There is within the very heart of scripture and the very heart of God an admonition that relates to the Union and subsequent fruitfulness of His image-likeness creation.
This admonition has been in place from the first week of spoken life commands. It follows every act of creation and endures to this day. From the most lowly (if possible to call such), to the most complex life forms, God has mandated that all that He brings into existence be given the power to bear fruit, or reproduce. In Genesis God said to the plants, "bring forth fruit with seed in it to bear after its own various kinds." and it was so. Again He said to the animals, " be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." and it was so. In like manner He gave His eternal instruction to His highest creation...that which would carry His Spirit and bring Him Glory,...we who would one day be joined in eternal union with God Himself in the embrace of wedded wonder. It is to mankind in waves of wisdom and undeserved favor that this admonition of fruitfulness has been granted.
Within the speechless miracle of human physiology our Creator has imparted the much higher miracle of divine imitation and experience. He has shared with us...love...in all of its breathless expressions. Love is at the center of the divine admonition to bear fruit. We who believe and are grafted into the vine of intimate ownership are the fruit of God's Love. Under the careful caress of His tender pruning, He has ordained that we be prepared for fruitfulness and that such fruit would remain.
It is apparent and indisputable throughout the scripture that fruitfulness and blessing are synonymous, yet it is equally apparent that the church as a whole has embraced something quite different.
We have become increasingly lured by the influences of those who are willfully or ignorantly outside of this commission of blessing, some of which are believers. I am reminded of the scripture that declares that there is a way that seems right unto a man but the end therein is destruction. It is fearsome indeed to recognize that while we are willing to say Lord have your way over all of the kingdoms of my heart, we remain defiant as to the kingdom of our bodies and love's fruit.
If children are an impediment to our spiritual ambitions, I think Paul has made it clear...do not marry! It is our choice to receive the gift of anointed celibacy, though Paul states that there are not many within that calling. Marriage produces union, union produces fruit, fruit honors the Creator. To relate physically as husband and wife, experiencing union while refusing fruitfulness, takes sexuality out of His Lordship, the realm of sacredness and places it within man's lordship, fruitless eroticism.
We must ask ourselves...Are children really our willful option or the holy result of a divine union under divine blessing?
There is nothing within scripture to suggest that we should usurp the authority and sovereignty of God to serve our own agendas or the perception we have of His agenda for us. Conversely, there are many scriptures that declare the intent of our Creators purpose for sexual union and His promise to supply our needs as He enlarges our tent.
As for the question...Should we be having children as a married couple now or wait, one or ten, boy or girl? The answer is easy, give the option to God...lay down your contraceptives and trust His eternal purpose!
Would to God this advice had been offered to me as a young and foolish Christian.
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Dear Antioch,
A question has arisen as to why our young ladies are being singled out and made to feel like some dark and sinister vice to be avoided during post high-school years, (or the college years.) Statements like, "Don't even look at them!", have been made from the pulpit of our church.
Our girls are not evil. They should not be made to feel as if they are some created mistake. It should not be promoted that only platonic discourse is God's will between college-aged students. Boundaries should be encouraged that support the building of Holy guy/girl relationships, not those that make impossible the happiness and well-rounded establishing of the will of God within their lives.
These are real concerns being vocalized by some of our girls. I have personally over-heard them making such comments in the foyer of the church.
If the issue is modesty, that subject is addressed very little, actually maybe needing some attention. But to censure the building and nurturing of relationships especially within the covering of the church, is to me... wrong.
The directive should not be disassociation or "do not even look upon the opposite sex", but rather let us seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit and obey the tenets of sacred relationship thus maintaining holiness within the context of Christ-centered unions.
I am convinced that many young people wrongly forsake the establishing of a potentially powerful sacred relationship. These relationships could have and should have been allowed nurturing. Our youth are wrestling with the fears of transgressing some pretentious spiritual mandate levied upon them, not by the Holy Spirit, but by personal prejudice or fear of sin, or outside-imposed celibacy for the pursuit of missions or some other like situation.
While it is true that Paul promotes celibacy in the early instruction of the church, he does so under the impression that Jesus would return immediately. Even here he states that only those with this 'gift' are involved. Later we see in his letters that in the last days there would be those who would forsake and forbid the holy institution of marriage. Obviously he re-thought his first mandate.
I am not crying heresy, nor am I upset with any certain individual, but I am suggesting a re-thinking of our position may be, and I feel is, in order.
The scenario of missing a wonderful marriage partner due to the wrongful establishing of well-intended celebate time-line directives is not only very real, but also certainly taking place among us.
Many wonderful young ladies have been passed over as obstacles during their 'school years'. They are now single and many will remain so; not at all because it was the will of God or their "gift", but because of miss-guided zeal and/or counsel. Others are forced to settle for unions that are far less dynamic, or in desperation may even give themselves to non-Christians. These things ought not to be.
We are still very much free-willed agents to choose this day whom and where and how we will serve. It is therefore incumbent upon those in authority to promote a lifestyle of faith and discipline that may properly include the potential for life-partner relationships.
It is also a double standard to state, "do not even look upon them", when places of entertainment the church promotes include the naked walkways of Schliterbahn and the like.
Our children and families are whisked away to these hedonism strongholds without a second thought. Once again, I do not say this to condemn, but that we might re-examine our stand.
It is not unholy to witness the celebration of many of our young men and women in marriage, even while yet engaged in pursiut of their education.
I graduated from what is now Trinity Bible College, and watched large numbers of students meet and fall in love and marry while in school. They learned to live by faith for their provision and worked hard instead of sitting around at some coffee bar somewhere wasting a good deal of their college years. These young men and women also went in huge numbers onto the mission fields. Marriage only seemed to enhance not impede.
Please be assured that while my opinion on this subject is strong, my confidence in your ministry is also strong!
In summary, I agree with seek first the kingdom and all these things shall be added. I strongly believe in the allowance, if not encouragement of Christ-centered , Spirit-led relationships; realized and established under the over-sight and within the incubating protection of the Spirit-filled body. I believe it is wrong to impose restrictions of relationship based in part at least upon the supposition that schooling is somehow an exclusive precedent in which marriage cannot dovetail.
Prayerfully submitted, Peter Weisenburger
