01 May 2023
The truth is not hidden; it is simply invisible to those whose hearts are darkened by lies.
This mortal human existence is a prison. Freedom is God's revelation, the Flaming Sword of Covenant. The Covenant is a code of honor, a life of privilege. We are set free from slavery to the will of the flesh. You turn that Flaming Sword on yourself or you cannot hold it. The only thing we are cutting off is death. We are granted access to power and privilege in crucifying the fleshly nature and conforming to the eternal design of our Creator.
We are permitted to taste the life we lost in Eden. It's a down payment on Eternity.
So the biggest problem we have is defining the boundaries. This was a major issue in Jesus' teaching. Several times He contradicted Moses. For example, He said men should have only one wife, condemning polygamy. Yet at the same time, the bulk of moral coding still stands in Paul's New Testament letters. Thus, in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Paul deals with a major problem where a member of the church married his stepmother. Paul is obviously referencing the moral sexual code in Leviticus 18 as the basis for prohibiting this union. This code became enshrined in American social custom as the "kissing cousin" (3rd cousin) as the closest you can come in consanguinity.
But then both Jesus and Paul are very hard on sticking with your first spouse, regardless of anything except infidelity or criminal behavior. Churches choke on that these days, except for a handful of harsh legalists. Even if they get the rules right, they get the spirit of things wrong. Legalism is just another form of human reason. Like the church of Corinth, western churches tend to engage human reasoning on such questions and disregard God's revelation. It takes a lot of verbal gymnastics to claim God's Word isn't God's Word.
And before anyone gets all warped out of shape, I am fully aware that a great many Americans alive today are on their second or later marriage. Here's the thing: What is your situation when you come to the Covenant life? You are entering a new world with whatever baggage you have. As long as you are aware of the liabilities, there's nothing in the Word that says you can't make the most of a tough situation. Yes, you've blown away your one chance at a strong spiritual bonding with your first sex partner. You can never get that back. Yes, you are defiled for the rest of your life. Satan does own one part of you until you die, and you will face struggles.
Still, that does not keep you from finding however much peace with God that is still available from His hand. You can gain divine mitigation for things you can't undo. Commit now to applying the Covenant to whatever situation you have and trust the Lord. It's the same principle as a physical disability. There are some things you don't get to choose. If the Lord wants to heal you, He'll let you know. It will burn in your convictions; you'll have the faith for a miracle. If not, what will burn is the drive to serve Him regardless.
How many other issues do western churches choke on? Most of them are lot easier to correct than sexual sins. The New Testament says that, in formal worship settings, a man cannot cover his head, but a woman must cover hers. How about New Testament teachings on jewelry or hair? How many people follow the Bible on that?
Commit yourself to the Covenant and walk where it takes you, sight unseen. Without that open-ended commitment, you will not receive the revelation. It won't matter if you can read the Bible, it will never speak to you.
Make Him your Lord.
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