Tried With Fire

~ Picking up where I left off yesterday in my review of Sex, Dating and Relationships (SDR)... Hiestand and Thomas spend several chapters discussing the current dating paradigm. They argue that the Christian subculture, not the Bible, has invented this new category, the Dating Relationship , in addition to those of Family, Neighbor, and Marriage. There is no ambiguity in Scriptures regarding purity for the previous three. But there is potential for great confusion: for when we invent our own category of male-female relationships, we are forced to invent our own purity guidelines for that category. But inventing our own moral guidelines has never gone well for humanity (think of what happened when Adam and Eve tried it, in Genesis 3, for example). 1 In addition, they discuss several pitfalls of the dating relationship including: ~ A false sense of security and commitment - "In the end, the commitment of a dating relationship is simply the commitment to inform the othe...

I started reading  Sex, Dating, and Relationships: A Fresh Approach   (SDR) by Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas on the strength of Kevin DeYoung's reference in Hole in Our Holiness . I was not disappointed. Finally! A book on courtship/dating and relationships that is rooted in the gospel. The authors wrote this book out of concern for the confused views of purity among believers. One attitude can be, "As long as I don't have sex before marriage, I can decide for myself what the boundaries are because the Bible doesn't specify them." On the opposite end of the spectrum are lists of do's and don'ts, heavy on moralistic legalism but short on gospel.  Hiestand and Thomas believe there is a better, biblical, God-glorifying way than either of those camps. In SDR, they begin with what the Bible clearly states: Marriage and the one-flesh union point to a greater reality - Christ's union with His church. This is no less than a picture of the gospel. It i...

113. Q. What is God's will for you in the Tenth Commandment? A. That not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God's commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right. 114. Q. But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly? A. No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some of God's commandments. 115. Q. No one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly: why then does God want them preached so pointedly? A. First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God's ...

First, we must remember, that there is an inseparable relation between faith and the word, and that these can no more be disconnected from each other than rays of light from the sun... The same word is the basis on which it rests and is sustained. Declining from it, it falls. Take away the word, therefore, and no faith will remain. We are not here discussing, whether, in order to propagate the word of God by which faith is engendered, the ministry of man is necessary (this will be considered elsewhere); but we say that the word itself, whatever be the way in which it is conveyed to us, is a kind of mirror in which faith beholds God. In this, therefore, whether God uses the agency of man, or works immediately by his own power, it is always by his word that he manifests himself to those whom he designs to draw to himself. Hence Paul designates faith as the obedience which is given to the Gospel (Rom. 1:5); and writing to the Philippians, he commends them for the obedience of faith (P...

ht: Grammarly on FB (For middle-aged eyes, click the image to get a better view.)

I'm thankful for: ~ Ibuprofen, ice, and the hope of a glorified body. ~ Lots of opportunities for being with the saints this week - hermeneutics class, small group, adoption fund raiser at Chick-fil-A (yum!), 1st birthday party for a special little guy, Lord's day, and then a church fellowship that evening. ~ Time with a friend to catch up on our families and encourage one another with the gospel. I'm still amazed at how the Lord has led us both out of do-better, try-harder Christianity to the gospel of grace. ~ Habakkuk 3:17-19. The fig doesn't blossom and the olive fails to produce, but we place our faith and hope in the Lord because He is who He says He is.