Irrevocable Standard

While driving home from work today, sport radio stations were covering the Tiger Wood's adultery scandal from every angle.  A talk-show host began thinking by talking (and I quote to the best of my recollection):  "Who really is surprised by infidelity these days?  Maybe we should rethink the whole idea of marriage as a society.  Half of the marriages fail, so maybe we shouldn't teach our kids that you need to be married at a certain stage.  Maybe marriage doesn't work.  I dunno."  I have learned that if I don't know, my mouth should stay shut.  I am not surprised by infidelity.  But to suggest that marriage should be "re-thought" as if the problem is the institution of marriage by God, that is where I firmly stand in opposition.

Consider the logic:  because many marriages fail due to infidelity, we should do away with marriage.  Because the standard of monogomous marriage is so often broken, as a society let us remove the standard.  From a worldly perspective, perhaps this makes twisted sense.  But as a follower of Jesus Christ who believes that no society or government can rethink or redefine the institution of marriage between one man and one woman as God has ordained, it is a foolish and ignorant view.  This is the equivalent of saying, "Because Americans are lousy at geography, maybe we should rethink maps.  Throw out all the maps, and then we won't have to know where anything is.  Think of all the geography classes that would not be taught, saving taxpayers millions."  We could burn every map in the world, but our actions do not change the alignment of continents and countries on the globe.  No, we must maintain and promote the standards God has decreed.  No matter what we think about God's precepts, they will stand and endure.

We live in a culture where standards are compromised because of feelings.  Take a kid bowling and lanes are outfitted with bumpers so a child never has to feel the sting of disappointment from a gutter-ball.  In tee-ball outs and run totals are not kept (mostly to keep the parents from taking it too seriously!) so no one feels bad because of losing.  Where there is no loser there is no winner.  Abolishing marriage is not a reasonable solution.  Marriage is a good thing that has been tainted by imperfect people.  No one is required to be married, and those who are married are not required to be divorced.   Sin is the problem, not marriage.  But we love to blame other people or even God to shirk the responsibility He will certainly hold us accountable for on the Day of Judgment.  Using the talk-show host's logic, let's just rethink God and forget the Bible so we won't be held accountable.  My friends, this "logic" may sound appealing until the horrible moment we are brought before the Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, the Maker of all things.  How will our betraying thoughts serve us then?

No scientist or person with a moderately functional brain can deny the order in the universe, from a single cell to the alignment of heavenly bodies.  Where people differ is how it began, or Who is responsible.  We trust that with ever beat of our heart, oxygenated blood will flow through all of our bodies and return to the heart with the next beat.  God designed that.  We recognize deformity in the human body because there is uniformity in human anatomy.  God designed the heavens, and He who placed limits on the oceans designed marriage.  We are flawed and cannot meet God's standard of perfection.  Through Jesus, when we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.  A broken heart can be healed, and a broken marriage can be restored.  Only God can do these things.

God's laws are not in our power to change.  No amount of us thinking changes reality.  Jesus said, "Which of you by worrying can add 18 inches to your height?"  By thinking I cannot enable my hair to change from brown to blonde!  Everything that God has done is good.  Let us walk according to His ways, for in doing so we will glorify Him.