How much success are we going to have if we say, "Kids, abstain from sex, maybe for the rest of your lives"? It sounds so much better to say, "Wait until God sends you your AWESOME partner!" that it's no wonder we succumb to the temptation.
But we shouldn't. Because it's not necessarily true. . . . [T]he "obedience will get you what you want" philosophy has a dark side. First, it puts the focus on us ("doing this will lead directly to a reward"), not on God ("this is what God wants me to do, so I'll do it"). And second, when obediencedoesn't get you what you want . . . it can lead to disillusionment and resentment.Perhaps if we were more focused on God's grace to begin with, instead of falling into a pattern of works-based thinking, envy wouldn't be such a problem. That is, we wouldn't be dealing with this fallacious notion of "Why isn't God giving me what I deserve? I did what he told me to do!"
If too many single Christians are compromising their principles and falling into sexual disobedience—and the evidence shows that this is the case—perhaps it's because so many of us were taught a lie in the first place. It was taught to us with the very best of intentions, and with the highest hopes for us … but it was a lie all the same.
What we—both teens and single adults—need from the church is better theology, a healthy dose of realism, and a little more understanding of where we are in our lives. Christianity Today
Read this article and see which pattern its advice falls into: Saved Sex
Abstinence educator Scott Phelp's talks about his program: "Our Excel program for churches & Christian schools follows the life of Joseph, and shows that by avoiding sexual temptation (Potiphar's wife) we can go on to accomplish all that God has planned for us to accomplish for him. It ends with a challenge to live with an eternal perspective, and to make your days on this earth count for eternity. It's much more than just an "abstinence" program, as it would be in a public school."
No comments:
Post a Comment