The "Singles" Group - Part 1

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. (Isaiah 4:1) Many churches of our day sponsor a "singles group." The singles group is made up of men and women who are not married or who have been married and now are divorced. The members have fellowship with those who share their interests and problems. There is, however, another kind of "singles" group. It is composed of Christians who are divorced from the Law of Moses but who are not married to the Lord Jesus. The "singles" group, which is the topic of this booklet, consists of the "believers" in Christ, the Christians-in-name, the churchgoers who think they have died to the Law of Moses but have not been married to Christ. In them Isaiah 4:1 (above) is fulfilled. They desire to "eat their own bread" (their preferred kind of spiritual food) and to "wear their own apparel" (to behave themselves as they wish without regard to any lord or head). At the same time they take on themselves the name of Christ so they will appear, at least, to have some type of moral and spiritual respectability. Isaiah could not have described the spiritual "singles" more perfectly if he were alive today. The spiritual "singles" are living in a state of lawlessness. They are not under the Law of Moses, neither are they living according to the will of the living Christ-they are not married to Him. They are Christians in name only, supposing mental assent to correct doctrine is the grace that insures their righteousness in God's sight. They believe the grace that saves us apart from the works of the Jewish Law, concerning which the Apostle Paul wrote, consists primarily of a statement of belief in Christ. Again we say, this is a misunderstanding of the Christian salvation. Romans 7:4 describes the heart of the new covenant. The heart of the new covenant is marriage to the Lord Jesus-union with Him in His death and resurrection. Wherefore, my brothers, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4) At one time we were married to the Law of Moses. We were married to tables of stone. At one time we looked to God's written Law for our righteousness. Now we are not looking to a written law. We are looking to a Person-the Man, Christ-for our righteousness. Now we have died to the Law of Moses and are to be married to Christ. The problem here is, many Christians do not consider themselves bound by the Law of Moses, but neither are they seeking to be married to Christ. They are not bringing forth either the fruit of the Law or the fruit of Christ in their lives. To be continued. Copyright © 1997-2013 by Trumpet Ministries Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED