One Man's Wife
Saturday, February 1, 2025
The Gospel of Love
Sunday, October 20, 2024
A Case for Christians to Celebrate Halloween
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Did God Create Evil?
Recently, I was made aware of a video by Jay Stevens titled "Did God create EVIL?!" It is a short video where two characters (who I will refer to in this post as Character A or A and Character B or B), both portrayed by Jay Stevens, have a conversation about whether or not God created evil. Character A began by asking "Did God create everything that exist?" Character B rightfully answers "Yes, He did." Then Character A proceeds by asking "So, He created evil, right?" B answers with a question "Does cold exist?" A responded "Of course it does, man. Haven't you ever felt cold?" B answers him "I have, but cold does not exist" He continues "Cold is the absence of heat. We only made up the word cold to describe the absence of heat." A then asks B "Then what about darkness?" B responds "Darkness is the complete absence of light. We can study light and brightness, but we can't study darkness itself. Darkness occurs when light isn't present." B concludes by saying "God did not create evil. Evil is the absence of God in people's heats, the lack of love and faith. Love and faith are like warmth and light, they exist. Their absence is what leads to evil." Lastly, B asked A "So, does evil exist?" Thus, their conversation was concluded.
The video was not terrible, but I disagree with the answer to His original question "Did God create evil?" So, I will, by God's grace, do my best to give a Biblical explanation here. Did God create evil? In short, the answer is yes. When God created the world, and all was good He established a boundary for Adam. Adam was not supposed to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was at this moment that evil had been established. It was a concept that had yet to be enacted but it was there. Evil by definition was to rebel against God by breaking His law, and that is exactly what Adam and Eve did. They committed evil establishing that rebellion against God would be the way of all mankind. All evil, also called sin, originated from this one evil act hence why it is often called the original sin. Evil waited in the creation for one to rebel so it could be brought for it like a bird in a cage waiting for someone to set it loose. There are those who disagree with me on this, because it is harsh to consider heinous sins and tie it back to God, and that is at the heart of the matter. More often than not people are considering types of sins and saying to themselves God would be against this and therefore evil could not have been His creation, instead of rightfully seeing He created it as a concept and knew how it would thrive once released on creation. Evil was made to be whatever is in opposition to Him. So, we should not be afraid to say God created evil, because He did not need to commit evil in order for it to be so.
Now, I would like to tackle the question at the end of the video, "So, does evil exist?" The answer to this is yes. I mentioned previously that evil was originally a concept that needed to be enacted on in order to be released, so the question we are to ask now is how does evil exist now that it is enacted? Evil once it was enacted became the nature of man, hence why we refer to man as having a sin nature. Recall the definition of evil is to rebel against God by breaking His law. The law of God is within the hearts of all people. It is what informs us that we are to be kind to our neighbor, that stealing and cheating are wrong, that murder is evil, etc., but man in his sinful state continues to choose evil. We humans lie, cheat, steal, murder, even choose to reject God outright. The moral law is not the only way God has allowed us to understand His law. It was more clearly spelled out in the law given to Moses.

"We sometimes shake our little fists, as if God is unjust to condemn anyone to an eternity of torment for rebelling against him...But, more fully, we need to realize the seriousness of our rebellion. The size of the crime is measured in part by the importance of the person you assault. Kill a fly and no one will bat an eyelid. Kill your dog and you might get a fine. Assassinate the Queen and you're in real trouble. So, attack God, the greatest of all beings...and the crime is infinitely serious."
- Jonty Rhodes (Covenants Made Simple, chapter 2)
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Shade Trees
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
~Mrs. Sarchet ~
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
What Does The Opposite Sex Want?
Getting married felt like hitting the lottery of romantic relationships. Not because marriage is a promise of all lifeâs problems coming to an end, but because I had escaped the tumultuous waters of dating and had been brought to safe shores where the dating games would finally be over. The questions of when would I meet the right man and get married were officially done. As we approach our third anniversary it still seems like yesterday that we left our single lives behind and I still remember those days of being single, too well. Since being married my husband and I have noticed that singles post certain complaints on the internet that we remember making ourselves before meeting each other and we just look at each other and say those are single people problems. It is not to ridicule singles. We have friends who desire marriage and we pray God sends them their spouses because we want them to experience the joy that is found in the covenantal union. While I fully recognize that not all people will be married in this life, I also acknowledge that when you want to be married and you have not found the right person it can be a difficult experience. Today, I want to address a common topic that my husband and I have seen from our single friends and it is about knowing what the opposite sex is seeking in regards to seeking a spouse. Of course, as a Christian, I will be addressing this from a Biblical perspective.
What
Does The Opposite Sex Want?
This question is often asked because of what is seen
when one is on the dating market. You see others finding someone and you wonder
why you have not. I want to first start by saying this is the wrong question to
ask. Why? It is because the question is being asked to find out how to attract
someone, but everyone knows that answer. To attract someone all one has to be is
physically well presentable outwardly and decent inwardly, and this applies to
both genders. Of course this does not mean that everyone will be attracted to
you, but you will attract people this way. Even the person you are meant to be
with will see you as attractive and vice versa for being well presentable outwardly
and decent inwardly. Also I would like to clarify that to be outwardly
presentable is not to say you have to have a certain physique, but ask yourself
âDo you present yourself well with your shape and style?â, and to be decent
inwardly does not mean you have to have one kind of personality. Whether you
are shy or boisterous or anything in between ask yourself âAre you kind?â It
really is that simple. So where do we go from here? We must understand the base
of what is actually needed in character in regards to seeking someone to marry.
What
Characteristics Are Needed For Marriage Material?
Before we move forward, I would like to state that
just because you find someone with these characteristics it does not mean they are
necessarily your spouse. Also, keep in mind this advice is for the Christian
single. Non-Christians are not held to the Bibleâs standards, and what they do
under the eyes of God is Godâs to deal with. The Bible does give standards to
the children of the Lord in matters of faith and righteousness and that
includes our relationships. Often times when it comes to the topic of marriage
material for the single Christian one will come across sermons on what a
husband should be and what a wife should be and the single is taught that they
should consider these things when contemplating future marriage. For men, they
are often encouraged to find evidence that a woman can submit, and women are told
to seek ways he can protect, lead, and provide. I do not readily discard this
advice (though I feel it has been misapplied by certain internet communities,
but that is another topic for another day). Singles find their spouses or have
their marriages arranged for them in different ways. However, when your
marriage is not arranged and you are dating the process can become more tedious
on behalf of the single person wondering how to tell if their boyfriend or girlfriend
is marriage material. So, here are a couple of things I feel are worth
considering for Christians on the dating market.
I will start with the obvious. Is the person a
Christian? Christian singles are often stressed about not being unequally yoked
with non-believers. I am willing to wager that some Christian singles can quote
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 by heart. When you first start dating it sounds simple
enough, but when you have been on the market for a while it can be easy to be
tempted to compromise entering into a relationship with a non-Christian, but
you must not give into this temptation. Consider if you did cave into the
temptation of being with a non-Christian and it seems to have worked out and
you made it to the altar. If you are a woman, then a Hell bound sinner is now
the leader of your home and you have set him as an authority over you. If you
are a man, then a Hell bound sinner is now your helpmeet spiritually. If
children are born to this union they will be born in a union where a Hell bound
sinner has authority over them, and as they do not love God they will teach
those children that God is not important. Does this mean that God cannot redeem
the unsaved spouse or the unsaved children? Absolutely not! However, why would
you willing place yourself in that situation? God is a good Father who desires
the best for His children. This is why His word teaches us to not be unequally
yoked. If you have been on the market for what seems a long while, trust that
God knows and He has prepared your way.
The next thing you should look to for a marriage material Christian is if they display the fruit of the Spirit. The passage about the fruit of the Spirit is Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of the new life in Christ, as it is what the Holy Spirit produces in us. Often times we look at the fruit of the spirit as separate fruits because the multiple aspects of love, joy, peace, patience (forbearance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are listed. There is a problem with viewing the aspects as separate. As Christians we battle with the sin nature in this life. Due to this battle we do not always display the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit perfectly. If we apply the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit as separate attributes then when it comes to dating we put ourselves in the unfortunate position of looking for absolute perfection in these areas for who we date, even though we cannot display these attributes perfectly ourselves. So how does one know if one displays the fruit of the Spirit if the aspects are not displayed perfectly? The fruit of the Spirit is a matter of the heart! Does the person have a love for God and does it show? Look at the motivation behind what they do. Is it because they love the Lord? Non-Christians do not love God and their actions are guided by their flesh. Look at Galatians 5 closely starting in verse 16 through the end of the chapter.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not
carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one
another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are
evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry,
witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of
which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice
such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to
Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by
the Spirit, letâs follow the Spirit as well. Letâs not become boastful,
challenging one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:16-26
Notice how in contrast to the fruit of the Spirit it
speaks on the desires of the flesh. It is important to know this because the sinful
man who is without Christ lives according to his flesh and he hates God (Romans5:10). Matthew15:17-19 further clarifies that the deeds of the flesh are from
the heart.
Do you not understand that everything that goes into
the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that come
out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral
sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements.
Matthew15:17-19
The question then becomes how do you test someoneâs heart
while dating? In my article âOne Woman's Dating Plan: Offered To Youâ I mention
not getting emotionally invested right away. Often times we walk into dating with
rose colored glasses on. It is evident that there is a level of interest
between the both of you, and when you are dating in hopes to marry there is an
air of hope that it will work out. However, it is not a guarantee that it will
work out. So, it is important to not emotionally invest right away. Which is
not to say be cold on a date, but it is best to approach the getting to know
you stage as no different than hanging out with a good friend until you know it
is more serious. If you worry that you cannot do this on your own, then involve
someone you trust to help you vet the person.
Good
Qualities But Not For Me
The scariest thing in dating, especially if you have been looking for a spouse, is acknowledging someone is not for you. I mentioned earlier someone can have good characteristics but not be for you. You may not want to hurt the other person, or you are afraid that after so long of dating maybe the right person is not out there for you so you have placed your hope in God to make this work out. You are not alone in this boat. If you think you are the only one who has dealt with this, then talk to some married couples about their experiences pre-marriage. So how do you know who it is? God tailor made you special and whoever it will be will be tailor made for you. When dating ask yourself are there things you cannot compromise on? Start there. If being with someone means compromising on a major issue then that is a good start to say no to someone. For me personally, it was certain theological positions. I prayed to God to lead me to the man who had those same positions. As I got to know my husband I saw we held same values in regards to family and I was blessed to see his character rather quickly. Another issue could be you just do not click at all even if you gave them multiple chances at getting to know you conversations. God knows what you need. Whoever He has for you will not be perfect, and so do not seek perfection in them. Look at them with grace and see Christ in them and how He has shaped them to be right for you.
The road to marriage may be bumpy but hang on to the
Lord. I pray this has blessed you, and may you be blessed in your journey wherever you may be.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sarchet
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Ringing In 2023!
It is almost New Yearâs Eve and it is a time for rendezvous, reflections, resolutions, and reminders that you are too old, too young or just too exhausted to stay up that late to watch the clock strike 12 and the ball drop. Being that it is almost the New Year, I would like to take a moment to just touch on some of what I hope to do in 2023, Lord willing.
My focus for 2023 will be guided by the term
expansion. I want to focus on having a larger reach for my work, as such I will
be expanding my presence on social media. I am setting up an official writerâs
page on Facebook. Also, I will be setting up an Instagram for additional promotion,
and I will be utilizing YouTube as well. There is an official writerâs website
writermrssarchet.com where everything can be found in regards to what I am working on. So, if you are interested in updates or learning more please visit the website. By the Lordâs will, the Instagram and Facebook page will
be up and running on January 1st, 2023. I do not have an official
date for the YouTube, but by Godâs will that will begin in January as well. I do
plan to host some events as well in 2023, but I will announce those when they are
closer to time.
So, why am I aiming to expand my audience? I am not
hoping for tons of fame, but I know God has called me to a writerâs life, and I
know this because it is the talent He gave me that has been most blessed by Him,
and I want to use it as much as possible to His glory, and to reach however
many I can by His grace for as long as He has me do this.
Thank you, to all those who continue to support me
in this journey, may God grant you a good start to the New Year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sarchet
Saturday, December 3, 2022
On Marriage and Mental Illness: 5 Questions
One of the aspects of my marriage that I have not blogged about is that my husband has a mental illness. It is not because I am ashamed or feel it needs to be hidden that I have not written on the topic, but due to my beliefs on marriage I do not feel it impacts the commitment I made to him before the Lord. My husband is a Christian mental health advocate and he is the founder of Christ-Centered Mental Health. As Christians we firmly believe marriage is a lifetime covenant, but studies have come about showing marriages where a spouse is mentally ill have divorce rates up to 80% in multiple countries. My husband and I want to encourage others who are in marriages where there is mental illness to be strong in those marriages and not to give up on the covenant that was made before God. And so, we are writing a joint blog post where we answer 5 questions on being married and dealing with mental illness. I will be writing from my perspective as a wife without mental illness, and he will write from the perspective of a husband with mental illness.
The
5 Questions
Do you see your marriage as different from other
marriages because of the mental illness?
My husband disclosed his mental illness to me less
than a week into us getting to know each other. He has schizoaffective
disorder, but he explained how he takes care of his mental health and is
usually stable more than he is unstable because he does take his medication
regularly. This allowed me to be open to the idea of dating him, as it showed
he would be upfront, open, and honest about what is important. As a Christian
my understanding of the world is that sin, death, and decay, and all manners of
illness are a result of the fall of man (Genesis 3). I was never looking for a
perfect husband, I only wanted my husband, and I knew even before marriage that
I would be willing to help care for my husband for as long as God has us on
this earth no matter what illness there may be. With my husbandâs illness I
view it is no different than having to take care of a husband with heart
disease or cancer. All people become ill, and my marriage is normal because of
that. I just need to make sure I am prepared to handle the particulars of my
husbandâs illness.
Does your spouse worry about how you view them
because of their mental illness?
I know he has expressed this to me, but I continue
to try to show him I love him. I deeply love my husband. He is not perfect, but
he is just right for me. I do not think his illness makes him any less loveable
even with the challenges it brings. I always want him to know he is loved.
Different hardships are trying to a marriage in different ways, but if his
illness was an issue that I was not willing to deal with I would not have
married him, as I fully knew he had this illness within a few days of talking
to him.
Do you worry about how the world views your marriage
because of mental illness?
This is not something I normally think of, but I
would say I am more concerned that the world will try to define my husband by
his mental illness instead of seeing him as the whole being he is. My husband
is a man with his own unique, God given personality. He has likes and dislikes,
hopes and dreams, and loves me the way any good man loves his wife. His illness
may cause him to have some bonkers behavior from time to time, but that is not
his normal life. He leads our home in righteousness before the Lord to the best
of his ability. He is a great husband and I am grateful God brought us
together. On that note, I will say there are those who have tried to bring up
transgressions from his past when he was less stable to try to tear apart our
marriage, but he had informed me of those transgressions before we were married.
When someone tries to use my husbandâs illness against him I assure you that
they have done nothing but given me a further reason to love him more, because the
world is against him.
How important is it for your spouse to communicate
their symptoms, and is it always easy?
It is always important for him to let me know when
he is dealing with symptoms from his illness. Sometimes, it is mild, but other
times it is more serious. I find it most helpful if I remain aware of his
symptoms and check in. I always ask how he is feeling. If he goes through something
that may trigger his symptoms, I check in with him and reassure him I am there
for him. It is not always easy for him to communicate his symptoms, because
sometimes he does not notice them. As long as I remain aware of him, sometimes
I might notice before I becomes a full blown episode and this allows him to get
help from his therapist and psychiatrist when necessary.
In what ways has mental illness blessed your marriage?
My husbandâs mental illness has brought us closer
together as a couple and in Christ as we learn to deal with the different
challenges. For example, when I first met my husband he was on the wrong dosage
of meds. After marriage, he was put on a medication that almost killed him, but
through that God placed him on the dosage of the meds that allowed him to
function properly as a person. We really saw the hand of God working through
all of this.
_______________________________
For those who are married and are dealing with
mental illness, my husband and I hope this encourages you. Perhaps you can
answer these questions with your spouse as well. No matter how long you have
been married do not give up on your covenant. Remember your promise to remain in sickness and in health, and mental illness is not excluded from this. Go to counseling if you need it,
and may you look at your spouse as lovingly as you did the day you knew you
loved them.
The Gospel of Love
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One of the aspects of my marriage that I have not blogged about is that my husband has a mental illness. It is not because I am ashamed or f...
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Recently, I was made aware of a video by Jay Stevens titled " Did God create EVIL?! " It is a short video where two characters (...