Marriage Sex and Dating #2

Review

what does having a Biblical conscience mean?

what’s the point of dating? “don’t awaken love before it’s time...”

what’s the big point of marriage? “faithful children”

so we see that we can’t approach these things casually. There is no such thing as “casual dating” for the Christian.

the person you marry affects the rest of your life, your trajectory, the way your kids will be raised, your overall fruitfulness… and not just yours

we’re talking generations here....

Jesus can redeem anything, but wouldn’t it be great if we could start out in obedience, rather than backtrack?

alright - so - how?

What does obedience look like in this realm? Well, that’s what we’re gonna spend the next few weeks talking through.

2 Cor 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

app - means - don’t marry non-believers

don’t evangi-date.

you don’t just get ‘em saved real quick and then get married.

You don’t want somebody who only follows Jesus so they can follow you.

it actually means a lot more than that too…

also - so they just gotta be saved right? if they’re saved then we’re good?

well, what if they don’t believe in… the resurrection? male headship? the authority of scripture? you see what I’m getting after?

it isn’t only about do they check the salvation box… we want to raise faithful kids, we want to build the kingdom, we need somebody that thinks like us. Is on the same team.

No, I don’t mean identical. But I do mean identical on the big things.

how can this be helped? Church, dad’s involvement, pastors involvement,....

but what about when we aren’t in line? Well, if you’re dating, decide if it’s a reason to break if off.

Yeah but… what if we’re married…

Eph 5:22-24 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”

The responsibility of setting the spiritual trajectory for the household is the husbands.

now, this doesn’t’ mean there can’t be some lively debate between a husband and his wife, but not in front of the kids

and that also doesn’t mean that there can’t be some lively debate with the kiddos as they grow up.

and dad needs to be right - not because he’s dad - but because he’s right. get it?

that’s what we mean by the burden is on the MAN, and that the way the household is ordered, kiddos are raised, is on his shoulders as well.

better make sure he

but remember, the household doesn’t exist autonomously. solo, on it’s own without any over authority.

there is the chruch and the state.

you want good pastors and elders to be in authority

in other words - you wanna keep that yoke equal.

So, don’t marry unbelievers, don’t date unbelievers, and make sure that you’re on the same page about all the big issues before you tie the knot

because once you’ve tied the knot - it’s tied.

deut 25:11-12 ““When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, then you shall cut off her hand. Your eye shall have no pity.”

When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating h

Alright one more thing, real quick.

So - what about courtship? Or courting? Or dordting?

courting is where you set up a bunch of rules on the front end in order to make sure your marriage is perfect.

some of the rules are fine. Like, don’t be alone for extended times. Marriage focused. Keep dating seasons short.

but some of them… “you can only go out with a chaperone” or “if you’re not engaged in 90 days it’s off”

Don’t add to the law of God.

and nothing youre gonna do is gonna keep sin out of your marriage. Why? -> because youre there!

last dating marriage tip - confess and repent often.