. Unless you are the rare exception, there will be pain associated with the delivery of this child. Tracy will sympathize with you in your pain, but you alone will bear the brunt of it. But there is value in your pain. In the first place, you know that it means you are indeed going to have this baby, and in that you will rejoice greatly. But your pain will also remind you of sin – the sin of Eve and your participation in that sin. Even now when you are sick because of the pregnancy, God can use that sickness to remind you of sin. Your relationship with your husband hasn’t been all that God intended.
Perhaps some of you think all of this is too negative. Please hear me. God doesn’t remind us of sin in order to crush us. He reminds us of sin so that we can run to the Savior, so that we can cling to our Redeemer. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Lindsay, during this pregnancy, what a time to let the Lord remind you of your sinfulness in that you are weak in your relationship with Tracy. What a time to let Him remind you that you don’t have the wisdom and strength to raise this child as he or she ought to be raised. What a time to cry out to God and thank Him for the way He is going to pour out His grace upon you. “For where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
Don’t we serve a mighty God. He can still turn a cruse into a blessing. We will learn more about that next week, as we see how God through Christ works to reverse the curse. And how will that curse be reversed? In the same way that the effect of sin is reversed – through Christ! Praise God that He sent His Son that we might live through Him!
GOD’S CURSE UPON THE WOMAN
Gen. 3:16
I would like for you to think with me a bit about the plight of women down through history. The life of a woman has not been easy. Of course, we sometimes think of the way women in pioneer days had to wash clothes on a rub board, do dishes without any of the modern conveniences, and bear up under generally rugged conditions. I have a brother whose name I won’t mention, but this brother sometimes gets on a roll and talks about how he would like to go back to the old days without electricity, etc. Of course, I’m pretty sure that Alisa doesn’t share his viewpoint. (What are you snickering about; I didn’t say his name).
But I’m not really talking about the difficulty of housework and that sort of thing. I’m thinking about the kind of things that go deeper than that. Who can deny that down through history women have often been treated as second-class citizens? But that isn’t the half of it; more often they have been treated as slaves. It seems that because men are bigger and stronger, they have brutally imposed their wills upon women, both in the home and in society. Even among the ancient Jews, life for women was far from pleasant. The most respected religious leaders in the land (the Pharisees) arose in the morning and regularly prayed, “Lord, I thank you that I’m not a Gentile or a woman.”
Of course, we live in an enlightened age where women have rights. I’m not being facetious; there is great truth in that statement. In spite of the fact that there are many in our society whose thinking is way off base, in general American women have a much better life than in many cultures. What American woman would like to live under the Muslim standards?
But think with me. Even in our own culture, life can be very hard for women. Don’t
confine your thinking to our own little circle, but think about women in general in our country and in the world. Who is it that gets the privilege of having babies? And who is it that generally has the responsibility of taking care of the children she bears? And while she’s taking care of the kids, she has to be concerned about her husband. Let me just give you a little quote from Pastor John MacArthur…
…It's difficult dealing with husbands. You know, it may be difficult dealing with your husband when you're living in a third world country or when, in ancient times, you were in some tribal environment. But from the looks of things today, it probably isn't any easier to deal with a husband living in the fast pace of the 20th [21st] century high-tech world, who may be equally or even more insensitive to your needs, [if he's at home at al]l to find out what they are. So here's a mother, continuing giving birth to little sinners, and married to a big one.
Now all of us will readily admit that we live in a messed up world. All we have to do is open our eyes and look around. And why is that? Because of sin. Sin has taken its toll on the whole human race and has even affected all of creation. Nevertheless, women have their own peculiar trials.
Let’s conclude our introductory thoughts about women and come to our text for this morning. We are in Genesis 3, the third chapter of the Bible. Only the third chapter and we have recorded for us the fall of mankind. After Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam, their eyes were opened. They realized that they were naked before one another, and when God came looking for them, they hid themselves. Then when God began to question them, they shifted to the blame. Adam said, “The woman you gave to me – she gave me the fruit and I ate it.” When the Lord turned to the woman and asked, “What is this that you have done,” Eve replied, “The snake deceived me, and I ate.” That is where we picked up the story last week, with the curse upon the snake. It was through that curse upon the snake that man received such a wonderful and gracious promise. Within that promise is the seed of the gospel, the first promise of the Savior. Let’s recall that promise as we read this morning Gen. 3:14-16…
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Here we have God’s curse upon the woman. Before we look at it specifically, there is one thing we must note. Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin and death entered the human race. We read it in Rom. 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spead to all men, because all sinned--…” (NKJV). Every human being alive feels the consequence of sin; there are no exceptions. However, God specifically and deliberately pronounced a curse upon the woman, just as surely as He pronounced a curse upon the snake, Satan, and later the man. The substance of the curse in verse 16 goes beyond the normal consequences of sin. This is a direct curse pronounced upon the woman because of her specific sin.
As we look at this curse, we can easily see that it involves two realms of a woman’s life. For most women, these are the two realms that dominate her life more than any others. We are talking about her relationship to her children and her relationship to her husband. God’s curse was directed to these two areas of life. Let’s read it again in verse 16, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
I. The Woman’s Relationship with Her Children
For most people, the first thing that comes to mind is the pain of childbirth. This is part of the curse upon the woman. Most women would give a hearty “Amen,” when we refer to this pain as a curse. There are quite a number of us here who have had very little experience bearing children, but this curse is so severe that even we have some sense of the seriousness. And it goes beyond momentary pain. Some of you ladies can testify of being sick for weeks or months while you were pregnant. Down through history, how many women have lost their lives in the process of giving birth? I can think of two such instances recorded in the Bible – Rachel (Gen. 35:18-19) and the mother of Ichabod (I Sam. 4:19-22). In ancient times the delivery of the child was a very dangerous thing.
I did find something kind of interesting as I was looking at this passage. I ran across the idea that the great pain of childbirth is a rather new thing, that women of ancient cultures didn’t have that kind of pain. As I was trying to check this out, I ran across something written by a modern American midwife. She said that the only reason women have pain in childbirth is because of the fear factor. A woman is told that this is going to be extremely painful. As a result, she goes into labor very fearful, and it is the fear itself that paralyzes her and prevents the muscle groups from working together as they were intended to do. If the fear is not there, she will be relaxed and will give birth with very little pain. I bounced that idea off a mother and she was bit skeptical, to say the least.
So is there anything to that theory? I believe we find the answer clearly in the words of Jesus. While there are other scriptural passages that allude to the same truth, I believe His words settle the issue. John 16:21, "A woman when she is in travail [labor] hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." In this case, it seems obvious that the sorrow Jesus is speaking of is physical pain, because it doesn’t last very long, only as long as the labor lasts. Jesus refers to the pain as “anguish.” That word translated “anguish” is a Greek word that I mention often. It is the word that is most commonly translated “tribulation.” It is the word that speaks of “being squeezed.” I can tell that some of you identify. One doctor who did a great deal of research in this area concluded that the pain of childbirth was comparable to having your finger chopped off without the aid of anesthetic. Though I have never experienced it personally, I have to conclude that childbirth is painful and has always been painful. And according to the Word of God, that pain is a direct result of the curse that God pronounced upon the woman.
Here in Gen. 3:16, we find a difference in translations. The King James is most literal: “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.” The NASV reads: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth.” Similarly, the NIV renders it: “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing.” You will notice that both the NASV and NIV eliminate the word “and.” They change “your sorrow/pain and your conception” to “your pain in childbirth.” While that is permissible grammatically in the Hebrew language, the KJV rendering is much more in keeping with normal usage. It is possible that God did indeed curse her by multiplying her conceptions (or pregnancies).
This becomes a bit difficult for us to sort out, because we are told in Psalm 127 that “children are an heritage of the Lord” (127:3), a wonderful blessing from Him. While that is true, there is also great sorrow that comes with the bearing and raising of children. We would certainly have to say that this wasn’t the case before Eve’s sin. When we read that God says He will multiply or increase the woman’s sorrow, He is not saying that she had sorrow before. He is simply saying that He will make that sorrow great. Let me read you a very literal translation: "causing to be great, I shall cause to be great your sorrow.” The repetition is for emphasis. It isn’t that it is going to be worse than before; He is simply emphasizing how severe the sorrow will be. Before the fall, there was no sin; there was no sorrow.
We don’t know the complete effect of the curse. It is possible that God was saying He would increase the frequency of her pregnancies. God had already commanded them to replenish the earth. That was His plan from the beginning. Think about this: After the fall, that task would be more difficult. Why? Because now every child brought forth would die. Reproduction would have to outstrip death in order to populate the earth. In order to accomplish this, it may be that the Lord increased the fertility of the woman and multiplied her pregnancies. And with more pregnancies comes more sorrow.
But that is not the end of the story. Have you ever noticed in the scripture, that while the physical is real and undeniable, we rarely get the whole picture if we don’t go beyond the physical? This is true even of death itself. We read in Rom. 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” We look around and find that to be true because everyone dies. But that is only a small part of the picture. Death cannot be confined to physical death, the separation of the body from the spirit. There is a spiritual death that we have all experienced, because we were born into this world spiritually dead. That is, we were separated from God, cut off from God. And unless something is done about our condition, we face eternal death, separation from God forever in hell.
We find the same thing to be true to be true of the curse that God pronounces upon the woman. The physical pain of childbirth is intense, as we have already discussed, and that is part of the curse, but that is not the end of the woman’s sorrow. In reality, that is only the beginning. When a woman bears a child, she brings that little one into a corrupt and wicked world. As Herod tried to kill baby Jesus, the evil one unleashes powerful forces against our children even at a young age. You will remember the words of Simeon to Mary the mother of Jesus. When the baby Jesus was less than two months old, Simeon spoke these prophetic words: "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35. (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Lk. 2:34-35). Surely those words were true. We find it hard to imagine how painful the sword that pierced Mary’s soul, as she watched her son die on that cross. Though no mother’s pain can quite match that, think of the mother whose daughter marries a man whom the mother knows will give her nothing but grief. Sorrow with that mother who witnesses her son being sentenced to life in prison. Grieve with the mother whose 15-year-old daughter is raped. Cry out for the mother who watches her grown son die with absolutely no evidence that he knew the Lord. No, the sorrow doesn’t end with childbirth. Though the pain of childbirth is extreme, there are greater pains to come for many mothers.
How tragic that the Lord said to the woman: “In sorrow you shall bring forth children.” Though there is certainly joy over bearing a son or daughter, the sorrow is there as well – pain at the time of birth and even deeper sorrows through life. Just ask some of these mothers who are in their 80’s if the sorrow of a mother ceases with age. When the child hurts, the mother hurts. And somehow that is more true of a mother than a father. To some extent, it is a part of the curse.
Now let’s look at the second aspect of the curse…
II. The Woman’s Relationship with Her Husband
Read verse 16 again, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." “Your desire shall be to your husband and he shall rule over you.” How much ink has been spilled over those words down through the centuries! Such a few words, but such confusion and controversy over their meaning.
Let’s begin with the word “desire.” Your desire shall be to your husband. Some believe that this speaks of sexual desire. Surely that is not the case. God intended a sexual relationship from the beginning, because He told them to be fruitful and multiply. Such a desire was not part of the curse, for Eve had that appropriate sexual desire for her husband from the beginning. Since the desire of verse 16 is a curse from God, we should look for something negative, something that isn’t appropriate.
Some teach that the woman’s subjection to her husband is the substance of the curse. I do not believe that is what this verse teaches, for two reasons…
1. There is ample evidence that even before the fall God intended Eve to be subject to Adam. Eve was made to be Adam’s helper. God made her as a help meet for Adam – that is, a helper suitable for him. Though our society doesn’t like to accept it, God created mankind with a certain order. He made Adam first. He gave His command to Adam and expected him to pass it along to Eve. When God made Adam and Eve, He made Eve subject to Adam.
2. As we will see next week, much of the curse upon Eve is reversed in Christ. However, as we will see, the concept of the wife being in subjection to her husband is not reversed. This concept of wifely submission is clearly taught in Ephesians 5.
I must conclude that the subjection of the wife to the husband is not part of the curse. Rather, it is a part of God’s original plan.
So what is the curse? What is it in the words “And your desire shall be to your husband” that is truly a curse? The basic traditional view is expressed well by Richard Strauss…
The consequences were almost more than Adam and Eve could bear. For Eve, the pain of childbirth would be a recurring reminder of her sin. In addition to that, she would experience an insatiable yearning for her husband, a piercing desire for his time, his attention, his affection, and his assurance. Her need would be so great, her sinful husband would seldom be willing to meet it.
And finally, the authority Adam possessed over Eve from creation was strengthened by the word rule. “And he shall rule over you.” In the hands of a sinful man, that rule would degenerate at times to harsh and heartless domination over her—disregard for her feelings and disdain for her opinions. Eve no doubt chafed grudgingly under the sting of her sin as Adam drifted farther from her, paid less attention to her, and became preoccupied with other things. Bitterness, resentment, and rebellion began to settle in her soul. (“The Honeymoon Is Over—The Story of Adam and Eve,” by Richard L. Strauss. Found at http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1288)
This interpretation stresses the need the woman would have for her husband, the great longing for understanding and compassion. It would be easier for her to just strike out on her own, but deep within would be this longing for her man. Though the bearing and raising of children is full of pain and sorrow, she finds her desire is to that man who teams with her to produce more children. Perhaps all would be well, if that man treated her the way she longed to be treated. Instead, she finds him to be a domineering despot who is more interested in his own needs than hers.
Now let me ask you to consider another idea. It is a somewhat different interpretation, but when put together with what we have just considered, it seems to strengthen the picture of the curse. There are a number who have pointed to the idea that the word “desire” here refers to a desire to control. This idea comes from a comparison with Gen. 4:7. The word translated “desire” in 3:16 is found in only two other places in the Old Testament (the other is Song of Solomon 7:10). It is rather amazing that one of those occurrences is so close at hand, even in 4:7. What is even more amazing is the parallel structure of the ends of these two verses. 3:16, “… And your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” 4:7, "And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." It is impossible to miss the parallel. Many translations take the “his” as a reference to sin, which is the subject of the first part of the verse. (There are those who take it to man Abel.) Read all of Gen. 4:7, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." So if it is sin that is still in view, then the idea is this: “To you is sin’s desire. It desires to control and dominate you, making you its slave. You must rule over it.” (See Amplified, NIV, NASV).
Now if this is the sense of 4:7 and we look at the parallel structure of 3:16, it would indicate that “desire” would have the same meaning here. And if that is so, then this is speaking of the woman’s desire to control her man. It would speak of a deep resentment of her being in subjection to her husband.
This interpretation is not totally at odds with the idea that the woman will have a desire and appetite to be with her man. I don’t see these ideas as mutually exclusive. Rather, I see this idea as increasing the extent of the curse, because it adds to the difficulty of the relationship between the man and the woman, especially the husband and the wife. God intends her to submit to her husband, but she resents that submission. The more she bucks up against it and tries to control and manipulate her husband, the more he either becomes more dominant or withdraws altogether. Nevertheless, she has a great desire to be with him (or, at least, with some man). What a mess. That’s why it is a curse.
III. The Relationship Between the Sin and the Curse
God intended the woman to follow the man. No, she was not inferior in any way. Nevertheless, it was God’s design that Adam lead and Eve follow. Instead, Eve took the lead. It may well be that Adam was not being the leader he should have been, but that does not soften the truth that Eve acted on her own without consulting with her husband. She acted independently. She struck out on her own, disregarding the God-given authority of her husband and disobeying the commandment of her God.
So now the Lord pronounces this sentence upon her. Gen. 3:16, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." She sought independence, but God links her ever so closely with her husband in that they will produce children together. Not only that, but her desire will be to her husband. There will be a continual looking to the husband to meet her needs. But even in that, she will resent the fact that she needs him. Rather than submitting quietly, she will buck up against the idea of wifely submission and will try to take control herself. And as she does, her husband will not be the loving spouse that she longed for. Rather, he will treat her harshly and will “rule” with an unloving hand.
You may be quick to point out exceptions. Where there are exceptions, it is the grace of God. This is not to say that marriages do not experience any happiness. Nevertheless, there is deep pain not only in the bringing forth of children, but also in dealing with the man. When we look at the world as a whole down through the years of history, this is largely what we find, and it is the direct result of the curse that God pronounced. Ladies, if you don’t see much of this curse in your life, thank God for His grace in Christ.
Conclusion
So why did God curse the woman? Did He do it just to demonstrate His power, to remind Eve who is in charge? Isn’t this cruelty to curse not only Eve, but all of the women who are descended from her? Why this terrible curse?
Please allow me to suggest two answers to that question. First of all, this is indeed punishment. Sin does have consequences, and sometimes the consequences are related very closely to the sin. That was the case here. Because she tried to escape from the protection of the man, God cursed her within that relationship. As a result of her sin, her attitude toward the man would hinder their relationship.
But what about the pain and sorrow in bearing and raising children? That brings me to the second reason for the curse. The curse would be a continual reminder of her sin. And so it is today. God’s curse is intended to be a reminder of sin.
This is very difficult for us because we live in a society where most people refuse to relate evil to sin. Let me give you an example. Consider sexually transmitted diseases. The world will not accept the idea that these are the consequences (even the curse) of sinful, immoral behavior. Could it be that those diseases are intended to be a powerful reminder of the sin that brought them about? Or consider what we call “natural disasters.” If someone even suggests that the crushing of New Orleans by hurricane Katrina was a result of the sinful things that went on in that city, our society will crucify him. I’m not saying that was the case, but I must remind you that this is exactly what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah. How foolish to think that it cannot happen again. Of course, we have to be careful. Remember these words from our Lord Jesus in Luke 13:4-5, "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5. I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." All disasters are not directly related to specific sins of individuals, but some are, and that is definitely the case with the curse upon the woman.
Let’s get practical. Lindsay, I am going to pick on you because you are pregnant. Unless you are the rare exception, there will be pain associated with the delivery of this child. Tracy will sympathize with you in your pain, but you alone will bear the brunt of it. But there is value in your pain. In the first place, you know that it means you are indeed going to have this baby, and in that you will rejoice greatly. But your pain will also remind you of sin – the sin of Eve and your participation in that sin. Even now when you are sick because of the pregnancy, God can use that sickness to remind you of sin. Your relationship with your husband hasn’t been all that God intended.
Perhaps some of you think all of this is too negative. Please hear me. God doesn’t remind us of sin in order to crush us. He reminds us of sin so that we can run to the Savior, so that we can cling to our Redeemer. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Lindsay, during this pregnancy, what a time to let the Lord remind you of your sinfulness in that you are weak in your relationship with Tracy. What a time to let Him remind you that you don’t have the wisdom and strength to raise this child as he or she ought to be raised. What a time to cry out to God and thank Him for the way He is going to pour out His grace upon you. “For where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
Don’t we serve a mighty God. He can still turn a cruse into a blessing. We will learn more about that next week, as we see how God through Christ works to reverse the curse. And how will that curse be reversed? In the same way that the effect of sin is reversed – through Christ! Praise God that He sent His Son that we might live through Him!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Repentance -- No Other Hope -- 7/6/08
Sunday, July 6, 2008 (The seed of this sermon came from an article by Andrew Sweet, “We
Are NOT at a Crossroads”)
NO OTHER HOPE
Two days ago the United States of America celebrated its 232nd birthday. That, of course, was July 4. In reality, it would be accurate to say that many Americans gave little or no thought to the meaning of July 4. The day has come to be valued as a holiday. It makes little difference why it’s a holiday, just so it’s a holiday. That means no work and all leisure. So goes life in these United States of America.
But after all, July 4 is Independence Day. Once that meant independence from England and the freedom to be a sovereign nation. Now, whether we admit it or not, it means independence from one and all, including God Himself. On July 4 this country largely celebrates the fact that its citizens answer to no one. But enough of that, as I believe I spoke rather extensively on that subject three or four years ago.
Right now the spotlight is on our nation and its politics. We are just over four months away from a national election. The economy is uncertain, to say the least. We still have well over 100,000 soldiers in Iraq. And we are being bombarded by political propaganda. It would seem that times in this country are rather intense right now.
In times like these it is quite common to hear Christian leaders say that America is at a crossroads. The message may vary a great deal, but somewhere there is usually this idea: “If we don’t come back to God, He is going to judge America.” I have little political knowledge, certainly not enough to make accurate predictions about this country. What I want to say has nothing to do with predictions. Rather, it has to do with recent history. I don’t believe we are at a crossroads. We have passed the crossroads and we can’t even see it in the rearview mirror. We took the fork in the road marked “judgment,” and that’s where we are today. This country is under the judgment of God.
You ask, “Why do you say that?” There are many who view things like this: “If we don’t do something about abortion, God is going to judge this nation. If we don’t take a definite stand against homosexuality, God is going to judge the United States. If we don’t stem the tide of divorce, God is going to judge us.” I believe we are looking at it backwards. God has already judged us. Things like abortion and the rise of homosexuality are evidence of His judgment.
You want to know what biblical evidence I have for making such a statement. A passage from the Old Testament and another from the New. Turn with me to Proverbs 1. Let’s read Prov. 1:20-33…
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25. But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
You go back later and read this passage in light of the actions of this nation. God spoke, but America would not listen. So what is the end result? Verse 31, “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of the their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” Years ago I heard a godly man make this statement, “There is no judgment worse than abandonment.” You keep that in mind.
Now turn to the New Testament. Let’s read Rom. 1:16-32 (NIV)…
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.”
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Who can deny the fact that this is a very accurate account of what has happened in our country. It’s nothing new. Paul wrote about it in the past tense, and now we see it in the present tense. The key is in that little phrase that is repeated three times – “God gave them over.” The idea is this: “God abandoned them, allowing them to do what they want.” And as result, they will eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices (Pr. 1:31).
Freedom is not what most people think. Freedom does not have the same meaning in this country that it did 200 years ago. Freedom has come to be viewed as the right of every man to do what is right in his own eyes. And when a man finally attains it, whether he realizes it or not, he has become an absolute slave. What is worse than being a slave to one’s own desires? And as the downward spiral continues, the desires become more and more ungodly, as we see in this passage.
Again, this is nothing new. Paul and Barnabas were at Lystra on their first missionary journey. Through the power of God they healed a man who had been lame from birth. The people became so excited that they tried to offer sacrifices to these two men, as if they were gods. Paul and Barnabas immediately responded, as we read in Acts 14:14-18…
Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15. And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
Notice verse 16. In past times God allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. No nation is immune to that plight. During the time of the judges God spoke to the children of Israel with these words: "Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 14. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation" (Judges 10:13-14). Later, in the time of the kings, God spoke these words about backsliding Israel: “Ephraim [capital of Israel and a name used to designate the nation] is joined to idols; let him alone” (Hos. 4:17). We are not the first nation to be abandoned by God. There is no judgment worse than abandonment.
Those of us who are in Christ are citizens of heaven. We live in this world, but we are not of it. However, we cannot escape living in this world. That is God’s design. Remember the prayer of our Lord Jesus… (Jn. 17:15-18)
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
All of us find ourselves in the United States of America. With perhaps a couple of exceptions, that’s where we were born and that’s where we have stayed. Though we are “looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13), this is where we are holding up until He comes. So what are we to do? Are we to totally ignore our surroundings? What do we do with Jesus’ words, “Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14)?
Please hear me. All of us are going to hear plenty about the state of our country and the pledges of candidates during the next four months. Please remember this one thing: There is only one hope for this nation and it isn’t Obama; nor is it McCain; nor is it a certain party’s control of Congress. The only hope for this nation is REPENTANCE. Even a return to morality will not turn this nation around. Repentance is the only hope.
But even if the citizens of this nation repent, that is no guarantee that God will spare this nation. The Lord God is under no obligation to turn back His judgment, even if we repent. If He continues to say, “The USA has chosen its gods; leave it alone,” who can blame Him? However, I do remember a city called Nineveh. It was a very wicked city, but God showed His mercy by sending them a prophet by the name of Jonah. When we read Jonah, we tend to focus on the life and actions of the prophet himself, but don’t forget about the miracle in the city. The miracle was in the fact that the king and citizens of Nineveh repented with fasting and sackcloth. They cried out to God, and He did indeed spare the city. Praise God that He is “a God full of compassion, and gracious, and longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Ps. 86:15).
And why do I say that repentance is the only hope for this nation? Why is there no hope in choosing better leaders and in rallying people to a better morality? Let me give you three reasons in ascending order. In other words, the most important reasons come last.
I. We Are Afflicted with the Itching Ear Syndrome
We are familiar with this phenomenon because of what we read in II Tim. 4:1-4…
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
People will pile up teachers who will tell them what they want to hear. Who can deny that this is exactly what is happening all around us.
However, the application is wider than just the preaching of Christ. Five months ago a survey showed that only 35% of people in this country believed that energy exploration, drilling, and building new power plants was more important than energy conservation and the protection of the environment. This past week when the same question was asked, that number had increased to 47%. And what was it that made the difference? Higher gasoline prices. What some claimed to be noble principles were easily sacrificed when maintaining those principles hit the pocketbook.
Let me put it bluntly. We gripe about corrupt politicians, but corrupt politicians are just a reflection of a corrupt nation. The majority of the people in this country wants what will benefit “me.” It isn’t what is best for all the people; it’s what’s best for me and mine. And we see this in the professing church of America. Follow Jesus for what you can get out of Him. If He can fulfill His promise to give us happiness and prosperity, then follow Him. If not, then follow whatever perversion will get the job done. Before we condemn leaders, we need to take a look at this dominant attitude in our country.
Brothers and sisters, let us beware lest we develop that same kind of attitude, the attitude that focuses on what is good for me.
II. We Are Under the Judgment of God
This is what we have already talked about. I am certainly not saying it is wrong to try to deal with problems in this country, but our ultimate problem is with God Himself. He is the One who is judging America. Our problem is not political; it is spiritual. We read in Prov. 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."
Go back through the Presidents of this country. Take your pick. Choose the man you believe is the best President we ever had. If we could set him in office today, it would not cure this country. The nation might improve, but the problem would be the same – we are a nation under the judgment of God.
Politically, you do what the Lord directs you to do, but don’t ever be deceived into thinking that there is a political solution to the problem of this country. Let me read you a statement by Andrew Street…
And the answer is not to jump on the conservative bandwagon with the old argument: “At least this one [whatever evil it is] is moving slower!” I dare to posit to you that if any redeeming mercy is left for this nation, it will not be sought until after judgment drives us to our knees. The conservatives are only a painkiller against the cancer destroying our nation. Let’s face the pain so we don’t have to die in a coma! Maybe then we’ll get desperate enough for the Word of God to cut us open and remove our sin!” (in “Brush Arbor,” p. 7)
Do you hear what he is saying? At best, political action is just a painkiller that will make life more comfortable. I am not saying political action is wrong, but I am saying it is wrong if we think it will bring any real solution to our greatest problem, because it will not. Nothing short of true repentance will avail, and I am talking about the kind of repentance that occurred at Nineveh.
From time to time we hear people talk about how this country is in a state of revival or spiritual renewal. Certain evidences are given for support. More people are going to church. More people are reading their Bibles. Hear me well. If and when this country experiences true revival, no one will have to convince you. You will be able to see it, and the primary evidence will be repentance.
Sometimes the question arises concerning a church’s stance on political candidates. Is the church allowed to endorse a candidate? You don’t have to worry about this pastor endorsing a candidate. The reason I will not endorse a candidate is because no candidate has the answer, neither this year nor any other year. You won’t even hear me telling you to get out and vote. Now listen carefully. I know some of you believe it is very important to get the Christian vote out. If that is your conviction, that’s fine, but it’s not mine. Some will make the argument: God has given us the privilege of living in this wonderful nation. The least we can do is inform ourselves and vote for the best candidates. What would happen if none of the Christians voted? Surely the nation would be even more ungodly than it already is.
While that argument may sound persuasive, my question is this: What does the Word of God say? Logic may say every believer should vote, but what does the scripture say?
We know what God’s Word says. Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Mk. 12:17). So what things belong to Caesar? Respect belongs to Caesar. I Pet. 2:17, “… Honor the king.” We are to respect and honor our leaders. Submission belongs to Caesar. In that same passage, we read in I Pet. 2:13-15, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14. Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." Yes, we are to obey the laws put forth by those who lead our country.
There is one other thing we owe to Caesar, though it is never demanded in our day. We owe it to Caesar because our God commands it. I am talking about prayer. 1 Tim 2:1-2, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." We are to pray for all, but we are specifically told to pray for those in authority. This is not an option; this is God’s command.
If you sense the Lord directing you to vote, then vote. If you sense He wants you to encourage others to vote, then encourage them. But don’t ever get the idea that you are more spiritual than another because you vote and he doesn’t. That man who doesn’t vote may pray for our leaders far more than you, and who are you to say that your vote is more valuable than his prayers? On the other hand, those who choose note to vote must never consider themselves more spiritual either. Whether you vote or don’t vote, God has commanded you to pray. So pray! As you pray for our leaders, pray that God will lead them and all of us to repentance.
Our primary problem is not the influence of bad leaders; our problem is that we are under the judgment of a holy and righteous God.
III. The Great Problem Is First with the Church, not with the Nation
One of the great revival passages of the Bible is II Chr. 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." What a wonderful promise. That promise was given to the nation of Judah at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. If you go back and read chapter 6, you will find the great prayer of Solomon. In that prayer, Solomon makes a number of specific requests. A typical request of this prayer is found in II Chr 6:26-27… "When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; 27. Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance." Now in chapter 7 we find the Lord’s response to Solomon’s prayer. Let’s read a little bit more than verse 14. Let’s read II Chr 7:11-14…
Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. 12. And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. 13. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Far too often people have tried to apply this promise to the United States of America. Though there was a time when this nation sought God in a way that it does not do today, this nation has never been God’s people. While no doubt God has worked in this nation, the USA is not and never has been God’s people. If we want to make present application of this passage, we must apply it to God’s people. I think there is certainly a sense in which it can still be applied to God’s people Israel, but surely we can also apply it to the church today. The United States is not called by the Lord’s name, but His church certainly is.
The greatest need for repentance today is not among the general population of the nation and among its leaders, but among the people of God. That is why no political solution will be effective in changing this nation. If there is any hope for this nation, it is in the church. The great problem is that most of the professing church in America sees little need of repentance.
Let me pause there. We must distinguish between the true church and the professing church. I don’t want to be harsh, but surely most of the professing church in America is not the true church. The true church is composed only of those who have the life of Christ within. But before you conclude that it is only those who are not true Christians who are the problem, let me give you a reminder. Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth. There were problems in the church and there was a need for repentance. When Paul began to speak about the sexually immoral man in chapter 5, he rebuked the church for its attitude. It is very possible for God’s people to be blind to the need for repentance. How can we expect the nation to come to repentance when we don’t find that attitude in the church?
Conclusion
So what am I saying this morning? You might conclude that I am telling you to just forget about doing anything to try to help our country. That is not what I am saying. I am trying to help us consider what will really help this country and what will not. Again, if the Lord leads you to take political action, then do it. But as you act, realize that your action is only a small part of what the real need is.
So what should we do? Regardless of what we do politically, we must proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our great hope is not that this nation will be turned around and restored to its former glory. If that is what God decides to do, we’ll praise His name. But what if this nation is destroyed? What then? We will continue "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:13-14). By the grace of God, we will do those good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10), having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We will continually remind ourselves and one another that “the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Though many will reject our God, we will rescue some, pulling them out of the fire (Jude 23).
But what about salt and light? Didn’t Jesus say that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world? Doesn’t he intend us to influence our culture? He certainly does. Nothing will influence our culture like “the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Cor. 4:4). Let’s read again that passage from II Cor. 4:3-6…
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus tells us to let our light shine before men, He does not exclude the message of the gospel. We can’t let our light shine before men and not proclaim Jesus. A light that excludes Jesus is no light at all. What can be preserved without the message of Jesus isn’t worth preserving.
We don’t know what will happen to this nation. Where God leads us to act in trying to preserve it, let us do it with joy. But all the while, may our eyes not be blind to the truth that we are surrounded by people who have no hope and are without God in the world (Eph. 2:12). No political solution will rescue them from hell; that will be accomplished only by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that gospel which calls people to repentance and faith in the Savior. So whatever the Lord leads us to do concerning our nation, let’s do it with the gospel on our lips, righteousness in our steps, and a prayer in our hearts.
Are NOT at a Crossroads”)
NO OTHER HOPE
Two days ago the United States of America celebrated its 232nd birthday. That, of course, was July 4. In reality, it would be accurate to say that many Americans gave little or no thought to the meaning of July 4. The day has come to be valued as a holiday. It makes little difference why it’s a holiday, just so it’s a holiday. That means no work and all leisure. So goes life in these United States of America.
But after all, July 4 is Independence Day. Once that meant independence from England and the freedom to be a sovereign nation. Now, whether we admit it or not, it means independence from one and all, including God Himself. On July 4 this country largely celebrates the fact that its citizens answer to no one. But enough of that, as I believe I spoke rather extensively on that subject three or four years ago.
Right now the spotlight is on our nation and its politics. We are just over four months away from a national election. The economy is uncertain, to say the least. We still have well over 100,000 soldiers in Iraq. And we are being bombarded by political propaganda. It would seem that times in this country are rather intense right now.
In times like these it is quite common to hear Christian leaders say that America is at a crossroads. The message may vary a great deal, but somewhere there is usually this idea: “If we don’t come back to God, He is going to judge America.” I have little political knowledge, certainly not enough to make accurate predictions about this country. What I want to say has nothing to do with predictions. Rather, it has to do with recent history. I don’t believe we are at a crossroads. We have passed the crossroads and we can’t even see it in the rearview mirror. We took the fork in the road marked “judgment,” and that’s where we are today. This country is under the judgment of God.
You ask, “Why do you say that?” There are many who view things like this: “If we don’t do something about abortion, God is going to judge this nation. If we don’t take a definite stand against homosexuality, God is going to judge the United States. If we don’t stem the tide of divorce, God is going to judge us.” I believe we are looking at it backwards. God has already judged us. Things like abortion and the rise of homosexuality are evidence of His judgment.
You want to know what biblical evidence I have for making such a statement. A passage from the Old Testament and another from the New. Turn with me to Proverbs 1. Let’s read Prov. 1:20-33…
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25. But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
You go back later and read this passage in light of the actions of this nation. God spoke, but America would not listen. So what is the end result? Verse 31, “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of the their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” Years ago I heard a godly man make this statement, “There is no judgment worse than abandonment.” You keep that in mind.
Now turn to the New Testament. Let’s read Rom. 1:16-32 (NIV)…
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.”
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Who can deny the fact that this is a very accurate account of what has happened in our country. It’s nothing new. Paul wrote about it in the past tense, and now we see it in the present tense. The key is in that little phrase that is repeated three times – “God gave them over.” The idea is this: “God abandoned them, allowing them to do what they want.” And as result, they will eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices (Pr. 1:31).
Freedom is not what most people think. Freedom does not have the same meaning in this country that it did 200 years ago. Freedom has come to be viewed as the right of every man to do what is right in his own eyes. And when a man finally attains it, whether he realizes it or not, he has become an absolute slave. What is worse than being a slave to one’s own desires? And as the downward spiral continues, the desires become more and more ungodly, as we see in this passage.
Again, this is nothing new. Paul and Barnabas were at Lystra on their first missionary journey. Through the power of God they healed a man who had been lame from birth. The people became so excited that they tried to offer sacrifices to these two men, as if they were gods. Paul and Barnabas immediately responded, as we read in Acts 14:14-18…
Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15. And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
Notice verse 16. In past times God allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. No nation is immune to that plight. During the time of the judges God spoke to the children of Israel with these words: "Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 14. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation" (Judges 10:13-14). Later, in the time of the kings, God spoke these words about backsliding Israel: “Ephraim [capital of Israel and a name used to designate the nation] is joined to idols; let him alone” (Hos. 4:17). We are not the first nation to be abandoned by God. There is no judgment worse than abandonment.
Those of us who are in Christ are citizens of heaven. We live in this world, but we are not of it. However, we cannot escape living in this world. That is God’s design. Remember the prayer of our Lord Jesus… (Jn. 17:15-18)
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
All of us find ourselves in the United States of America. With perhaps a couple of exceptions, that’s where we were born and that’s where we have stayed. Though we are “looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13), this is where we are holding up until He comes. So what are we to do? Are we to totally ignore our surroundings? What do we do with Jesus’ words, “Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14)?
Please hear me. All of us are going to hear plenty about the state of our country and the pledges of candidates during the next four months. Please remember this one thing: There is only one hope for this nation and it isn’t Obama; nor is it McCain; nor is it a certain party’s control of Congress. The only hope for this nation is REPENTANCE. Even a return to morality will not turn this nation around. Repentance is the only hope.
But even if the citizens of this nation repent, that is no guarantee that God will spare this nation. The Lord God is under no obligation to turn back His judgment, even if we repent. If He continues to say, “The USA has chosen its gods; leave it alone,” who can blame Him? However, I do remember a city called Nineveh. It was a very wicked city, but God showed His mercy by sending them a prophet by the name of Jonah. When we read Jonah, we tend to focus on the life and actions of the prophet himself, but don’t forget about the miracle in the city. The miracle was in the fact that the king and citizens of Nineveh repented with fasting and sackcloth. They cried out to God, and He did indeed spare the city. Praise God that He is “a God full of compassion, and gracious, and longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Ps. 86:15).
And why do I say that repentance is the only hope for this nation? Why is there no hope in choosing better leaders and in rallying people to a better morality? Let me give you three reasons in ascending order. In other words, the most important reasons come last.
I. We Are Afflicted with the Itching Ear Syndrome
We are familiar with this phenomenon because of what we read in II Tim. 4:1-4…
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
People will pile up teachers who will tell them what they want to hear. Who can deny that this is exactly what is happening all around us.
However, the application is wider than just the preaching of Christ. Five months ago a survey showed that only 35% of people in this country believed that energy exploration, drilling, and building new power plants was more important than energy conservation and the protection of the environment. This past week when the same question was asked, that number had increased to 47%. And what was it that made the difference? Higher gasoline prices. What some claimed to be noble principles were easily sacrificed when maintaining those principles hit the pocketbook.
Let me put it bluntly. We gripe about corrupt politicians, but corrupt politicians are just a reflection of a corrupt nation. The majority of the people in this country wants what will benefit “me.” It isn’t what is best for all the people; it’s what’s best for me and mine. And we see this in the professing church of America. Follow Jesus for what you can get out of Him. If He can fulfill His promise to give us happiness and prosperity, then follow Him. If not, then follow whatever perversion will get the job done. Before we condemn leaders, we need to take a look at this dominant attitude in our country.
Brothers and sisters, let us beware lest we develop that same kind of attitude, the attitude that focuses on what is good for me.
II. We Are Under the Judgment of God
This is what we have already talked about. I am certainly not saying it is wrong to try to deal with problems in this country, but our ultimate problem is with God Himself. He is the One who is judging America. Our problem is not political; it is spiritual. We read in Prov. 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."
Go back through the Presidents of this country. Take your pick. Choose the man you believe is the best President we ever had. If we could set him in office today, it would not cure this country. The nation might improve, but the problem would be the same – we are a nation under the judgment of God.
Politically, you do what the Lord directs you to do, but don’t ever be deceived into thinking that there is a political solution to the problem of this country. Let me read you a statement by Andrew Street…
And the answer is not to jump on the conservative bandwagon with the old argument: “At least this one [whatever evil it is] is moving slower!” I dare to posit to you that if any redeeming mercy is left for this nation, it will not be sought until after judgment drives us to our knees. The conservatives are only a painkiller against the cancer destroying our nation. Let’s face the pain so we don’t have to die in a coma! Maybe then we’ll get desperate enough for the Word of God to cut us open and remove our sin!” (in “Brush Arbor,” p. 7)
Do you hear what he is saying? At best, political action is just a painkiller that will make life more comfortable. I am not saying political action is wrong, but I am saying it is wrong if we think it will bring any real solution to our greatest problem, because it will not. Nothing short of true repentance will avail, and I am talking about the kind of repentance that occurred at Nineveh.
From time to time we hear people talk about how this country is in a state of revival or spiritual renewal. Certain evidences are given for support. More people are going to church. More people are reading their Bibles. Hear me well. If and when this country experiences true revival, no one will have to convince you. You will be able to see it, and the primary evidence will be repentance.
Sometimes the question arises concerning a church’s stance on political candidates. Is the church allowed to endorse a candidate? You don’t have to worry about this pastor endorsing a candidate. The reason I will not endorse a candidate is because no candidate has the answer, neither this year nor any other year. You won’t even hear me telling you to get out and vote. Now listen carefully. I know some of you believe it is very important to get the Christian vote out. If that is your conviction, that’s fine, but it’s not mine. Some will make the argument: God has given us the privilege of living in this wonderful nation. The least we can do is inform ourselves and vote for the best candidates. What would happen if none of the Christians voted? Surely the nation would be even more ungodly than it already is.
While that argument may sound persuasive, my question is this: What does the Word of God say? Logic may say every believer should vote, but what does the scripture say?
We know what God’s Word says. Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Mk. 12:17). So what things belong to Caesar? Respect belongs to Caesar. I Pet. 2:17, “… Honor the king.” We are to respect and honor our leaders. Submission belongs to Caesar. In that same passage, we read in I Pet. 2:13-15, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14. Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." Yes, we are to obey the laws put forth by those who lead our country.
There is one other thing we owe to Caesar, though it is never demanded in our day. We owe it to Caesar because our God commands it. I am talking about prayer. 1 Tim 2:1-2, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." We are to pray for all, but we are specifically told to pray for those in authority. This is not an option; this is God’s command.
If you sense the Lord directing you to vote, then vote. If you sense He wants you to encourage others to vote, then encourage them. But don’t ever get the idea that you are more spiritual than another because you vote and he doesn’t. That man who doesn’t vote may pray for our leaders far more than you, and who are you to say that your vote is more valuable than his prayers? On the other hand, those who choose note to vote must never consider themselves more spiritual either. Whether you vote or don’t vote, God has commanded you to pray. So pray! As you pray for our leaders, pray that God will lead them and all of us to repentance.
Our primary problem is not the influence of bad leaders; our problem is that we are under the judgment of a holy and righteous God.
III. The Great Problem Is First with the Church, not with the Nation
One of the great revival passages of the Bible is II Chr. 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." What a wonderful promise. That promise was given to the nation of Judah at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. If you go back and read chapter 6, you will find the great prayer of Solomon. In that prayer, Solomon makes a number of specific requests. A typical request of this prayer is found in II Chr 6:26-27… "When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; 27. Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance." Now in chapter 7 we find the Lord’s response to Solomon’s prayer. Let’s read a little bit more than verse 14. Let’s read II Chr 7:11-14…
Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. 12. And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. 13. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Far too often people have tried to apply this promise to the United States of America. Though there was a time when this nation sought God in a way that it does not do today, this nation has never been God’s people. While no doubt God has worked in this nation, the USA is not and never has been God’s people. If we want to make present application of this passage, we must apply it to God’s people. I think there is certainly a sense in which it can still be applied to God’s people Israel, but surely we can also apply it to the church today. The United States is not called by the Lord’s name, but His church certainly is.
The greatest need for repentance today is not among the general population of the nation and among its leaders, but among the people of God. That is why no political solution will be effective in changing this nation. If there is any hope for this nation, it is in the church. The great problem is that most of the professing church in America sees little need of repentance.
Let me pause there. We must distinguish between the true church and the professing church. I don’t want to be harsh, but surely most of the professing church in America is not the true church. The true church is composed only of those who have the life of Christ within. But before you conclude that it is only those who are not true Christians who are the problem, let me give you a reminder. Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth. There were problems in the church and there was a need for repentance. When Paul began to speak about the sexually immoral man in chapter 5, he rebuked the church for its attitude. It is very possible for God’s people to be blind to the need for repentance. How can we expect the nation to come to repentance when we don’t find that attitude in the church?
Conclusion
So what am I saying this morning? You might conclude that I am telling you to just forget about doing anything to try to help our country. That is not what I am saying. I am trying to help us consider what will really help this country and what will not. Again, if the Lord leads you to take political action, then do it. But as you act, realize that your action is only a small part of what the real need is.
So what should we do? Regardless of what we do politically, we must proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our great hope is not that this nation will be turned around and restored to its former glory. If that is what God decides to do, we’ll praise His name. But what if this nation is destroyed? What then? We will continue "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:13-14). By the grace of God, we will do those good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10), having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We will continually remind ourselves and one another that “the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Though many will reject our God, we will rescue some, pulling them out of the fire (Jude 23).
But what about salt and light? Didn’t Jesus say that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world? Doesn’t he intend us to influence our culture? He certainly does. Nothing will influence our culture like “the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Cor. 4:4). Let’s read again that passage from II Cor. 4:3-6…
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus tells us to let our light shine before men, He does not exclude the message of the gospel. We can’t let our light shine before men and not proclaim Jesus. A light that excludes Jesus is no light at all. What can be preserved without the message of Jesus isn’t worth preserving.
We don’t know what will happen to this nation. Where God leads us to act in trying to preserve it, let us do it with joy. But all the while, may our eyes not be blind to the truth that we are surrounded by people who have no hope and are without God in the world (Eph. 2:12). No political solution will rescue them from hell; that will be accomplished only by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that gospel which calls people to repentance and faith in the Savior. So whatever the Lord leads us to do concerning our nation, let’s do it with the gospel on our lips, righteousness in our steps, and a prayer in our hearts.
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