There are no Jews, no Greeks, etc... Part 13

There is a brother I know who is a functional alcoholic, who could drink at night and work the following day and maintain his existence for a little bit. But it has begun to affect his work and his ability to care for his daughter when his wife must go out to the grocery or to pick up the other kids. He has come late to work, he blames his wife for not waking him up in time to get to work or church, he falls asleep when caring for his 3 year old daughter. His wife is not totally blameless though. She has in the past demonstrated lack of sensitivity and compassion for him, prior to his taking up with the friendship of the bottle. All the way around a touch situation, in which either one could get out of. Except that they are both part of the body. There are issues both needed to deal with that they haven’t dealt with, and the drinking is just a symptom of filling a deep seeded need to have someone to love that isn’t going to love him even if he wants it. And as long as there is life, there is hope. God in his infinite mercy has shown this man’s wife that this man really is not as bad as he seems, that while she makes him realize that he is in danger of becoming a full-fledged no-doubt alcoholic, when he confessed and said he would change it was up to her to forgive him. At first this was hard for her to do, because she was quick to point out the good aspects of her ex-husband. So I quickly pointed out if her ex had come to her and asked for a second chance she would have given it to him. If that was so, how was it that she couldn’t give her present husband this opportunity. It had to do with forgiveness. How willing is she to forgive him for giving in to alcoholism and not share with his wife. When he came to her especially. If it weren’t for God in their lives, their married life would have crumbled like the wind on a dandelion. Because of God these two will make it. They have decided to follow what God tells them to do, and he is committed not to drink anymore, and she is committed to forgive him and to see the Christ that is in him. Jude 22, “…and of some have compassion…” comes to mind. I need to remember that above all, being in Christ is about looking at the world with compassionate, sensitive eyes. I need to remember the covenant that not only the collective “I” makes with God every time we worship Him in unison each Sunday to love, honor and obey Him, but also the covenant I personally have made with Him when I said I would be His. I also need to remember just how seriously He takes those covenants. In Genesis 17:14, and again in Exodus 12:15, I see just how seriously God takes His covenant, when the male uncircumcised child is cut-off from the rest of the people. What God says I and “I” must do. In Exodus 30:33-38, there are consequences to the Israelites disobedience. And there will be consequences to mine. In Leviticus 7:27 and 17:8,9 there are consequences for not obeying the law. Especially if I am a to be a leader among people. I must be clean, much as the man in Leviticus 20:18 and Leviticus 22:3. What that means is that my heart has to be pure and unblemished and as Jesus’ analogy of the cup, the inside of the cup has to be clean. (Matthew 23:25) Paul warns the early Christians of this over and over and over to use the scripture not to bind but to teach by example.(1 Corinthians 10:6) There is very little in fact in scripture that God commands us to do. “Love God with all your heart, soul, body and mind…(Matthew 22:37) When I do that, everything in the 10 Commandments becomes a given. Honor your father and mother, well of course I will because if I don’t I won’t be loving God. Even if the parent abuses his child, God understands, sees, knows, and will repay. (Rom ???) for the perversion of abusive parents. But that vengeance cannot come from me, only God. I am no different from that person because I cut with my words. Repent and be baptized, again of course, if I love God and wish to obey Him I will do as He says, I will change my heart, turn from my sinful life and participate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.