Each Friday’s edition of this paper includes the “Faith and Family” section from which you are presently reading. It is obvious that these two words joined by the coordinating conjunction “and” have reference to one’s religious beliefs and the family unit. These two subjects are likewise joined by God. This reminds us that the Lord said, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6).

Let us begin by understanding a few things about faith. First, the word faith simply means belief. To have faith in God is to believe in God. To have faith in Christ is to believe in Christ. Some would have us to believe that faith means a blind leap in the dark, but such is not the case. Generally speaking, one may believe something with or without adequate proof. When it comes to “Bible faith”, the faith that the New Testament repeatedly tells us that we must have in order to have eternal life, such faith is not without proof. The apostle Paul tells us the origin of such faith. He says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Speaking of proof, how much more proof could one have than that the God of heaven said so? This is the old saying, “God said it, I believe it and that settles it”. Actually, if God said it, that settles it whether I believe it or not. The word faith is also used in the New Testament is a somewhat aggregate way, standing for the entirety of the gospel of Christ. And example of this use is seen when Jude wrote saying, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). This is the use of the word faith when one speaks of being of a certain faith when in reference to a certain religion.

The place where God has joined faith and family is in His word. He has provided His word, from which one obtains Bible faith, on the subject of family. In other words, God has specified in His word how the family is to be structured and how it is to operate. In our age and society, the family has been under attack. Changes in family structure and function have been gradual, not quick and blatant. As a result, many young people today do not even realize that the family they know and love is nothing like the family used to be. What is abnormal as compared to God’s word has become the modern normal. The fact that government has sanctioned it and passed laws to further it, and society has accepted it, in no way changes the faith of God’s word concerning the makeup of the family unit.

The family as God would have it consists of a husband and wife. Jesus pointed out that this was God’s plan from the beginning (Matt. 19:4). In the beginning, it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve and not Madam and Eve. “Male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:27). No matter how perverted our society becomes, no matter how many laws man passes and no matter how many people want to be open minded, God’s law concerning the family still says, male and female. Homosexuality is sinful and is unacceptable to God (Rom. 1:22-32)! Some argue, “But a homosexual is born that way”. The truth is, a homosexual is no more born a homosexual than is a rapist born a rapist. Both are in violation to the commands of God and are deliberate decisions on the part of the one who does these things. God did create sex, He made them male and female. But God has regulated where and with whom sex is to be practiced. God’s law mandates that sex is to be between a man and his wife and no where else. The Hebrew writer puts it this way; “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). When this is practiced, children will be raised in a home that has both a father and a mother except for situations wherein a member of the family dies or a marriage is torn apart. This is faith and family joined together. Just think of the many problems in our society that would be all but eliminated if faith and family were truly joined as in God’s word.

In the God ordained family, the husband will be the head of the house (Eph. 5:23), cherishing his wife (Eph. 5:28-29), bringing the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4) and providing for the needs of the family (I Tim. 5:8). When faith and family are properly joined together, no longer is the government the source of education, food and housing for the family, for they work together to be responsible children of God. No longer is the acceptance and approval of society and peers the grounds upon which one determines what is right, but what did the Lord instruct to be done.

Our society has made a concerted effort to remove God (faith) from the lives of every citizen and in the process, since they are joined together by God, we have seen a drastic decomposition of the family. Let’s work to put the two back together where they belong.

(Editor’s note: Send any questions or comments to: rcoliver@centurylink.net)