Lesson Nine: Why don't we have peace? Pt.2

Adulterous people:

4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of
God.

In the Old Testament, God often describes Himself as the husband of His people. And the New Testament calls the Church the Bride of Christ. (see below for specific scripture references.)

Thus, to pursue the world's pleasure is to commit adultery against our true husband. When we do, we place our focus on things that are seen, rather than what is unseen, which is lacking faith. We love our stuff more than God. But we cannot serve both God and Mammon. Therefore, James calls this spiritual adultery, or having an adulterous heart.

But Remember -- the big point is -- He is Our Husband
(Even Though We Have Adulterous Hearts)
Surely, to be prone to spiritual adultery is very Bad News. In our culture, a husband would most likely start divorce proceedings on the spot if his wife committed adultery. In the ancient Hebrew culture of the Old Testament world, an adulterous wife would be put to death by stoning.

However, the good news is that our spiritual Husband is Jesus Christ! If we trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He is our "jealous husband." He continues to pursue our love even though we have very unfaithful hearts.

The Holy Spirit enables us to do battle with the sinful desires that rage within us against our grace-driven desire to love our Lord and Savior. God's grace through Christ ABOUNDS to us when we are willing to humble ourselves and submit to God's law and rule over our lives. When we do, this is when we are most satisfied and our Godly desires or pleasures are met in Him.

5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Supporting Scriptures:
OLD TESTAMENT-

Hosea 3:1

1 The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods."

Isaiah 62

Ezekiel 16

Jeremiah 31:32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them, "
declares the LORD.

NEW TESTAMENT

Eph 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27a nd to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Rev 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready."

Rev 21:2 "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."


For More Help on How to Have Peace with God, Peace with Others, and Peace Within, Visit Peacemaker Ministries:
Getting to the Heart of the Conflict
Peacemaking Principles