Being married does not stop you from dating each other!
Dating your spouse will help to enrich your marriage and make it stronger.
Regrettably in many nations the church is a near carbon copy of the world, having departed from God’s divine standards, in areas of co-habitation, fornication, adultery, divorce, abortion, watching “reality TV” shows often with in your face sexuality and the list goes on. Then there is what governments have done through the laws they have enacted saying that which God declares as sin is legal e.g. the taking of life through euthanasia/abortion; marriage no longer defined as being between one heterosexual man and one heterosexual woman.
Is there the need to look at ourselves in the church first to see whether we need to redeem Biblical sexuality, repent of coarse language/joking, of immodest behaviour/dress/pornography, or other habits that degrade God’s image?
It would seem that many within the Christian church have perhaps ignored the charge put on us in the book of Titus:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” Titus 2:11-12 (ESV)
God called us out from the world to lead lives to glorify Him, and yet there are some who say
We Need To Tend To The Health And Growth Of The Church
Often when people talk about their marriage they talk of the number of years of marital bliss. However, even in the church, marriage is not always blissful, it can always be gracious where there is Christ at the centre and we allow Him to lead, trusting in Him and not try to take control ourselves. This would mean that during the times when bliss is absent God’s grace is sufficient to see the couple though the season.
It is sad to see couples struggling in their own strength and who have probably failed to see, along the way, that the covenant marriage needs constant investment by both husband and wife. Love should dominate through a marriage and forgiveness not only quickly and fully given but also it needs to be received. The un-Godly traits of selfishness, pride and idolatry need to be dealt with. Good communication – that is listening without interrupting and gaining true understanding is also a major key in a marriage/family relationship.
Within the church we need to ensure that we create and maintain the right environment, a
The theme of Marriage Week this year is “Honouring Marriage”. When we hear “honour marriage” or “honouring marriage”, most will relate firstly to Hebrews 13:4, where it is written “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” [NLT]
Chronological LASB NLT Study Notes for this verse are:
“Giving honor to marriage will require the utmost in Christian conviction and sensitivity. Modern social theory may redefine the family, and the new definitions may be far from its biblical foundation. What can you do? Witness to the depth of God’s love for you by keeping your marriage happy and strong. Remain faithful—in body and in mind. Pray for your spouse. Honor biblical marriage (man–woman unions) by resisting political pressure to recognize and legalize other sexual preferences. Teach children the biblical meaning of marriage. Pray early for their own eventual spouses and families. Make marriage enrichment the goal of your small group discussions and studies. Encourage the marriages that are around you to stay strong as well.”
In every legal wedding ceremony in Australia, the celebrant must make two key statements in every
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