"For God so loved the world that He gave His only
Son, that whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but
have eternal salvation," John 3:16.
Just mention this verse and any Christian worth his salt from
here to Timbuktu will be able to recite it word for word. The
only difference maybe would be the language used.
This is the basic principle that every Christian tries to live
by. This is what the Church is teaching its followers--- that
life should have Christ in the center of everything.
Nevertheless, despite its teachings, the Church has always been
a very lenient parent to its children. Hence, many have set aside
most of the teachings they have been taught early on, especially
those with regards to dating and relationships. The age-old traditions
have become outdated that one of the major issues that is being
staunchly argued today is that of premarital sex.
With a society that grows almost everyday and every minute,
and the dynamic global exchange of information, it is no wonder
that the Church's teachings on the values of sex and relationships
have significantly diminished. Add to this the combined influence
of media, peers, the environment, and sometimes even the family,
makes it seem alright and normal for couples who are dating to
let go of their beliefs.
But I'm not saying that having sex is bad, or that the sexual
act itself is wrong. Even the Church believes that sexual intercourse
when done at the right place and at the right time is a holy
act.
It is the sexual act "outside" of
marriage that makes it not acceptable to the Church and its
teachings. The Bible
suggests that there should be marriage first before sexual relations
may be initiated. Marriage, according to the Church, means inviting
God into the relationship to bond the love between the man and
woman, husband and wife. Without the sanctity of marriage, the
sexual act outside of it reduces the holiness of the act. Hence,
it is no better than what we see from animals--- something to
ease the basic and desirous feelings in us. It is merely a physiological
experience that every person, and even animal for that matter,
feels toward the opposite sex.
Because of the prevailing rate of young adults engaging in premarital
sex, the Church is constantly reminding everyone of the teachings
that Jesus himself has taught us.
The Church reminds
us to go against the "in" thing
and adopt a Christ-centered life on dating. This involves a greater
responsibility of having self-control especially when it comes
to letting go of emotions and engaging in premarital sex with
one's partner because of the over abundance of love and devotion
we're feeling towards the other person.
Furthermore, the Church espouses that dating may be done in
accordance with the teachings of Christianity as a whole--- that
of having Jesus Christ in the center of the relationship.
Jesus Christ came to earth to show love, give love, and be the
example of real love. His sacrifice in the cross is and always
will be the ultimate example of real love. He gave His own life
for the salvation of humanity. This is what the Church teaches
about the essence of real love.
However, this does not mean that we should also lay down our
lives for the people we love dearly to be like Christ. The Church
says that it is enough that we accept Christ and make Him the
center of our love and all other actions and experiences associated
with it, including dating. With this teaching in our hearts and
in our minds, we won't be tempted to easily let go of our necessity
to connect with our partners in the most basic way, which is
sex.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,
that whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal
salvation," John 3:16.
This is the very basic principle that the Church is trying to
teach us. In everything that we do, even with dating other people,
it must have Jesus Christ as its center. Without Christ, none
of the things we do will ever be able to satisfy and make our
lives complete.
Copyright 2005. All rights reserved
Nathalie Medrano writes for ChristianDating.com -
If you are a Christian and looking for love then this is the
site for you. Articles, Reviews and Links to the best Christian
Dating Sites on the Internet.
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