Big Issues

 

What do Christians think about...

 

Marriage

 

People become Christians at different periods in their life and the issue of marriage will confront people at different points. Some will be single, some will be in relationships, some will be married, and others divorced, widowed or remarried. Our church contains people in all of these states and welcomes all to Wellfield. It is important to allow Jesus to instruct us on every area of life and this area is no exception.

In the beginning…

God invented marriage right at the beginning of time (Genesis 2:24) because He thought it was bad for man to be alone. God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman for life (Mark 10:7-9) in order to show how God is faithful to His people (Ephesians 5:32). Marriage is the bedrock of our society and is the structure, which God gave us to have and bring up children.

So divorce is out then?

Divorce is seen as a sad breaking of a promise of a lifelong partnership made to each other before God. But as sinful human beings we fall short of God’s plans for us in all areas including relationships and the Bible makes provision for that. Moses permitted divorce in the Jewish Law because he saw that divorce would happen and wished to protect the innocent partner (Mark 10:5).

What did Jesus have to say?

Jesus is questioned about this issue when He was on earth. He pointed people back to the original idea of marriage God set up in Genesis. Jesus restated marriage as a lifelong union saying ‘what God has joined together, let man not separate’ (Matthew 19:6). Jesus gave us one exception to the ‘no divorce’ rule, which was when one partner had been unfaithful to the other (Matthew 5:32).

For us at Wellfield…

We welcome people at any stage of life, whatever their situation and relationship status, as they seek to learn about and come to know God and His Son Jesus Christ.
But as followers of Jesus, we try to live by God’s teaching and His standards. We recognise we all fall short of this and ask God for forgiveness when we do. In our teaching, prayers and community we believe in and seek to protect and promote marriage as a gift from God.

Email us at info@standrewsatwellfield.org.uk if you have specific questions about this topic, or why not pop along and make use of the question time?

 

Debt

 

Debt has become a huge problem in our society. Personal debt now exceeds national income - which means, for many people, financial crisis that is overwhelming. The results can include family breakdown, health problems, social problems, loneliness, isolation … and it’s even one of the primary causes of suicide.

Some people are simply victims of circumstances. But quite often, it’s the ‘must have now, and forget the future’ attitude that gets us in trouble. The bible says lots to warn us against thinking this way. For example, the words of Jesus in Mark chapter 8, verses 34-35:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel [the good news about me] will save it.”

Jesus is saying that real life is found in the future. It’s about being spared God’s judgement that we deserve, and enjoying the perfect life that’s given to those who follow him. That means giving up a ‘me-centred’ life now.

However, it’s one thing to avoid overwhelming debt by living for the future; it’s another thing when you’re in debt. If you are, let us recommend the following:

- Contact a professional debt counselling agency - either the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, or, we recommend highly, Christians Against Poverty: www.capuk.org
- Rethink your ambitions. The most important thing in life is not financial - it’s spiritual. Being right with God outweighs being debt free; we were made for that and our eternity depends on it. Contact us to find out more about that - we’d be glad to meet up, or put you in touch with Christians near you.

 

Homosexuality

 

The bible makes it clear that sex is intended only for marriage, between one man and one woman. When God made mankind, we’re told, “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24). All other sexual activity is ‘sin’ (ie, expressions of rebellion against God).

All sin not only separates us from God, but it spoils life too. And sexual sin affects us personally in ways that other sins, like theft or anger, don’t: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18). It is perhaps for this reason that homosexuality is viewed by the bible as particularly perverse: when God judges society by allowing it to follow its own impulses, sexuality is often expressed in homosexuality (Romans 1:26-28).

As Christians, we do not discriminate against people who practice homosexuality. We are all rebels against God, and express that in all sorts of ways. However, when somebody becomes a Christian, their life is submitted to his rule. For someone practicing homosexuality, that means recognising it as sin, and seeking to change. Many people do that.

Are homosexuals ‘born that way’?
The causes of homosexuality are complex. It may be that genetic factors make a person more likely to choose a homosexual lifestyle, but no clear genetic link has been proved. There are many factors that could influence a person’s sexuality, such as relationship with parents, abuse as a child, or other traumatic family circumstances. Whatever the cause, sexual behaviour, unlike our nationality, race or health at birth, is something we choose.

Does it matter what people do in private?

What we do in private nearly always affects our relationships with others. And what’s more, God sees and cares about what we do in private.

What’s wrong with harmless fun?

Homosexual sex is far from harmless. Apart from psychological and social consequences, a homosexual lifestyle is medically very damaging. Sexually transmitted diseases are such that life expectancy is significantly reduced by homosexual behaviour. Compassion drives us to want to help people to break out of harmful habits as we want people to experience the “life in its fulness” that Jesus brings.

For further information and careful research, visit the Family Research Institute website: www.familyresearchinst.org