Page 4 - Family Life Student Textbook

While we will do our best to evaluate how much you are learning in this course, your real test will come as
you live out these biblical principles in your own family life. That will be God’s test of your understanding
and application of his Word. And other people will be watching to see the principles of God’s word lived out
in your relationships. We challenge you to teach these Biblical principles to everyone. Christians in church
need to experience more harmony and success in their marriages and families. Young people need to learn
these principles so they can avoid making serious mistakes in their own lives. But, while everyone will
benefit from your teaching of these principles, they will also benefit from seeing you live out these principles
in your own family life.

Dr. Howard Hendricks, one of my seminary professors, told the story of a group of elders from a church
approaching him to request a recommendation of a young man who would be a good pastor for their
church. Dr. Hendricks recommended a past student of his who was not the best preacher in the world but
who had strengths in other areas. These elders did invite this young man to be their pastor. A couple of
years later these elders saw Dr. Hendricks again and shared their appreciation for their young pastor. They
agreed that he was not the best preacher, but they were amazed at the quality of his marriage. In fact, they
shared that they wished each of them had one tenth of the quality marriage their pastor displayed. God was
greatly using that young pastor to model God’s principles of marriage.

Some of us grew up in family situations where we did not see a good Christian model of family life. We tend
to follow what we have observed. Therefore, it is very important for us to understand what God’s word
teaches so that we can bring our behaviors and values into agreement with his instructions. You too can
become a glowing model of a Biblical marriage in a dark world.

Unbelievers will be watching our relationships in family life as well. We may be the only model of Christian
family life they will be able to see. And we desire for that model to be as accurate as possible. And when
these unbelievers practice the godly principles, they observe in our life in their own family relationships they
will benefit from the wisdom of obeying God’s principles even if they’ve not yet become a Christian. Our
family relationships should be a good example to a lost world of Jesus’ love for His church. Our marriage
should communicate something very good about the God who created and designed marriage.

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