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Marriage as God did not intend it

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There are two views of marriage (writes Martin Davie) which are deeply ingrained in modern Western culture but which fall far short of God’s wise purposes.

1. Marriage as a means of self-fulfilment

We live in an age when individual autonomy and authenticity are highly valued.

Jonathan Grant explains:

Because of our culture’s move away from transcendence, or belief in God as the source of reality, we have come to place the full weight of our personal identity on ordinary life—our material, here-and-now existence.…

The benefits of silence

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Brian Croft commends the value of periods of silence to pastors.  However, what he writes is helpful for the rest of us too:

First, silence exposes the soul. A common defense mechanism is to use busyness and noise to avoid pain in our lives. It could be unresolved pain and abuse from the past, or it could be a current suffering. Regardless, noise and distraction can give the illusion it isn’t there, or that it has no power.…

Sins of omission

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Brian Cosby writes:

While sins of commission are often blatant and deliberate—transgressing a known law or command—sins of omission can be subtle and sneaky. We may not even realize that we have failed to do what God commands. While I might not ever commit adultery, for example, I could easily fail to love my wife as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25).

James 4:12 is clear that when we know the right thing to do, but fail to do it, that is sin.…

When marriages fail

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How can the Christian church not only uphold God’s good plan for marriage, but also witness to his grace when marriages fail?

What are our guiding metaphors about God?

  1. Some see God primarily as Creator, Law-Giver and Judge.  The question of divorce, then will be approached in terms of moral rules and the need for discipline.
  2. Others will focus more on the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  They will not only take seriously the reality of sin, but the promise of a new start in the gospel, and to the possibility of good consequences.
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The gift of singleness

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‘If sex is for marriage, what does the Bible say about singleness?

1.  It reminds us that Jesus himself was single, although he is also set before us as God’s model for humanness.  This should not lead us to glorify singleness (since marriage is God’s general will for human beings, Gen 2:18, but rather to affirm that it is possible to be single and fully human at the same time!  The world may say that sexual experience is indispensable to being human; the Bible flatly disagrees.…

Guidelines on male headship in marriage

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In their book The Meaning of Marriage Tim and Kathy Keller suggest what obeying the pattern of male headship set out in Ephesians 5:21-33 might look like:

The husband’s authority (like the Son’s over us) is never used to please himself but only to serve the interests of his wife. Headship does not mean that the husband simply ‘makes all the decisions,’ nor does it mean he gets his way in every disagreement. Why? Jesus never did anything to please himself (Romans 15:2-3). …

Marriage as God intended

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In Glorify God With Your Body Martin Davie outlines what marriage, as divinely ordained, should look like.

I summarise:

  1. Any form of incestuous marriage is forbidden.  That is why many churches has lists of those family members a person may not marry.
  2. Any form of forced marriage is excluded.  Both parties should give their consent (and, by implication be above the minimum age of consent).
  3. The exclusive nature of marriage rules out either person having more than one spouse or sexual partner.
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Sex in Genesis 2:18-25

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Summarising this, by Martin Davie.

  1. Humanity has always been sexually differentiated.  The man was always a man, and the woman was a woman from the moment she was formed from his side.
  2. Men and women can only fulfil their God given vocation together.  Even as he carried out his God-given work in the garden (Gen 2:15), it was ‘not good’ for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18).
  3. Men and women are suitable helpers for one another because they share in an equal humanity. 
…

How do I speak to a friend who is transitioning?

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What language is to be used to speak to, or about, a friend who is transitioning to the other gender?

Without answering this question directly, J. Alan Branch urges us to consider both the implications of Scripture and the requirements of compassion.

So, if I choose not to conform to transgender vocabulary, I might ask:

‘First, have I prayed for the person in question and are my actions motivated by love both for the truth and for the person?…

Matthew 2:23 – ‘Jesus would be called a Nazarene’

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‘[Joseph] came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.‘

Where does it say in the prophets ‘that Jesus would be called a Nazarene’?

This wording is not to be found in any of the prophets.  In fact, Nazareth is not mentioned at all in the Old Testament.  Bethlehem, on the other hand, had a higher status as the ‘city of David’.…