Marriage: An Introduction (Part 2 of 2)

In recent years marriage has increasingly been seen as out of date. A remnant of ancient tradition. Many are opting for cohabitation instead. How should the church respond to this trend do we simply adapt to the times. Alastair Bragg addresses this issue today on Truth for Life as he continues our study in Ephesians chapter 5 verses 22 through 33. I realized the more I study this passage in preparation for returning to it that there are certain matters that lie behind it unless unless we are clear concerning them.

We will not make very much headway through the text. So I gathered my thoughts under three words. The first word begins with C. The second word begins with I the third word begins with a CIA just to help me remember my own notes.

All right, it will mean much to you, but the first word is corruption. Some might say that confusion might've been more moderate word, a more temperate word, but I'm not sure that confusion really does justice to the state of affairs when we think about the nature of marriage. It is not simply that men and women are confused that they don't understand, but rather that men and women are actually in rebellion and they are opposed to what they do understand the real issue. The real concern and this is where I find myself stopping during the week.

What is most alarming to me is not that you exists outside the church, but that that view is beginning to exist inside the church that within the realm of Christendom. Those who apparently profess to believe the Bible are now, for whatever reason, prepared to tamper with the Bible to readjust the Bible in order to accommodate oneself add to the thoughts and mores of the day. The real issue. The real question is does the church believe the Bible or, more pointedly, does this church believe the Bible or narrowing it down. Do you believe the Bible or even more so do I believe the Bible is my second word inspiration. Inspiration because you see what is at stake here in this matter and it is not unique in this realm, but this is the realm in which it is most prevalent for us to face is the question of the inspiration of the Bible itself.

How is it that we have the Bible, what is the Bible. Why is the Bible authoritative. Why is it then that there is is I suggest to you a retreat within the confines of Christendom from the clarity and authority of the Bible. I didn't answer is very simple. It is on account of an unwillingness to uphold a Christian view of marriage which is governed entirely and solely by the teaching of Scripture. It lies in unbelief in the infallibility of the Bible. Paul when he writes to Timothy, remembering two Timothy 316 says to any system of the all Scripture is inspired by God.

He was informing Timothy of something that he didn't know he was reminding him of what he knew and in fact the very verb that Paul uses is a unique verb in the New Testament. Some of even suggested that he coined the verb himself in order to make the point.

The point being that when we talk in terms of the inspiration of the Bible. It is not something God breathed into but rather it is something that God breathed out that the Scriptures are not a human product infused with divinity by they are actually a divine product produced through human instrumentality, so there's nothing like it in the whole world. That's why we spoke in the past of the dual authorship of Scripture that when God wants a book like Romans to be written. He raises up somebody like Saul of Tarsus, and in order that he might be the one who is able to write which of course he did for the record, and just so we understand how we are with one another is important for you to know that I believe that every book chapter verse and syllable of the Bible was originally given by the inspiration of God is my own personal conviction that when seeing all of this.

I recognize that as with other areas of Christian doctrine. This is difficult is difficult, but I find it is difficult doesn't mean that it should be set aside many of you are involved in science there is no science in the world there is no one in the entire world about which questions may not be asked which no one can answer this Dr. research.

You know the answer to all the questions in the fight. I don't know the answer to every detail about the inspiration of the Bible does not call in question the Bible's claim for itself. It is a difficult doctrine. It is a biblical doctrine. It is an essential doctrine. Think about what is the point of me even going into verse 22 and continuing to expound Ephesians chapter 5.

If we don't believe that every word of this book is inspired will support.

There is no point why T survival until incidentally that is why so many don't teach the Bible. That's why more than any other reason is not only don't study this study, they don't believe it so you don't believe it. Why would you then teach it. Why don't you say pleasant things that will be encouraging to relatively pleasant people and have everybody go on their way home. Now this is something far greater than something far more significant notes when you come to the Bible itself. When you read the Bible, there are certain things that that effect as if you like objectively there.

There are matters that we can consider and we could go through old town of but I just wrote another word down to help me remember I wrote down the word harms H AMS right hands so I could remember for words. The first word is harmony. Harmony you say something concerning the harmony of the Bible. How do we account for the harmony in the Bible, written by over 30 authors over a period of 1500 years or more and yet all of them. Although most of them never ever in any contact with each other are telling the same story given the same account of the human heart and telling the same wonderful way of salvation through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God all the way from Genesis to Revelation. I challenge you read it and consider the harmony that is there and how it got there. If God is not the author of the book a for accuracy what other book written finished some 2000 years ago is still being read today what other book written some 2000 years ago still stands up to the challenges of today to the questions that confront philosophy and confront science and confront life itself and people are able to go into this book and they've traveled the world and is they've gone here and there in the world.

They have never found anything that calls into question the accuracy of the Bible itself and for Majesty, Majesty, every honest every unprejudiced reader has to see that there is a great golf between the Bible and any other ancient text that may be produced.

People are not still reading the works of few stated these unless they're trying to get a PhD they're not dealing with Diocletian. The Bible transcends any consideration that you might find in the world.

For example, of the caller or the book of Mormon for that matter. I think the reason God allows the book of Mormon to be written was for the people that look at and say that's not possibly true, that is unbelievable. You're right it is unbelievable. No one is ever produced anything close to the Scriptures themselves. It's Majesty and S its suitability, its suitability, some books fit a certain place geographically a certain time certain person now read cooking books, you may not in wrong with it very helpful if you want to cook. I'm not really much into reading science books either you read science books every so often someone gives me when I try my best and if we was said to one another telling of other books on your shelf's you see the Bible transcends this.

It transcends typing and culture and gender and intellect so you really pray phallus on their knees in the morning reading their Bibles and little old ladies in the remote parts of the outer Hebrides on their knees in the morning reading the symbol university students and Boys and Girls Club school reading their Bible and discovering that the truth of God's word is impacting their life's. The Bible is the first book which fits the mind of the child.

In considering religion at all. And the Bible.

If you like is the last to which an old person, clings in the prospect of eternity you find too many people on a lifeboat dissing the Bible.

Remember the old story about a Scottish fellow was out on the lifeboat and the thing began to get completely out of control and the captain of the lifeboat said to this man who was unduly anxious.

He says to me says you don't you worry about a thing. He says we have we have. If there's anger is wrong. Here is as we have we have water on board.

We have a chocolate on board and we and we have a copy of the holy Scriptures and the man says well the latter is irrelevant to me. I am an atheist and the captain said there are no atheists in lifeboats. The suitability of the Bible is hard to deny. We could go on and on with objective things. But here's the here and here. I want to point out to you at the end of the day at the end of the day, a man or woman will only become convinced of the authority of Scripture by Scripture itself. You cannot. You cannot appeal to a higher authority than the one who is written, the Scriptures, so Scripture interprets itself. JC Ryle once again our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority there off is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with word of God in our hearts witness of the Holy Spirit working by the word of God and with the word of God and within our hearts. In other words, the same spirit that inspired the word illumines the word and convinces us that it is the word that's how.

And that is actually only how Rembrandt is that amazing painting. Remember, off of the woman old woman reading the Bible and fight. Apparently his mother sat for it as the as the model and if you know the painting at all and if you don't, you can Google it and don't do right now and on and you will see that it did, that the Bible itself appears to be actually illuminated from within.

And of course that was the point of that Rembrandt wanted to make that the illumination came from the very text itself that it wasn't something that was shown from the outside into it, but it was something that was inherent in the very text itself, whereby the same spirit that had inspired its writing was now the one who eliminated its truth and brought conviction to the heart of the skeptic by the way, in case you've forgotten, this is an introduction to marriage, is that I bring her back.

The point is straightforward. We will never think rightly about marriage until we are convinced of the divine origin of Scripture. The only way you can guarded and is is is just as a pragmatist are certain principles here that might be helpful for us, and so on some ideas, some concepts I can apply them. If I choose I disregard them. If I want.

There's nothing here that is of divine authority. There's nothing here that makes me have to do anything at all.

I mean, I might see that is valuable to love my wife as Christ loved the church, were there again I don't really like to do that most of the time, so why should I loved her she shouldn't, unless God's word is true, absolutely vital for the church is vital for our church vital for our church. This is the great issue for our church. We talk about bringing on interns when we talk about establishing new elders when we talk about passing from one generation to another listen and listen to me carefully. We cannot, dare not ever deviate in this matter for the authority and sufficiency and inerrancy of Scripture is absolutely foundational to the ongoing work of God. Remember Jesus said, father, sanctify them in the truth.

Your word is truth. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. He commanded them as a church. He said we thank God constantly for this that when you receive the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but it's what it really is the word of God, you inherited. You accepted it, not as the word of men, but as it really is the word of God vital for the church vital for us as individuals before Paul writes the 16 verse of two Timothy three.

He writes the 14th and 15th.

As for you Timothy continue in the things you've learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned them, and how from childhood you've been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I do not allow myself the luxury of giving you names and places from the last 50 years here in the United States of men whose books we may once have read to our benefit, whose sermons we once shared to our good but who today are nowhere in relationship to the things of God.

For one single solitary reason that they have turned their backs on the inerrancy and infallibility and authority sufficiency of the Bible and confused, and corrupt, thinking about marriage is directly tied to a loss of that authority and an understanding of the doctrine of Christ and the church is the foundation of the doctrine of what it means for myself and my wife and for you and your future. You see, I think a lot of other scene as I was driving this morning I said to myself, you know it has to be that way it has to be this way because I no explanation for why I believe the Bible you see if you had to a certain intellect. I wouldn't I'd flunk out on that basis, or if you going to be a complete and utter dimwit. Well as possible. But no, you see is the same spirit that inspired it, that illumined and I'm glad there's lots of boys and girls here this morning as I guess these convictions came to me when I was the age you are I paying attention to that continuing the things of which you become convinced, knowing those from whom you learned and how from childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation. That's that's all we have. You see, if the Bible is not this, then we are actually involved in the greatest fabrication that the world has ever seen.

I have lied my way through every funeral service I have conducted by assuring men and women for the believer to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord on what possible bases can you say that on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible. Nothing else had got nothing else, and neither do you.

Let not your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me.

In my father's house are many mansions in the world. So I would've told you.

I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place we will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also to believe that life seems strange and everybody says when you danger Hinduism's as you get about 47. Chances are you around and around and to believe that really believe that you see that's the work of the Spirit of God's fantastic the spirit of God is the one who illuminates the Scriptures and empowers us to believe it's a humbling reminder from Alistair Begg Truth for Life. Today's message as part of the series called life together will hear a closing prayer from Alister in just a minute, so please keep listening. First I want to draw your attention to a resource that is a wonderful follow-up to today's message. It's a book titled impossible commands.

This is a book that takes an in-depth look at the Holy Spirit's role in empowering our ability to believe and obey. We live in a culture that is preoccupied with self-reliance were often told we can do anything we set our minds to. And yet when it comes to following the commands of God. We find we can't do it affecting our own power. It's impossible. The book impossible commands acknowledges our inability to live perfectly in accordance with God's instructions and then the author helps us refocus on the cross and on forgiveness for our sins helps us to humbly accept God's gift of grace. If you're discouraged by the cycle of trying to live in perfect obedience and then failing again and again. You'll find the book impossible commands a great comfort will send you a copy along with our thanks for your donation today.

When you support this ministry you can give online at truthforlife.org/donate or call 888-588-7884. Again, that's 888-588-7884 or if you'd rather mail your donation along with your request for the book right to truthful a at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139 and on behalf of everyone who benefits from the teaching on this program. Thanks for making truthful a possible. Your donations bring Alister's clear relevant Bible teaching blisters all around the world through the truth like mobile app on our website as well as on radio stations in every major city across the US. If you'd like to find a local station near you. Simply go to truthful.org/station finder and or your ZIP Code and it'll pull up all of your local options as well as what time the program errors in your city now hears Alister to close with prayer while or do your work within our hearts and minds in these days we pray, keep us Lord in the fullness of your love so that we don't become hypercritical and judgmental of a world that is broken and trying to figure it out. Help us Lord to be like lifeboat people for wrestlers on the sea of life that when the winds of change in the philosophies of man help is not floored to become anything other than Christlike both in gentleness and boldness and as we prepare to work our way through these difficult matters of what it means to be husband and wife to live according to your plan grant that we might come to it with the conviction that your word is fixed in the heavens that it is true that transcends culture and time and speaks to our life's prepare us for this.

We pray in Christ's name on about the pain. Hoping you can join us Thursday. Alister continues his series called life together will be turning our attention specifically to wives and their God-given role within a marriage. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by truth for the Learning is for Living