Estudo | Maurício Torres - Family: the place where the manifestation of Divine Holiness begins
Family: the place where the manifestation of Divine Holiness begins
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, and over every living creature the moves on the ground. Genesis 1:27 e 28
God designed the first man and affirmed that he would need a helper, so he created Eve. "…It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him". Genesis 2: 18. Both were created in the image of God. This fact makes them equal before God, however with different features for each genre. Thus, God instituted marriage. "A man will leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh". Genesis 2: 24.
When a man gets married, he is saying to his wife that among all women on earth, he has chosen her, by marring her. Unit in marriage means two persons become one. What affects one affects the other. There must be a loving care, in love and comprehension, for this special person. This was God’s purpose for the family.
However, in chapter three of Genesis we can see that the enemy had a plan totally different against God’s plan. First, he wanted to see man separated from God, and secondly he wanted to destroy the foundation of the home, to weaken and to destroy families.
We live in a time when family, a sacred creation of God, is suffering serious consequences, becoming a place of war, in all societies in the world. This implacable campaign from hell has affected the family identity.
God’s attributes, the expression of his character, his ideas and his more fantastic features are revealed when we live together as a family. God looks straight over the family. It is sacred; it is the most important foundation of all things He created.
The key for protection of the family against the wiles of the enemy and the world is holiness. Holiness is the way of God. Holiness keeps us from evil. When we walk and live in holiness, we protect our family, because it is in it where begins the manifestation of the Divine Holiness. Holiness is the foundation of a healthy relationship.
We can’t talk about holiness, without talking first about Christ redemptive and regenerator work transforming our character. Just after that, we set our hearts on things above, as it’s written: "Since, then you have been raise with Christ, set your hearts on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on thongs above, not on the earth". Colossians 3: 1
The word of God speaks clearly when it says to us "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". II Peter 2: 18. As we grow in grace, we realize many aspects in the person of Christ, which firstly we didn’t even imagine. We realize his love; we experience his power and his intentions. His interventions start to expand before us as our substitute, intercessor, priest, lawyer, doctor, pastor and friend. In short, we realize that we have everything our soul needs in Christ.
God created the family, He designed and established so, through it, holiness was saved in earth and everyone could be preserved. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven". Mathew 5: 16.
As holiness attracts the glory and God’s prosperity for our lives, sin brings destruction. Lack of holiness has destroyed families. Sin affects and separates man from God, and, in consequence, separate man from all God’s purposes for his life.
Living like this, we can observe that the roles of husband and wife have been forsaken. Women have become feminists and men, accommodated. Many things that are men responsibilities before God, they are leaving for women, just for self indulgence and laziness. However, the damage for a couple away from Gods biblical pattern is uncounted! This is not just for the relationship and the mutual happiness, but also for the kids.
It’s very important to stand out that holiness must be the base to a healthy relationship.
We must understand that family will be the result of the marital relationship. Obviously, the success of this relationship will depend of the relation with Christ. Your life and your family will depend on it.
A special word for men: the most important role, the highest responsibility in the couple is man’s responsability. The meaning of the word "spouse/ husband" that comes from the Latim "sponsare" is sustainer, sponsor. He is the one who must tie, sustain the home. If the knot breaks, home falls down. The same word deduces the husband must be a leader, a protector and a provider with a lot of dedication.
The Scriptures puts on the husband’s shoulders the spiritual responsibility of his home. Therefore, it’s became a common expression: "the husband is the home priest". It’s his responsibility to teach God’s Word to his wife and kids, and to pray continuously for them. It’s exactly what a priest used to do in the Old Testament.
To his wife, the husband must: "present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or winkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless". Ephesians 5: 28. When a man treats his wife like this, he will have a wife that easily will respect him and will submit to him as "she does to the Lord". He must understand that his wife is not his property, but his partner. The authority comes from the recognition of who the person he is, not simply because of the position he holds.
Why women today have so many difficulties in being submissive? This is related not only to the growing feminism, but also because of the husband’s failure as a priest of his home. Women are always in higher number in the church meetings. It happens not only because there are more women than men, but also because many men that could go to church prefer to stay home. Submission’s wife will be directly proportional to the husband’s priest role.
Submission’s wife happens when she sees the Lord in her husband’s life. When she realizes his mercy, his seriousness, his holiness in living with God, she will see Christ himself as a leader of her home. If a wife sees her husband attached to his knees in the Scriptures praying, her attitude to him will tend to be submissive. Not by imposition, but by respect and profound admiration for him.
Holiness starts with parents developing the ministry of reconciliation that God gave to them. "And all this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sin against them. And he has committed us the message if reconciliation". II Corinthians 5: 18- 19.
The target of the Christian fatherhood must be educating children so that they can know about the salvation through the cross of Christ, and be a reflex of God’s holy character. This ministry begins at home with parents, communicating God’s character though their continuous actions. "Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts, Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates". Deuteronomy 6: 4-9.
In short, we need to remember that true holiness is a gift of God. He alone can put this desire in our hearts. If you, father, mother, son, husband or wife are being awakened to a holy life, so thank God for giving you such a precious blessing.
Now, if you still have no interest in a holy life, remember what the Word of God says: "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediately family, he has denied his faith and is worse than an unbeliever". II Timothy 5: 8. And shout to the Lord for His grace and Mercy, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose". Philippians 2: 13