- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 17,518
30 May 2007
Hebrews 13:4-6
Marriage should be honoured by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never forget you." So we can be sure when we say, "I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper. People can't do anything to me."
The Bible is in many ways our blueprint for life. It gives us much guidance on how to live in God's image. Teaching given by Jesus and by Paul form the backbone of this, and here the writer to the Hebrews reminds them and us about how to live in the face of two of the greatest powers and temptations - sex and money.
Sex is good. It is a gift from God to be enjoyed and shared within the context of marriage. But sex can also be seen as dirty and used wrongly. The internet often gets a bad name because of it (and other vices), and may even have blocked this reflection just because it contains the word.
The writer does not say what "sexual sins" are, but, as we are talking about marriage, I think is referring to not having sex outside of a marriage relationship. When the act and lure of sex is so prominent in advertising, films, television, and society norms seem to accept sex as part of any relationship, this is a real challenge for many who want to be true to God and the Bible and go against peer pressure.
Money is another "must have" today, the more the better, because it brings with it the new TV I want, the new car, the new computer; yet we are told "be satisfied with what you have". When I was unemployed for a while, I found the lack of income a real concern, and yet found God did not leave me and as my focus changed to be more clearly on him, rather than on my physical needs, I was not alone, and he met my needs.
Money is not evil, but the love of money causes us to lose our focus on and love of God.
Lord Jesus, I will not be afraid, because you are my helper. Keep me true to your will and help me live in your image. Amen
Written by Neil Thomson
Hebrews 13:4-6
Marriage should be honoured by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never forget you." So we can be sure when we say, "I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper. People can't do anything to me."
The Bible is in many ways our blueprint for life. It gives us much guidance on how to live in God's image. Teaching given by Jesus and by Paul form the backbone of this, and here the writer to the Hebrews reminds them and us about how to live in the face of two of the greatest powers and temptations - sex and money.
Sex is good. It is a gift from God to be enjoyed and shared within the context of marriage. But sex can also be seen as dirty and used wrongly. The internet often gets a bad name because of it (and other vices), and may even have blocked this reflection just because it contains the word.
The writer does not say what "sexual sins" are, but, as we are talking about marriage, I think is referring to not having sex outside of a marriage relationship. When the act and lure of sex is so prominent in advertising, films, television, and society norms seem to accept sex as part of any relationship, this is a real challenge for many who want to be true to God and the Bible and go against peer pressure.
Money is another "must have" today, the more the better, because it brings with it the new TV I want, the new car, the new computer; yet we are told "be satisfied with what you have". When I was unemployed for a while, I found the lack of income a real concern, and yet found God did not leave me and as my focus changed to be more clearly on him, rather than on my physical needs, I was not alone, and he met my needs.
Money is not evil, but the love of money causes us to lose our focus on and love of God.
Lord Jesus, I will not be afraid, because you are my helper. Keep me true to your will and help me live in your image. Amen
Written by Neil Thomson
