In our day, dating arrangements are made entirely by young people apart from their parent’s involvement. The date is planned by young people with an expectation of physical intimacy. The couple knows that intimacy is going to happen; all that is not known is the measure, or the regularity of physical intimacy. Our young women are left very vulnerable. Without her father's protection, she alone must determine how far she and the boy goes, and that determination is most often made in the heat of the moment. Furthermore, there is no commitment beyond the next date. The focus is on the “now” and immediate, mutual gratification. Most of the time there is sex with no commitment. In our next installment of the series, Relationships 101 we will be searching the Scriptures to answer the question, “Dating…Is it Biblical?”
3. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
“But I say to the unmarried and to
the widows: It is good for them if
they remain even as I am; but if
they cannot exercise self-control,
let them marry. For it is better to
marry than to burn with passion.”
(1 Cor 7:8-9)
4. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
Don’t trivialize the words, “I love
you.”
Don’t “pop the question” unless
you’re sure.
Don’t say “I do” with no real
commitment.
7. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
Our young women are left very
vulnerable. Without her father's
protection, she alone must
determine how far she and the
boy goes, and that determination
is most often made in the heat of
the moment.
8. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
In the US, a million teenagers get pregnant
annually.
40% end in abortion; 13% in a miscarriage.
50% of babies born in U.S. are on food stamps.
90% of males and 80% of females are sexually
active by the age of eighteen years.
One in five girls will be date- raped, but only 5%
report it.
50% of teenagers think it is OK to force sex.
9. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
1.) Dating is in direct contradiction to
the Scriptures, that admonish us to
"flee youthful lusts" and to "flee
fornication." (Eph 4:22; 2 Tim 2:22;
1Cor 6:18)
10. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
God frowns on romantic “touches”
outside of marriage.
Proverbs 6:28-29 - “Can one walk on
hot coals, And his feet not be
seared? So is he who goes in to his
neighbor's wife; Whoever touches
her shall not be innocent.”
11. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
2.) Dating ignores the
biological facts of human
sexuality.
At the end of the marriage ceremony the preacher
says, “You may now kiss the bride!” This statement
seems to assume that the groom has never kissed
the woman before that day.
12. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
3.) Dating tends to abuse and
misuse what doesn’t belong to
you.
The baggage remaining from painful
dating must be dealt with by the person
who takes your leftovers as their wife or
husband.
13. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
4.) Dating is the starting place
for destroying relationships
There is no commitment by either party
to continue beyond the first date.
14. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
5.) Dating becomes a preparation for
handling divorce, not a preparation
for building a permanent marriage.
Dating gets one used to the idea of rejecting
and being rejected in the search for the perfect
relationship.
15. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
6.) Dating builds insecurity
into relationships.
Imagine a marriage without scars of
rejection to overcome because you have
been hurt earlier by partners who were
unfaithful.
16. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
7.) Dating prevents the
building of friendships
When you date there is the
selectiveness of romantic, sexual
relationships that prevent the building of
friendships.
17. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
When you date, you begin to
prematurely bond with a person at a
sensual level.
Dating produces a rapidly developing
passion for someone that through
sensual contact and sexual activity, fogs
your objectivity.
20. Relationships 101
Dating, Is it Biblical?
• The concept of courtship has
changed from its original intent.
• Courtship is not “going out in groups”
or “double-dating.”
• Courting is not what “Christian”
teenagers do instead of dating.
• Courting is what a man and woman
do in preparation for marriage.
