Unity in Christ for married couples

 
Our church had a ‘date night’ yesterday with a delicious catered meal, some silly games, and speakers who told us how to strengthen our marriages. The couples were attentive yet those of us married a long time kept wanting to add something to the advice given. Friends at the next table had sixty-three years together. We talked and the end and the husband echoed our ‘secret’ of a happy marriage in three words: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Today’s reading is about the unity produced by the Holy Spirit in the early church. He came on the day of Pentecost and changed their lives.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…

That was the beginning of what God intended to do and still wants for those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him. Paul wrote to the church:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1–6)

Our unity is because of the Holy Spirit. As we talked with two other long-married couples last night, we agreed on the power of the Lord to bring unity to marriages. I remember someone saying that the closer two people move toward God, the closer they become to each other. This works in relationships with other believers and is really true for marriages. Christian marriages are not exempt from separation and divorce yet behind all rifts and splits are lies from the pit. Satan does not want “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” so if he can get us to sin, he will ruin unity and marriage.

One of the ‘tips’ stressed by the speakers was communication. They didn’t mention the power of God to deepen this between couples, but I noticed something reading about the early church. When the Holy Spirit filled them, they began to communicate with others as never before. In that event, they “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1–4)

Reading through shows how this involved people with languages they did not previously understand. I chuckled because that is like getting married — two people eventually realize they do not understand one another! However, the Holy Spirit took care of that problem as: “both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:11) This list is longer with several nations involved. God can do that with us too, not so much speaking in other tongues but helping couples hear and understand what at first seems foreign to them.

It began with those who knew Jesus and “with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer”(Acts 1:14). While prayer was mentioned at the date night, the power of God to make marriage last and glorify God in the process is the work of the Holy Spirit.

PRAY: Jesus, while You gave me a few other worthwhile ‘tips’ to strengthen our marriage, seeing Your power to bridge gaps in communication is wonderful. I need to always listen and obey as You tell me to speak and act in ways that make our marriage stronger and that will help others who are curious and want the same unity.

Burdens

I woke this morning with a deep sense of need for my family, their need to know and love Jesus, to be aware of spiritual realities and the joy that only the Holy Spirit can give. Some of them have a small understanding, an intellectual awareness, yet they seem not to share in a full revelation, one that transforms their lives and glorifies Him.

I know that God can do this. Saul (who was renamed Paul) was as anti-Christian as a person can be, arresting and putting in prison all who followed Jesus Christ. He was an educated man of position and power, but one day God appeared to him and changed everything:

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. (Acts 9:10–19)

Tozer says and I agree that no matter our problems and flaws, there is no cure apart from an invasion of power from above. Only the Spirit can show us our need and only the Spirit can prescribe and apply the cure. Only the Spirit can reveal to us the majesty and heart transforming mystery of Almighty God.

My heart aches for those who do not see or understand the wonder of the Lord. They have not had a vision of Him, not been given the power to see divine things as God sees them. They need knowledge of the truth, a deeper realization that reveals His promises and enables them to believe and take hold of them.

This burden is calling me to prayer. I trust the Lord who can do all things and long to tell Him, to ask Him, to lay this at His feet.

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Jesus, You alone are able to touch the hearts of those who have been closed to You, who have not understood or considered their need for You or Your love for them. Make it real. Open their hearts like You opened the heart of Saul and changed his life, even his name. Enable them to know and glorify You.  

Faith in Christ helps me think in new ways

Some say men think like a rifle shot — one shot at a time and straight to one target. On the other hand, women think more like the spray from a shotgun. We hit the target but go all over the place doing it. Another analogy likens the female brain to the way a computer uses RAM or random-access-memory by gathering information from all over the place to solve the problem, while men use a more logical and linear method. Both may come to the same answer or conclusion, but it’s easier to follow the linear method.

Of course there are exceptions. I had a seminary professor who gave lectures using the shotgun method. Following him was not easy and taking notes almost impossible, but he was a splendid teacher.

For myself, I like point form now and then. My mind is not only scattered but easily distracted. A logical thought process keeps me organized and able to make sense of complicated issues.

When it comes to Bible study, much of its teaching is scattered. If a person wants to know what God is like, there are many places that describe Him, not just one section dedicated to that doctrine, or any other for that matter. Systematic theology is the study of bringing all the information on one topic together to make sense of it and to declare it plainly.

Tozer points to a single part of a passage today and makes one point about it. As usual, his writing reveals a knowledge of other passages, but he often uses one to make his case or state his thoughts. For me, I tend to look at the context of a statement and glean what I can from that, sometimes linking it to other passages on the same topic as Tozer does.

Today’s Scripture is part of a longer one that is laid out logically with helpful transitions between its several and important points. Passages like this bless my scattered mind and give me greater ability to make logic out of a broad spectrum of information.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1–5)

God justified me through the death of Christ and through faith in Him. Since I am justified, I have peace with God, also through Christ. Along with being justified and having no more animosity between myself and God, I have continued access by faith to God’s grace. This grace makes me stand firm in faith before God and gives me great joy. I am joyful because I know that God will be glorified. This joy sticks with me when I suffer because I know that suffering produces endurance. I also know endurance develops my character, and in that character my hope increases. It is the kind of hope that assures me because it comes from the love of God. He pours that into my heart to overflowing. This happens through the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom God has also blessed me.

Take it the other way. God gave me the power of the Holy Spirit who pours into me the love of God — so much so that it overflows. His love takes away all my shame and replaces it with hope and the marvel of a new and changed character. That character is developed through endurance in trials and suffering. This process has deepened my desire that God be glorified. I hope in that result as I stand in the grace given to me by faith, faith that has declared me justified before God and given me peace.

Tozer says that we cannot love God or love others as He does apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. By reading the context, I can see why. The love of God comes in through the Holy Spirit and the love of God flows out through that same power. It cannot happen any other way. If I try to love as I should without the Spirit, that love will be interfered with or ruined by shame, hopelessness, impatience, selfishness, personal worries and agitation. His love never thinks of itself. The only way I can love like that is by drawing it from Him and spilling it out to others. That only happens when the Spirit of God has His way in me — through trials and through the marvelous grace of God.

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Lord Jesus, faith in You is more than a promise of eternal life. Faith in You changes everything. I might remain in the female mind-set or think more like a rifle shot, but either way, You are the one who keeps my aim on giving You glory, forgives me when I step out of line and brings me joyfully back on target.

The greatest gift . . .

Humility is often defined as not thinking little of yourself, but not thinking about yourself at all, only others. However, can that happen? When I look in the mirror and my face needs washing or my hair is disheveled, can I avoid thoughts of self as I fix those personal needs?

Instead, think about what God thinks about this. Paul wrote:

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

The biblical injunction here is not to abandon all self thought, but to keep it in proper perspective. Just like what I wear is not as important as who I am, and bodily exercise is not as important as discipling myself to godliness. This is what God wants, and clearly my attitude and actions should be motivated without pride or a person agenda — because other people are more important.

The Christians at Philippi took care of the apostle Paul and their kindness did not go unnoticed. He rejoiced that they cared, yet he wasn’t concerned about himself. He had learned a valuable truth . . .

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:10–13)

While he says “I can do all things” the context is not so much about doing as it is about standing up under the events of life, good or bad. Essentially, he said that because of Christ, he remained content no matter what happened to him. He also was saying that he could do whatever God wanted him to do because he was not worried or anxious about his own needs. He knew he could do the job and didn’t use his own needs as an excuse to refuse any task. He also knew that God was in charge and could be trusted.

As Tozer says, I cannot do in myself what God can do. I am a mere human, yet with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and His presence in my life, I can do what Jesus, God-Man did while on this earth. He shows me what a fully human person can do when they trust the Holy Spirit for everything.

Jesus, You never cease to challenge me. These verses and Tozer’s comment does just that: “Anyone can do the possible; add a bit of courage and zeal and some may do the phenomenal; only Christians are obliged to do the impossible.” It is by this that humility becomes genuine and by this that You are glorified. Thank You for the great gift of contentment and the assurance that makes it a reality.