God's Redemption: Marriage, Singleness, and Ethical Living
Summary
The sermon begins by discussing four general themes present throughout the Old and New Testaments. The first theme is the distortion and disorder of the world after Eden, and the need for God's redemption. The second theme is the recognition that God works through imperfect people, seeking to conform them to His good purposes. The third theme is the call for God's people to live distinctively and differently from those around them. The fourth theme is the importance of understanding the underlying rationale behind certain moral codes.
The speaker then outlines five acts of God's drama: God creating and preserving his creation, God beginning the work of redemption through Israel, God accomplishing redemption through Christ and calling all to follow him, God sending his Spirit to create the church and transform his people, and God renewing the whole of creation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of sexual ethics in Jesus' teaching and practice and mentions the wider witness of Jesus' teachings.
The speaker discusses Jesus' teachings on adultery and sexual immorality, emphasizing that Jesus combines this demanding ethical teaching with a practice of welcoming and demonstrating love to those who do not live in line with it. The speaker suggests that when considering how to respond to questions where the gospels are silent, we should strive to be Jesus-like by embracing both radical inclusion and radical transformation.
The speaker then discusses the theological challenges of proposing a new pattern of life alongside male-female marriage and singleness. They argue that celibate singleness bears witness to God's purpose for human destiny beyond marriage in the new creation. The speaker also emphasizes that marriage is not absent from the new creation but finds its fulfillment there.
The speaker discusses the symbol of marriage as a covenantal union between God and God's people. They mention that this imagery is seen in various Old Testament prophets, such as Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. The speaker also highlights how Jesus refers to himself as the groom and uses marriage imagery in his teachings. Additionally, Paul draws on Genesis 2 to speak of Christ and the church, emphasizing the connection between human marriage and God's covenant.
Key Takeaways:
- The world is distorted and disordered after Eden, and there is a need for God's redemption. Even among God's redeemed people, sin continues to be present, affecting marriages and sexual behavior. God works through imperfect people, seeking to conform them to His good purposes. [20:19]
- God's drama consists of five acts: God creating and preserving his creation, God beginning the work of redemption through Israel, God accomplishing redemption through Christ and calling all to follow him, God sending his Spirit to create the church and transform his people, and God renewing the whole of creation. [21:35]
- Jesus' teachings on adultery and sexual immorality are more rigorous and challenging than the Old Testament law and Prophets. However, Jesus combines this demanding ethical teaching with a practice of welcoming and demonstrating love to those who do not live in line with it. [09:08]
- Celibate singleness bears witness to God's purpose for human destiny beyond marriage in the new creation. Marriage is not absent from the new creation but finds its fulfillment there. [49:33]
- Marriage is a symbol of the covenantal union between God and God's people. This imagery is seen in various Old Testament prophets, such as Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. Jesus refers to himself as the groom and uses marriage imagery in his teachings. Paul draws on Genesis 2 to speak of Christ and the church, emphasizing the connection between human marriage and God's covenant. [03:07]
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 1:27 - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
2. Matthew 19:4-6 - "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
3. Ephesians 5:31-32 - "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Genesis 1:27, how did God create mankind, and what significance does this have for understanding human identity and relationships?
2. In Matthew 19:4-6, what does Jesus say about the nature of marriage, and how does he connect it to the creation account?
3. How does Paul in Ephesians 5:31-32 use the Genesis creation narrative to explain the relationship between Christ and the church?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean that humans are created in the image of God, and how does this impact our understanding of human dignity and value? [01:50]
2. How does Jesus' teaching on marriage in Matthew 19 challenge contemporary views on marriage and divorce? [10:22]
3. In what ways does Paul’s use of marriage as a metaphor for Christ and the church in Ephesians 5 deepen our understanding of both marriage and the church? [37:19]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the idea that all humans are created in God's image. How does this influence the way you view and treat others, especially those who are different from you? [01:50]
2. Jesus combines demanding ethical teachings with radical inclusion and love. How can you practice this balance in your own life, especially towards those who may not live according to biblical teachings? [09:43]
3. Considering the importance of living distinctively as God's people, what are some specific ways you can demonstrate a life that is set apart in your daily interactions and decisions? [22:42]
4. How does the concept of celibate singleness as a witness to God's purpose for human destiny challenge or affirm your current understanding of singleness and marriage? [49:33]
5. Marriage is described as a covenantal union that symbolizes the relationship between God and His people. How does this understanding shape your view of marriage, whether you are married or single? [37:19]
6. Reflect on the idea that marriage finds its fulfillment in the new creation. How does this eschatological perspective influence your current approach to relationships and life choices? [40:56]
7. How can you, as part of the church, embody both the welcoming love and the transformative power of Christ in your community, especially towards those who may feel excluded or stigmatized? [09:43]
Devotional
Day 1: The Redemption of a Distorted World
God's world, once perfect, is now distorted and disordered due to sin. This distortion affects all aspects of life, including marriages and sexual behavior. However, God's redemption is powerful and transformative, working through imperfect people to restore order and purpose. [20:19]
Hosea 14:4 - "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them."
Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life that feels distorted or disordered. How can you invite God's redemption into this area today?
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Day 2: Participating in God's Grand Drama
God's grand drama unfolds in five acts: creation, redemption through Israel, redemption through Christ, the creation of the church, and the renewal of creation. As believers, we are invited to participate in this drama, aligning our lives with God's redemptive purposes. [21:35]
Isaiah 43:19 - "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
Reflection: Consider your role in God's grand drama. How can you actively participate in God's redemptive work today?
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Day 3: Embracing Jesus' Teachings on Love and Morality
Jesus' teachings on adultery and sexual immorality are rigorous and challenging, yet they are coupled with a radical love and acceptance for those who fall short. As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace both these ethical teachings and the practice of radical love. [09:08]
Matthew 5:44 - "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you struggled to balance moral rigor with love and acceptance. How can you better embody Jesus' teachings in this area today?
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Day 4: Understanding Singleness and Marriage in the New Creation
In the new creation, both celibate singleness and marriage find their fulfillment. Singleness bears witness to our ultimate destiny beyond marriage, while marriage is not absent but finds its ultimate purpose. [49:33]
Revelation 21:2 - "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."
Reflection: Whether you are single or married, how can you live in a way that bears witness to the reality of the new creation today?
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Day 5: Recognizing Marriage as a Covenantal Union
Marriage is a symbol of the covenantal union between God and His people. This imagery is seen throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament prophets to Jesus' teachings and Paul's letters. Understanding this can deepen our appreciation of both human marriage and our relationship with God. [03:07]
Ephesians 5:31-32 - "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church."
Reflection: How does understanding marriage as a symbol of God's covenant with His people change your perspective on your own relationships and your relationship with God?
Quotes
"One of the challenges today is whether in the face of new claims about identity based on sexual orientation gender identity we continue to view this male female distinction within Humanity based on biological sex as primary and fundamental in our sexual ethics and our doctrine of marriage or do we view it as relatively unimportant perhaps irrelevant or perhaps even oppressive and damaging." [17:55]
"He Roots his teaching here in who we are as human creatures... the social practice isn't simply a human construct it points to God's work of creation connected to his creation of human creatures as male and female." #!!12:16!!#
"Marriage is not the only pattern of Life blessed by God the Creator and that for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven some may not marry." #!!12:58!!#
"Jesus combines this demanding ethical teaching with a practice that welcomes and demonstrates love to those not living in line with it. He combines if you like both radical inclusion and radical transformation in his relationships with those who are often excluded and labeled Sinners." #!!09:43!!#
"Celibate singleness they are bearing witness to God's purpose for human Destiny in life beyond marriage in the new creation." #!!40:22!!#
"Marriage is however in another sense Not absent from the new creation rather it Finds Its fulfillment there... Revelation points us forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb when John sees the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." #!!40:56!!#
"This canonical connection between human marriage and God's covenant is another reason why reconfiguration of the church's doctrine of marriages for many a significant theological not simply a pastoral or ethical question." #!!37:19!!#
"We find God constantly working through people who clearly fall short as he works with his people and the mess that they are in seeking to conform them more to his good purposes." #!!21:02!!#
"Although God's people are still full and they are called to be different to live distinctively to walk to the beat of a Different Drum from those around about them at the start of act two Abram is called to be a blessing to the Nations." #!!22:42!!#
"First of all, that all human beings are creatures made in God's image and so of unique dignity and value this dignity this value is equally shared by all without exception and with no distinctions based on any other characteristics including sexuality and sexual behavior but we're also all Sinners and the sin impacts all of us in every area of Our Lives including all our sexualities and all our patterns of sexual behavior we all therefore need to be United to Christ and formed into his likeness by his spirit within his body the church." #!!01:50!!#
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