Post by TheFirebrand on Mar 1, 2012 12:02:11 GMT -6
So, the family is a special kind of household, ideally consisting of husband and wife, and desirably children. It is the oldest and most basic of God's institutions for mankind. It is designed by God to be a spiritual entity and to provide for the training up of children into mature adult character. Moses spoke of the very process of its perpetuation in Gen 2:23-24:
"The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." The reference to leaving and cleaving points to the formation of a new family unit out of the union of husband and wife. This does not mean that singleness, single-parenthood, or childlessness must always bear reproach, but it does mean that single-parent families and childless marriages are the exception to the rule.
The family has a built-in, divinely given authority structure. The husband is spiritual head of the home, and the parents are leaders to the children. This headship and leadership is to express itself in ministry, not tyranny, and thus must be loving and selfless. In the wake of the fall, this basic creational order was reaffirmed (Gen 3:16). One of Abraham's fundamental responsibilities in the covenant was to "command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice" (Gen 18:19). Even pagan cultures have an appreciation of the divine, natural family order (Esther 1:20, 22). The family order of creation and the role distinctions that flow from it were confirmed in the new covenant, and Paul called Christians to live deliberately in their light:
"But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ" (1 Cor 11:3)
"Man . . . is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man" (1 Cor 11:7)
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22)
"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord" (Col 3:18)
"An overseer [or elder] must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?) (1 Tim 3:4-5)
This last portion is a tough call because many ministers have rebellious families and yet they lead a flock well. That is the devil playing his hand strongly testing the Pastor in question. One of the best ways of accomplishing the downfall of a Pastor is by influencing the Pastors wife to get involved in several programs and projects, hence giving her an unholy charge over the congregation. I have witnessed this cause much turmoil between the saints and I have seen it tear down the ministry, thereby losing control over the members in the church resulting in backsliding, divorce and conflict on the platform ...
These are not just isolated incidents either. For one you mainly see it occurring most often in the full truth affiliations where as you see less of it in the more traditional "cafeteria christian" churches because Satan pretty much has the lot of them right where he wants ...
God help us to keep and maintain a church that You would truly approve of ... that being one which lives and preaches according to 100% of Your Word ...
"The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." The reference to leaving and cleaving points to the formation of a new family unit out of the union of husband and wife. This does not mean that singleness, single-parenthood, or childlessness must always bear reproach, but it does mean that single-parent families and childless marriages are the exception to the rule.
The family has a built-in, divinely given authority structure. The husband is spiritual head of the home, and the parents are leaders to the children. This headship and leadership is to express itself in ministry, not tyranny, and thus must be loving and selfless. In the wake of the fall, this basic creational order was reaffirmed (Gen 3:16). One of Abraham's fundamental responsibilities in the covenant was to "command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice" (Gen 18:19). Even pagan cultures have an appreciation of the divine, natural family order (Esther 1:20, 22). The family order of creation and the role distinctions that flow from it were confirmed in the new covenant, and Paul called Christians to live deliberately in their light:
"But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ" (1 Cor 11:3)
"Man . . . is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man" (1 Cor 11:7)
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22)
"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord" (Col 3:18)
"An overseer [or elder] must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?) (1 Tim 3:4-5)
This last portion is a tough call because many ministers have rebellious families and yet they lead a flock well. That is the devil playing his hand strongly testing the Pastor in question. One of the best ways of accomplishing the downfall of a Pastor is by influencing the Pastors wife to get involved in several programs and projects, hence giving her an unholy charge over the congregation. I have witnessed this cause much turmoil between the saints and I have seen it tear down the ministry, thereby losing control over the members in the church resulting in backsliding, divorce and conflict on the platform ...
These are not just isolated incidents either. For one you mainly see it occurring most often in the full truth affiliations where as you see less of it in the more traditional "cafeteria christian" churches because Satan pretty much has the lot of them right where he wants ...
God help us to keep and maintain a church that You would truly approve of ... that being one which lives and preaches according to 100% of Your Word ...