A couple comes to your service. they seem like very nice people who are very interested in finding out what the church has to offer. You welcome them with open arms.
In getting to know them you find out.
1. They do not Know God
2. They are not saved
also, you find a very troubling thing (according to the law) they are not married, but have been living together for 6 months.
so,, what would your church do??
In getting to know them you find out.
1. They do not Know God
2. They are not saved
also, you find a very troubling thing (according to the law) they are not married, but have been living together for 6 months.
so,, what would your church do??
If they cared not to join, they would be welcomed to continue to come to church. The pastor being aware of this would probably have a series of sermons on marriage and explain it using the examples of the church, and Israel as a metaphor for the woman, and God, and Jesus as a metaphor for the man. This is also very good instructions for feeding the flock. It could even lead to a revival which should be spontaneous.
These people, committing fornication, would know in time, what they were doing was against the divine will of God. Then they would have to make a choice whether or not they wanted to continue in the same pattern. If they didn't want God's will in their life, consciously, then members of the church, who were deemed as qualified, would present to them the "Roman Road" along with 1 John 1:9, Matthew 4:17, and Luke 9:23-26, relating forgiveness to sacrifice, burning of sins, explaining the physical attributes with the spiritual attributes, plus more Bible if they were willing to listen. They would be taught that God has never changed, and sacrifice, and the bloodshed is the only way for God to accept the individual through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus /high priest.
If they grabbed onto the gift of salvation and received a new birth through the Spirit, they would continue to be ministered to as to help them grow in the Lord, taking the reality of life into account. I present this, with the question presented, that the church knows about their fornication. If only certain individuals knew, it would be approached differently.