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Title: The Importance of Christian Singleness 
Text:  
Series: Let's be a Christ-centered Church
Introductory Remarks:
Paul’s summarization:
Jewish Culture:
This particular statement would be counter-Jewish culture and other religions and cultures, which made marriage and child-bearing absolute virtues.
Culturally:
The gospel "de-idolized" marriage, since culturally having children:
formed ways to be remembered
formed ways for inheritances to be maintained in a biological sense
brought security to the aged
"Single adult Christians were bearing testimony that God, not family, was their hope."
- Keller
Christian Marriage Hope:
Hauerwas goes on to point out that Christian hope not only made it possible for singles to live fulfilled lives without spouse and children, but it also was an impetus for people to marry and have children and not be afraid to bring them into this dark world.
“For Christians do not place their hope in their children, but rather their children are a sign of their hope . . .
that God has not abandoned this world. . .
.” 6 - Keller, Meaning of Marriage
What this means for us today:
(Con-temporization)
Two extreme views that are not gospel-centered:
Traditional society view - tends to make an idol out of marriage (because they make an idol out of family and tribe)
Contemporary society view - tends to make an idol out of independence (because they make an idol out of individual choice & happiness)
While the traditional motive for marriage has been social duty, stability, and status, the contemporary motive for marriage is personal fulfillment.
Both of these motives are partially right, of course, but they tend to become ultimates if the gospel has not changed your mind and heart.
- T.K.
“Marriage and celibacy can be idolatrous.
Spouses can worship each other…Singles can worship autonomy and independence.
Singles can look at marriage as a second-class Christian compromise with the sexual drive.
Married people can look upon singleness as a mark of immaturity or irresponsibility or incompetence.”
- JP “There are Christ-exalting ways to be married…and to be single.”
Example (illustration):
As a pastor in New York City, I have noticed an interesting sociological phenomenon.
Some Christian singles in my church were raised in parts of the United States that are very traditional culturally, and there they got the “You aren’t a whole person until you are married” mentality.
Then they moved to NYC, where they were bombarded with the “You shouldn’t marry until you have professionally made it big and you find the perfect partner who won’t try to change you in any way” message.
Their first culture made them over-desirous of marriage.
Their second culture made them over-afraid of marriage.
Both the longing and the fear live in their hearts, sometimes in about equal strengths, at war with each other.
Statements like:
“My children are my world” would not have been part of the vernacular of those who understood the gospel.
“My spouse is my life” would not have been part of the common understanding of those who understood the wisdom of the cross.”
“I’m never getting married.”
“I’m going to test the waters until I find Mr. Right (perfect).”
Statements like these show an idolization of an ideal that was never intended by God, and leads those who are single to pursue that ideal that is flaunted in front of them.
It leads individuals to associate their identity or self-worth with marriage, child-bearing, or independence rather than with the cross of Christ, and until believers understand the gospel a chapter like will never make any sense.
We have allowed carnal thinking about marriage and about child-bearing and about singleness to enter our churches, our homes.
As a result, singleness has become a sign of something taboo.
“Oh, they are still single.
There must be something wrong...”
“Wow.
If they would just stop looking for perfection, maybe they would find the right person..”
All of these statements show how we suppose that marriage is a virtue and singleness is not a virtue.
ILLUSTRATION:
Paige Benton Brown, in her classic article “Singled Out by God for Good,” lists a number of common ways that Christian churches try to “explain” singleness: “As soon as you’re satisfied with God alone, he’ll bring someone special into your life”— as though God’s blessings are ever earned by our contentment.
“You’re too picky”— as though God is frustrated by our fickle whims and needs broader parameters in which to work.
“As a single you can commit yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord’s work”— as though God requires emotional martyrs to do his work, of which marriage must be no part.
“Before you can marry someone wonderful, the Lord has to make you someone wonderful”— as though God grants marriage as a second blessing to the satisfactorily sanctified.
Keller, Timothy (2011-11-01).
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (pp.
188-189).
Penguin Publishing Group.
Kindle Edition.
All of these statements show how we suppose that marriage is a virtue and singleness is not a virtue.
Proposition:
The cross of Jesus must be allowed to change our understanding of Christian singleness and Christian marriage!
Question: 
What does the cross of Jesus Christ cause me to believe about Christian singleness?
Singleness is scriptural (v. 6)
The emphasis is authoritative
In spite of not explicit teaching by Jesus
, , - Paul is stating that he does not have anything explicitly stated by Jesus, when Jesus was upon this earth.
This would be an affirmation of authority.
, , - Paul is stating that he does not have anything explicitly stated by Jesus, when Jesus was upon this earth.
This would be an affirmation of authority.
Because the apostles were inspired (as the OT prophets) - ,
- ,
Application:
Friend, you must decide: “Will the scripture have a higher authority in how I believe about marriage & singleness than:
What I may have been taught in my church?
What I may have been taught in my home?
What I may have been taught in my school?
What I may have been taught in my culture?
For example:
Possibly you were raised in a home where the marriage and home were idolized, so you are saying “I’m never going to get married, and I’m never going to have children....” - Your pursuit of singleness is not gospel-motivated...
OR
Possibly a single-parent home where you saw a fiercely independent parent who didn’t want anyone’s help....
To both of you I say, “If you have been changed by the gospel, then you must understand that the scriptures should be that which gives you the doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness to make you the perfect man and woman that God wants you to be.
Recap: Singleness is scriptural
Singleness is desirable (v.
7) 
Paul, at this juncture was single.
Not much is known about Paul’s marital history, though it is likely that he was married at one time because marriage was required of rabbis in his day.
If Paul was an ordained rabbi, he must have been married for a while, but nothing is known about what happened to his wife.
She may have died, or she may have left him when he converted to Christianity.
Whatever the case, Paul was single and free from burning sexual passion when he wrote this letter, and he admitted that he saw advantages in this condition.
we can better understand how radical Paul’s statements are regarding singleness and marriage.
Stanley Hauerwas argues that Christianity was the very first religion that held up single adulthood as a viable way of life.
He writes, “One . . .
clear difference between Christianity and Judaism [and all other traditional religions] is the former’s entertainment of the idea of singleness as the paradigm way of life for its followers.”
4
Nearly all ancient religions and cultures made an absolute value of the family and of the bearing of children.
There was no honor without family honor, and there was no real lasting significance or legacy without leaving heirs.
Without children, you essentially vanished— you had no future.
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