Love is patient and
kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude,
is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs
that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love
patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains
strong. Love never ends. So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and
love. And the greatest of these is love.
This program is for those who want
to improve, enhance, or even repair their marriage relationships.
This course
consists of 16 modules:
1. In the beginning (God's Plan for Marriage) 2.
Love (The basis for Marriage) 3. Marriage (Reality Check) 4. Social Map 5.
Emotions 6. Needs 7. Self Image. 8. God's view of Marriage 9. What can
I expect from Marriage (Common Sense) 10. Handling Conflict 11. Understanding
Personality and Improving Communication 12. Dominion in your life 13. Center
of your life 14. Some bridges that need repair 15. Making Champions of your
children 16. A new and deadly threat from Cyber Space to all marriages
(First Module #1)
In the Beginning (God's Plan for Marriage)
(Gen 1:26-29 KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth. {27} So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created
he him; male and female created he them. {28} And God blessed them, and God said
unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every
living thing that moveth upon the earth. {29} And God said, Behold, I have given
you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree,
in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
"Man" (adam, Heb.) is generic for both sexes as is shown by the plural,
"let them." Also, v. 27 identifies "man" as "male and female."
"Image" and "likeness" are synonyms, the former perhaps stressing
representation, and the latter, similarity. This says nothing about man's physical
nature, but it points solely to the spiritual and moral nature of mankind, i.e.,
mind, emotion, and will. The body is designed for giving expression to this spiritual
and moral selfhood. God created mankind so that it would be capable of fellowship
with Him. Human life, even after the Fall, is specially endowed and, therefore, is
precious in the eyes of God and protected by the ordained institutions of society
(9:6).
Gen 1:27: This verse establishes the equality of the man and the woman as image-bearers
of God, who together have a meaningful purpose in the planning of the Creator-God.
However, the text is very specific in defining this equality, which resides in their
spiritual being, for that is what it means to be "in the image of God."
Gen
1:28: The reference to "male and female" (v. 27) identifies human life
as sexual, having different reproductive roles. God planned the propagation of the
human race was part of God's plan from the outset. Propagation itself is not the
result of sin. The power of procreation becomes sinful only when it is prostituted
to selfish ends and carnal gratification. There may, in fact, be a redemptive significance
implied by the verb "subdue," if sin is understood to be already present
in creation
(Gen
2:15-24 KJV) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to
dress it and to keep it. {16} And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every
tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: {17} But of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die. {18} And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should
be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. {19} And out of the ground the LORD
God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them
unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living
creature, that was the name thereof. {20} And Adam gave names to all cattle, and
to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not
found an help meet for him. {21} And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon
Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof; {22} And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman,
and brought her unto the man. {23} And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and
flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. {24}
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his
wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Assign three major responsibilities to the man, i.e., the husband:
provision, through the command to "tend" the garden, an indication
that work was a part of God's plan from the beginning protection, through the divine directive to "keep" or "guard"
the garden; and
leadership, through the decision-making responsibility (vv. 16, 17). The text
indicates that God spoke directly to the man with instruction concerning His expectation
for obedience, thus assigning to the man spiritual leadership in the home which was
established in Eden. The man's role as leader is confirmed: (1) by the means of the
woman's creation (v. 22); (2) by the designation of her responsibilities as the "helper"
of the man (v. 18); (3) by the man's naming her (v. 23); and (4) by the teaching
of the N.T. (cf. 1 Cor. 11:5, note).
God provided a "helper comparable to him" (^ezer kenegdo, Heb.), i.e.,
one corresponding to him in kind. Unlike the animals (vv. 19, 20), the woman was
of the same nature and being as the man. Rather than being a demeaning term, the
word "helper" even describes God in Ps. 33:20. The word describes function
rather than worth. One does not lose value as a person by humbly assuming the role
of helper. The woman was to be a help to the man: · As
a spiritual partner to assist the man in obeying the word of God and being active
in spiritual ministry;
As man's partner in the divinely assigned process of procreation, in order to assure
the continuation of the race (1:28);
As man's friend to offer comfort and fellowship
As man's encouragement and inspiration. The woman is the perfect counterpart of man,
possessing neither inferiority nor superiority, but being like and equal in personhood,
and unique and different in function.
The principle is the same: the woman is formed from the man himself, making her of
like nature, the same flesh and blood, a being with equal faculties and likewise
"in the image of God" (1:27). She is inseparably united with the man by
the mode of creation, which becomes the actual foundation for marriage. The mode
of creation was the assurance of the absolute unity of the race, the guarantee of
the woman's dignity, the illustration of the truest and most binding kinship with
man, and the promise of inseparable unity in the foundation for marriage. Adam was
designed to be fulfilled only when completed with the divinely given partner.
Adam
recognizes the uniqueness of the woman among God's creatures as a perfect mate derived
from his own being. The Hebrew play on words between "woman" (isha) and
"man" (ish) reflects the oneness that Adam felt with the woman.
God's
principle of marriage includes three aspects:
The "leaving," i.e., the legal act in which husband and wife make a public
commitment of ultimate loyalty and lifelong devotion one to the other, above all
others, even parents;
The "joining," i.e., the personal aspect of tender love and faithful responsibility
which is permanent and binding
The becoming "one flesh," i.e., the physical or sexual union which symbolizes
the beginning of a union of souls, a spiritual and psychological intertwining of
persons "Leave" (^azav, Heb.) and "join" (davaq, Heb.) are terms
associated with covenant treaties. Here, marriage is interpreted as a new relationship
bound by mutual oath. Sexual intimacy is an expression of the union of the two people;
however, sexual union by itself is not sufficient to define the biblical concept
of marriage.
Everything
is in balance God has created a perfect world for man and woman. Now lets take an
in-depth look at the when that world was destroyed by sin.
Let's
examine the Genesis account of the temptation of (Eve) to the temptation of (Christ)
recorded in Matthew Chapter four. First let's look at the avenues that Satan uses
to attack each.
(1
John 2:16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Now
the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of
the garden? (Satan was making an opening statement that God had denied everything
from them) 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye
die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die (Satan was making
a statement to confuse the issue or to raise a question or cause one to doubt God)
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Then he made it appears as if God
was unjustly trying to keep them from knowing and then he told a very clever lie
that was somewhat true there eyes would be open they would know evil and good but
they would not be God) 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her (Dummy) husband
with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew
that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst
the trees of the garden. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of
the world.
Eve was tempted and fell into sin because she:
Listened to Satan
Whispered in her ear that God was not fair was trying to rob them of joy of knowledge
and they could be equal with God.
Tampered with the truth
Outright denial, added to the word of God misquote
Open denial of the punishments
Jealousy
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that
it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
Temptation
of Christ
Scripture
Overview:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward
an hungered. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread (Lust of the Flesh is what Satan tried on
the Lord Jesus Christ). 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of
the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for
it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands
they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Here
Satan tries to Get Jesus to fall for the pride of life) 7 Jesus said unto him, It
is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh
him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if
thou wilt fall down and worship me (Satan was trying to tempt the Lord Jesus Christ
with the lust of the eye). 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for
it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Results of the fall of Adam and Eve the inflicted upon themselves.
"shame, a sense of degradation and pollution;
Lost the relationship with God dread of the displeasure of God, or a sense of guilt,
and the consequent desire to hide from his presence. These effects were unavoidable.
They prove the loss not only of innocence but also of original righteousness, and,
with it, of the favour and fellowship of God. The state therefore to which Adam was
reduced by his disobedience, so far as his subjective condition is concerned, was
analogous to that of the fallen angels. He was entirely and absolutely ruined".
But the unbelief and disobedience of our first parents brought not only on themselves
this misery and ruin, it entailed also the same sad consequences on all their descendants.
Upon
the rest of human race to follow:
The
guilt, i.e., liability to punishment, of that sin comes by imputation upon all men
because all were represented by Adam in the covenant of works (q.v.).
the sin of Adam is imputed to all his descendants, i.e., it is reckoned as theirs,
and they are dealt with therefore as guilty; The effects of this first sin upon our
first parents themselves were
Hence, also, all his descendants inherit a corrupt nature. In all by nature there
is an inherent and prevailing tendency to sin. This universal depravity is taught
by universal experience. All men sin as soon as they are capable of moral actions.
The testimony of the Scriptures to the same effects is most abundant (Rom. 1; 2;
3:1-19, etc.).
This innate depravity is total: we are by nature "dead in trespasses and sins,"
and must be "born again" before we can enter into the kingdom (John 3:7,
etc.).
Resulting from this "corruption of our whole nature" is our absolute moral
inability to change our nature or to obey the law of God.
Conflict between
Flesh and Spirit
Infuriating
Frustration
(Romans 7:14-17) For we know that the law is spiritual: but
I am carnal, sold under sin. (How can I resolve the struggle within myself?) {15}
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate,
that do I. {16} If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that
it is good. {17} Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Inherent
Hostility
(Romans 7:18-21) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which
is good I find not. {19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I
would not, that I do. {20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do
it, but sin that dwelleth in me. {21} I find then a law, that, when I would do good,
evil is present with me.
Two
natures reside in each Christian, the carnal nature or the flesh, is the part of
us that enjoys doing evil.
The
nature of Christ is the new man who enjoys obeying God's law.
Inevitable
Conflict
In
Relation to the Flesh and the Spirit,
(Galatians 5:16-18) This I say
then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. {17} For
the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
{18} But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Works
of the flesh
(Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Sins of a Spiritual Nature (Galatians 5:20) Idolatry, witchcraft,
Sins of a Social Nature hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies,
Sins of a Societal Nature
(Galatians 5:21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you
in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Living in the Spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {23} Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law.
Love
is the overarching virture of the fruit of the Holy Spirit
Joy, the second virture of the fruit of the Spirit, contrasts with happiness,
and elusive will-o-the-wisp that all people pursue. Happiness is a superficial
emotion that depends on circumstances or hope. Joy on the other hand, is deep
seated sense of well-being that does not depend on circumstances or prospects.
Longsuffering
is conquering patience and endurance
Gentleness--Spirit led believers exhibit the same manner of kindness to the
people in their circle of influence.
Goodness--is the sixth virtue of the fruit of the Spirit. As God's goodness is
designed to led to repentance, the goodness of the Spirit in our lives convicts
others and points them to Christ.
Faith,
is the only virtue that is both a fruit of the Spirit and a gift of the Spirit.
Meekness
is a product of the Spirit-filled life. Unlike the contemporary meaning of the word,
however the biblical term means being considerate, teachable, and submissive
to the will of God.
The
virtue of temperance is the quality of self control. It means possessing self-mastery
in all aspects of life
Two fold living
(Galatians 5:24-25) And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. {25}
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
(Gen 1:26-29 KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth. {27} So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created
he him; male and female created he them. {28} And God blessed them, and God said
unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every
living thing that moveth upon the earth. {29} And God said, Behold, I have given
you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree,
in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.