Mystery of the First Love Lost...Ch.7.Fellowship..Authority

... Part 1 and 2 ...

                                 

                                                

Mystery of Fellowship

... Authority

     Our heavenly Father designed the family to be a picture of His Church ... which actually is the believers' "forever family"

... as it pertains to "fellowship" ... and "authority"

... keeping in mind that while our personal relationship with Christ must take preeminence ... even over our relationship with family

... the family unit is actually intended to function as our first Church ... our first bodily contribution to the "forever family"

... composed of the totality of genuine "born-again" believers wherever they may be geographically located in the world

... and as such ... the same considerations regarding "fellowship" ... "teaching" ... "correction" ... and "counsel" in the Church

... as well as the way we view the issue of "authority" ... are all meant to be applied to the family structure.

     For this reason ... we need to establish ... "Truth" of the Word of God ... "humility" ... and "submission" ... also as priorities of the family structure

[See previous chapter regarding "humility" and "submission"]

... all constructed around the heart ... the foundation ... of the home ... found first of all ... in "love" and "unity" through the "mind of Christ" in His Holy Word

... and then manifested in the parents

... illustrating the Word of God ... as marriage is described as ... God's picture of Christ and His genuine Church

... the true Bride of Christ:

"For the husband

is the head of the wife,

even as Christ is

the head of the church:

and

he is the saviour

of the body."

(Eph.5:23)

     The picture God provides in this verse ... develops ... as husband and wife experience genuine "love" and "unity" through their individual ... personal relationships with Jesus Christ ... being "born-again" ... and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

     To correctly understand the role of the husband ... we must first take note of how the "enemy" ... of Christ ... His Church ... and the family ... functions in an attempt to interfere with "love" and "unity."

     It's actually pretty simple to understand ... because whatever God is for ... the "enemy" is against:

... if "God is Love" that cares about supplying whatever others need ... and gives up self in order to do that 

... then the "enemy" will redefine "Love" and promote self ... deciding for oneself when and how to address the needs of others

... or even deciding to completely ignore the needs of those God brings into their life

... obeying one's own (or the devil's) voice of direction ... instead of yielding one's heart to the Voice of God

... putting selfish gratification first ... instead of caring for the needs of others

... whatever God wants to build

     ... the "enemy" wants to destroy

... whatever God wants to put in order

     ... the "enemy" wants to mess with

     ... and confuse

... if God wants something to go forward

    ... the "enemy" wants it to go backward

     This is how God's picture of authority has become perverted ... in the "church" ... in the "world" ... and in the "family."

     This sounds extreme ... but actually requires a very simple "fix."

     All we have to do ... to straighten out the mess ... is to take a closer look at the Words used in this passage ... this time

... by letting God ... Who IS the Word ... and Who IS "Love" ... have His rightful place of Preeminent Authority

... by correctly defining His own Word:

"head"

  [G2776]

  = life

  = supreme .. chief

  = lord

     While this certainly could look like "authorty" in a context of "control" ... at this point ... and Jesus definitely is our "Supreme Chief and Lord"

... our spirit should start to feel a little unsettled at the thought of Jesus wanting to be a "controling dictator"

... our uneasiness ... becoming something ... some husbands and some church "authorities" might even diagnose as "rebellion" in wives and Church members ... who strain at the unnecessary ... unbiblical ... reins that are attempting to be applied to them

... something that some doctrines have obviously ignored by promoting control as a type of "spiritual" ... even "protective" dictatorial position over their "churchlings"

... blatantly manifested ... of course ... in the case of cults.

     Nevertheless ... if we are thorough in our study in the Greek ... and proceed to the Lexicon

... suddenly the definition of "head" takes a gruesome ... unexpected ... turn ... as it connects the "head" to the first definition on the list ... which is "life" ... putting "life" in what we could call ... a "negative light"

... as it describes the function of the "head" ... by what happens when a "head" is removed from a body

... causing the "life" to be destroyed ... (which is referred to as "capital punishment")

... because the "head" was created to be physically 

responsible for everything that goes on in the physical body.

     In other words ... if the "head" is not present or not doing its job ... the entire body is unable to function and live.

     Therefore ... instead of a position of control ... and domination ... the "head" should rightfully assume the position of ... serving ... being involved in supplying what the body needs to function properly and remain alive and healthy.

     In the case of Church and family ... we can also apply this principle to the spiritual body using the words:

"spiritually functioning ... alive and healthy."

     So instead of the "head" ... (whatever type of authoritative structure it represents) ... looking in the mirror and saying to itself ... "what a handsome ... powerful

... controling "head/authority" I am"

... it should be saying to itself (as the Lord ... the preeminent Authority ... Jesus Christ ... prayed the night before He gave His life to be the "Saviour" of the Body ... His Bride ... His wife ... His forever family ... and His Church)

... saying ... "How can I receive the Father's supernatural help to fulfill this extremely heavy responsibility ... to provide what the Church/family requires ... in order to function as it should ... according to the Word of God?"

... and then Jesus went into the garden to sweat great drops of Blood and seek the Father's help.

     Note ... while the wife is to be the husband's "helpmeet" ... or "assistant" ... her function does not take the place of God's position as the One who supplies what the husband needs to provide for his family

... unless the husband is not physically able to do so

... but the wife is to be engaged as keeper of the home ... in nurturing the family ... doing her share of educating ... preparing ... and wisely dispensing ... the resources the husband receives for the family from their heavenly Father

... as well as enjoying the freedom of following the Proverbs 31 woman ... who also conducted her own ... independent business ... as time permitted.

     Yes ... the husband ... (and every authority on the face of the earth) ... is the "head" ... supplying "life" to the body

... which really means ... (even though not actually carried out today in most cases) ... the one in authority is really meant to ... serve ... by being responsible to supply what is required to those under his authority ... so they are able to function properly in the specific position to which they have been called.

     We are not establishing a worldly welfare system in this description ... as authority pertains to a governmental structure

... since God did not establish governments to fill a father's shoes ... take the place of Almighty God ... or His Church

... but to preserve order and the freedom required ... for families ... with God's help ... fulfill their own responsibilities ... allowing individuals and Church bodies the freedom and responsibility to meet spiritual needs

... as well as physical needs ... by helping those who have no help ... in this way bringing glory to God and opportunities to further the Gospel of salvation through demonstrating the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

     The need for a governmental welfare system is a sign that a civilization is under God's judgment ... vying for the position as "god" of the people

... Or ...

... in the case of the famine in Egypt ... it was God's way of bringing glory to Himself ... through His advance warning ... using Joseph ... a servant of God ... to facilitate the remedy

... something which would not only affect Joseph's family ... but all of Egypt.

     When wife and children understand ... and experience the love and care of the one who is the "head" ... they will not hesitate to acknowledge him as their authority ... "even as He (Christ) is saviour of the body"

... "saviour of the body" ... [G4990] ... meaning "deliverer" (from evil ... through self-sacrifice ... prayer ... and instruction) ... as well as "preserver" (physical and spiritual protector) of the family.

     Then ... husband and wife are "united" as one body under the Authority of Christ to "teach" ... "counsel" ... and "correct" ... creating a "family fellowship" ... as also established in the Church ... according to the Word of God

... which tells us ... through God's discourse and instruction ... found in Proverbs Chapter 2

... how this is accomplished:

v.1

My son,

if thou wilt

receive my words,

and hide

my commandments

with thee;

     In this first verse ... our heavenly Father begins by taking ownership and responsibility for His child ... which belongs to the Father by right as Creator ... thus ... establishing every "father's" responsibility for his child

... and every Church member ... submitting to the Authority of Christ and the totality of His Holy Word over the Church body ... as their heavenly Father ... and Creator

... the One who holds the final responsibility of spiritually and physically providing everything the Church needs to fulfill its calling.

     Then the child's father ... (and the Church's heavenly Father) ... approach the child ... (and the Church) ... to present the same conditional opportunity

... that can only be obtained ... by being willing to receive what the child needs from his father ... (and the Church needs from their heavenly Father).

     The father's child ... and the (heavenly Father's) Church Body are both instructed to "hide" ... [H6845] ... or highly value ... "treasure up" ... and keep close to their heart ... what the father (and heavenly Father) desires them to have

... assuming ... that it is something the father ... (and heavenly Father) ... knows the child (and Church) will need

... something that only He can provide

... in this case ... the father's ... (and heavenly Father's) ... rules ... "commandments."

     The reason the child and the Church are instructed to make "commandments" ... rules preeminent in their life is:

v.2

So that thou

incline thine ear

unto wisdom,

and

apply thine heart

to understanding;

     Church ... child ... and parent ... are all being taught that God is presenting an important challenge ... that can be of great value to them when they willingly receive ... the rules ... "commandments" ... God and our earthly fathers have set before us.

     To acquire these benefits ... first of all ... we are required to "incline" ... rise above the norm ... strive to focus on listening to what is being said

... not only listening with our physical ears

... but learning to listen with our heart

... learning to engage our heart in this listening process

... until it blesses us with the "understanding" our heavenly Father (and earthly father) intend us to possess.

     However ... this is not going to be an easy task ... we are going to have to desire this with our whole heart:

v.3

Yea, if thou criest

after knowledge, 

and

liftest up thy voice

for understanding;

     To "cry after knowledge" ... involves strong emotion ... and so does "crying out loud" by "lifting up our voice"

... and whenever the emotions are involved ... the heart is also involved.

... and what is this emotional ... deeply heart-felt plea "seeking"?

... It is seeking "understanding" ... which carries the Father's promise that:

v.4

If thou seekest

her as silver,

and

searchest for her

as for hid treasures;

     What we are instructed to seek with our whole heart is preeminently valuable ... to our physical ... as well as our eternally spiritual life

... because:

v.5

Then

shalt thou understand

the fear of the LORD,

and find 

the knowledge of God.

     Our physical and spiritual life actually depend on two important things:

(1).. "fear of the Lord"

        ... reverence and submission to God's authoritative position by right of Creator.

... and ... 

(2).."knowledge of God"

         ... the totality of His Word found in the Old and New Testaments that provide everything we need to know about sin ... salvation ... and our eternal life

... found in the Lord Jesus Christ:

v.6

For the LORD giveth wisdom:

out of his mouth cometh

knowledge and understanding.

     We are crying out to God because we need "wisdom" ... "knowledge" ... and "understanding"

... and what is the source of the "wisdom" ... "knowledge" ... and "understanding"?

... where does it come from?

     "Wisdom" ... "knowledge" ... and "understanding" come out of the mouth of God

... from the Word of God.

* * * * *

... Part 2 ...

v.7

He layeth up

sound wisdom

for the righteous:

he is a buckler to them

that walk uprightly.

     Our Father has already "layed up" ... "stored up ... in His Holy Word" ... "put in reserve" ... all of the "sound wisdom" we are ever going to need ... if we follow Him and desire to live a genuinely "righteous" life.

     Since He IS the "Wisdom that cries out" ... from the Word of God ... even in the streets ...(as pictured in Proverbs 1:20-21) ... He will ... Himself ... serve as our "buckler" ... "protector" ... "shield."

     He IS the... powerful "buckler" ... the Defence we need ... because to "walk uprightly" ... is something we are going to have to fight ... the world ... the flesh ... and the devil to achieve.

v.8

He keepeth the paths

of judgment,

and

preserveth the way

of his saints.

     Our Father "keeps" ... guards our "paths" ... preserving the way of life ... He has determined to be properly ordained for us ... every unique mile of the narrow road  ... each of His people are specifically called to travel

... knowing even before we take our first step ... exactly where that step ... and every step thereafter ... is going to take us

... "keeping" us safely headed in the right direction

... protecting our unique journey in life.

v.9

Then

shalt thou understand

righteousness,

and judgment,

and equity;

yea, every good path.

     Only after we have taken note of the way God preserves our journey ... will we be able to "understand" the importance of choosing the "right path"

... according to how He "judges" what qualifies as the most eternally beneficial route for us to take.

v.10

When wisdom

entereth into thine heart,

and

knowledge is pleasant

unto thy soul;

     In the beginning of our life ... we aren't very concerned about "wisdom."

     Unfortunately most parents ask themselves ... and their children ... "Which would you like?" ... or ... "Which one do you choose?"

... when they should be asking "Which do you think is the wisest choice for you ... and why do you think it is the wisest choice?"

     In the beginning ... "knowledge" is not the most "pleasant" thing.

However:

v.11

Discretion

shall preserve thee,

understanding

shall keep thee:

"Discretion"

  [H4209]

  (Discernment of:)

  = evil working devices

  = inventions .. intent

  = wicked thoughts

  = craftiness .. (witchcraft)

  [Lexicon]

  = devising of a snare

  = malice .. fraud

  = (misrepresentation)

  [Dictonary]

  = logic .. foresight

  = intelligent decision

  = prudence .. common sense

     This type of "discretion" involves much more than restraint .. self control .. or maintaining composure

...it is developed through growing in "wisdom" and "knowledge" of the Word of God ... sharpening our spiritual discernment

... to the point of being able to size-up works of evil in advance ... while merely in the forming stage

... so action can be taken to avoid any threat.

This is one method our Father uses to provide and to:

"preserve"

  [H8104]

  = be on guard .. observe

  = give heed .. attention to

  = watch .. protect

  = save life

     "Trusting God" ... does not mean being careless and non-attentive.

     There is some very dangerous false doctrine being promoted today ... doctrine fabricated after the devil's attempt ... (in Matthew .. Chapter 4) ... to test and challenge Jesus to jump from the pinnacle ... mockingly telling Him "not to be afraid" because the angels would catch Him.

[See:"Bread..Tasting..Tempting" link in left column at "Article List"]

     Watchful Christians are now being labeled as "fearful and unbelieving" simply because they are following the Scriptures to discern the wiles of the devil ... as the Word of God instructs them to do

... as well as being accused of "trying to preserve their life" instead of "lose it for the cause of Christ"

... by those seriously misinterpreting Scripture that is actually referring to those who are making things of this world preeminent instead of making Jesus Christ Lord of their life

... while God's instruction actually tells us to develop "discretion" that will be beneficial to "preserving" us.

... also promoting the myth that everyone is basically good ... or ... just needs "to be loved"

... no need to watch over and instruct your children ... no need to discern what sort of people are in your social group ... your church ... in the doctor's office ... behind a desk sitting in judgment of every word you speak ... or even in your family.

(You would be shocked to learn how many of the people you trust without question ... actually are in the process of developing psychopathic ... murderous ... hearts ... by smoking meth ... or using other dangerous drugs that are so easily acquired today.)

     While we can hope for the best  ... it is extremely foolish to presumptuously turn our spiritual discernment off.

     Our Father expects us not to become complacent ... but to grow in knowledge and "understanding"

... and:

"keep"

  [H5341]

  = watch .. guard

  = observe hidden things

  = maintain

  = defend

     "Wisdom" and "knowledge" may not be "pleasant" at first ... but if we are paying attention to to the events that are coming into our life while on this eternal journey

... we soon will realize just how valuable they really are to self "preservation" ... and being "kept" out of trouble ... and hell

... therefore will learn to cultivate "discretion" to "preserve" our life

... and bear the fruit of "understanding" ... that will help us develop the discernment required 

... to avoid deception and foolish choices:

v.12

To deliver thee

from the way

of the evil man,

from the man

that speaketh

froward things;

     We don't usually consider being "watchful" and "discerning" a very pleasant way to live life ... until we discover the price we will have to pay for not being careful in today's sin-filled world

... so we should really say "extra careful" because most of us already believe the lie that we are already being careful enough.

     Being "delivered" from the "way"/"path" of the "evil man" speaks of being rescued from a path that we already are assumed to be on ... a road we are already traveling.

     This can only be realized when we are able to recognize the true spiritual condition of the world we have been born into and now living in ... by comparing it to God's definitions found in His Holy Word.

     When we understand the true nature of man and especially how ... with the help of easily obtainable drugs today ... gateways to demonic influence can be opened

... and a respectable-looking person can actually become someone desperate enough to do harm to others ... simply as a means to pay for his next fix

... only then ... can we understand that the real world in which we live is not that safe ... cute ... little world ... portrayed on silver screens.

     How is it possible to discern an "evil person"?

     An individual that is "froward in speech" is "perverse" ... meaning "self-willed" ... "contrary" ... to what is acceptable ... according to the Word of God.

     However ... the "froward" person today is clever enough to be able to also speak "christian-ese" ... having mastered the "art" of appearing to walk uprightly 

... but actually are among those:

v.13

Who leave the paths

of uprightness,

to walk in

the ways of darkness;

     These are people who were once on a "path" of "uprightness" ... once headed in the right direction ... but drawn away ... and now "walk in the darkness"

... now even going to the other extreme becoming those:

v.14

Who rejoice

to do evil,

and

delight in

the frowardness

of the wicked;

     These are people who have degenerated ... happily embraced evil ... to the point of psychopathically letting go of what it means to be a human being ... as they can no longer access normal love and empathy for others

... having become even so inhumane as to actually find pleasure in witnessing the perverseness of others .. as they also openly manifest "wickedness."

     Without the "wisdom" ... "knowledge" ... and "understanding" that comes from the "mouth of God" ... from the Word of God

... genuine "fellowship" and righteous "authority"

... cannot exist.

* * * * *

To receive eternal life

with Jesus Christ:

▪ Scroll to the top

  of this blog

▪ click on the gift

  wrapped in gold

  in the left column

▪ and follow the

   directions with

   a sincere heart.

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