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The
Traditional Home By
Marvin Rickett A
traditional home is a home with both a father and a mother, married to each
other, living together, loving each other, and together rearing children. We
should affirm that the “traditional home” is also the home as God
would have it. We should contend for it, not merely because it is
“traditional,” but because it is God’s only approved arrangement. (Gen.
1:24; Matt. 19:1-9; Eph. 6:1-4; Tit. 2:1-8, etc.) God’s
arrangement is under relentless, and sometimes vicious attack today. Alternate
home arrangements are being zealously promoted and practiced: live-ins without
marriage, homosexual and lesbian “homes,” single parent homes. Some are
bringing children into these arrangements. These alternate home arrangements are
inadequate, some are unacceptable, some are downright wicked. The “Live
together without marriage” arrangement is fornication and condemned by the
Lord God (1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19). Homosexual and lesbian arrangements are an
abomination to God (Rom. 1:26; 2 Cor. 6:9). Single-parent
arrangements are not desirable, though we recognize they are sometimes
unavoidable. Children need both parents. They need a father (male) role model
and a mother (female) role model to see and follow so they will have a healthy
view of their own sexuality. It is difficult for a child to grow up well
adjusted, well balanced, and have a really healthy view toward masculinity and
femininity when he comes from a single-parent home. (It would be almost
impossible from a homosexual “home.” The will “produce after their
kind.”) People
sometimes find themselves in a single-parent arrangement they cannot avoid. They
need our compassion and help. We encourage them to do the best they can. But to
deliberately create a single-parent arrangement by a child out of wedlock,
artificial insemination, a single-parent adoption, or homosexual arrangement is
against God’s plan, is contrary to human nature and needs, and is a gross
injustice to the child. It is morally questionable, often economically
disadvantaged and extremely selfish. It is not seeking what is best for the
child. The child is often condemned to abuse, warped ideas of humanity, and a
lifetime of maladjustment. God’s
way is best. It is the right one. Other arrangements will lead to a maladjusted
generation which will destroy itself. We need to defend the traditional family
on the basis of what God says in the Bible, actively promote it, and practice
its principles in our own lives. & Our
Heritage in Christ By
Bob Myhan At
this particular time of year, Americans are acutely aware of their common
heritage. A heritage is usually an inheritance of material property, rights,
traditions and/or ideas that one receives through the gracious act(s) of
another, or others. The nature
of our American heritage is political, social and economic. Its foundation
is the valiant, courageous, and determined efforts of from 4,000-12,000 men who
shed their blood that they and others could escape tyranny. Its elements
are such things as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion,
the right to bear arms, the right to free assembly and due process. Yes, we
Americans have a great heritage, indeed, thanks to our forefathers. But
Christians (whether in the The
nature
of our heritage is threefold—it is spiritual,
holy and royal.
Coming
to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and
precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to offer
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ…. But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own
special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the
people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1
Peter 2:4-5, 9-10). Christians
collectively make up “a spiritual house” or family, in that we have all
undergone a “spiritual” birth, in addition to our natural birth. One’s
natural birth places him into a natural family but one’s spiritual birth puts
him into the spiritual family of God. We
are a “holy priesthood,” in that we have been set apart to be priests under
the New Covenant. As priests, our duty is to “offer up spiritual
sacrifices,” as opposed to the animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant God
made with We
are a “holy nation,” as opposed to a geo-political nation, such as ancient The
foundation
of this heritage is “the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter
1:17-21; also Rom. 3:21-26). He was “the
Lamb of God,” the antitype of all typical sacrifices (John
1:29-34). He was ordained as such “from
the foundation of the world” (2 Tim. 1:8-9; Titus 1:1-2; Rev. 13:8;
Gen. 3:14-15). The
elements
of our heritage in Christ are “every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3-14). These
include “the forgiveness of sins”
(Eph. 1:7) and freedom from the bondage of sin (John 8:31-36; Rom. 6:18-22). We
also enjoy freedom from condemnation (Rom. 7:24-25; 8:1), freedom from the curse
of law (Gal. 3:1-14, 19-29), freedom from fear (Rom. 8:12-15; 1 John 2:1-2) and
freedom from religious division (John 17:20-21). We also have the privilege
of direct contact, via the avenue of prayer, with the head of our government at
any time of day or night and at any place on this earth. Lastly, and most
importantly, we have an eternal home in heaven (Rom. 8:16-25; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Indeed,
as Maurice Barnett wrote in an email to this writer, “Ours is a freedom unlike
any that man ever had before and it does not have Social Security in our old age
to look forward to but an eternal retirement.” Are
you glad, dear brother or sister, that you are an American? You have a right to
be. You should be thankful to God that you were born in “the land of the free
and the home of the brave.” But, more importantly, you should be glad you are
a citizen of heaven. You should be thankful to God for giving you the
opportunity to become one of its citizens and to have such a great heritage in
Christ. Yes, we have a far greater heritage as Christians than we do as
Americans. But, if you have not been “born of water and the Spirit,” you are
yet outside the |