The Home (Part IV)

by Micky Galloway

In a previous article we discussed characteristics of a home where Christians live. These are homes from which elders may be selected to lead the people of God. We noted that in a home where Christians live you will find contentment, parents who are Christians, a husband who is the head and a wife and mother who is queen. It will also be evident in such a home that parents fulfill their responsibility before God to “train” their children to be obedient. Unfortunately, not all homes are like this. When sin enters the home, it destroys the peace and tranquility God intended to exist. However, sin never enters the home uninvited. Consider some homes where sin entered.

Sin entered Adam's home. His home was happy in the beginning. There was perfect harmony between man and God as well as between man and God's creation. However, when sin entered this changed. Both Adam and Eve and all their posterity must bear some consequences of the sin that entered this home. God said unto the woman, “I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be unto thy husband and he shall rule over thee.” Unto Adam God said, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake, in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life…” (Genesis 3:17-19). They were also cast out of the garden of Eden and separated from the tree of life, thus physical death was also a consequence of their sin. Later, we read of Adam and Eve's sons, Cain and Able (Genesis 4). We note that Cain envied his brother Able and slew him. The result was his mother lost two sons. Cain became a fugitive and a wanderer for the rest of his life.

Sin entered Noah's home. In Genesis 9 we read of Noah and his family as they came out of the ark and began again to populate the earth. In time Noah became drunken. In his stupor he was uncovered within his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father. Ham looked upon his father and told his brothers. He did not have proper respect for his father. When Noah awoke and learned what his youngest son did he cursed all of Ham's descendants. Noah began this error when he foolishly began to drink. The wisdom writer says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise.” “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine” (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-30). What kind of example do you set before your children? Do you drink, smoke, dance or wear scanty attire? Do you assemble to worship God regularly and zealously strive to live righteously?

Sin entered Lot's home. Lot made a mistake when he “pitched his tent toward Sodom” because “the men of Sodom were wicked” (Genesis 13:10-13). Lot must have known God's attitude toward Sodom, but selfishly chose all the plain of Jordan. Lot did not consider the end of the matter, nor did he consider the influences of evil upon his family's future behavior (I Corinthians 15:33). Lot's selfish choice cost him plenty. He was tormented daily. Peter declares how God delivered righteous Lot, “sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed (his) righteous soul from day to day with (their) lawless deeds)” (II Peter 2:7-8). He lost his children. His daughters were engaged to or had married godless men. They had no regard for God's standards of righteousness or goodness (Genesis 19:31-38). He lost his wife (Genesis 19:17,26; Cf. Luke 17:31-32). As she turned back and looked upon the wicked city, she became a pillar of salt. Lot introduced his family to this wickedness. What choices are you making that may result in your loved one's forming a courtship with sin?

Sin entered Eli's home. Eli was a priest in Israel for forty years. His character was marked by piety and submission to divine judgment. When Eli was old his sons corrupted the priesthood (I Samuel 2:12-17) and became immoral in their conduct (I Samuel 2:22-25). Eli allowed sin to enter his family by not restraining his sons. “…His sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not” (I Samuel 3:13). Because of his lack of restraining them they became careless and immoral. Their conduct also caused the people to transgress (I Samuel 2:24). Eli neglected his family. He did not train and discipline his sons. The wise man said, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” (Proverbs 13:24).

Sin entered David's home. David's sin with Bathsheba (II Samuel 11) was only a step in his decline to evil. David lusted, had Bathsheba brought to him and committed adultery with her. David also devised a plan to have her husband slain and then hypocritically explained his death, “Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another” (II Samuel 11:25). The results of David's sins were many. The baby born to David and Bathsheba died (II Samuel 12:15-33). Amnon raped his half-sister (II Samuel 13:1-20). Absalom killed his half-brother, Amnon (II Samuel 13:23-29). David had never known trouble until he sinned with Bathsheba. Absalom ran away from home (II Samuel 13:37-14:33) and eventually lead an army attempting to overthrow his father (II Samuel 15:1-16:19). Finally, Absalom was killed in battle and we read of his father's grief, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” This was not the end of the consequences of David's sins. David said, “my sin is ever before me” (Psalms 51:3). Sin may be forgiven, yet there are many consequences, once sin has entered our home.

Sin brings unhappiness to any home. But sin has great and far reaching consequences. It deprives the church of men qualified to serve as elders. Conduct within the confines of our homes robs the church of our service and ultimately weakens the strength of the local church. Let us strive diligently to make our homes, homes where Christians live. With so many homes being occupied by sin, is it any wonder that so many churches do not have qualified men to serve as elders? Remember, “If a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” (I Timothy 3:5)