“He made them male and female”

1. “He made them male and female”

2. Marriage • Think about your parents’ marriage and your childhood home. What comes to mind first? What kinds of things stand out as most important?

3. Marriage – Basic Unit of Society • Purpose of marriage – Gen. 2:18 The LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

4. Purpose of Marriage God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. – Gen 1:28

5. Children Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. – Ps. 127:3-5

6. Relationship Between Husband and Wife Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. – Eph. 5:22-25

7. Relationship Between Husband and Wife • Mutual responsibility for marriage and family • Life of serving and sacrifice! • Compete in honoring one another

8. Marriage not a bed of roses • Adapting to each other • A lot of work • Financial realities • Wants vs. needs Marriage doesn’t run on feelings of love and romance!

9. Sin is a destructive force in marriage! • Selfishness - no longer single • Family planning, birth control • Gen. 1:28, 1 Sam. 2:6, • Ps. 139:13-16, Ruth 4:13 “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive” “Lord gave her conception”

10. Sin is a destructive force in marriage! • Divorce – Matt. 19:6, Mark 10:9 “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” • Keep faith and good conscience!

11. Take time now to value your childhood home and life • Life isn’t only pursuing a mate • Spend time at home, value it, work for its good, support one another • God’s kingdom is our spiritual home even if one does not come from a believing home • Enjoy the richness of life

12. God gives a spouse if He sees fit The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. Gen. 24:7

13. Characteristics in a Spouse • Characteristics often not according to our plan • Most important is that our spouse is a believer • Temporal preparation important • Unnecessary haste – just relax and trust in God!

14. Courtship • What does courtship mean to you? • What would you do while courting? • What about physical contact?

15. Flee from lusts • Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. Col. 3:5,6 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Tim. 2:22

16. Getting to know one another in courtship • Talk—Get to know one another from the heart. • Ask trusted believers about your companion – Seek the blessing of the believers • Relationships are not built on physical contact but on talking to each other from the heart. • Breakdown of barrier between boys and girls • Blessing to be able to enter marriage without carrying scars of sin of premarital sex

17. Sexuality • Result of God’s creation work Gift to man, and way for God’s created people to multiply • Only for marriage—blessing in believing this way • “It is in marriage only that sexual life is realized with a sense of responsibility.”VV

18. Sexuality • Masturbation “Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.” Gen. 38:8-10 • Fantasy, pornography, provocative dress, dirty talk • These temptations are not unfamiliar - gospel is the power of God!

19. Alternative Lifestyles It is sin to live a gay, lesbian lifestyle! • Rom. 1:26,27, Lev.18:22 “Women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another: men with men working that which is unseemly.” • Appeal to creation and genetics does not justify homosexual relations • (LLC Position Statement 2006, Vinnurva article Aug 1996 VZ) • If you have personal questions and fears about sexuality, talk to a trusted believer

20. God loves the sinner. . . • . . . but hates sin! • We do not condone that which God calls sin • Neither can we condone gay bashing • We need the mind of Christ

21. “My Battle” • Article from Feb. 1998 VZ • Older and not married • Temptation to seek a mate from the world – Gen. 6:1-3 • Thank God for His blessings and and pray for contentment • God blesses obedience

22. God’s creation work perfect • Enjoy life as man and woman as God has ordained • Marriage is just as beautiful and holy as in the time of Abraham!

23. Gospel is the power of God! • No matter is too sensitive or private that it can’t be discussed with trusted believers • Nothing new under the sun!