The covenant home: Choosing Sons

Genesis 2:15-23, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Titus 2:6-8

Speaker: Rev Isaac Ong

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As our children grow up, as concerned parents we need to be praying for our children and for their future life partners. We need to know what the Word of God says on this issue. The Bible gives us several principles by which we may evaluate sons-in-law.     Principle of spiritual discrimination (2 Cor. 6:17) The first principle is one of spiritual discrimination. We live in an age when we are told not to discriminate; that discrimination is wrong. But God commands us to discriminate. God discriminates. Of all the nations in the world, He chose Israel. He chose Jacob over Esau (Romans 9:13-15). U       Judge righteous judgement (John 7:24).     Principle of equal yoking (2 Cor. 6:14) A yoke is a device that is placed on the back of two animals. God commanded the children of Israel that they were not to yoke an ox with a donkey (Deuteronomy 22:10). The closer the relationship, the more important it is for the two to be equally yoked! God commands that a man and a girl must be in agreement before they can be yoked together in marriage. U       Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). U       Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3).     Principle of spiritual maturity (tit. 2:6-8) God does not require perfection in a man before he can get married, but He does require the man to be spiritually mature. Does he have a heart for God? How does he deal with authority? Does he have goals in his life?   In Genesis 2, we see three marks of maturity. ·               Before there was a woman in Adam’s life, there was work for him (Gen. 2:15). ·               Before there was a woman in Adam’s life, he had to live under God’s law (Gen. 2:16-17). ·               Before there was a woman in Adam’s life, he had to make a sacrifice for that woman (Gen. 2:21-22).   These are the minimal standards that a man must meet before he can ask a girl to marry him. The Bible gives us a list of qualities that we should be looking for in young men (1 Tim 3; Tit 1). ·               Is he sober-minded? ·               Does he have a pattern of good works? ·               Does he have incorruptible doctrine? ·               Does he command respect? Is he honourable? ·               Does he mind his language? Does he have sound speech that cannot be condemned?     Conclusion Adam was made perfect, but he failed and the whole humanity was plunged into spiritual darkness. But there is the second Adam – our Lord Jesus Christ – sent by God to be the propitiation for our sins. This is the hope for every sinner. This is the hope every parent should see in our children. This is the goal of every parent – to teach our sons and our daughters so well that they would embrace Christ as their very own.