CHRISTIANITY'S SHAMEFUL DIVORCE
Don Hawley
The sanctity of marriage is underlined by the fact that it predates the advent of sin. It was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden, and what took place there should be the pattern for all time. We believe that Adam and Eve remained married until "death did them part," but today more than half of all marriages end in divorce. Even Christians are not immune to this serious problem.
Today, however, I want to examine the matter of divorce from a different standpoint. Paul spoke of a vital marriage ordained of God.
Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. 1 Thess. 1:5.
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. 1 Corin. 2:4.
God intended a divine marriage between the spoken Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that should never be broken, but the church long ago declared a divorce. For the most part, Christendom has been divided into two opposing camps; those who champion the Word, and those who focus on the ministry of the Spirit.
CHRISTENDOM DIVIDED
One group says, "We stand by an inerrant and infallible Bible. We cleave to the doctrines; we have 'the truth.'" The other camp says, "We have experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We know the gifts, and have seen miracles." Because each side is divorced from the other, I believe Jesus would say once again:
You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. Matt. 22:29.
When the marriage relationship is broken, neither party has the fullness of truth and is subject to error. God will never be pleased until this shameful divorce is ended.
A. W. Tozer sounded a wise caution in his book The Divine Conquest.
"While it is never possible to have the Spirit without at least some measure of truth, it is, unfortunately, possible to have a shell of truth without the Spirit. Our hope is that we may have both the Spirit and the truth in fuller measure."
Since the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, he is the only one who can explain it adequately; only he can grace the words of Scripture with power. How was Peter able, for the first time in his life, to speak with such power that 3,000 cried out, "Just tell us what to do!"? It was because of a Pentecostal marriage between the Word and the Spirit. Jesus always was able to perform mighty works, because in him the marriage was always complete and whole.
I want to state boldly that we cannot experience the return of Christ until this shameful divorce is ended and a remarriage takes place.
A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in sprit and in truth. John 4:23, 24.
It is too late in history to be anything but a "true worshiper." The real Body of Christ in these last days will be made up of those who have experienced the remarriage of the Word and the Spirit, an embracement of the true doctrine with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. All else will be counterfeit regardless of the boasting.
DON'T WAIT
Do not wait for some congregation or denomination to make this vital move; it may never come. You as an individual can experience this marriage in your own heart any time you please; it is the Father's will for you.
If you want to ponder this matter at more depth, please obtain the book The Word and the Spirit by Paul Cain and R.T. Kendall. The former is one of the strongest prophetic voices in the world today, and the latter is one of the foremost Bible teachers and theological exponents of our age. This slim volume has some wonderful insights into the need for remarriage and how it can be effected.
These two men were once in opposite camps created by spiritual divorce. In fact, speaking of Cain, Kendall says, "I had actually warned prominent church leaders against this man whom I felt was occultic. Like so many, I was more ready to believe in the devil's power than in the power of God. I had to change my mind." Cain is now a member in Kendall's congregation, Westminster Chapel.
If the book is not in your local Christian bookstore (some professedly Christian bookstores are still a part of the divorce), you can obtain it by writing or calling: Book Store, Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, 272 Attwell Dr., Toronto, ON, Canada M9W 6M3. Phone: 1-416-674-8463
Let us each determine we will be part of a move to rejoin that which God never intended should be split asunder.