We are always in constant dialogue with the world through — media, culture, friends and personal experiences — and with Scripture. What we know of Scripture challenges and rubs up against what we experience living in this world. And if we’re honest the divergence between what we know the correct answer of the Bible’s teaching on love, marriage, gender, dating, sex, singlehood and child raising (what do we even call this entire spectrum of relationship matters?) is ever increasing. In other words — we attend church weddings and pray for godly spouses, but in practice, have little difference between ourselves and our non-believer friends. We may even find ourselves losing ground when it comes to our convictions, and wondering if we really can base our lives off what Jesus has to say about love and relationships. Will He be enough for us in these areas? Can we trust Him? Is God good? Even if the world says He isn’t?
Part of reading the Bible verse by verse week and out means understanding the Scripture’s storyline when it comes to creation, the seed of the woman, the children of faith, salvation, marriage, the church, the gift of singlehood, husbands and wives and the wedding supper of the Lamb — in other words, the Bible’s teaching on love and relationships is an rich, central and intrinsic part of the story of salvation, not just a side topic about lifestyle choices. And the more we see the relevance and color of what Scripture has to say as it applies across different life stages, the deeper our own convictions will grow.
Through this series, we’d like to explore this more carefully in hopes that Scripture will comfort, encourage, challenge and shape your beliefs and personal convictions. At bare minimum, we need to know what Scripture says on this front, and not just uncritically label it as oppressive, regressive or traditional. And perhaps in studying that teaching we’ll find the beauty of God’s good design for it all, and experience the blessedness of seeing the path He has laid out for us.
Can we trust that God really has a view about my singlehood, dating, marriage, family planning and parenthood, and that He really has revealed it?