The Last Best Hope of Earth
Eddie Parrish
One month before signing the Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Congress in which he addressed freeing the country’s slaves. In it, Lincoln stressed the importance of doing the right thing to “save our country”, which he described as “the last best hope of earth.”
I want to borrow and amend Lincoln’s words. The family unit in American culture is under attack from many sides: radical feminism, which denies the value of husbands and fathers, gay rights advocates who push for the endorsement of same-sex marriages, divorce for any reason, people living together outside the sanctity of marriage, just to name a few.
Yet, God says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psa. 127:1, ESV). When it comes to modeling for our world what the home should look like, the church of Jesus Christ is “the last best hope of earth.”
When we admit that God both knows and wants what is best for us (Psa. 147:5; 1 Pet. 5:7), it should be easier to trust and obey him in everything (Prov. 3:5-8). God wants your family to succeed. He wants your home to be happy and stable. He wants your marriage to be a small taste of heaven on earth. He wants your relationship with your spouse and kids to be healthy and happy. But the key to experiencing all those things is to build our homes according to his design.
In matters pertaining to the formation and operation of the home, God has spoken:
Regarding proper candidates (Gen. 2:18-24).
Regarding the roles of husband and wife (Eph. 5:22-33).
Regarding the responsibilities of parents to children (Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:4-9).
Regarding the role of children to parents (Eph. 6:2).
Regarding the importance of intimacy (1 Cor. 7:1-5).
Regarding the eternal consequences of adultery (Heb. 13:4).
Regarding the permanence of marriage (Matt. 19:6).
Regarding acceptable and unacceptable divorce (Matt. 19:3-12).
Regarding the proper conduct of spouses to each other: love (1 Cor. 13), understanding and honor (1 Pet. 3:1-7), calm tempers (Prov. 15:1), the golden rule (Matt. 7:12).
God has said much regarding human conduct, marital relationships, and family dynamics. We are foolish if we refuse to hear and heed his words.