Bob had just walked outside the front door to begin weeding the flowerbed when his neighbor saw him. The neighbor began the conversation with a comment about how sad he was to see Bob selling his home for they had become good friends. The neighbor was surprised when Bob said we are not selling our home, we never plan to do that. We are selling our house, and next month our home will be in a new house just a few miles away. There is a vast difference in a home and a house, especially for Christians.
It may be easy, at first, to see this as nothing more than a play on two words we often use interchangeably, but such is far from the case. Consider the following to see that there is a vast difference in the home of Christians and the house in which they live.
One aspect of that home is how marriage is viewed so differently. The vows they made were not just words which seemed so appropriate for the occasion. They would never forget the expression found in that ceremony where they each promised “…to keep yourself him/her alone for as long as you both shall live.” Their home had been built around the solemn promises made that day. There was trust which began that day and was never violated. They were faithful to each other.
There was another part of the ceremony they both remembered, and it followed them in every house in which lived. The words were those from Jesus: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh…Therefore what God has joined together let no man separate” (Matt. 19:5-6). The concept of how the two become one flesh removes selfishness from the hearts where selfishly they are standing and arguing their own private position. They have surrendered and become selfless, and a new entity has been formed. Divorce is not a word ever considered in their relationship.
There are many other aspects in the home of Christians which are not for sale, but one so vital is how children are seen. Like Hannah, they prayed before the children were born and God heard them. Hannah said, “The Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:27-28). Our world has vastly changed as the government uses the school system to control the values children need. If parents do nothing, children will be brainwashed with new sexual orientation of society. Our children are not for sale!
Our world view is different. Our homes are not for sale. We sell our houses but never sell our homes!