College Age Meeting

Dating & Marriage

I. Marriage-a God ordained institution for this age, between one man & one woman, a life long commitment Genesis 1: 26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, e fruitful, and multi!l". Genesis 2:18, 24 And the L#$% God said, &t is not good that the man should be alone; & will make him an hel! meet for him. 'herefore shall a man lea(e his father and his mother, and shall clea(e unto his wife) and the" shall be one flesh. Matthew 19: 3 And some *harisees came to +im, testing +im and sa"ing, &s it lawful for a man to di(orce his wife for an" cause, - And +e answered and said, +a(e "ou not read that +e who created them from the beginning made them male and female, . And said, //0or this cause shall a man lea(e his father and his mother and shall be 1oined to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh22, 3 So then the" are no longer two, but one flesh. 'herefore what God has "oked together, let man not se!arate. John 2:1 a wedding took !lace in 4ana of Galilee, and the mother of 5esus was there. And 5esus also was in(ited Matthew 22: 29 And 5esus answered and said to them, 6ou err, not knowing the Scri!tures nor the !ower of God. 78 0or in the resurrection the" neither marr" nor are gi(en in marriage, but are like angels in hea(en. II. A Picture of the Divine omance (John 3: 16; Matthew 22: 36-37; Rev. 21:2)

Eph. 5:25 +usbands, lo(e "our wi(es e(en as 4hrist also lo(ed the church and ga(e +imself u! for her 79 0or this cause a man shall lea(e his father and mother and shall be 1oined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. 72 'his m"ster" is great, but & s!eak with regard to 4hrist and the church. Rev 19: 7 Let us re1oice and e:ult, and let us gi(e the glor" to +im, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and +is wife has made herself read". III. !ecause marriage is of God and related to God"s #ur#ose, $atan see%s ver& much to damage marriage A. atan has a !oa" - that o#$ vesse" %e &a'a!e& ( spoi"e& an& that we a$e )$#st$ate& 1 *et. 5:8 ; e sober; watch. 6our ad(ersar", the de(il, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking someone to de(our. +. ,ne o) atan-s too"s an& st$ate!ies -.o#th)#" "#sts an& )o$ni/ation 1 0o$. 6:18 ; 0lee fornication. <(er" sin which a man ma" do is outside the bod", but he who commits fornication sins against his own bod"= I'. (e should recogni)e that we are *saints+ ,se#arated ones- and *the church+ ,those called out- from what is common - . Cor../0b ;to those who ha(e been sanctified in 4hrist 5esus, the called saints= '. (e need to coo#erate with the o#erating God 2 1i'. 2:22 +#t )"ee .o#th)#" "#sts , and p#$s#e righteousness, faith, lo(e, !eace with those who /a"" on the 2o$& o#t o) a p#$e hea$t. Ro'ans 6: 19 p$esent .o#$ 'e'%e$s as s"aves to $i!hteo#sness #nto san/ti)i/ation. 'I. 1ow to en2o& God"s greatest blessing in the matter of marriage/ A. !. C. D. !e clear about $atan3s strateg& 2 0o$. 2:11 ;'hat we ma" not be taken ad(antage of b" Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes= Don3t be deceived concerning our fallen nature 1 John 1:8 ;&f we sa" that we do not ha(e sin, we are decei(ing oursel(es, and the truth is not in us (e should be careful not to ma%e #rovision for the fleshRo'. 13:14 ; ut !ut on the Lord 5esus 4hrist, and make no !ro(ision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts=

(e should %now God3s righteous 2udgment 4 Ga". 6:7 ;%o not be decei(ed) God is not mocked; for whate(er a man sows, this he will also rea!.= 3e%. 13:4 ;fornicators and adulterers God will 1udge= 5. (e should be choose our com#anions wisel& *$ov. 13:24 ;+e that walks with wise men shall be wise) but a com!anion of fools shall be destro"ed. Don"t ta%e the worldl& wa&/ Care for others15 iste$s: in &$ess ( &epo$t'ent > *$ov. 7:14 ;And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.= 25 +$othe$s: in attit#&e ( /on&#/t ?? Matt. 6:22 ;'he lam! of the bod" is the e"e. &f therefore "our e"e is single,

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"our whole bod" will be full of light. G.

661 0o$. 7:1 &t is better for a man not to touch a woman.

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(e need to learn to re2ect $atan3s lies and e7cuses 15 @eAre onl" friends 25 %ating is normal 35 @e won2t get that in(ol(ed God doesn2t reall" care about this.&A(e got to take this matter into m" own hands (e need to learn to trust the 8ord and to *wait on the 8ord+ ,Isa. 9:/;.E//". 3:1 ;'o e(er" thing there is a season, and a time to e(er" !ur!ose under the hea(en If we are serious about ta%ing the *high road+ we should have a definite transaction with the 8ord about this matter, including confession and a thorough consecration Ma$7. 12:34 ;And "ou shall lo(e the Lord "our God from "our whole heart and from "our whole soul and from "our whole mind and from "our whole strength !& 1is grace we need to be willing to ta%e a stand, be different, and to *bear 1is re#roach+ 3e%. 13:13 Let us therefore go forth unto +im outside the cam!, bearing +is re!roach. (Matt. 7: 13-14) 1 *et. 4:4 &n this the" think it strange that "ou are not running together with them into the same flood of dissoluteness, slandering "ou John 21: 19 And when +e had said this, +e said to him, 0ollow Be. 28 *eter, turning around, saw the disci!le whom 5esus lo(ed following, . 29 *eter therefore, seeing him, said to 5esus, Lord, and what about this man, 22 5esus said to him, &f & want him to remain until & come, what is that to "ou, 6ou follow Be.

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(e must believe in God"s Promise Matthew 6: 32-33 All these things the Gentiles are an:iousl" seeking. 0or "our hea(enl" 0ather knows that "ou need all these things. ut seek first +is kingdom and +is righteousness, and all these things will be added to "ou. 1 *ete$ 5: 7 4asting all "our an:iet" on +im because it matters to +im concerning "ou. 1 a' 2: 34 'hose who honor Be & will honor, and those who des!ise Be shall be lightl" esteemed

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oad concerning Dating & Marriage/ *Count the cost, #a& the #rice, and live a life without regrets+

Point $ummar& for 6urther Consideration and Action on @our Part? Bake a thorough confession C consecration regarding this matter, with a great resolution of heart. 'reasure "our single "ears, and these !recious times, a golden o!!ortunit", that "ou will ne(er ha(e again. $ealiDe that dating is an ;unreal= wa" to get to know someone $ealiDe that dating is an atmos!here of false romantic e:!ectations. &t is better to get to know someone as friends and de(elo! mutual res!ect, and if the time is right in "our life, and feelings de(elo!, it ma" be of God to !ursue courtshi!. Girls beware of falling in lo(e with ;romance=, ;romantic lo(e= >> will not last. 0or those that wish to gi(e their whole life to be the LordAs ser(ants and as!ire to be ;o(ercomers= and recei(e the reward, know that to den" oneself is mentioned in all - gos!els and will be continuall" reEuired throughout "our 4hristian life. %uring this time in "our life self>denial relates (er" much to !remature relations. $emember that for something to be trul" of the Lord, it needs to beF a. the $i!ht thin! G %. at the $i!ht ti'e 8 /. with the $i!ht pe$son 8 &. &one in the $i!ht wa.. &t is safe to sa" that a bad marriage is far more difficult and !ainful than a single life. %e(elo! a basic resol(e to be willing to be ;different= and to ;bear +is re!roach=. 'o be hol" means to not be common. God has not gi(en us a s!irit of cowardness. &f "ou are too concerned about what !eo!le ;think= of "ou will ne(er be a !ro!er belie(er. $ealiDe that dating and !remature relationshi!s result in com!lications, !ossessi(eness, emotional, !s"chological and e(en !h"sical e:!ectations which become a kind of bondage that frustrate if the" are not associated with a normal marriage commitment. %ating, as it is common toda", !re!ares "ou much more for di(orce than for a life long commitment. $esist the ;tem!tation= to take the matter of "our marriage Ione of the (er" most critical decisions "ou will e(er makeJ into "our own hands and in "our own wa". %en" "ourself, !ra", honor the Lord and seek +is blessing. %onAt !la" with fire 9o# wi"" neve$ $e!$et .o#$ p#$it. : 'ake care of life and !eace in "our mingle s!irit. Learn to care for the sense of life. e su!!lied e(er"da" in the @ord, which is both "our s!iritual food and s!iritual antibiotic. Seek the LordAs merc" and grace to be !reser(ed in this matter; donAt trust "ourself or "our abilit" to kee! "ourself. Sta" in the fellowshi! where ;normal= human li(ing, and not the course of this age, is encouraged As a !oa" we $e/o''en& that o#$ .o#n! peop"e ai' to )inish thei$ /o""e!e e&#/ation an& !o the ;11A %e)o$e %e!innin! a /o#$tship . As a rule and in general, we belie(e this will be the wa" of greatest blessing. %onAt criticiDe or 1udge others in this matter, this is fellowshi! is for ;those who ha(e an ear= and who as!ire to ;take the high road= in the matter of dating C marriage. @e are not God, God is so(ereign, and we lo(e all the saints. 0or "our !ast failures, ha(e a thorough confession and a!!lication of the blood, and then rise u! to ha(e a fresh start for a new beginning. 'he Lord will forgi(e and heal. Learn from "our !re(ious mistakes, and thank the Lord for +is merc", +is !reser(ing, +is enlightenment and +is kee!ing !ower.