Page 52 - Christ and Culture Textbook

Study Section 9: The Gospel and Marriage

9.1 Connect

Not only the gospel is under attack, but marriage institution is also under serious attack by
our culture today. Marital infidelity, sexual sin, homosexuality, abortion, women’s liberation,
delinquency, and the sexual revolution in general have all contributed to the demise of
marriage and family. According to John MacArthur, “During the past twenty-five years some
sociologists and psychologists believed marriage ought to radically change or be eliminated
altogether. That kind of “enlightened” thinking was based on the notion that marriage had
failed to meet people’s needs, and that men and women no longer needed such an institution to live
productive, satisfying lives. But marriage hasn’t failed—it’s just that more and more people are avoiding
it. And of those who do marry, half eventually bail out instead of exerting the consistent effort and
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determination necessary to make their marriages succeed.” How is marriage under attack today?
What does the Bible say about marriage?

9.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to discuss the topic of marriage.

2. The student should be able to discuss God’s design and desire for marriage.

3. The student should be able to refute any false teachings about marriage.

9.3 Biblical Marriage

Ours is a contract-oriented culture. Unfortunately, many Christian couples have brought this
contract mentality into their marriages. They are busy trying to follow the standards of the
world. There is so much resentment, hurt, and anger and divorce in our societies today. When a
person enters into marriage with contract mentality, he/she will not last long. Our society is
built upon the concept of contracts. When we come to view our marriage only as a contract or a
series of contracts, we become totally secular in our thinking and we abandon the biblical view
of marriage. The Bible views marriage ultimately as a God ordained covenant institution. Our culture
has destroyed the picture of marriage. The divorce rates and cohabitation patterns among professing
Christians are very high. God’s plan and pattern for marriage is rejected by our communities. When
God’s will is rejected, we are headed for self-destruction.

Apostle Paul said , For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-
control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.(2
Tim. 3:1–5).
Notice that the first traits of the last days are an overwhelming self-centeredness and self-indulgence—
characteristics certainly true of our day. Our entertainment-conscious society helps feed all sorts of

16 John MacArthur, Different by Design, MacArthur Study Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 50.

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