'If absolute certainty were required that the remission of sins properly pertains to all who are baptized, then Philip did wrong in baptizing Simon Magus (Acts 8), as did all who baptize hidden hypocrites - which nevertheless is often done, and rightly so, by God's command.
The negative pushback is unwarranted. She is not saying the desire for marriage and the sadness of not yet being married is an idol. She is referring to such a desire that incapacitates one from redeeming the time, discontentment in which the advantage of time that comes with singleness (which has been given in God's providence) is not used to the glory of God and potential fruitfulness is neglected. It's this which could potentially be revealing a disorderly heart which has made an idol (in a broad sense) out of marriage.
It was a good and helpful video on marriage.
https://t.co/8vvtMp9M4D
Singleness can be a gift that the Lord uses for your good and His glory.
Watch as Rebecca VanDoodewaard encourages single women to be fruitful with the time God has given them.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29
This month I again highly recommend this book by @MPWRoberts to help us think through the grievous sin of celebrating sexual immorality.
It is written in a way that is pastorally sensitive and rooted and grounded in love and truth.
Unwanted singleness is a gift the way any affliction is a gift. Seems to me that accepting it submissively for as long as it lasts is great preparation for marriage. As is being fruitful in that stage. An I'm-gonna-sit-here-and-pout-till-I-get-a-husband attitude is self-idolatry.
The negative pushback is unwarranted. She is not saying the desire for marriage and the sadness of not yet being married is an idol. She is referring to such a desire that incapacitates one from redeeming the time, discontentment in which the advantage of time that comes with singleness (which has been given in God's providence) is not used to the glory of God and potential fruitfulness is neglected. It's this which could potentially be revealing a disorderly heart which has made an idol (in a broad sense) out of marriage.
It was a good and helpful video on marriage.
https://t.co/8vvtMp9M4D
The negative pushback is unwarranted. She is not saying the desire for marriage and the sadness of not yet being married is an idol. She is referring to such a desire that incapacitates one from redeeming the time, discontentment in which the advantage of time that comes with singleness (which has been given in God's providence) is not used to the glory of God and potential fruitfulness is neglected. It's this which could potentially be revealing a disorderly heart which has made an idol (in a broad sense) out of marriage.
It was a good and helpful video on marriage.
https://t.co/8vvtMp9M4D
'Thou seest the defects of thine own heart fall short of any true work. Make this use of it; stand not examining thy heart, and poring upon it endlessly, but let all these drive thee to Christ, and thou shalt find that faith in him will cut the knot. Go to Christ for supply of all the things thou wantest, and trade with him still, and while thou dost thus live by faith, thou wilt find in the end the comfort of all thy graces come in before thou art aware of it.'
- Thomas Goodwin, "Goodwin's Works", Vol. 1, Pg.418 [1861 Nichols Edition]
Neither is she saying waiting to be married is making marriage an idol. It is the manner of waiting which is the issue here. The place where I can see potential for most disagreement is in what that fruitfulness while one is single looks like.
'All the duties these men perform they do them after the flesh, in this, that they do them upon legal motives and they rest in them. It is made a difference between the state of nature and the state of grace: he that is under the law, turneth the gospel into law; he is moved to all duties by the law. The one is under the guidance of grace, the other is under the guidance and stirrings and workings of the law upon the conscience. So he remaineth still an unregenerate man; he is married to the law still, he is not dead to the law, and emptied there, and married to Christ.'
- Thomas Goodwin, "Goodwin's Works", Vol. 1, Pg.417 [1861 Nichols Edition]
'What is flesh? Professedly it is this: it is self-love in the height of it, when a man hath nothing in him but love of himself; it is the bottom of original sin, if you study it a thousand years. Well, there cometh the Holy Ghost upon a man's heart, and there is indeed a work partly from above, yet it stirreth but the flesh; it is partly from the Holy Ghost's stirring it, and partly from the will of the flesh stirred too. In opposition to which, saith James, 'Every perfect gift is from above;' that is, wholly from above; but these imperfect works, they work upon the will of the flesh, they work upon self-love, and so far as that will carry a man to good, so far a man is carried. Whereas true grace is not a work of the will of the flesh, but of the will of God; it is wholly from above, for it deposeth the will of the flesh, deposeth self-love, and setteth a man on work from a new principle.'
- Thomas Goodwin, "Goodwin's Works", Vol. 1, Pg.411 [1861 Nichols Edition]
'Now then, all nature being thus wrought upon, a man falling thus a-doing and reforming, and finding himself thus kindly used to encourage him, self-flattery in a man makes up a conclusion, that he is in a state of grace. And the principles of nature being thus wrought upon by the Holy Ghost, thus doth a man come to be a professor of religion, launcheth forth, walketh on strongly and yet all is but the principles of nature improved, and but an under work of the Spirit.'
- Thomas Goodwin, "Goodwin's Works", Vol. 1, Pg.409-410 [1861 Nichols Edition]