Over the last several years, our society has become more corrupt, immoral, confused, and dangerous. At the same time, feminism has attacked the role of men in society, homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” have perverted the role of men in the home, and transgenderism is now seeking to normalize the idea of men ceasing to be men. This is not a coincidence. The result of men not being men, particularly godly men, has had a direct impact upon the deterioration of our society.
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“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does for the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
“This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:22-33).
The passage above is often used to discuss the roles of husbands and wives. This is certainly taught in the passage. However, there is much more to being husbands and wives than just what is discussed in those verses. But what is there is for the purpose of illustrating the main point – the relationship between Christ and the church. Notice again what Paul said, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32).
In this article, we are going to consider what the passage says about the roles of husbands and wives. From there, we will see how this explains the relationship between Christ and the church. After we understand that, we will circle back around and make some applications for our lives – particularly as it relates to marriage.
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The church in Corinth had many problems that Paul needed to address in his first letter to them. One of these problems had to do with a case of sexual immorality that was being tolerated by the church.
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2, NKJV).
One of the members of the church at Corinth was engaged in a sexual relationship with “his father’s wife.” Likely, this means she was his stepmother rather than his biological mother. The Law of Moses condemned this type of relationship (Leviticus 18:8). But Paul pointed out that this was such a perversion that even the Gentile world generally understood it to be wrong.
Times have changed.
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Adam was created by God and was the first man to live on the earth. The first three chapters of Genesis record his beginning up until his fall. In these chapters, God made several statements directly to Adam. In this article, we will consider what God said to Adam and see what we can learn from these statements.
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The book of Proverbs focuses on wisdom that comes from above. It contains many contrasts between wisdom and foolishness. Several passages describe one who lacks sense, which means he is void of understanding or wisdom. Paul said we are to “walk, not as unwise men but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15). So let us consider some of the passages from Proverbs about those who lack sense and see what we can learn from them.
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There is much confusion and controversy today about marriage. Many believe they can marry whoever they want, define marriage however they want, and end it whenever they want. But God instituted marriage; therefore, His laws define and regulate it. Let us consider what the Bible teaches about God’s marriage law.
To begin, notice what Jesus taught on the subject:
“Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. And He answered and said to them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.’
“In the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. And He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery’” (Mark 10:2-12).
Kendall Jones, a teenage girl from Texas, has recently received some attention over pictures that have appeared online from her hunting trips to Africa, showing her with various animals that she has killed. Understandably, people will have different opinions about whether someone should be hunting such animals. However, some of the reactions to these pictures are disturbing to say the least.
One of the disturbing reactions has come from Mike Dickinson – a Democrat politician running for Congress in Virginia. He has offered $100,000 for nude photos or videos of this teenage girl.
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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