1. The Pharisees Try to Trap Jesus
We see in the scripture the Pharisees trying to test and trap Jesus by asking him as he was teaching “Is it unlawful for a man to divorce his wife?” They did not ask this question to learn more, but to trap, arrest and kill Jesus. They use scripture against Jesus. That’s how Satan uses the scriptures against us. The word of God may seem vague, but ultimately it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, who died for us to free us from sin and resurrected. In response to the Pharisees’ question, Jesus doesn’t address divorce, but marriage. In the book of Deuteronomy, indecency allowed divorce, and people took that to validate any divorce. So many of us, both then and now, use Jesus and twist God’s word for our benefit. Take a moment to reflect: do I really believe in Jesus? Do I take the word of God as is? Or do I try to use it to build my own law? Let’s not live our life like the Pharisees, but as children of God, who will live a gospel-centered and gospel-powered lives. The only way we can do it is to take the word of God as is.
“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” (4)
Many people thought all it took for a divorce was a certificate. The certificate wasn’t for convenient divorces, but to protect and preserve society from the hardness of man’s heart.
2. Satan Attacks the Family
Marriage, family, and the church are institutions that God created in the beginning to fulfill his will and plan, so Satan does everything to destroy them. The divorce rate is higher than ever, and there are many young couples now who are foregoing marriage entirely. Too many people misunderstand the significance of marriage. Satan attacks the family because Satan’s job is to break the order of creation. From the beginning, Satan caused division between Adam and Eve, then between Cain and Abel. We were separated from God and doomed to live under sin, curses and Satan. We can see the spiritual consequences not only in the individual but also in the family. There are so many broken families, but if you know the truth, you can fight the spiritual battle to save your family.
3. Let Us Be a Gospel-Centered Family
Let’s restore the order of creation by restoring the gospel-centered family.
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.’” (6-8)
“Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman.” (Exodus 2:1)
The scripture tells us the significance of the covenantal marriage. It’s not simply a matter of two church-goers getting married but it is the unity of two people who have concluded their lives in Christ. Too many of us take marriage too lightly and have a “savior mindset”, thinking we can save our spouses. As we plan for a future, what’s the most important thing in our lives? It’s Christ, our faith and being used for the kingdom of God. We need to make sure those priorities align with those of our spouse.
When the starting point of marriage is right, everything else will fall into place. There will still be hardship, but the answer of Christ remains as the center of the family. The family being united as one in Jesus Christ and being used for God’s desire of world evangelism is the greatest blessing we could ever have.
“‘What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’” (9)
Conclusion
There is no other way to save our family but the gospel. How can we build a gospel-centered family? Through worship. There is no greater blessing than a family that comes together to hear the same message, and share forum with one another. Communication is not just checking in with our children and testing if they remember the sermon message but sitting down with them and having a conversation with the living word, and understanding where they are in their covenant journey, so you can genuinely pray for them.
We need a system to change the incorrect imprints, roots and natures we have in my life. That system is God’s word. When we hold on to the word accurately, we can have true prayer and edit and design our lives with God’s word.
“Lord, help my family to be a gospel-centered family. May my family serve you as living witnesses who shine the light of Christ.”
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