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When it comes to the Word of God, revelation is not about novelty or ingenuity. There is no such thing as exegetical originality, no private interpretation of God’s Word (2 Peter 1:20). Biblical revelation is the progressive unveiling of what has been in the Bible all along.
The Holy Spirit opens our eyes and throws light on the truth, so we perceive it more accurately as He makes it clear. Thus revelation brings to our lives a transformation that increases from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The path of the just is as the shining light that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18; Isaiah 26:7).
Moreover, it is the Word of God that illuminates the path of the just (Psalm 119:105). Truth must not be coloured or tinted in any guise whatsoever, particularly with our personal experience.
The end of preaching or teaching by ministers of the Gospel is not to receive accolades that they are great men of God or teachers of His Word. The aim is not to be eulogized for the dexterity of our teaching prowess and podium charisma.
We ought not to handle the Word of God deceitfully, distorting and twisting it to achieve the profits of dishonesty.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way:
Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness. We reject every shameful cover-up and refuse to resort to cunning trickery or distorting the Word of God. Instead, we open up our souls to you by presenting the truth to everyone’s conscience in the sight and presence of God -2 Corinthians 4:1-2, TPT.
In addition, we ought not to use our platforms to settle scores with our spouses, brethren or families, or justify our error when we go wrong or when circumstances do not tally with our expectations.
The Word of God is greater than us and our challenges. We must humbly submit to it at all times. If we err and are then corrected by the Father through His word, and convicted by the Holy Spirit, we should not be proud but humbly repent.
The goal of our calling is the glory of God and His Kingdom. It is Christ, love for Him and His flock. It is that His flock and those He has privileged to be their ministers (servant-leaders) would continually grow to be like Him until Christ is formed in us. And by the help of the Holy Spirit, we would manifest His character, presence, power and glory in all spheres of our lives.
It ought to be our passion to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death (Galatians 4:19; Philippians 3:10).
Personal aggrandizement is not the end of our calling. Christian service is much more altruistic. It is to build the people of God into fruitful spiritual maturity (John 15:4-8). The divine purpose of ministry gifts is unambiguously spelt out in scripture:
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head –Christ- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love –Ephesians 4:11-16, NKJV.
We may have engaged in a venture without reward if the intent of our teaching, our actions and the scope and product of our ministry fall outside God’s purpose. In the end, we might be greeted with a dangerous reprimand: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:23).
In my book Criminals behind the Pulpit, I stated that “Verity does not lie in the status of persons.” I would add that being ‘anointed’ does not preclude one from the human propensity to err. It is a challenge.
This is a reason why, for all of us, our “rational and intelligent worship” must of necessity have ingrained within it the habit of searching the scripture, comparing scripture with scripture and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rightly divide and correctly analyse the word of truth.
We cannot afford to be found handling the Word of God with deceit (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Corinthians 4:2).
The Word of God is spirit and life, not mere words. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and helps us understand His Word. He would never teach us anything contrary to the Word of God. He will never lead us to be at variance with His plans and purposes or be inconsistent with the character of our Lord.
God’s Word is not ancient, medieval, modern or post-modern; it is not generational, neither is it situational: it does not bend backwards to accommodate situations. It is not answerable to the culture and traditions of men. The Word of God cannot be supervised or overawed by religious systems and machinations.
Nevertheless, the Word of God provides answers to the challenges we face as humans regardless of our culture or generation. Ultimately, it prevails on behalf of all who sincerely believe in God. The Word of God is alive and eternal.
The Lord is very much concerned about the challenges we face in our lives. Immensely daunting issues and things people might consider insignificant are not of disinterest to Him. He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities: that is, our weaknesses, the way we feel about others and ourselves, the problems we face. Where we are weak, He provides the grace and strength to prevail.
This book answers questions of how God created man as male and female; manhood and womanhood; husband and wife and male headship in marriage, particularly from the perspective of their purpose and relationship with each other as it was intended by God in the beginning.
It is worth noting that the marriage relationship is the only relationship affirmed to be akin to the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Church, His Body.
Thus, taking a look at the relationship between Christ and the Church would be an excellent mirror of what the relationship between husband and wife should be.
I shall also be taking a brief look at the subjects of polygamy, divorce and remarriage with relation to God’s original plan for marriage and what it means for the Christian.
Let us not forget that, as the redeemed, we must cultivate trusting obedience to align ourselves to God’s plan and purpose as it was in the beginning.
Good relationships, including marriage, do not just occur; they are deliberate outcomes from deliberate attitudes and actions. They are the result of faith, sacrifice, faithfulness, grit- that is, fortitude and determination, and most importantly, of unconditional love and respect, which undergird everything else.
No marriage anywhere will attain its full potential without the last two requisites mentioned here: love and respect. Yours will not, and mine will not. The marriage of a pauper or president or man of God will only be as rich or poor to the extent to which these values are upheld and practiced in their relationship.
In these last days, man supplants God in his life as he did in the Garden of Eden and throughout history since The Fall.
Humanism mimics the Gospel of the Kingdom, but it falls flat-faced before it because the deity worshipped there is man himself.
If you are a Christian, the spirit of the last days will fiercely contend for your faith, your life and your relationships. It is a battle that can only be won by keeping your relationship and partnership with the Lord in top form, as you grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; strengthened with power by His spirit in your inner-man.
The Lord knows the way to go, and He gives the grace and the fortitude to stand; and after you have done all to stand, you must remain standing! (2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:9; Ephesians 3:16; 6:10-18)
I pray that reading this book will help people become better men and women and better husbands and wives. Consequently, they would become better parents by virtue of the better marriages they would be committed to building or restoring. Better parents would influence the next generation to be better people, positively affecting their world for the Lord.
The challenges and negative influences are enormous, but the Word of God is mighty. It is the weapon we use in fighting to win. I pray it will engender trusting obedience to God’s original design regarding the male and female question and bring glory to His name.
The goal of redemption is the restoration of all things created to the plan and purpose of God as it was in the beginning: Restoration of the relationship and fellowship He had with man and the restoration of the created order.
The gradual unveiling of the divine plan of redemption began with the prophetic word at the time of The Fall concerning the “seed of the woman” and it was activated at the Cross of Calvary, where the greatest news of all of human history began (Genesis 3:15; John 19:28, 30).
Carl F. Henry says:
History’s most unusual and momentous news continues to be the message that the holy God provides sinful man a way of escape from the damning consequences of sin, and proffers him a new kind of life fit for both time and eternity. This ongoing global news is more important than the Allies’ rollback of Hitler and the Nazis, or modern technology’s putting a man on the moon, or scientific research’s latest medical breakthrough. ― Carl F. Henry; God, Revelation and Authority (Set of 6): 1-6
In Biblical studies, one of the ways to handle a subject in scripture is to seek to study and understand it from the place it is first mentioned in the Bible. This is known as the Principle of First Mention. From this position, one would then peruse the entire gamut of scripture on the subject and related subjects, comparing scripture with scripture, “correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, AMP).
So what was God’s intent for male and female, husband and wife, in the beginning? My upcoming book, Husband is not Master, Helpmeet is Not Subordinate, will discuss the answer to that question.
Meanwhile, friend, do not forget to keep living, loving and learning.
God loves you, and so do I.
