Why LOYALTY (Faithfulness) Is Important
I remember a couple of old movie stars, like Kirk Douglas, making statements that they didn’t believe men can be monogamous. But this is a copout to commit adultery or live in fornication. It explains why the bride & groom vow to be faithful to one another. In other words, yes, humans — and especially males — have a predilection for successive romantic/sexual partners and this is precisely why it’s necessary for married couples to vow to be committed to one another till death do them part (Proverbs 18:21).
To be faithful is to be loyal. In other words, faithfulness is loyalty. It’s a fruit of the spirit and therefore the opposite of a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-23).
Loyalty is underrated these days. Honor the one who wears your ring. Write loyalty on the tablet of your heart — i.e. “love and faithfulness” (Proverbs 3:3) — and your marriage will last, assuming your partner feels the same way. Proverbs 20:28 says that love & faithfulness are crucial to the security of any “throne,” meaning any position of significance. This would include the husband or wife, the nucleus of any healthy family. Speaking of which…
Proverb 19:22 says “unfailing love” is what a person most desires in another. In other words, they want loyalty, faithfulness. Yet Proverbs 20:6 notes how hard it is to find a faithful person. In short, it’s a rare trait.
When looking for a spouse, loyalty should be high up on your list of preferences since it is one of the most priceless qualities for a secure, happy marriage. Perhaps the worst thing for a husband or wife to experience is an impenitent unfaithful spouse. Unfortunately it’s relatively common in this ignoble age.
You could say the same thing about finding a ministry associate or business partner.
Of course, loyalty or faithfulness doesn’t mean there isn’t a time and place for constructive criticism (Proverbs 9:8-9 & Proverbs 27:5-6), which is a form of tough love. Spouses should never condone godless carnality in their mates; and neither should ministry associates or business partners. It’s important to hold one another accountable, assuming it’s in a godly manner as opposed to a legalistic (Pharisaical) spirit.
For more on what the Bible says about love, romance, marriage & sex, pick up a copy of…
- The print book is available here for only $7.26 (171 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.
Related Topics:
What’s the Secret of a Successful Marriage?
What IS Marriage? (and Related Topics)
Why You Shouldn’t Put Men or Women in a Box (Marriages too)
The Four Types of LOVE in the Bible
What Does Love “Always Protects” Mean?
WORDS have the Power of Life and Death
Women — Were they Considered Just Property in Bible Times?
Q&A on Solomon’s Song of Songs
What’s the Secret of a Successful Marriage?
The Bible says that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). In a marriage the three-strand cord consists of husband, wife and the LORD. As the husband and wife draw nearer to the Lord (James 4:8), they naturally come nearer to each other, as illustrated here:
So “come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). See this video for some insights on getting tighter with the LORD.
Of course for this principle to truly work, both spouses need to be drawing closer to God (Psalm 105:4). But one spouse seeking the LORD can inspire the other to do the same, which will naturally draw them closer together.
For biblical insights on marriage and how to have a happy, satisfying one (not a perfect one) see this article.
For more on what the Bible says about love, romance, marriage & sex, pick up a copy of…
- The print book is available here for only $7.26 (171 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.
Related Topics:
Why LOYALTY (Faithfulness) is Important
Is Christianity a “Relationship with God”?
The Four Types of LOVE in the Bible
Women — Were they Considered Just Property in Bible Times?
What Does Love “Always Protects” Mean?
Q&A on Solomon’s Song of Songs
Altars & Altar Calls and how they’re Relevant
What Does “the Spirit, the Water and the Blood Testify” Mean?
Let’s read the whole passage in question with special focus on the key verses 5-9:
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
- At the water baptism of Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit testified about the Son (Matthew 3:16-17).
- Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and, later, the wise men from the East recognized who Yeshua was as a child (Luke 1:35 & Matthew 2:11).
- The death of Jesus also testified to who Christ was (Matthew 27:54 & Hebrews 9:14).
Meanwhile the Holy Spirit witnessed throughout the Messiah’s life on Earth concerning His identity (Mark 1:12, Luke 1:35 & Acts 10:38).
NOTE: Additional verbiage was added to verses 7-8 that is not included in the most reliable Greek manuscripts dated earlier than the 10th Century. English translations that relied on the newer manuscripts include these extra words, but they’re obviously not part of the original epistle. To observe the extra verbiage compare the KJV & NKJV text with the other translations of verses 7-8 here and here.
Related Topics:
Christ: “The Anointed One” — What Does it Mean? What Does “Jesus” Mean?
THE Angel of the LORD — Mighty Angel or Pre-Incarnate Christ?
MANNA was a Shadow of the BREAD FROM HEAVEN, Jesus Christ
Comparing Jesus Christ with… Superman
Demons Vs. Jesus Christ — No Contest!
Is the Phrase “Higher Levels, Bigger Devils” Biblical?
The phrase “Higher levels, bigger devils” was coined to illustrate that the further a believer goes in spiritual growth the more he or she will attract satanic attack. The Bible refers to the maturation process of disciples in terms of going “from strength to strength” or “glory to glory” (Psalm 84:5,7 & 2 Corinthians 3:18). This of course reveals levels of spiritual development.
While “Higher levels, bigger devils” is just a saying, it is supported by scriptural data, like Daniel’s prayers being resisted by a “prince” of demons for 21 days until Michael the archangel came to his aid (Daniel 10:12-13). Daniel was the greatest man of God of his day and his spiritual warfare was thus resisted by a high-ranking evil spirit.
Speaking of which, Ephesians 6:12 reveals a hierarchy in the spiritual realm with the devil as the wicked despot of his spiritual forces of evil with “rulers,” “authorities” and “powers” under his command. What evils spirits will the devil send to resist a great man or woman of God who’s causing much damage to the kingdom of darkness — his lower minions or the higher-ranking ones? Obviously the latter. Hence, “Higher levels, bigger devils.”
Related Topics:
ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer
Spiritual Warfare — The Basics
Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
What Does It Mean to “Worship God in Spirit and in Truth”?
The Lord said to the Samaritan woman at the well:
22“You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
John 4:22-24
There’s a simple way to take verse 24 and a deeper way. Let’s first consider the simple way. To worship God in spirit means that genuine worship — i.e. adoration of God — requires more than merely “going through the motions.” For instance, David praised the LORD “with all his heart” (Psalm 86:12).
To worship God in truth means to worship according to the truth revealed in the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). ‘Truth’ is alétheia (ah-LAY-thee-ah) in the Greek, which means “reality; the way it really is.” In other words, we are to worship the right God, Yahweh, in the proper way as opposed to worshipping a false god in a perverse manner. For instance, some pagan religions required their worshippers to engage in sexual immorality at their temples.
This is why the Bible says “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). It’s why, after salvation, believers are to be “transformed by the renewing of their mind” (Romans 12:2). This is a growth process that purges out false ideas and doctrines, including perverse methods of worship.
The Deeper Sense of Worshipping God “In Spirit”
Verse 23 shows that Christ was speaking of “a time that is coming,” which was a reference to the era of the New Covenant — the new contract with God — which is superior to the Old Covenant for several reasons (Hebrews 8:6).
For one, New Covenant believers are justified in God’s sight by faith and thus we are no longer under the supervision of the Law (Galatians 3:24-25). ‘Supervision’ or ‘guardian’ is translated as “schoolmaster” in the King James Version, as observed here. The original Greek word refers to a domestic servant or slave whose business was to train and oversee male youngsters until they came of age at which point the sons took on the duties and liberties of maturity. You can look up this term here.
I’m sure you get the point: Believers are no longer under the supervision of Old Testament Law (Romans 7:6). Since we are spiritually regenerated and have the Holy Spirit we are liberated to operate in the responsibilities and freedoms of spiritual adulthood, keeping in mind that the Bible shows three basic stages of Christian growth, which you can read about here.
‘Gospel’ literally means “good news.” The good news of the message of Christ isn’t just that we escape the penalty of eternal death (Romans 6:23 & Matthew 10:28), but that we escape the power of sin through spiritual regeneration (Titus 3:5 & 1 Peter 1:3) and the ensuing renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2).
Along with spiritual rebirth, believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is our Helper, teacher and advocate (2 Timothy 1:14 & John 14:26).
On top of all of this, the LORD has provided believers with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the benefits that come with this awesome gift, which you can read about here (shh, Christians aren’t supposed to talk about spiritual gifts these days).
On a side note, if you’re struggling with some kind of life-dominating sin — whether it’s something sexual, or drugs, alcohol or whatever — I understand; freedom is available for you through Christ and the benefits of the gospel. To walk free of any sin bondage simply put into practice the 3-point plan revealed in this article and corresponding video.
Getting back to our topic, all of this reveals the differences between godliness and religion:
- The Greek word for godliness in the Bible is eusebeia (yoo-SEB-ee-ah), which relates to a real and vital relationship with the Almighty.
- The Greek word for religion is thréskeia (thrays-KIH-ah), which refers to the outward acts of religious works and ceremonies.
Religious works can be performed by the flesh without knowing God at all, which is why legalists make it their focus whereas godliness—having a relationship with God—requires the human spirit. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). ‘Spirit’ here technically refers to the human spirit. The point being that true worship is not merely a matter of outward conformity to religious rules, ceremonies, works and places. Authentic worship springs from a regenerated spirit that’s connected with the LORD and involves communion between the individual and the indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides/helps us. This is relationship.
‘Godliness’ means to be like God and stems from this relationship since we become like those we spend time with the most. In other words, a relationship with God produces godliness. ‘Religion’ by contrast doesn’t refer to godliness, but to outward forms of devotion.
Related Topics:
Praise & Worship—What’s the Difference? Why are they Important?
What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?
What are the Sources of Truth (Reality)?
Godliness and Religion—What’s the Difference?
Altars & Altar Calls and how they’re Relevant
Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body
Should Ministers Officiate Weddings and Funerals?
Interestingly, there are no references in the Bible to ministers officiating weddings or funerals, including pastors. I point this out because some people seem to think that ministry is mostly about performing one or the other. Evidently God didn’t get the memo.
This is not to say that ministers shouldn’t preside over weddings and funerals. After all, who else better to officiate these ceremonies? So for ministers who are led to oversee weddings and funerals, here are some common sense guidelines:
- Since believers are instructed in the Bible to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15), please rejoice with those who are celebrating a wedding, like Christ did (John 2:1-11), as well as mourn with those who grieve. Be compassionate both publicly and privately. It’s a matter of living in harmony with others (Romans 12:16).
- Since it’s the minister’s job to “preach the word…in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2), use the occasion of a wedding or funeral to convey truths from the Scriptures as led of the Spirit. I’m not saying you should have an altar call, just that you can take advantage of the situation to sow God’s Word in the lives of others, like the farmer in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:5-15). It’s a matter of being Christ’s ambassador in both joyful settings and somber ones (2 Corinthians 5:20).
- At a funeral, if the deceased person was a believer you can emphasize the promise of eternal life (John 3:36 & 1 John 5:11-12), which will naturally encourage family & friends (1 Thessalonians 4:13), not to mention be a ‘witness’ to the unredeemed.
- In the event that the deceased was not a believer or his/her spiritual condition was uncertain, do not comment on such things for obvious reasons, but rather use the occasion to share the message of Christ with those present, as led of the Spirit.
This article was edited from the book…
You can purchase the print version here for only $7.38 (175 pages)
Or get the Kindle eBook here for only 99¢
Related Topics:
The Fivefold Ministry Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher
What IS Marriage? (and Related Topics)
Q&A on Solomon’s SONG OF SONGS
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
Should Ministers Be Paid?
The Bible plainly instructs that ministers must not pursue dishonest gain because that has to do with greed (1 Peter 5:1-4). Christian ministers cannot simultaneously be lovers of money, aka lucre-worshipers (Matthew 6:24, 1 Timothy 3:3 & Titus 1:7). Why? Because people obsessed with money and materialism will naturally take advantage of their position to manipulate others in order to acquire the object of their love, lucre. Even deacons cannot be greedy, which refers to those in helps ministry (1 Timothy 3:8).
Ideally, those effective servant-leaders in the Church who preach and teach should be well paid (1 Corinthians 9:14 & 2 Timothy 2:6). The Bible says they are “worthy of double honor” (1 Timothy 5:17). The Greek for ‘honor’ in this verse is a financial term, shown here.
However, fivefold ministers might have to take up secular work to pay the bills, which is what Paul occasionally did by making tents (Acts 18:3-5). Paul didn’t take collections from the believers in Corinth as a voluntary sacrifice on their behalf (1 Corinthians 9:12, 9:18). He was only able to do this without resorting to secular work because he was receiving finances from other assemblies under his apostleship (2 Corinthians 11:8).
What about Old Testament ministers, did they receive payment for their services? Keep in mind that the history of the Hebrews & Israel chronicled in the Old Testament serve as examples to us, the worldwide Church (Romans 15:4 & 1 Corinthians 10:11). Here are three examples of ministers being respected by people offering financial support in one form or another:
- Young Saul (before he became king) and his servant insisted on honorably paying Samuel the priest & prophet for his services (1 Samuel 9:6-8).
- The first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam, made sure his wife paid the prophet Ahijah with gifts for his services (1 Kings 14:1-3).
- The mighty prophet Elisha was rewarded for his services (2 Kings 4:42 & 5:15).
This article was edited from the book…
You can purchase the print version here for only $7.38 (175 pages)
Or get the Kindle eBook here for only 99¢
Related Topics:
The Fivefold Ministry Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher
The Gist on Giving and “Tithing”
Provision, Money and “Prosperity”
Greed — What is it? Why is it Bad?
Are Some Leaders Beyond Accountability?
King Solomon made the observation:
Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
In other words, when someone is at the top of the proverbial Totem Pole, they have the authority to make decisions and carry them out, regardless of what those under them think or say.
Does this mean that certain leaders are beyond accountability, whether political leaders, business leaders or ministerial leaders? To a point, yes, but only in regards to human accountability since we are all ultimately accountable to our Sovereign Creator and therefore will stand before the LORD at either the Judgment Seat (2 Corinthians 5:10-11) or at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This is true whether a person believes in God or not.
The Almighty is the ultimate authority and the Bible acknowledges this often in several ways (Job 9:12, Psalm 50:10-12, 103:19, 93:1, 89:11, Isaiah 37:16, Daniel 4:35 & Matthew 11:25). Such passages shows that God is Sovereign, which means “reigns supreme” and this explains why God is called the Most High (Psalm 47:2). Despite this, our Creator allows freewill with the understanding that every person is ultimately accountable to the LORD. Even archangels and satan have to give account to the Almighty (Job 1:6 & 2:1). Reflect on it: If the LORD didn’t reign supreme we wouldn’t have to answer to our Creator.
As far as political leaders go — kings, queens, dictators, prime ministers, presidents, governors, mayors, etc. — God permits them to rule for a season for one reason or another (Psalm 75:6-7, Daniel 2:21, 4:25 & Romans 13:1). For instance, Ahaz reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years and he was one of the worst kings of Judah or Israel (2 Chronicles 28:1-5), but he was preceded by righteous Jotham, who reigned for 25 years, and succeeded by godly Hezekiah, who reigned 29 years.
While’s it’s frustrating and challenging to function under a corrupt authority, whether in your nation, city/town, occupation or even ministry, we’re not helpless. You can conduct spiritual warfare through intercession or confronting & correcting, assuming it’s viable to do the latter. You can also remove yourself from the situation and plant your life elsewhere, like move to a new country/region or get a different job, including starting your own business. No matter what you do, though, you’ll likely still have to deal with corrupt authorities in one way or another. It’s a fact of living in a fallen world.
Consider these contrasting examples from the Bible of dealing with corrupt leaders in Israel: After King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his failed attempts to get valiant Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba to cover up his sin, David contacted Israel’s military commander, Joab, and instructed him to put Uriah in the front line where the fighting was fiercest and then have the other soldiers withdraw so Uriah would die in battle. This is murder in an indirect form, but murder nevertheless. Joab should have rejected this wicked order since Uriah was a noble, brave warrior, but he instead chose to be a pathetic “yes man” (2 Samuel 11:14-21). Shortly later, the prophet Nathan refused to be like this. He boldly confronted David’s corruption and spoke the truth, come what may (2 Samuel 12:1-14).
Joab failed to hold the King accountable whereas Nathan did. When you see corruption in the leadership of the body of Christ you can either weakly go along with it, like Joab, or hold the person accountable whatever the cost, like Nathan. If you choose the former you’ll have to answer for it at the Judgment Seat because the Lord will hold you accountable.
When you think about it, though, we’re all “kings” or “queens” in a sense. Even if you’re a subordinate at work, you run the show in your own abode, which recalls the saying “A man’s home is his castle.” (Keep in mind that ‘man’ in the biblical sense can refer to male and/or female depending on context; see Genesis 1:27 for proof).
Even if you are subordinate in the place you live, you are the ruler of your mind, actions, body and tongue. You choose what to think about or not think about every minute of every day. You choose what you do or don’t do, how you react or don’t react, what you wear or don’t wear, what you eat and how much you eat. You choose what you say and don’t say, including if you unjustly lie, negatively spin something or slander someone with premature judgments and half-truths. While it’s true that your choices are limited in some cases, such as what you eat or wear, you nevertheless have freewill to choose.
Your thought life is your personal domain. Even if you’re imprisoned in a small room, you choose what to meditate on. This isn’t some small thing when you consider how your thoughts run your life (Proverbs 4:23 NCV).
We began this article with a quote from Solomon from the book of Ecclesiastes. Let’s end with another one, which relates to all these things which you have authority over:
13Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Related Topics:
Human Freewill and God’s Sovereignty
Accountability — the Good, the Bad and the Eye-Rolling
What is the “Age of Accountability”?
Should You “Obey” Your Pastor?
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
How to Confront & Correct (and How NOT to)
Ministerial Pitfalls and Abuses
Does the Bible support a “Justifiable Lie”?
God’s Name — YHWH (Yahweh), the Tetragrammaton
If Healing Comes by Faith, Why Use Anointing Oil, Handkerchiefs, etc.?
The covenant (contract) that the believer has with God thru Christ is a covenant of faith (Hebrews 11:6, Romans 4:16 & Galatians 3:6-9) and so everything we receive in our covenant is by faith, including eternal salvation (Ephesians 2:8) and answers to prayer (Mark 11:22-24). The same goes for receiving a healing, as observed in these two examples:
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
In both cases Christ was the conduit of God’s healing power — the channel through which divine power flowed — yet Jesus didn’t say that he healed them, but rather they were healed via faith, which is belief. The Messiah was simply the conduit of God’s healing power. In short, a person or even a thing can be a channel of God’s power, yet this doesn’t change the fact that faith is the key for a person to receive and maintain a healing, which can be observed in this passage:
13Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
James 5:13-15
Notice that it does not say the elder or the anointing oil heals the sick person, but rather the prayer offered in faith.
It was pointed out above that a person or even a thing can be a conduit of God’s power, which can be observed in the early days of the Church wherein Paul touched certain articles, like handkerchiefs and aprons, and these “were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (Acts 19:11-12). It was the same thing with Peter’s shadow (Acts 5:15-16). These things had the anointing of God on them and thus physically or mentally ill people exposed to them were healed and demons fled!
Yet the Bible stresses that the believer can receive something by faith directly from God without any conduit, including an awesome healing. Christ plainly said: “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). If this is so, why do we need conduits of God’s healing power, whether a person or a thing, such as elders and handkerchiefs? Obviously because certain people need something physical — whether a person or thing — to bolster there faith and thus successfully receive. It’s just the way it is and has to do with where a person is at as far as their spiritual growth goes.
Here’s a 23-minute video that goes over these things in further detail (the issue of conduits of God’s healing power is covered from the 8:00-minute mark to about the 11:21 mark):
If you are interested in being a conduit of God’s healing power you can learn details about the laying on of hands in this article, just scroll down to the section 4. The Laying on of Hands.
What about receiving a healing via the gifts of the Spirit?
Even if a person receives a healing through the manifestation of a gift of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) they’re going to have to learn faith if they want to maintain their healing. Remember, everything in our covenant with God is by faith.
Verse 11 plainly points out that the gifts of the Spirit are distributed to believers “as the Spirit determines.” In other words, a believer (anyone who’s ministering to people in need of a healing or what have you) cannot turn ‘on’ a gift of the Spirit at will; rather the gifts of the Spirit manifest as the Spirit wills and this is in response to the faith of the ministering believer and their calling. For details on receiving a healing through the manifestation of a gift of the spirit, see this article, just scroll down to the section on Healing.
Interestingly, the Pool of Béthesda was a type of the gifts of the Spirit, which you can read about here.
Related Topics:
Should I get the Surgery or BELIEVE for Healing?
When You should ASK and when You should SPEAK IN FAITH, aka DEMAND
Faith — What Is It? Why Is It Important? How Does It Grow?
Can the Power/Anointing of God Rest on an Object?
WORDS have the Power of Life and Death
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
The Six Basic Doctrines of Christianity
The GENESIS CURSE is Not God’s Law, but Rather a Divine Curse
Those who teach/preach from the Holy Scriptures are instructed to “rightly divide” or “correctly handle” them (2 Timothy 2:15). If it’s possible to rightly divide God’s word it’s also possible to unrightly divide it; that is, misinterpret the Scriptures and spread error. The problem with error is that it cannot set people free; only the truth sets free, as the Lord said (John 8:31-32).
This is relevant to our topic because some sincere ministers have wrongly taught that the “Genesis curse” from chapter 3 of the book of Genesis is tantamount to God’s Law. In other words, they claim it applies to God’s commands to humanity (or, at least, some of it does). But this is not the case. The passage involves the LORD’s curse on humanity as a consequence of sin. Let’s read the account:
14So the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and every beast of the field!
On your belly will you go,
and dust you will eat,
all the days of your life.
15And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed.
He will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16To the woman He said:
“I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth;
in pain you will bring forth children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
17And to Adam He said:
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten from the tree
of which I commanded you not to eat,
cursed is the ground because of you;
through toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your bread,
until you return to the ground—
because out of it were you taken.
For dust you are,
and to dust you shall return.”
20And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:14-20
When God pronounced to Eve that “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (verse 16) the Creator was issuing a warning to Eve, not giving a command to Adam! In other words, God was not giving Adam (and men in general) permission to be tyrants over the women in their lives. The LORD was basically saying: “Beware, Eve, man is now going to try to dominate you and your female descendants.”
This tendency is in the flesh of all males. You can even see it in boys who naturally try to dominate their mothers (which they don’t do with their fathers, generally speaking, and wisely so). I know because I myself did this when I was a kid. Don’t get me wrong, the masculine spirit is good — God called it “very good” along with everything else that was created (Genesis 1:31) — but the flesh, the sinful nature, perverts all good things.
We must understand that this section of Scripture — Genesis 3:14-19 — is a divine proclamation concerning the result of humanity now being fallen. In other words it was a prophetic curse due to transgression — not a blessing or a command — which is why this section of Scripture is called “the Genesis curse.” Nothing in this proclamation is a moral law like “You shall not commit adultery” or “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:14-15), rather it’s a divine judgment — a curse — on the serpent/satan for deception and on Adam & Eve for their sin. The only sense that any proclamation in Genesis 3:14-19 is “Law” is that it is contained in the section of Scripture known as the Law or Pentateuch, aka the first five books of the Bible. The fact that some ministers refer to Genesis 3:16 as “Law” or a “blessing” is laughable. I can’t help but suspect they have issues with misogyny.
We’re going to focus on the LORD’s proclamation to Adam & Eve rather than satan since humanity has the potential for redemption whereas satan is incorrigible (you can read details here). God was conveying the general way it will be for them & their progeny — humanity — in a fallen world, not the way it should be or has to be. For instance…
- The LORD said to Eve that he would “sharply increase your pain in childbirth,” but this doesn’t mean that a woman and those who are assisting her medically shouldn’t do everything in their power to ease her pain during childbirth.
- The LORD said “in pain you will bring forth children,” but this doesn’t mean that a woman has to have children or will have children. What about women who can’t find a husband? What about women who have no interest in having sex with men? What about women who want to forsake marriage & children in order to devote their lives to God à la 1 Corinthians 7:34? What about women who can’t have children for one reason or another? What about women who simply have no desire to bear & raise children?
- The LORD said “Your desire will be for your husband,” but this clearly doesn’t mean that every woman will desire a husband.
- The LORD said “and he will rule over you,” but this doesn’t mean he ought to rule over her.
- The LORD said to Adam “cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life,” but this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t improve agriculture quality and production, nor does it mean that people since that time have to limit their diet to fruits & vegetables.
- The LORD said “through toil you will eat,” but this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t reduce the amount of needless toil in our work in order to make a living. The biblical book of wisdom says “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it” (Proverbs 10:22).
- The LORD said “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread,” but this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t find ways to reduce the amount of sweat it takes to earn a living.
- Lastly, the LORD said in the latter part of verse 19 that death is now a reality for humanity obviously because “the wages of sin is death,” but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t exceptions to suffering physical death, like Enoch (Genesis 5:21-24), Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) and those who will be raptured (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Nor does it mean that we shouldn’t reconcile with God through the message of Christ to escape eternal death (Romans 6:23 & John 3:16).
In short, these statements are general truths about the way life will be in a fallen world due to Adam & Eve’s sin — called “original sin” by theologians — but they are not absolutes nor are they moral laws or blessings. They warn of the way it will generally be in this cursed physical reality, but not the way it should be or has to be or will always be. Are you following?
Related Topics:
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
The “Berean Spirit” — What is It? How Do You Cultivate it?
Bible—Is it Full of Contradictions? Does it Promote Slavery, Tyranny and Discrimination?
Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry
Women — Were they Considered Just Property in Bible Times?