D
Here are some examples which came to mind.
Unsaved man/woman live together for several years, share bills, buy house have kids.
Then they get saved but they either can't afford to get married or the penny does not drop
immediately. What should the church do, tell them they are not saved until they get married.
Tell them one should move out breaking up the family unit and causing deeper financial
problems. It's a toughey. I've actually seen this played out in my church and I can tell you
it all worked out in the end, with patience, teaching, love and understanding they decided
to get married and the church chipped in to help out.
Unsaved man/woman live together for several years, share bills, buy house have kids.
Then they get saved but they either can't afford to get married or the penny does not drop
immediately. What should the church do, tell them they are not saved until they get married.
Tell them one should move out breaking up the family unit and causing deeper financial
problems. It's a toughey. I've actually seen this played out in my church and I can tell you
it all worked out in the end, with patience, teaching, love and understanding they decided
to get married and the church chipped in to help out.
Christian friend of mine, had a daughter who was 19, very much loved but not a Christian. Her
boyfriend had some disabilities and had many problems with his own alcoholic mother. In the
end the boyfriends mother throw him out with nothing except the clothes he was wearing.
Problem problem - what should my Christian friend do, she knows her daughter and boyfriend
are already sleeping together. Both are still fairly young and he has nowhere to go.
She (and her husband) allowed him to stay at their house and got a lot of stick for it
from some other people in the church. Fast forward 7 years both the daughter and boyfriend
are now married, both are Christians, they have a house of there own have some beautiful
little girls who are being brought up in a Christian environment.
boyfriend had some disabilities and had many problems with his own alcoholic mother. In the
end the boyfriends mother throw him out with nothing except the clothes he was wearing.
Problem problem - what should my Christian friend do, she knows her daughter and boyfriend
are already sleeping together. Both are still fairly young and he has nowhere to go.
She (and her husband) allowed him to stay at their house and got a lot of stick for it
from some other people in the church. Fast forward 7 years both the daughter and boyfriend
are now married, both are Christians, they have a house of there own have some beautiful
little girls who are being brought up in a Christian environment.
Unsaved unmarried man/woman live together as in the first scenario. One becomes a Christian
and wants to get married. The other is not a Christian and does not want to get married but
they both love each other and don't want to split up so they continue as they are. What should
the church do? Well prayer comes to mind for the unsaved person - I suppose though they could
just make the saved person feel so bad for not being married that they leave the church and
stop believing in God.
and wants to get married. The other is not a Christian and does not want to get married but
they both love each other and don't want to split up so they continue as they are. What should
the church do? Well prayer comes to mind for the unsaved person - I suppose though they could
just make the saved person feel so bad for not being married that they leave the church and
stop believing in God.
There are loads of examples of different tricky situations.
Then there are the unchurched undiscipled Christians who get together and
blatantly go against God's word. Some even meet each other via church.
I have met only a few like this, usually it is the foolishness of youth or just maybe
they were not Christians in the first place. There are many non Christians who attend
churches.
Thankfully I go to a church which does practice discipleship, new babes in
Christ flourish, it gives good solid teaching. It does not leave new Christians to flounder.
It also practices church discipline, though thankfully it is rare this has been necessary.
I honestly think that if a church has a specific problem in this area , especially the last
example. They have to look at themselves and what they are teaching, how they are
going about teaching and instructing on biblical truths.
By far a big factor are the number of people who think they are Christians just because
they live in a Christian country, or just because they were baptised as babies. Or just
because they believe in God. I would have thought that would cover a large percentage of
the population of the US. I also covers a reasonable number of the population of the U.K.
Then there are the unchurched undiscipled Christians who get together and
blatantly go against God's word. Some even meet each other via church.
I have met only a few like this, usually it is the foolishness of youth or just maybe
they were not Christians in the first place. There are many non Christians who attend
churches.
Thankfully I go to a church which does practice discipleship, new babes in
Christ flourish, it gives good solid teaching. It does not leave new Christians to flounder.
It also practices church discipline, though thankfully it is rare this has been necessary.
I honestly think that if a church has a specific problem in this area , especially the last
example. They have to look at themselves and what they are teaching, how they are
going about teaching and instructing on biblical truths.
By far a big factor are the number of people who think they are Christians just because
they live in a Christian country, or just because they were baptised as babies. Or just
because they believe in God. I would have thought that would cover a large percentage of
the population of the US. I also covers a reasonable number of the population of the U.K.
(And, ha! I hope you understand me enough to know, if you ask, I will answer. lol)