Are you living in denial?

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fatted calf for him.” Luke 15:29-30 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Are you living in denial?”
 
The elder son in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son chose to focus on the negative rather than on the positive. Rather than focusing on and celebrating the fact that his little brother had returned home, repented of his sin, and was being restored to the family, he focused instead on the boy’s sins.
 
I’m sure the older brother was thinking that he was justified in focusing on the negative and that to do otherwise would be a denial of reality. But aren’t there two realities in this scene? While it is true that the younger son committed terrible sins, it’s also true that he repented and has now come home. Aren’t both of those things true? And if it would be a denial of reality to not focus on the negative truth, wouldn’t it equally be a denial of reality to not focus on the positive?
 
In his wonderful little book, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” Henri Nouwen tells us about a friend of his who is a world traveler, mostly to impoverished nations. When he returns from his trips Henri is always expecting him to tell stories about the terrible poverty he witnessed, and of the extreme suffering of the people he encountered. But he never does. Instead, he always talks about the faithfulness of the Christians he met, and about the great works of God in people’s lives, and about funny situations he experienced. His stories are filled with hope and joy and fun.
 
Henri’s friend doesn’t deny the reality of the poverty and suffering he witnessed, he just chooses not to dwell on it. During his trip he did encounter those situations, and he did do what he could to address those issues, but he also experienced many good things too. And it was those good things that he chose to focus mostly on. That isn’t minimizing the bad, it’s just highlighting the good. Both realities exist, he just chooses to give more attention to one rather than the other. He isn’t ignoring or denying the negative, but neither will he ignore or deny the positive.
 
Deep discipleship helps us to remember that God is good, all the time, and He is always present and at work even in the worst of situations. And since that is true, there is always something to celebrate and to praise Him for. Certainly, pay attention to and do something about negative situations that need to be dealt with. But please don’t ignore the good either. Don’t give so much attention to the bad that you effectively live in denial of the good.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
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Does the narrow gate lead to a narrow life?

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Does the narrow gate lead to a narrow life?”
 
Matthew 7:13-14 is about salvation and it applies to evangelism. The world offers many paths through life, none of which lead us to God in heaven. There is only one path, the one offered by Jesus, that leads to eternal life. Matthew 7:13-14 is essentially John 14:6 stated differently, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
 
Unfortunately, many unbelievers and many Christians too, conclude that the narrow gate leads to a narrow life – that the life lived following Jesus is pinched, restricted, cramped, and devoid of fun and joy. And, truth be told, some Christians do seem to live that way. Theirs is a life filled with rules, regulations, restrictions. They are essentially, in my opinion, modern-day Pharisees.
 
But is that the life the narrow path of Jesus leads us to? Or, does the narrow path actually bring us into a broad world of wonder, joy, fulfillment, and adventure as we explore the mystery, the splendor, the magnificence and grandeur of life in the kingdom of God? Didn’t Jesus say in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance”?  And doesn’t Paul tell us in Galatians 5:22-23 that life lived in the fullness of the Holy Spirit will consist of “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control”?
 
Yes, the path leading to eternal life is narrow. There is only one way and many never pass through that gate. But right on the other side of that gate there is a world and a life that is good beyond description. It is life in all its fullness.
 
A follower of Christ living a life of deep discipleship should understand and experience this great truth. Further, we should be living it. Any Christian living what appears to be a pinched, restricted, narrow little life has somehow missed the truth of life in the kingdom of God. I agree with Saint Augustine that a Christian should be one big hallelujah from head to toe! That’s what this world needs to see in us. And if they do, more of them will want the life we have discovered for ourselves right on the other side of that narrow gate.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
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Like a doctor sees a sick person

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:10-11 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Like a doctor sees a sick person”
 
This morning I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding learning to interact with people more from the heart and not just from the head.
 
In Matthew 9:9-12, Jesus was having a meal in the home of Matthew the tax collector (the same Matthew who would later become a disciple and go on to write the Gospel of Matthew.) Matthew invited many of his friends – who included fellow tax collectors and a wide variety of assorted sinners, probably prostitutes, thieves, and maybe corrupt politicians.
 
Seeing this, the Pharisees were indignant and demanded to know why Jesus (this religious leader) was consorting with low-life sinners such as these. Jesus responded in verses 12-13 by saying, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
 
Jesus looked upon those who were broken, hurting, and spiritually unwell as a doctor looks upon a sick patient. He saw them as someone in need of care. Do we? Do we see the lost in our world as people in need of attention and care, or do we see them as our opponents, maybe even our enemies? Jesus didn’t ridicule them, shout them down, shut them out, or even shut them up. Instead, he entered into their world, interacted with them, showed them love and concern, and used that as a bridge to minister to their souls.
 
How do we see social outcasts such as the homeless, or those who are intentionally and perhaps flagrantly making choices in life that are diametrically opposed to Biblical principles? Jesus looked at them the way a doctor would look at a sick person – as someone in need of attention, care, and compassionate ministry. As His disciples shouldn’t we see them that way too?
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
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Our mailing address is:
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Listen to your heart, not just your head

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding …” Proverbs 2:1-2 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Listen to your heart not just your head”
 
“Direct your heart to understanding …” What does Solomon mean? I think I discovered a clue to what he was getting at while rereading Henri Nouwen’s excellent little book, “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorite parables, and Henri’s book is my favorite study of the parable. The book is based equally on the parable, and on Rembrandt’s famous painting entitled “The Return of the Prodigal,” and on Henri’s own life experience.
 
Herni Nouwen was an unconventional Catholic priest. He never served as a parish priest but was instead a psychologist, theologian, writer, and activist. He was active in the civil rights movement, in social justice issues, and in ministering to the poorest of the poor in Central and South America. He also spent more than twenty years as a professor at both Yale and Harvard Universities. On a personal level, Henri was deeply impacted by Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, along with Rembrandt’s painting of it, and at various times in his life he saw himself as both the prodigal and as the elder son.
 
But in his last season of life something amazing happened. Henri felt called by God to leave his prestigious position at Harvard University and to spend his last years living as a house father in a community of developmentally disabled adults – some of whom were so severely disabled they needed to have their adult diapers changed on a regular basis. That was Henri’s new job. But it was during this season of life that he finally realized that God was transforming him more and more into the father-figure in the parable. Henri was learning how to be a kind, gracious, humble, and forgiving man whose primary concern was to serve and bless others. It was deep discipleship at its best.
 
One thing this highly educated, sophisticated, published author learned from those developmentally disabled adults was how to interact with others using his heart instead of his head. Henri said that most of those people were incapable of understanding theology and nuanced discussions about important doctrines, but they did understand love. And it was then that Henri realized what made Jesus so special to people from all walks of life – He connected with people’s hearts rather than just with their heads. He loved them first and taught them second.
 
I believe we all need to learn to interact more from the heart rather than just from the head. Jesus connected with people’s hearts first – and we should too.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
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You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Let’s go deeper together

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “The people here (the Bereans) were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scripture daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Let’s go deep together”
 
The Apostle Paul had a miserable time in Thessalonica. Many of the people there were hardhearted contrarians who resisted the message of the gospel and opposed Paul’s ministry efforts – even to the point of violence. Finally, it became necessary for Paul to leave. From there he went to the town of Berea and found a very different situation. The Bereans were receptive and eager. They listened closely to everything Paul preached and taught, and then afterwards they searched the Scriptures for themselves to verify what Paul had said and to go deeper with God. The implication seems to be that they did it together, perhaps in Bible study groups.
 
Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word serves as a lamp that illuminates our path through life: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” The more we study the Word of God, the brighter the lamp shines and the more illuminated the path forward becomes.
 
In the previous devotional in this series, I noted the importance of having a good guide who will help us to go deeper with God. That’s what Paul was doing for the Bereans. I also noted that oftentimes God will bring that good guide to us in the form of an author of a helpful Bible study. Then, like the Bereans, we can use the study (individually and in groups) to go deeper with God.
 
This past Sunday evening at Oak Hill Baptist Church a group of forty-one of us embarked on a three-month journey together to study Henry Blackaby’s excellent Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God.” If you ever come across one of those lists of “The 100 most important Christian books written in the last 100 years”, you will probably find “Experiencing God” high up on the list.
 
Another excellent study that is on virtually everyone’s list is Richard Fosters “Celebration of Discipline.” This book is considered a modern classic in Christian literature. In a straight-forward and practical way it explores the basic disciplines of practicing the Christian faith.
 
Three others that I personally have found to be very enlightening and helpful are “The Mind of Christ” by T.W. Hunt; “Disciplines of a Godly Man” by R. Kent Hughes; and “Strong Men in Tough Times” by Edwin Lewis Cole. 
 
The Christian life is an adventure, it is a journey that we make together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need fellow travelers to walk with us, and we need good guides to guide us along the way – especially if we want to go deeper with God. A good Bible study is a great tool to help us do that. Let’s go deeper with God, and let’s do it together.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
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We need a guide to take us deep with God

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)
 
Our thought for today: “We need a guide to take us deep with God”
 
Over the course of his ministry years the Apostle Paul played many important roles including evangelist, exorcist, preacher, teacher, church-planter, and pastor. He was also a mentor to many. That’s what he was referring to in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he urged his readers to follow his example. I like the way the Amplified Bible translates that verse, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” Paul spent his life studying the ways of Jesus, doing his best to live as Jesus lived, and then he urged others to follow his example just as he followed Christ’s example.
 
When it comes to learning how to live the Christian life well, especially when it comes to going beyond the basics and going deep with God in deep discipleship, we usually need a guide. We need someone older, more mature, and more experienced in the ways of God to guide us and to show us the way. That was an important role that Paul played in many lives – especially in his later years.
 
While it is very helpful to have an in-person mentor we can actually meet with, someone we can spend time with, observe, and emulate, often such mentoring and guiding comes to us in written form as well, rather than in-person. That is, after all, what Paul was doing in 1 Corinthians 11:1. He was guiding and mentoring by means of a letter. This is also why I titled my second book “Walking with Paul: A Journey Through the Lessons of Ephesians.” The cover art depicts Paul walking with a young man down a path, with his arm around the young man’s shoulder, head turned in his direction, and obviously imparting words of wisdom as they walked along together.
 
As was noted in a previous devotional in this series, the Christian life is an adventure. It is a journey through this world towards our real home in heaven. Along the way we need good guides to walk with us – coaching us, teaching us, and helping us to make the journey well. The optimum situation is to have an in-person mentor. But as was noted, many times that guiding takes place through other mediums, such as good Bible studies.
 
Tomorrow I will recommend a few good Bible studies which provide this kind of excellent guidance for the journey to a deeper place with God.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Deep calls to deep

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me. The Lord will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night – a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:7-2 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Deep calls to deep”
 
God is deep and He calls to the deep places in our heart. In their great book “The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God,” Brent Curtis and John Eldredge describe God as “The Great Romancer.” They explain that God loves us deeply, passionately, and He is always romancing us, calling out to us, drawing us to Himself.
 
We know this. We sense it deep within us. Curtis and Eldredge observed, “You were made for something more. You know it.” This calling and drawing from God touches us at the deepest place in our heart. This is what Solomon was referring to when he wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has put eternity in their hearts.” There is a place in the human heart that can only be filled by God. Intuitively we know this. Down deep we just know there must be a God and we want to know Him; we want to be in a good relationship with Him; and we want to spend eternity with Him. That’s simply the way God has designed the human heart and that is why every culture that has ever existed in the history of the world has always had a belief in the supernatural.
 
The superscript in my Bible, which appears above Psalm 42 (sort of like a title for the Psalm,) reads, “Longing for God”. That’s what the entire Psalm is about. The writer was longing for God. In verses 1-2 the writer describes thirsting for God like a deer thirsts for a cool drink of water from a cold mountain stream. In verses 3-6 he writes of how in the middle of trials and struggles he seeks God even more. Then in verse 7-8 and 11 he writes of finding God and getting relief and comfort as a result. As it turned out (as verses 7-8 suggested,) all the while, while he thought he was seeking God, God was actually calling to him, drawing him, romancing him.
 
Whenever we respond to this deep calling from God we are on the road to deep discipleship. The more time and effort we put into our response to God, the deeper we will go and the more we will experience Him. Prayer, Bible study, quiet reflection, worship, service, fellowship with other Christians, are all ways of going deeper with God. The more of those disciplines we practice, the deeper we go with God.
 
Tomorrow, I will tell you about another way.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Deep discipleship leads us to deep truth

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “But solid food is for the mature – for those who have been trained to distinguish between good and evil. Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity …” Hebrews 5:14 – 6:1 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Deep discipleship leads us to deep truth”
 
Over the course of the last three daily devotional messages, we took the time and made the effort to do a deep-dive into the complex subject of what constitutes a legitimate marriage in the eyes of God and of the Christian community. Doing so required some thought, effort, and research. Deep discipleship is like that. Deep discipleship leads us away from superficial or simplistic answers to complex questions and causes us to think, pray, and study before we arrive at our conclusions. Deep discipleship leads us to deep truth.
 
This is the kind of thing the writer of the letter to the Hebrews was referring to in Hebrews 5:14 -6:1. The editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible offered this insight with respect to that passage, “Deep spiritual truths are reserved for the spiritually mature. Though the immature may hear the truths, they will not grasp them.”
 
That reminded me of one of my favorite quotes regarding the adventure of living the Christian life and about the rewards of deep discipleship. It was written by author Jim Peterson: “One of the greatest gifts God has given us is the infinite opportunity for spiritual growth. But however much we have matured, there is always more beyond. It is in this that we find the adventure of living. There will always be new, unexplored dimensions of His person beckoning to us. The possibilities go off the chart.”
 
In the time remaining to us this month, we will consider some practical ways to engage in deep discipleship. God reserves the deepest spiritual truths for the spiritually mature who will take the time and make the effort to seek them out.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
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Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Is it okay to cut the government out?

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well.” John 2:1-2 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Is it okay to cut the government out?”
 
As we continue our deep-dive into the complex question of what constitutes a legitimate marriage in the eyes of God and therefore in the eyes of the Christian community, let’s remember that for thousands of years, across generations and across cultures, Christian men and women have been coming before God and the Christian community and dedicating their union as husband and wife to God. Many, if not most of them, have done so in societies that knew nothing of government-sanctioned marriage and government-issued marriage licenses. And yet, they were still considered to be married in the eyes of God and in the eyes of their Christian community.
 
But what about Christians who live in societies where the government is involved in sanctioning and regulating marriage? Do Christians have to be married both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the government? My personal opinion is that “biblically” the answer is “no”. There simply is no biblical imperative given on the pages of Scripture requiring the people of God to obtain government sanction in order for their marriages to be legitimate in the eyes of God or in the eyes of the Christian community.
 
And if they do get married in the eyes of God but not in the eyes of the government, here in the USA they are not breaking any secular law, because there is no secular law that prohibits consenting adults from living together (I checked, only two states have such laws on the books but they are unenforced).
 
However, I still believe Christian couples should have a government-issued marriage license if their society offers one. I believe this for two reasons: first, there are many benefits to it, including legal protections and tax advantages. But second, if they don’t have a marriage license it will appear as if they are cohabiting – just living together for the sake of convenience and perhaps sex. That would be a bad witness to the unbelieving world and I believe Christians should avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
 
But there are rare cases when it makes sense for Christian couples to keep the government out of marriage. One such case involves developmentally disabled adults who depend on government healthcare and income assistance. There are laws on the books in many states that cut their individual benefits if they get married, thereby making it almost impossible for them to survive. As single adults they get full benefits but as married adults they would each get only partial benefits. In my opinion that’s evidence of a coldhearted bureaucracy hurting innocent people with stupid laws. If those couples can cut the government out, be married in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the Christian community, without violating any secular law, and without losing the benefits they desperately need, then they should. (I have performed such a wedding and I offer no apologies for having done so.)
 
Likewise, senior citizens sometimes find themselves in a similar position. A widow and a widower both have annuity benefits earned with their deceased spouses. But if they remarry those annuity benefits are either cut or terminated altogether, thereby taking away a source of income that was earned along with their deceased spouse and which is rightfully theirs. In such cases I encourage the couples to quietly get married before God, and to simply cut the government and the insurance companies out of it. The couple is violating no law by doing so.
 
So, the answer to our question is that in probably 99% of the cases, Christian couples should get married in the eyes of both God and the government. But there are those special cases which require an extra measure of grace, common sense, and understanding on the part of the Christian community. It just takes a little extra effort to think such things through. The practice of deep discipleship helps us to develop the skills for doing so.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
  
Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
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Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Is it a real marriage?

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6-9 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Is it a real marriage?”
 
Adam and Eve did not have a marriage license. Neither did Abraham and Sarah, Boaz and Ruth, Joseph and Mary, Aquila and Priscilla, or any other couple recorded on the pages of the Bible. Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not dismissing the importance of a government-issued marriage license. In 99% of all the weddings I have performed as a minister the couples had a marriage license – and they should have. There was no reason not to. However, there is a point to be made here.
 
Historically there have generally been three forms or structures of marriage that have been acknowledged by societies as constituting a “legitimate” marriage. First, for thousands of years men and women have had their unions consecrated in a religious ceremony. That constitutes being married in the eyes of God. Second, in more recent history, some societies have instituted government-sanctioned marriage which requires a government-issued marriage license. And then some societies (including eight states in the USA), recognize what is known as “common-law marriage” as a legitimate form of marriage. (My state, Tennessee, has not codified common-law marriage but it does recognize common-law marriages initiated in and recognized by other states.) In common-law marriage the couple seeks neither religious nor government sanction, but still consider themselves to be married.
 
The question for us today is, “Do Christian couples have to have a government-issued marriage license for their marriage to be a “real” marriage in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the Christian community?” Since there is no evidence of any couple in the Bible seeking or needing a government-issued marriage license for their marriage to be viewed as legitimate, do Christians have to have one in order for their marriage to be a real marriage? For most of history few societies have had government-issued marriage licenses. And for thousands of years Christian couples have been coming before God and before the Christian community dedicating their marriages to God, and their marriages were viewed as legitimate based just on that. Their secular governments had nothing to say about it.
 
But what if Christians live in a society that does have the structure of government-sanctioned marriage and government-issued marriage licenses? Can a man and a woman still be married in the eyes of God and of the Christian community even if they are not married in the eyes of the government?
 
For the answer to that question we will have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry, but this practice of avoiding simplistic answers to complex questions can take a little work and it can be a little time-consuming. Sometimes it requires more than a single one-page daily devotional message to discuss it. Deep discipleship can be like that. It takes time and effort to think these things through. So, hang in there with me. We will finish our thinking about this subject tomorrow.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571