#2201 1108 15A

            Family ties and home life give many opportunities for us to treat those in our family as God instructs.  It is all part of growing in faith and increasing in trust on God each day—showing forth the light of His Truth Jesus gave us.  God originated a home environment when He provided a companion for Adam.  It was a perfect family situation with peace, happiness, harmony, and cooperation among all.

            These ideal conditions were the result of God controlling the people.  Family and home is a very important environment in which we can grow spiritually—or go back spiritually; that is our choice.  The family is where we interact with others; whom we know very well—and where we can learn to treat them as God intended; that is our choice.

            The perfect conditions of this first home, however, were very quickly reversed.  Instead of peace, harmony, and cooperation, there was trouble, rebellion, and conflict.  The cause of this reversal was listening to the devil.  Satan told Eve that disobeying God would not affect her relationship with God—it would enable her to have everything she wanted—but without God.

            Adam had specific instructions Genesis 2:16-17 “You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die.”  Satan then told Eve this lie Genesis 3:4-5 “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

            Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”  Satan convinced them first; controlled them second; and deceived them third.  Now their heart was “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” Jeremiah 17:9.

            A rebellious nature is defined Romans 1:21-22 “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; [they] 25 changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.”

            28-29 “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness [all unrighteousness, fornication], evil, greed and depravity [maliciousness].  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.”

            Instead of loving and trusting God as Adam first did, they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, and began doing things that should never be done.  Instead of loving God they hated Him; instead of drawing near to God they ran from Him; and instead of trusting God they trusted their own plans.  The result of this wrong attitude was tragic—their first son murdered his brother and left the home.  Both parents lost both sons—because of disobeying God.

            Everyone born since that fatal decision to leave God and go their own way, is born with that same rebellious nature.  This nature will ignore God and be determined to get what it wants in its own way.  This attitude of not trusting God and instead trusting our own plans, is the control-center of Satan’s power.  Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way.”

            God knew that everyone would choose the wrong way, so He sent His only begotten Son into the world to offer the right way—by faith in His atoning Blood.  God promised to accept us back, if we will repent, ask Him to forgive us, and then trust Him in faith.  Eden-like conditions can be restored in our family through the sacrifice of Christ, so we have an Atonement right to claim what God has promised—“the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

            God assumes the responsibility to lead every willing soul away from the control of Satan, and to bring them back to the control of the Holy Spirit.  God’s initial plan is that our faith and trust be on Him for everything.  Eden-like peace and harmony is possible in our family today, because the shed Blood of Jesus provides that Hebrews 13:8.  Jesus Isaiah 53:5 “was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.”

            There are only two groups of people in the world—those under the control of Satan and those under the control of God—there is no neutral position of not being controlled by either of the two powers—we are controlled by one or the other.  Jesus said Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad;” Luke 11:23.

            We are either a believer or an unbeliever; a child of God or a child of the devil; we are either wise or foolish; a good tree or a bad tree; righteous or wicked; those whose names are in the Book of Life and those who are not; those who love the Lord or those who love the world; objects of God’s mercy or objects of God’s wrath; those living God’s Truth or those who accepting Satan’s lie.

            The majority of people are controlled by the devil and getting worse every day.  Those who trust God will be fewer and fewer as the End approaches.  The global flood of 2843 B.C. saw only eight people saved from God’s wrath, so the apostle warned Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty [vain] words, for because of such things [immorality, greed, idolatry] God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” Anyone who has not truly given their life to God, would be part of a world—that 1 John 5:19 “lieth in wickedness.”

            God has made it plain—He is very interested in the peace and harmony of our home and family, and in the salvation of every one of our family.  In contrast, Satan has made it plain that he is interested only in disturbing the peace of the home, and destroying everyone in our family, forever—if we allow him—as he was allowed with the first family.

            God’s Word gives the plan for peace and cooperation in our family, and it also tells how Satan’s power can be broken.  Following God’s plan will not only restore the Eden-like environment of our home, but will be a great spiritual blessing to everyone in our family.  Satan’s control of the first couple was evident when Adam chose to turn away from God and to go his own way.  That decision to follow his own plan by his own ability, is the nucleus of Satan’s control.

            Our use of sarcasm, resentment, and force to have family members act as we want them to, is following the human plan Adam and Eve followed; and it would yield the same disastrous results—if not corrected.  Jesus said John 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching;” and He taught us to John 15:12 “love one another”—not to resent, argue with, and be sarcastic to one another.

            The home is fertile soil for spiritual growth, because we act natural at home.  It is a good place to learn faith lessons on how to trust God for right attitudes in family members.  Our true character is revealed around the house.  We say things, and we treat others at home, in ways we would not want other people to know.

            The basic cause of trouble is Satan’s control of attitudes.  We were created to be controlled by God’s power, but we were born with a sin nature controlling.  Now we have to make the right choice, and to ask God to change our attitude.  If we will make that choice, God will make it possible by giving us His Holy Spirit to convert our attitude to a Christ-like one—being a peacemaker.

            To enjoy peace in our family, we must be at peace with God first.  This begins with repentance; confession 1 John 1:9; truly forsaking wrong attitudes; and asking God to really change our heart toward everyone in our family.

            Next, we commit our life to God without any thought of going back to former attitudes.  God loves us, and His Son died on the cross for us, so the apostle pleads for us not to Romans 12:2 “copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do.”

            We are to place the blame for strife in the home on the devil, who is the cause of the trouble—it is not the family member, but Satan controlling them.  If we blame the person, Satan stays hidden, and he retains control.  Once the cause of the problem is located, we are half-way to victory.  Like any thief who comes to “steal and kill and destroy” John 10:10, Satan will flee the scene when his identity is revealed.

            For harmony to abide in our home, resentment cannot be held against anyone about anything.  Resenting them means not forgiving them—that has to be corrected.  Mark 11:25 “When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”  We forgive first; then forget that the incident took place—treating them like it never happened—that is the way to “overcome evil with good” Romans 12:21.

            For peace in our family, we place every person in the family before God—in prayer and in faith.  We are not to worry about anything, but Philippians 4:6-7, “by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God.  And then the peace of God,” will be enjoyed in our family.

            Lessons of trust on God for peace, harmony, and Christ-like attitudes, are presented every day in our home.  The Holy Spirit can enable us to bring peace to any situation—if we want to be the peacemaker.  All these faith lessons are valuable spiritual lessons.  John 16:23 “In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”

            We are promised peace in our family and home, if we are willing to change our attitude first; claim our Atonement right second; and then trust Him in faith to help us bring peace.  John 14:26-27 “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”

            Now it is up to us to believe it; to claim it; and to enjoy it.  Peace in our family—a valuable life lesson, and a promised Atonement right.