In a destructive relationship one individual harms another. In a healthy, God-honoring relationship each person benefits. God, the ultimate picture of fellowship and Personhood, provides the template for human relationships. We were created to give and take which is why this model of personhood was created with words instead of hard and fast lines:
God created us with the ability to squish a little here and a little there to accommodate others. As we reflect the image of God, we have freedom of choice, expression, conviction, and worship. These are the areas where oppression is most evident. A dominant individual encapsulates his spouse to the degree that both individuals reflect the dominant person in every area. Instead of being yoked, as two individual beings going the same direction with the same purpose, one individual disappears altogether.
This is not a true picture of Jesus’ union with us. In Christ, we retain our individuality, creativity, expression, and freedom to make choices (even those that don’t please Him). Jesus Christ is the center of our worship. It is not His will or design to manipulate another’s compliance with punishment and rewards. The Spirit of Christ is available and working, but He does not force, cajole, or trick us to walk in obedience. To do so is contrary to the Word, Person, and character of God.
Many, especially those who have grown up in or attend conservative churches, have been taught that it is wrong to question or challenge authority. God sees it differently and provides an overlap of authority (i.e. one another, husband/wife, family, the Body of Christ, government, etc.) to counter sinful attitudes and behavior. It is just as important to gauge the hearts of those in authority as those under authority because we are all sinful beings. Accountability and a godly response are key to keeping relationships in balance and Christ-honoring.
If you have questions or would like more information, please consider joining the Biblical Victim Care Class or reaching out for local church training. Clarity in Action also provides consultation and we welcome the opportunity to serve the Body of Christ.
Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, we do not give up. Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth. But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)
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