Jesus has some interesting words regarding marriage in Heaven …

“But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.” [Luke 20:35, ESV]

This puzzles those that have happy, fulfilling marriages in this life. If a marriage here is a gift for which God has delineated many reasons in Scripture, why will that marriage no longer exist in Heaven? Scripture is very clear that our marriages are of limited duration, a bond dissolved by death.

Why?

First we must be clear that the Scripture is adamant there will be a marriage in Heaven. There is one marriage which God tells us will be enacted in glory:

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.” [Revelation 19:7, ESV]

The fireworks are still there after 33 years; here’s Debbie and I in a tango exhibition …

I’ve been reading this book on sexual morality from the Biblical perspective. The author, Daniel Heimback does a marvelous job of explaining true sexual modesty.

Modesty is not about shielding or hiding something dirty; it’s about guarding something exceptionally precious. True modesty (as opposed to false) elevates a woman’s standing in the eyes of men, inspiring them to regard the woman as of great value.

Cole Brown wrestles with the theological meaning of sex and the practical implications for everyone (married, single and divorced) in this article entitled God Loves Sex and So Should You. He’s not afraid to tackle the tough issue of the sexuality of the single and divorced. I’ve reproduced the article in entirety in case the link goes down. Thanks Cole, for the food-for-thought and not being afraid to wrestle with some difficult questions …

Check out the teaser web site from Granger Community Church in Indiana. Great to see other churches not afraid to address biblical sex. They are not afraid to talk about it. Good for them and great for the kingdom.

Bob
Fides Quaerens Intellectum

What’s Not OK In Bed?

http://www.marriagemissions.com/sexual/whats_not_okay.php

Caution: the link is explicit but recommended reading for all married couples.

“If both partners agree, is anything taboo?” “What about the use of vibrators?” “Is oral sex okay?” [These are just a few questions that Christian women asked about the sexual relationship in marriage from a survey that the authors conducted.] But at the heart of each of these questions were two concerns: What does God prohibit in the sexual relationship between a husband and wife, and what does God permit?

Last week, my wife and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. God has blessed us with a wonderful marriage that is still just as physically exciting now (and even more in some ways!) that when we first married.

In our day and age, it is important that the church present an effective witness to the Biblical perspective on human sexuality; otherwise, cultural and secular secular views will prevail. Unfortunately, the church in contemporary America has not generally done a good job in this arena during the last half of the 20th century, and into the 21st century. Consider what the understanding of a typical youth in America will be on human sexuality, if his/her parents are silent and they hear nothing from the church: