Every time, I teach my nursing students about STI, they rumble in their own young adult way, “Celibacy…. Celibacy.” With A smile I always respond, “It’s a great call, there are many I admire who are called to that, but I am not cut out for that.” I suggest, “Married, monogamy.” And they laugh, some with a painful, desperate, and disappointed laughs. Let me start by saying this, personally, I won’t be myself without my marriage, my husband, this dreamlike beautiful yet annoyingly painful (at times) marriage of mine. I rally for the sanctity, the beauty of marriage to be preserved, and I am so annoyed when people want to twist the meaning of marriage the God ordained institute. But I am afraid my friends, with the good intentions to protect this institution, we as Christians fell so far into the other extreme and made marriage more than what it really is, we spiritualized and eternalized marriage, and that! is as unbiblical as reproaching a marriage.
I say this because Christ said it, he said, “34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:34-35).
There are many reasons I fear the consequences of spiritualizing a marriage that includes,
It takes away the real beauty of marriage,
It distorts the splendor of our eternal relationship with Christ,
It deflates the value of individual spirituality,
It disregards the call to celibacy,
It demeans a believer’s worth after biblically based divorce,
It for once corrupts the real purpose of our being.
Let’s dig deep into each of this concerns, but for now think about these things and respond.
I say this because Christ said it, he said, “34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:34-35).
There are many reasons I fear the consequences of spiritualizing a marriage that includes,
It takes away the real beauty of marriage,
It distorts the splendor of our eternal relationship with Christ,
It deflates the value of individual spirituality,
It disregards the call to celibacy,
It demeans a believer’s worth after biblically based divorce,
It for once corrupts the real purpose of our being.
Let’s dig deep into each of this concerns, but for now think about these things and respond.
