By Design, Pt. 2

To see God's viewpoint in Scripture on the family, you do not have to go far: it's right there in Genesis chapter 1!

By Design, Pt. 2

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

(Genesis 1:27)

Much of western Europe and parts of our nation have taken up this battle against the family. The devil shows his hand as he did in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. It was not enough for them to parade sexual perversion and abominations for the world to see, but it was done in a blatant attack on Jesus and our faith. Therein lies the real issue behind all the attacks on the family: they are attacks against the Lord and His Word. Those in Paris who defended the mockery of Jesus and the Last Supper said they did not intend to offend anyone. I was like, "You have got to be kidding!" It would be like someone punching you in the face and saying, "I sure hope that did not hurt!"

I think it is interesting and a bit hopeful to point out that in the same city of Paris, France, just over ten years ago, hundreds of thousands of people marched in a nonviolent rally to show their opposition for legalizing gay marriages and allowing gay couples to adopt and conceive children through IVF and surrogacy. Police estimated that 340,000 protestors walked three miles in Paris before converging at the Eiffel Tower. (Source: Austin-American Statesman, "Protesters March Against Gay Marriage," p. A2, January 14, 2013)

It is always good and timely to focus on the fundamentals, to refresh our minds with what is truth, according to the Scriptures. When it comes to the family, the blocking and tackling of biblical teaching on the family can be found in the first two chapters of Genesis. This focus on the family will be a repeat for many of you who are followers of Jesus, but for others, it will be the first time you have studied the origins of the bedrock unit of society, the family, as described in the book of beginnings.

To see God's viewpoint in Scripture on the family, you do not have to go far. In Genesis 1, we read where God created man and woman, male and female. He also created the basic foundational building block of society, which is the family. The family consists of a husband and wife and their children. The first institution created by God was not the church or a business or a sports team or a civic group; rather, it was the family.

The family is God's idea. All people have a father and a mother who conceived them, and their mother gave birth to them. Take a moment and thank God for your family, for your parents, for the blessings He has given you. For some, this will be harder, because there has been much pain and heartache inflicted upon you by those who should have loved you the most. I am so grateful to God for His care for His children, and though our parents and others may disappoint us, God never will.