peace
May 1st, 2003, 02:34 AM
The people of God have winked at adultery and have accepted divorce as inevitable in these troubled times. God sees what we are afraid to even think or speak aloud. He sees the cancerous spreading of unfaithfulness, the breaking up of Christian homes, the lust for new mates, the break and sorrow that now plagues churches throughout the land.
When pastors become patsies about divorce, they open the floodgates of tidal wave of marriage break-ups. When there is no prophet of God in the pulpit to reveal God’s hatred of divorce to them, when no one tells them the truth about the horrible consequences of divorce and the judgment of God- it’s no wonder they split up so readily.
I believe in the grace of God, but I also believe in His government. The divorce can find forgiveness –that is beyond question. But who is standing up to tell them that God’s government must go on, and they must come under it? I know of few ministers who have preached a sermon on the judgmental consequences of divorce.
It was grace that clothed Adam; it was also government that drove him out of Eden. His coat of skin was evidence of grace; the flaming sword, the solemn fulfilment of government. Why did God drive a forgiven man out of the garden into a future of turmoil? Grace forgives; but the wheels of God’s government roll on in all their terrible consequences. Adam perfectly forgiven, but his sin produced its own terrible results. His guilt was removed, but not the sweat of his brow. He was pardoned, but he was sent to live among the thorns. Grace fully pardons, but what is sown must be reaped. Pardon doesn’t change the nature of the crop sown.
Moses spoke unadvisedly with his lips. God’s governmental decree prohibited his entrance into the Promised Land. God’s love and grace took him to Pisgah and tenderly buried him, but he never came into the fullness of Canaan.
David fell under the blinding power of lust. God’s grace declared to him, “The Lord has put away thy sin.” That was absolute grace; he was perfectly forgiven! But all the while, God’s wheel of government kept turning and all the sword of judgement was drawn. The baby died; Absalom rebelled; Amnon raped his (half-)sister Tamar; David was chased over the hills like a fugitive.
The manifestation of God in government is not being preached from many pulpits today. All we are hearing is God’s manifested in grace, love, and mercy. God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But He also declared He will not overlook or clear the guilty, visiting the inequity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6,7)……..
This is not a time of tolerance of sin and disobedience. It is a time to take a stand for the holiness and honour of Almighty God. I blame the pulpits for the lackadaisical attitude in the church about divorce. When writers of some of our most popular religious books leave their wives and remarry, without even an explanation, is it any wonder young Christians are weakened in their attitude about divorce and remarriage?
It should be enough for us that God says He hates divorce. Rather than build up walls of protection for marriage on the power of the holy Word, we spend our time looking for loopholes.
God has soundly rebuked me for preaching an all-too-condescending, forgiving message about divorce and remarriage. I felt the agony of all the innocent parties, the loneliness of those abandoned by adulterous mates, the isolation and guilt of those already divorced and remarried who still are deeply devoted to the Lord. But in preaching love, hope and forgiveness to them, many others who were plotting to leave their mates found solace and even encouragement. The thought emerged, “It may be wrong, but I’ll take the plunge then throw myself on the mercy of God. Others found grace- so will I.”
I don’t have all the answers, but I do know…. Those Christians who have been warned, those who reject outright God’s hatred toward divorce, those who build a case to justify their evil deeds- they will never again find a place of rest and peace
in the Lord. Their new marriage will bring them only more disaster and turmoil. The blessing of God will not return, and what they thought would be the answer to their needs will become a thorn to send a canker and rust to eat the life out of all that is abominable to Him.
My purpose in this book is not to berate those who are innocent victims of divorce, who are now remarried and seeking the Lord. Nor am I putting down ministers victimized by a hopeless situation. God knows how to protect, honour and make useful those who are innocent. God is very merciful to the repentant. My purpose, under God’s hand, is to put the fear of God into those who think they can walk out on their commitment and take up with someone else- without suffering the wrath of judgment of the holy God….. As He said to David, He is saying to us, “You did it in secret, but your judgment will be open to the eyes of the world.”
May God give us ministers of His Gospel who will quit trying to accommodate the weakness of God’s people and who will get to know God’s heart – until they are willing to stand in the gap and save the people from their sins.
God, put Your holy fear in us and give us a new reverence for your divine government and righteous judgment.
-----------------------------
From the book “Set the Trumpet to thy mouth – A prophetic call to repentance” by David Wilkerson.
When pastors become patsies about divorce, they open the floodgates of tidal wave of marriage break-ups. When there is no prophet of God in the pulpit to reveal God’s hatred of divorce to them, when no one tells them the truth about the horrible consequences of divorce and the judgment of God- it’s no wonder they split up so readily.
I believe in the grace of God, but I also believe in His government. The divorce can find forgiveness –that is beyond question. But who is standing up to tell them that God’s government must go on, and they must come under it? I know of few ministers who have preached a sermon on the judgmental consequences of divorce.
It was grace that clothed Adam; it was also government that drove him out of Eden. His coat of skin was evidence of grace; the flaming sword, the solemn fulfilment of government. Why did God drive a forgiven man out of the garden into a future of turmoil? Grace forgives; but the wheels of God’s government roll on in all their terrible consequences. Adam perfectly forgiven, but his sin produced its own terrible results. His guilt was removed, but not the sweat of his brow. He was pardoned, but he was sent to live among the thorns. Grace fully pardons, but what is sown must be reaped. Pardon doesn’t change the nature of the crop sown.
Moses spoke unadvisedly with his lips. God’s governmental decree prohibited his entrance into the Promised Land. God’s love and grace took him to Pisgah and tenderly buried him, but he never came into the fullness of Canaan.
David fell under the blinding power of lust. God’s grace declared to him, “The Lord has put away thy sin.” That was absolute grace; he was perfectly forgiven! But all the while, God’s wheel of government kept turning and all the sword of judgement was drawn. The baby died; Absalom rebelled; Amnon raped his (half-)sister Tamar; David was chased over the hills like a fugitive.
The manifestation of God in government is not being preached from many pulpits today. All we are hearing is God’s manifested in grace, love, and mercy. God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But He also declared He will not overlook or clear the guilty, visiting the inequity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6,7)……..
This is not a time of tolerance of sin and disobedience. It is a time to take a stand for the holiness and honour of Almighty God. I blame the pulpits for the lackadaisical attitude in the church about divorce. When writers of some of our most popular religious books leave their wives and remarry, without even an explanation, is it any wonder young Christians are weakened in their attitude about divorce and remarriage?
It should be enough for us that God says He hates divorce. Rather than build up walls of protection for marriage on the power of the holy Word, we spend our time looking for loopholes.
God has soundly rebuked me for preaching an all-too-condescending, forgiving message about divorce and remarriage. I felt the agony of all the innocent parties, the loneliness of those abandoned by adulterous mates, the isolation and guilt of those already divorced and remarried who still are deeply devoted to the Lord. But in preaching love, hope and forgiveness to them, many others who were plotting to leave their mates found solace and even encouragement. The thought emerged, “It may be wrong, but I’ll take the plunge then throw myself on the mercy of God. Others found grace- so will I.”
I don’t have all the answers, but I do know…. Those Christians who have been warned, those who reject outright God’s hatred toward divorce, those who build a case to justify their evil deeds- they will never again find a place of rest and peace
in the Lord. Their new marriage will bring them only more disaster and turmoil. The blessing of God will not return, and what they thought would be the answer to their needs will become a thorn to send a canker and rust to eat the life out of all that is abominable to Him.
My purpose in this book is not to berate those who are innocent victims of divorce, who are now remarried and seeking the Lord. Nor am I putting down ministers victimized by a hopeless situation. God knows how to protect, honour and make useful those who are innocent. God is very merciful to the repentant. My purpose, under God’s hand, is to put the fear of God into those who think they can walk out on their commitment and take up with someone else- without suffering the wrath of judgment of the holy God….. As He said to David, He is saying to us, “You did it in secret, but your judgment will be open to the eyes of the world.”
May God give us ministers of His Gospel who will quit trying to accommodate the weakness of God’s people and who will get to know God’s heart – until they are willing to stand in the gap and save the people from their sins.
God, put Your holy fear in us and give us a new reverence for your divine government and righteous judgment.
-----------------------------
From the book “Set the Trumpet to thy mouth – A prophetic call to repentance” by David Wilkerson.