As we suggested in our last article in this column, when you got married you probably included in your vows a life time commitment to your mate, for better or for worse.

What did that mean to you? On the day you got married, did you really understand the solemnity of those words, and were you ready to face the consequences of that promise? Most couples are far more taken with the emotional aspects of love then the sometimes stark realities of making a commitment that will secure them in a relationship for the rest of their lives. As is true with most of the Christian experience however, we base our lives on bedrock truths and then seek to bring our daily experience into harmony with those changeless foundations. God’s Word tells us that marriage is the work of God. He joins people together and when He does, they are one. That truth is a changeless foundation on which we build our day to day experience in marriage.

Every marriage has its flaws. Every married person has been hurt by their mate and has also inflicted hurt on their mate. The hurts may be overt actions or words designed to inflict emotional or even physical pain on the other person. More often it is selfishness and insensitivity toward the other person that can bring wounding to the heart and mind. None of these actions or attitudes is acceptable. None is to be tolerated without an appropriate response, but none of them should become one’s excuse for ending the marriage.

What I have just written is one of those stark realities that must be faced by Christians. I would never want to seem harsh or callused in addressing the problems that people face in marriage, but I must bring us all back to that bedrock truth. What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19:6). If we forsake God’s truth because of our unique circumstances, we become the ultimate authority in our lives and we step into a realm of spiritual and emotional instability.

Let me illustrate the principle from another area of life. In I Corinthians 10:13 the Lord promises the Christian that He will never give him more than he can bear. That is a bedrock truth that will sustain the believer in every situation he faces, no matter how trying it may be. He can find stability and strength by resting in that truth. His attitudes and decisions will be dramatically affected by his acceptance of that spiritual reality. If he walks away from that truth he will succumb to the pressures of life and fall into total defeat. The bedrock truth of the permanence of marriage will provide a measure of stability that will affect one’response to every challenge brought into one’s marriage. More next time.                 

Let’s continue our examination of what

the Bible teaches us about prayer and specifically the role of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life. We are going to give attention to Romans 8:26-27, which is the major text in the Bible discussing the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life. We have already noted that we are to pray in the Spirit, not to the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 20). The apostle Paul teaches us that as believers we are in the Spirit. He writes in Romans 8:8-9, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.  

If I am in the Spirit as a believer I need to pray in the Spirit. That is, I need to pray, as Kenneth Wuest puts it, in the sphere of the Spirit - directed and empowered  by the Spirit.

If I tolerate sin in my life; if I am grieving or quenching the work of the Holy Spirit; my prayer life will be hindered. When I am right with the Lord, I can enjoy the full benefits of the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit on my behalf.

With those truths in mind, let’s consider the encouraging message of Romans 8:26-27. Paul wrote. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The first line of verse 26 is filled with insight and significance. It gives insight to our emotional and spiritual condition. Even as born again believers, we are described as having infirmities. Infirmities is used in scripture to describe weakness, and is applied to the emotional and spiritual problems of people as well as physical difficulties. Paul says that when we pray, the Holy Spirit helpeth our infirmities, The term, helpeth (helps), means to take hold of something along with some one else, to assist in sharing the burden. How many times we feel totally inadequate to address a matter in prayer. The burden is great; the problem is complex; we are confused. That is when we can rest in this truth. In that time of need, the Spirit is going to help us. Remember! Don’t pray to the Holy Spirit; pray in the Spirit. That is the message of God’s Word. More next time.

                                           In our last article we briefly                                   discussed the instructions of Moses to parents among the people of Israel. Part of his message is given in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. We emphasized last time the need for parents to diligently teach their children the truths of God regarding loving Him, serving Him and obeying Him. Maybe we should have first emphasized the need for us as adults to love, serve and obey Him.  Moses certainly made that point when he told the people of Israel that the words he commanded them had to be in their own hearts and then they were to teach their children. Can we expect children to progress further spiritually than their parents? It may happen, by God’s grace, but we should not depend on it. The spiritual growth of children will typically follow the pattern of their parents. The apostle Paul used the father/child relationship as an example when he exhorted the Corinthian believers, Wherefore I beseech you, be followers of me (I Corinthians 4:16).  This is surely the message of Moses when he told parents to teach their children diligently. This is what he meant when he instructed them to talk of the things of God when sitting, walking, lying down or rising up. Their message would be spoken in words, but demonstrated day by day in their actions and attitudes. Parents must spend time with their children and much of that time should be taken up by the loving testimony from parent to child about how that parent has walked in the blessings, care, guidance and love of our heavenly Father.

Proverbs 5:23,  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Christians are supposed to live for the Lord. I’ve been confronted on several occasions lately, on how a Christian should live. Recently, I’ve heard stories of different churches’ rules for their members. May I be frank and say some are  “ridiculous rules” that the church has arrived at, that they believe will make someone holy. What ever happened to the Bible truths requiring us to be balanced in our very lives? God wants us to be separate unto Him. He requires us to be separate from the world, modest in our attire and live our lives for Him. Now granted, many Christians are not the least concerned about living for the Lord. They are happy to be saved and then proceed to live their lives as they see fit. God wants us to honor Him in our lives and by our very existence, point others to Him. Christians are supposed to live for the Lord by His standards. Certainly there must be guidelines in a school or a church, but not artificially derived rules by any particular ministry to define a  holy life. Proverbs 5:26-27,  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. God expects us to live for Him; our reasonable service. The Christian life is to be balanced in every way.   In our day of cultish practices, let’s make our lives count for Him by the radiant countenance of a dedicated Christian.

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