The Promised Morning Star

We continue to review John's letters to the churches of Anatolia. The next is that to Thyatira (Acts 16:14), a town known for dyed goods, trade guilds and workers in bronze.  The overseer/pastor of Thyatira is to pay strict attention to this letter, because it comes from the Son of God, "who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze" (Rev. 2:18).

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' - Rev 2:18-29 ESV

What does that tell us about the LORD Jesus? We've heard him pictured that way earlier (Rev. 1:14-15). Note carefully that John does not write that his eyes were flames of fire, but rather that they were like fire. The same is true for his feet that were like bronze. The point? Fire and bronze are symbols. When Israel left Egypt they were under the protection of the LORD who went before them as a pillar of cloud by day to guide and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light (Exod 13:21-22). Before the Exodus the angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush (Exod 3:2). I take it that the LORD's flaming eyes point us to the fact that He sees ahead. He knows all and is ever leading His children on their journeys to the Father's House.

The word for burnished bronze (χαλκολίβανον) is a technical term used by metal workers. It is a compound word, probably referring to some metal alloy, shining like gold, if not more precious. The same man appeared to Daniel with feet like burnished, shining bronze (Dan. 10:6). He is no mere mortal, but the great I AM who rules in splendor and power over all.

The church in Thyatira is made up of people who love and trust in this their LORD and serve Him with patient endurance. But the congregation had a fault. They tolerated that woman Jezebel. They put up with her. Or is the reference to the pastor himself putting up with her? Could she even have been his wife? The text is not clear. The point, however, is clear. This Jezebel character was allowed to prophesy and teach among them and her teaching was leading the LORD's servants astray. They were committing acts of immorality and eating things sacrificed to idols.

The woman is called Jezebel and thus compared to the Old Testament Queen, the Phoenician woman married to King Ahab. She corrupted Israel with the many whoredoms and sorceries of her country's gods, Baal and Astarte (1 Kings 16:31-33; 2 Kings 9:22). So this contemporary Jezebel led the Thyatiran Christians into idolatry with her teaching. The LORD gave her time to repent of her prostitution—a word that likely also refers to idolatry. This was a common way for the prophets to speak about Israel, the bride of the LORD, as she turned again and again to false idols (Hos. 1:2).

Jezebel and Naboth

This Jezebel was even overcome with some malady that put her on a sickbed. But she still did not repent. She had an opportunity at that time, but she would not. Now comes the judgment and it will not only be upon this Jezebel, but also all who commit adultery (idolatry) with her. Not only will they face tribulation and persecution, they will also die!

The problem these Christians faced was tied to their livelihood. The various guilds gathered for feasts and ceremonies in the pagan temples. There they ate the meat of animals sacrificed to their gods. This was a real dilemma. What were believers to do? If they did not participate in the feasts they would probably be shut out of their guilds. They would lose their way of making a living. Consequently they faced economic suicide. The same questions must be faced by every generation of Christians. How far shall we go to accept and adopt the morality, the standards and the practices of the world in which we live? And what happens when we refuse to do so?

Some called this teaching in that day the deep things of Satan? The temptation to pursue such deep things continues. Satan tempted our first parents, challenging them to question the LORD's Word (Gen. 3:1-5). In the same manner he and his teachers continue to this day to tempt us by suggesting that there are unexplored deep things to be learned from complete sexual licentiousness, from the hidden knowledge of the gnostics, from knowledge obtained through astrology and contact with ancient spirits. These teachings are still around and still used by Satan to destroy faith in Christ.

However, two rewards are promised to those who conquer these temptations, who keep the LORD's works until the end (Matt. 24:13; John 8:31-32; Heb 10:38-39). Those who do not hold to this teaching will in the end receive authority over the nations and the morning star.  What does that mean?

Hold fast! The word from the LORD:

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.

This is the consistent promise throughout the Revelation. There is a great battle going on between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world led by Satan and his forces. But the satanic forces are doomed, even though at times they seem to be the conquerors (Rev. 11:16-18; 14:8-20; 19:13-21; 20:9-15). The saints, those washed in the Lamb's blood, will reign forever with Him.

And they will receive the morning star ! The morning star is the planet Venus appearing in the eastern sky at sunrise as the herald of the new day after a night of darkness. It was the symbol of victory and of imperial authority in Roman legions.

Symbol associated with Roman goddess Venus

Jesus is described as the bright morning star (Rev. 22:16) In Him the new day has begun (Matt.2:2-10). Meanwhile, as Peter encourages, we have God's prophetic word and we do well to pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the morning star arises in our hearts (2 Pet. 1:19).

The Hidden Manna And The White Stone

In my area of suburban Houston there is a Christian counseling service that calls itself Whitestone Associates. It is led by a psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Looney.

In the letter to the church in Pergamum the Spirit refers to the white stone in this way:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.' - Rev 2:17 ESV 

Manna, as most of us know, was the mysterious food that appeared each morning on the ground as the Children of Israel made their way to the promised land (Exod 16:32-34). The word may be translated into English as "what is it?" They knew not whence it came nor why. They only knew that the LORD supplied their daily needs. In like manner these believers would conquer by God's power and be privileged to eat the hidden manna. It is not visible now, but will be available in abundance when they are blessed in that great day to eat the Bread of life forever (John 6:30-35). Jesus, the great I AM, is that Bread of life (John 6:48-58). Those who feed on Him will live forever.

 Besides the hidden manna, the Risen Christ promises to give them each a white stone with a new name written on it. White is a symbol of holiness (Rev. 1:14; 3:4-5,18). A white stone was often prized in those days as an amulet, an object with power to protect its wearer from harm, especially if it had the name or image of some deity engraved on it or was a mark of membership in a special group. We cannot tell for certain what John's revelation implies, but it seems that in the future, when they conquer in the name of Jesus, believers will receive their own white stone, known only to the conqueror (Rev. 19:12), the secret name of Jesus. They will then be granted entrance into His eternal kingdom. By grace even eunuchs and foreigners will be accepted into the LORD's house of prayer.

And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." - Isa 56:6-7 ESV 

Priest-Martyr Antipas Commemorated April 11

Such are the promises of "him who has the sharp two-edged sword" (Rev. 1:16; 2:16; Hebr 4:12). His Word is all-powerful. It reveals the deepest motives of the heart. And there in Pergamum were those who did not deny faith in the Risen Christ "even in the days of Antipas, my witness." We are not told who this Antipas was, because this is the only Biblical reference to him. There is, however, a tradition that says that John the Apostle ordained Antipas as the Bishop of Pergamum during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian. According to this tradition Antipas was martyred in ca. 92 AD by being burned in a brazen bull-shaped altar, used locally to cast out demons. This is the only martyr mentioned by name in John's Revelation, though others are acknowledged (Rev. 6:9-11).

Others were not as faithful, however. Some held the teaching of Balaam; others the teaching of the Nicolaitans. During the Exodus, when Israel camped in Shiitim, east of the Jordan river and northeast of the Dead Sea, many began to worship Baal of Peor, the god of Moab (Num 25:1-3). This worship included sexual immorality, whoring "with the daughters of Moab" and eating food ritually sacrificed to the Moabite gods. Something of this nature was going on in Pergamum, even by those who also claimed to be followers of Christ.  Sexual immorality, adultery and idol worship were all inter-mingled, as it had often been in the days of the Old Testament (Rev. 9:21; 17:2; 18:3,9; 21:8,15; Isa. 57:3). Jeremiah put it this way:

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, - Jer 7:9 ESV 

For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right. - Jer 23:10 ESV

We have examined the works of the Nicolaitans in an earlier blog. Exactly what the teaching of these Nicolaitans was is unclear. Obviously it had to do with some form of idolatry. One website I found goes through a rather strange process to conclude that John refers to a secret cabal and that there are still Nicolaitans at work in modern times. The writer concludes that they are the modern-day Illuminati or High-Degree Freemasons, the worshippers of Santa Claus and various ancient Roman gods as well as Jewish Kabbalists, etc. —all under the control of Satan. I will not link my readers to the site. The reasoning is quite strange. Nevertheless, the warning John lifts up is real enough. All believers in Christ must ever be prepared to repent and re-examine their beliefs and life-styles in the light of God's Holy Word. We will have occasion to consider these issues in our study of the next letter.

Another Look At Capital Punishment

Capital punishment—the very phrase spells controversy. It points to a crime pronounced worthy of death. Civil laws in the various states and by the Federal government allow the death penalty for a wide variety of crimes:

• Murder
• Treason
• Aggravated kidnapping
• Drug trafficking
• Aircraft hijacking
• Placing a bomb near a bus terminal
• Espionage
• Aggravated assault by incarcerated, persistent felons or murderers
• Killing or attempts to kill any officer, juror or witness in cases involving a continuing criminal enterprise
• Sexual battery or attempted battery with injury to a child under 12
• Rape of a child less than 10 (some laws say 12, others 14)
• Second conviction for sexual intercourse without consent accompanied by serious bodily injury

The death penalty in the United States is used almost exclusively for the crime of murder. Although state and federal statutes contain various capital crimes other than those involving the death of the victim, only two people were on death row for a non-murder offense (Patrick Kennedy and Richard Davis in Louisiana) when the U.S. Supreme Court addressed this issue in 2008. No one has been executed for such a crime since the death penalty was re-instated in 1976. In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court in Coker v. Georgia, 433 U.S. 584, held that the death penalty for the rape of an adult was "grossly disproportionate" and an "excessive punishment," and hence was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. The Court looked at the relatively few states that allowed the death penalty for rape and the few death sentences that had been handed down.  

Some states passed new laws allowing the death penalty for the rape of a child. In 2007, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Patrick Kennedy for the rape of his step-daughter, STATE OF LOUISIANA v. PATRICK KENNEDY (No. 05-KA-1981, May 22, 2007). Kennedy was convicted in 2003. However, Louisiana's law was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 25, 2008. See Kennedy v. Louisiana for more information. This decision also held that the death penalty would be disproportionate for any offense against an individual that did not involve death of the victim.

So far the United States. What about the Bible and Jewish civil laws in the days of the New Testament? We come across the following in John 8.

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" - Jhn 8:2-5 ESV

What laws were those? And why? Here's what we read in the Old Testament about crimes deserving the death penalty:

• Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. 

• Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. - Lev 24:16-17 ESV 

• For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

• If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.  

• If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them. 

• If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. 

• If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. 

• If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 

• If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. - Lev 20:9-16 ESV

What kind of laws were those? Death for cursing your parents? Death for adultery? Death for homosexuality? Death for perverted sex with an animal? Death for blasphemy? We need to take a serious look at these laws and ask ourselves as Christians how to view them. What, if anything, does the Holy Spirit teach us in our day?

More on this next time.

Adultery: Easier To Commit Than Explain

MARITAL MATTERS are much on the American mind this month. Actually, make that extra-marital matters. Why? Well, adultery, it turns out, is much easier to commit than to explain. That’s particularly true if you’re a politician, because if you’re in public life, people sometimes expect more of you. Exactly why is a mystery, given the public’s generally low regard for the political species. And yet it nevertheless seems to be the case, especially when it comes to present, past, and aspiring holders of high office. - Adultery and the politician - Boston.com

The above piece was written a year ago. The comments remain relevant this year. They will be one year from now. Year after year, in places high or low, here in the United States and around the world, one political figure after another is toppled from his position by an extra-marital affair.

The most prominent Biblical member of that species was David, King of Israel. It happened on a lazy afternoon in the Spring, while David's army was away on another of the many skirmishes they had with the Ammonites, descendants of Lot's son (Gen. 19:38). David was lounging on his roof when he suddenly spied a beautiful woman next door taking an outdoors bath. Her name was Bathsheba, the wife of one of David's soldiers. David sent for her and thus began a very heated affair. Next thing you know, she was pregnant. In order to cover it all up, David arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Shortly after that she became another of David's many wives (2 Samuel 11:1-27).

That story is behind one of the most prominent of David's Psalms. Psalm 51 begins with these words:

A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. —Psalm 51:1

Politician or not, cheating husband or wife, cheated-upon spouse or not, we all have much to learn from David's experience of adultery, confession and absolution. He continues his song.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. [2] Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! [3] For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. [4] Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. - Psa 51:1-4 ESV

Nathan was David's court prophet (dare I call him chaplain?). We know very little about him. He first appears as the one encouraging David's plan to build a temple to the LORD. The same night, however, Nathan receives a vision that plays on the Hebrew word bayit, house. The LORD, Nathan tells David, does not want him to build a house or temple for the LORD. Nevertheless David's house, his family, has an eternal destiny. From this family blessings for all mankind were to come. Nathan shares his vision.

He (David) shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'" - 2Sa 7:13-16 ESV

Nathan was the channel for this astounding promise. And later, in spite of his fall into temptation, David did not forget Nathan's words. Nor did he forget that the LORD spoke through Nathan. Consequently, when Nathan challenged David for his adultery, David found courage in that Word from Nathan, courage to confess his sins and beg forgiveness. The Word of the LORD spoken by Nathan was a Word of love. David accepted Nathan in that spirit and prayed for mercy and cleansing.

This can be an important lesson for pastors, parents and friends. First make sure that you speak in the spirit of kindness and love, not in self-righteous anger or pharisaical snobbery. But then do not fail to confront the member of your flock, your son or daughter or your friend. Gently, but firmly show them their sin. When they repent and ask for mercy, remind them of the mercy and forgiveness available to us all in Jesus Christ and His cross.

More on Psalm 51 next time.

More On The Christian View Of Divorce

Divorce happens, also among us Christians. Men and women divorce daily. Our courts are filled to the brim with case after case, quarrel after quarrel. Families are disrupted and destroyed. In the midst of all this it is critical that the church openly confesses what God says about this in His Word. Is it ever possible or proper for a believer to divorce his or her spouse?

 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5:31-32). 

 Who said, "give her a certificate of divorce"? Actually, Moses. Here's the quote: 

 "When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the LORD. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance" (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

 This passage was quoted by the Pharisees when they tested Jesus' teaching about marriage and divorce. There was an ongoing debate in those days about what "some indecency in her" meant. That's why these Pharisees asked, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" (Matthew 19:3). The same question is raised by the Pharisees in the account from Mark's Gospel (Mark 10:2), but Jesus' answer is somewhat different in Mark's account. We will need to examine both Gospels to get a complete understanding of His answer and His teaching about divorce.

Some have taught that sexual immorality or what is called fornication is the one sole ground for divorce. That is not so. There is no biblical reason to limit the values or meaning of marriage to sexual faithfulness alone. In other words, we must view the entire context of marriage and the commitments made by the two who bind themselves to one another in marriage in order to understand when or why it is legal to divorce. Bear with me. This is going to take several postings in order to get the full picture. For today let us examine the teaching of Jesus about divorce a few sentences before the ones quoted above.

As we proceed, above all remember that Jesus did not come to destroy or subvert the teachings of the Old Covenant, the Law and the Prophets. He is one with His Father and the Holy Spirit who gave them to us through Moses. Rather He came to fulfill those teachings (Matt.5:17). He came to fill them to the very brim with deep, rich meaning for our lives, including our lives together as man and wife. He came to teach us what this institution of marriage is all about. That, of course, is what I've been attempting to demonstrate in earlier blogs.

So lets take a good hard look at Moses' teachings about divorce. Listen and watch as Jesus fills our cups to the top. And then let us drink it all.

Jesus starts with the commandment forbidding both men and women to commit adultery. To commit adultery—moixeuō in Greek—refers to the sexual act with one other than one's spouse (Deut. 5:18). But is that the full meaning of the commandment? What sin is this commandment revealing? The physical act? To be sure, but there is more. Jesus turns especially to the men in his audience as He says,

"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28).

 Lustful intent speaks about passion, longing, intense desire, even coveting and wanting what does not belong to you. It is not wrong to look at at another with interest. This looking may refer to finding a particular woman interesting, intelligent, discovering the two of you have common interests in addition or even instead of physical attractiveness. All this goes on in the heart, in the inner man. But what happens next is critical. If this looking turns to lust, adultery has already begun. The commitment to one's wife has been broken even though the physical act may never happen!

OK, guys, what about it? No sin in our marriages? We can sound so self-righteous, but let's be honest. That's what Jesus demanded when some of them dragged a woman in front of him who had been caught in adultery. "Teacher," they said, "this woman has been caught in the very act" (John 8:4). This was clearly forbidden and they had the required witnesses to prove it (Deut.17:2-7). Given that, they had the responsibility to stone her to death. So what did this vaunted teacher from Galilee have to say about that? Was he going to stand up for the institution of marriage and protect the community? Notice that they didn't drag the man along with the woman.

Jesus said nothing for a time, but merely scratched in the ground with his finger. Then he stood and spoke directly to the men who had dragged her out there. "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her," He said. Then he bent down and began to scratch again.

The older men were the first to leave. They knew their own hearts better than the others. One by one they walked away. And then so did the young men until there was no one left. When Jesus finally asked her where her accusers were she replied that there were none. "Neither do I accuse you," He said. "Go and sin no more."

Yes, she had sinned. She had broken her marriage vows. But so had all those men who condemned her. This is critical as we proceed with this discussion of marriage and divorce. We husbands and wives are all guilty of sinning against one another and against God. But in Christ we who are forgiven again and again forgive one another—even for adultery.

Is there ever then any reason for divorce? More on this the next time. 

Marriage Is No Garden Of Eden

So far we have examined how Christians view marriage in the light of Holy Scripture. Two purposes have emerged: 1) Mutual Love and 2) Procreation, in that order. The second is both a command and a blessing, but not the primary purpose. The Apostle Paul speaks of a third. He sees marriage as a restraint of sin. That purpose needs an explanation.


First let us emphasize again that our sexuality is not sinful. It is not sinful to be a man or a woman and to have sexual desires and appetites. The problem lies with our sinfulness and with living in a world of sinners under the control of the prince  of this dark world (Ephesians 2:1-3). These inner and outer influences distort our God-given sexual appetites. Sex, as it is called, becomes a god pursued at all costs, even at the price of breaking promises and being unfaithful to those to whom we have committed ourselves. The daily news is permeated by stories of this nature.


This is why our Creator also uses marriage to preserve our lives and to discipline us. Paul writes of this. 

"Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am.But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion"(1 Cor. 7:1-9)

Corrupted by our inherited sinful nature our sexual appetites are wild things that long to roam and ravage without restraint. They need to be domesticated, controlled and channelled in ways that bring them in line with the Creator's ordered plan. That plan, as outlined above, is that within the bonds of marriage one man and one woman remain committed and faithful to one another until parted by death. But times come when such commitments are not very attractive. In those moments the sexual passions leap against the fences that control them. They demand to be free to range without controls. They scream that we need some one to love us, because our marital partner no longer does or can. They demand to be fed and tell us that this can only be done by breaking free from the barriers. This leads to what we call adultery (ad-alter, to another), feeding the wildling in another pasture.


Marriage, as we have seen, was instituted by God. His original plan was that within the limits of a beautiful garden one man and one woman commit themselves in mutual love to one another again and again. Marriage was always to be a becoming, never a completed journey (Gen. 2:24). In that garden the two were to learn what mutual love is. They were to learn day by day and week by week what it means to be committed. Sadly we no longer live in Eden and marriage is not always the beautiful garden we sing about. It is rather a land often filled with weeds, thorns and pain, even as the Lord predicted (Genesis 3:14-19). And outside the garden we are continually pulling up those weeds, chopping down thorns and working through pain. Marriage is often not pleasant at all. We are forced to put up with that partner to whom we once made a lifelong commitment. And the drudgery and grief of caring for children seems never to end.


In those moments it is vital that we listen carefully to the Apostle's counsel in 1 Corinthians 7:17—

"Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him." 

Your partner is the Lord's gift to you. He or she is the Lord's answer to your prayers. You were called by Him into this marriage. Remember again the words, "What God has joined together let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6). Even as He brought the two of you together, so He also promises never to forsake you. He will ever remain the unseen partner in your marriage, teaching you again and again that He forgives you and loves you. Empowered by His love you learn also to forgive, even as you are forgiven.


In that sense marriage is not merely a place to restrain wild sexual passions. It is also a place of healing and growth. In this place, despite all the thorns and pain, our Lord is teaching us how to love. Within these boundaries we discover that we are supported and encouraged, even as our sexual appetites are fed. In this earthly garden—even though it is not Eden—we become more than we ever could have been alone. We are being led toward that fullness and completion that only marriage can bring. By God's good grace we are ever discovering how to love and finding that we are loved in return.


There is more to say about this third purpose, especially as it relates to children and family, but that must wait until next time.