Jym Shorts

Jym Shorts - September 19, 2019

by Jym Gregory on September 19, 2019

… the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.   -Malachi 2:14-16

 

I will not start this article by providing you with a long list of statistics concerning violence against women; you already know how prevalent it is in our society, and to our very great shame, in the greater church.  Before I continue, let me say up front that I am well aware that we may also legitimately ask: “What about violence against those with special needs?  What about violence against children? What about the unborn and the elderly?”  All are legitimate concerns and equally a part of our fallen world.  This article is primarily about our wives, but the principles apply equally to these other subjects.

 

Put bluntly, men are called by God to honor women as the "weaker partner" (1 Peter 3:7). Some guys eat passages like this up. They are also especially drawn to Ephesians 5:22-33 and Colossians 3:18 (the parts where the woman submits, not the parts where the man loves and cares for his wife like Christ does his church). In my years of counseling and ministry, I have found that the most difficult people to work with are authoritarian “Christian” men.  They carry their Bibles like a club and use it to squash their wives, children, and anyone else who disagrees with them or gets in their way.  It is an effective weapon – not, however, to justify violence against weaker people, but as a tool used by God to harden the hearts of those who claim to know him but truly do not.  It is often a final nail in the coffin for the self-righteous. 

 

The Bible is truly a violent book.  It records human history and depravity without apology. However, it does not take a biblical scholar to see that, in spite of human violence, we serve a God who calls us to seek peace and pursue it, and to live at peace with all people as much as it depends on us (Romans 12:18).  A cursory reading of the Bible by a person seeking to genuinely know God (including the Old Testament) will lead the reader to see and distinguish between that which pleases God and that which dishonors him.  Violence against people who are weaker than us physically is the work of cowards, not men (and in some rare cases, women) of God.  Men who treat women as sex slaves, or as property, or like a punching bag for their emotional weakness, pent up idolatries, or their latent anger issues and pride may call themselves Christians, but their actions deny that (Titus 1:16).  Men who recognize their struggles with pornography, violence, anger, drugs and alcohol, etc. and plead for the mercy of Christ while seeking help and accountability are wise.  Frankly, these are not difficult concepts to grasp biblically.

 

The apostle Paul tells us that there is one thing that is indelibly true – that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom Paul declared himself to be the worst (1 Tim. 1:15).  Beware, however, those of you who blatantly disregard God's call for us to be honorable in our actions toward those we are called to protect. Jesus is a great Savior, he is also the judge of the living and the dead.  "It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism" (Colossians 3:24-25). 

 

Men of LifePoint, if you need help in this area, seek out a pastor/elder or a Christian friend, and get that help. Let’s be a local church filled with men who lead out with Christ-like servant leadership, and let us honor our wives, fiancés, girlfriends, children, parents and friends in a way that honors God.

 

Grace and peace,

 

Pastor Jym

 

 

 

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