The Destruction of Men in the Family
Warning: this page contains references to Family
practices that are offensive.
Introduction
There are
specific problems and difficulties that face each group of people in the
Family, whether children, teenagers, young adults, older people, men or
women. Some of these problems are due to the Family lifestyle, some are
localised to a particular area, while others are directly caused by
Family teaching.
For example,
older Family members may find it difficult to keep up with the active
work requirements of a busy home. Teenagers have to deal with complex
emotional issues due to the promotion of sexual activity. Women face
constant pressure from writings that encourage their husbands to ‘share’
sexually with other women. There are many more such examples, of course.
Each group faces enormous difficulties, and each needs to understand the
causes of their difficulties in order to know whether to accept the
difficulty as ‘part of life,’ or to do something to alleviate the
problem.
When the Family
identifies a problem within a certain group, it often responds with
action. This response can take many different forms. To give a few
examples: when it became apparent in the early 1980’s that there were a
numbers of sexually transmitted diseases spreading through Family homes,
a directive was issued banning inter-home sex. Proselytising using sex
(‘FFing’) was banned largely due to fears that Family members would
become infected with HIV-AIDS. When it became impossible to deny that
that teenage girls were being targeted sexually by older men, rules were
written to forbid sexual activity outside of specified age groupings.
Other
Family-initiated responses come in the form of programs, which often
involve a large commitment of personnel and money. For example, to
combat a perceived problem with ‘delinquent teens,’ Family leadership
instituted teen training homes and ‘Victor programs,’ which often used
harsh discipline of various kinds. Depleting finances world wide saw the
introduction of the ‘Activated’ magazine, in the hopes that people would
place long-term subscriptions, thus providing an ongoing source of
money.
It can be seen
that the Family is not averse to adjusting itself in order to combat a
real or perceived problem. However, it can also be argued that in
general, Family responses to problems are inadequate. The reason for
this is that Family-conducted analyses of problems rarely address the
actual causes of the troubles, which may lie within their own teaching.
They then try to alleviate some of the symptoms without removing the
issues that cause the trouble. For example, despite countless new laws
governing sexual behaviour, Family leadership has never seriously
questioned whether their doctrines regarding sex are correct. Harsh
‘Victor’ programs aimed at producing obedient Family teenagers, without
addressing the questions many of those teenagers had regarding their own
future. In general, the Family refuses to examine their own teaching to
determine whether it is correct or not.
This page looks
at some of the specific problems that face men in the Family. This does
not mean that men have suffered more than other groups or that they are
at greater risk. Quite simply, there are serious problems that relate to
this group which need resolving. Other demographic groups face a
different subset of problems, and a separate analysis should be
conducted for each group.
This page is not
a sociological analysis, but rather a biblical perspective on a number
of specific issues that concern men in the Family. Many of the issues
touched on here are quite broad, and not every man in the Family will
have been adversely affected by every problem. As with other pages on
this website, the intention is not to single out individual people and
point the finger at them, but to identify the general issues which need
resolution. The following issues are all present in the Family. Some men
may be extremely affected by one issue, while unaffected by another.
This page does
not give a detailed analysis of each separate issue, for such would
require volumes. Rather, the intention is to point out the problem
together with its cause, and to suggest some remedies. Further research
would be required on any issue that is identified as directly applicable
to a particular person. This research should examine biblical truths, as
well as the sociological, ethical, emotional aspects of the situation.
The first topic
is inescapable.
Lust
The sin of
sexual lust is prevalent in the Family. The Bible is clear that such
lust is sin.
By lusts Paul, like Peter and James, understands, not
the natural appetites of the body, but the sinful, godless inclinations
(Rom 1:24), whether these be of a sensuous or of a spiritual nature. He
purposely quotes the Old Testament commandment against sinful lust (Ex
20:17; Deut 5:21) in such a manner that it is not any definite objects
of lust, but the longing for them as such that he calls forbidden (Rom
7:7). In his sense every lust is a product of sin (v. 8), which compels
us to obey the lusts of the body (6:12); every natural appetite may be
perverted by sin into lust (13:14) (Weiss, Theology of the N.T., 1:328).
(from The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary)
The cause of
this widespread lust among Family men is, without question, the emphasis
placed upon sex by the founder of the Family, Dad/Berg. In letter after
letter he exhorted his followers to engage in sexual relations with
other members, regardless of their marital status, as well as with
non-members, in an attempt to gain converts and supporters. Sexual
proselytising (‘FFing’) was eventually outlawed, but the emphasis on sex
remains to this day. In fact, despite his death in 1994, official Family
publications have continued with many sexual themes. Consensual sex
between adults is firmly entrenched in the Family, and extra-marital sex
is not only permissible but is also actually strongly encouraged. The
Charter, which is the code of law by which the Family is governed has
numerous specific rules regarding sex. Many of these rules were
instituted in an attempt to put an end to sexual abuse of teenagers, and
to curb the growing incidence of single mothers. However, the Family is,
on the whole, self-policing, which means that those who break the rules
may or may not be punished. As far as is possible to determine, the
Family has never handed any of its members over to the police, despite
numerous allegations of child abuse.
From reading the
Charter one gets the impression that although there are many rules
governing sexual activities, the overall emphasis is that sex is
encouraged.
The Bible has
much to say about sex, and there are
many pages on this site
studying different aspects of the topic.
The effects of
this heavy emphasis on sex have been severe. Children have been hurt,
teenagers have been abused, marriages have been broken, babies have been
conceived outside of marriage, and not a few children grow up without
fathers. Young women have become single mothers, some have been raped or
pressured into undesired sex.
It is true that
the high emphasis on sex within official Family publications has
provoked and aggravated the sins of lust, adultery and sexual
immorality. Yet it is also true that each Family man is accountable
before God for his own actions. No one may claim immunity because of
ignorance or because he had been merely following instructions. The
Bible shows that the responsibility for sin lies within.
James 1:13-16
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being
tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does
not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and
enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth
to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
NASU
Thus, although
the Family has created the atmosphere in which extra-marital sex is
accepted and promoted, and although the founder of the Family remains
culpable for teaching such sinful practices, each man is also personally
responsible for his own actions. Many men carry with them the guilt of
knowing they have fathered a child to another woman, or that their
actions have caused the breakup of their own marriages, or that they
have otherwise acted in lust with various negative consequences.
Despite the
numerous justifications proposed by the founder of the Family, Jesus’
own words stand in condemnation of sexual lust, whether in action or in
thought.
Matt
5:27-29
27 You
have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I
say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has
already committed adultery with her in his heart.
NASU
The apostle Paul
warned that people who live in sexual immorality “will not inherit the
kingdom of God:”
Gal
5:19-21
19 The
acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits
of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that
those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
NIV
Marriage
Marriage was
trivialised by the founder of the Family. He abandoned his own marriage
and published many letters explaining his vision for a communal family
group, where private “selfish” marriages were broken up in favour of a
communal marriage.
The results of
this teaching have been disastrous. Marriage itself is seen as
subservient to the common good of the Family, and any couple who places
undue emphasis on their own relationship is seen as being selfish. There
have been numerous marriages, separations and re-marriages. On occasion,
Family leadership has pressured couples to separate, causing
unimaginable trauma for the spouses and their children.
There is little,
if anything, published by the Family on the various roles of husbands
and wives, and most Family members have little idea of what the Bible
actually says about marriage. This has produced men who do not know that
they are supposed to take responsibility for their marriage and for
their wives and children.
Eph 5:22-33
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the
Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the
head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as
the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their
husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also
loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might
sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having
no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and
blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their
own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever
hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also
does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 For this
reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great;
but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33
Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife
even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her
husband.
NASU
This passage is
examined in great detail
here.
Some points we
may pick up: when Paul says that the “husband is the head of the wife,”
he is highlighting the tremendous responsibility men have in leading a
family. While there are many sides to this ‘headship,’ one that has been
taken away from Family men is that of spiritual leadership. Now, please
note that this does not mean that the husband is to dominate the wife,
or that he is in any way superior to her, or that he is to demand
servile obedience from her. There is no hint of such things in the
passage, and Paul takes pains to point out that Christ’s covering
presence eliminates differences in one’s standing before God.
Gal
3:27-28
27 For
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in
Christ Jesus.
NASU
God does not
look at men any differently from women. Nonetheless, He created marriage
with inherent order: Marriage involves the leaving of parents and the
forming of a permanent bond that supersedes other human relationships
(see Matt 19:3-9). When there are children, the parents have the
responsibility to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the
Lord” (Eph 6:4 NIV). When this order is neglected, problems are
inevitable. For example, when a Family couple does not view their
relationship as exclusive, their ‘bond’ is weakened and tremendous
strain is sure.
The relationship
between a husband and his wife has inherent order as well. God gave the
husband the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of his family. Now,
this does not imply that men may override their wives’ wishes or that
they may act as despotic rulers over their mini kingdoms. Far from it!
The passage in Ephesians chapter five addressing husbands and wives is
prefaced by this overarching statement:
Eph
5:21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. NASU
All parties are
to practice humble submission to each other, whether husbands, wives,
children, parents, masters or servants. Further, husbands are to love
their wives with the same self-sacrificial love with which Christ loved
the church.
Eph
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and
gave Himself up for her NASU
If husbands
would be guided by this self-sacrificial love and submission, they would
never descend into egotistical despotism. Nonetheless there is a
God-ordained order within marriage: husbands have ultimate
responsibility for their families. Wives are to respect that
responsibility, and husbands are to take it seriously.
Permanence
in marriage
The point that
needs to be made here about the Family concerns the way this God-given
responsibility has been removed. In the first place, every Family couple
knows that their marriage is subservient to the Family as a whole, for
such was the teaching of the founder. He taught that “selfish, private”
marriages would only be “permitted” as long as they served the good of
the community. This is despite the fact that there is absolutely nothing
in the New Testament to suggest that one’s relationship to other
Christians takes precedence over one’s relationship to one’s spouse.
This Family teaching strikes a blow at marriage itself, leaving every
Family marriage on shaky foundations, subject to the collective whims of
the group. Indeed, as noted above, there have been occasions, impossible
to quantify, when couples have been advised to separate “for the good of
the work.”
The effect of
this teaching on husbands is to encourage in them to adopt a
lackadaisical attitude towards their marriage, where its convenience is
the primary concern, rather than the divinely-ordained, permanent
covenant God intended it to be. When marriage is trivialised as a luxury
that may be abandoned for the good of the group, there is no basis on
which to build a solid, enduring partnership, and no particular reason
to take the responsibility for its permanence. Separation or divorce for
the “good of the Family” is then seen as a noble sacrifice.
The Bible,
however, paints a different picture. Marriage is intended by God to be
permanent, as an illustration of His own constancy and enduring love.
The book of Malachi even states that God hates divorce (Mal 2:16)
and Jesus told the Pharisees that the Mosaic provisions for divorce had
only been included because of “your hardness of heart” (Matt 19:8).
Matt
19:8-9
8 He
said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to
divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and
marries another woman commits adultery.”
NASU
In other words,
there had to be provisions in the Law to limit the hardship caused by
sin, but this was not God’s plan.
Decision-making in marriage
The next point
concerns the way that the decision-making responsibility of the husband
for his wife and children has been supplanted by the group as a whole.
Now, of course, the Family does not presume to assign all personal
decision-making to Family leadership. However, Family leadership has
taught in no uncertain terms that the basis of decision-making needs to
be the welfare of the Family as a whole, above the concerns of
individual family groups. Decisions must also be in accordance to
current Family teaching, direction and policy before personal needs are
considered.
This means that
Family men are almost powerless when it comes to their own marriages. On
the one hand, if they try to lead their families without expressly
following Family rules or guidelines, they are liable for correction and
rebuke. On the other hand, as Family members by definition have agreed
to believe, follow and uphold all Family teachings, there are few men
who actually try to steer their families along a path not condoned by
the Family. In this way most Family husbands have abdicated
responsibility to Family principles, to the collective group. In other
words, they have voluntarily abandoned their marital ‘birthright’ of
leadership for the sake of being obedient to the Family.
Spiritual
leadership in marriage
Another role
which the Family has removed from men is that of being the spiritual
instructor. Ephesians 6:4, quoted above, expressly commands father to
bring up their children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
In the Family, however, it is the collective group that takes this role,
and particularly the writings of the leaders. For example, Family
fathers never look at material sent to them from their leadership
in order to decide whether or not it is true. They do not have the right
to source material that contradicts Family teachings or even to refrain
from teaching Family doctrines to their children. On the contrary, a
father of children in the Family is obliged to teach Family doctrine. He
has choice as to which Family doctrine he may teach first or
how he may teach it, but he does not have the choice to refrain from
teaching it.
The error in
this lies not in the fact that there is pressure on fathers to teach,
but in the content of what is taught. The Bible expressly and repeatedly
commands believers to compare all doctrine against itself, to measure
all revelation against the words of Christ and of the Apostles. Any
teaching that contradicts the Bible must be rejected. Family men do not
have this option. Rather, they are to measure all teaching against the
standard of Family writing. The yardstick of truth in the Family
has become that which has been officially published by Family leadership
instead of the Bible.
The result of
this is that Family men have become powerless as instructors of truth.
They may read, parrot and obey Family teaching, but they do not study
the Bible to discover the ways Family doctrine has gone astray and to
impart biblical truth to their families.
Leadership
It is important
to reiterate that the Bible does not place men above women. Male and
female Christians are on equal standing before the Lord; they are
brothers and sisters. This is notwithstanding the emphasis given within
the Bible on the responsibility and accountability given to husbands and
fathers. Men and women are equal but not identical.
It is probably
important to comment here upon the unspoken humiliation within the
Family of encouraging adult men to address the current leader of the
Family (Maria/ Karen Zerby) as Mama. Such a term implies the inherent
authority of the one, and the explicit obedience of the other. It gives
honour and control to one and a childish obeisance to the other.
To be sure,
there is no rule that one must refer to her as ‘Mama,’ but this
expression is used almost exclusively throughout Family publications,
except in instances when a ‘prophecy’ claims to be the words of Jesus
Himself, who apparently refers to her as ‘Maria.’
There is nothing
wrong with submission, in fact the Bible exhorts believers to be subject
to one another (Eph 5:21), but the name ‘Mama’ seems designed to ensure
that no man will ever usurp her authority, and that all men, regardless
of their actual position within the Family, will actually have very
little real authority. It is noteworthy that the founder of the Family
took upon himself the name ‘Dad’ (or ‘Grandpa’ for second-generation
Family members) in order to cement his own place of authority.
It is also true
that almost all ‘top’ leaders in the Family − or perhaps all of them −
have had to endure a time of personal ‘breaking.’ This may have
involved their separation from their spouse, a public rebuke or a
demotion. Many leaders have been humiliated by having details of their
‘errors’ published in the official Family magazines for all to read. The
result of this sustained ‘breaking’ is that Family leaders are, without
exception, people who are willing to do Maria/Zerby’s slightest bidding,
as they were willing for Dad/Berg.
These public
rebukes have occurred frequently over the history of the Family. People
who could not endure the humiliation eventually left the Family, those
who remained became more determined than ever to become obedient and
submitted ‘disciples.’
The effect upon
Family men is to remove from them any desire to exhibit real leadership,
and to instil in them a fear of disobeying those in authority in the
Family. Leaders become ‘yes-men’ who push the party line without ever
seriously questioning it or looking for an alternative.
Masculinity
Following the
death of Dad/Berg in 1994, the Family underwent a transition as
Maria/Zerby took full control. Official Family magazines became filled
with ‘prophecies’ which were used to give direction regarding various
Family activities and programs.
One of the
topics emphasised during that period concerned the “female qualities”
that Family members needed to develop. These were such attributes as
love, affection, sympathy, understanding, and so on, instead of the more
“male qualities” like aggressive ambition, action and enterprise. Men
were told to develop their “softer” side, which apparently would prove
important in the days to come.
Then came one of
the most unsettling Family teachings ever. This teaching had benign
beginnings, but rapidly progressed until it included shockingly
repulsive elements. It was called the “Loving Jesus Revolution” or
‘LJR.’ Initially, it was presented as an emphasis on each person’s
personal love for Jesus. There was a lot published on the importance of
showing love for the Lord through prayer, praise and song. Many new
songs were commissioned, recorded and distributed. Many ‘prophecies’
were published explaining Jesus’ all-encompassing love for His children.
The LJR,
however, became more and more sexual until eventually it was impossible
to separate it from sexual concepts. For example, there were numerous
‘prophecies’ published in which ‘Jesus’ expressed His love for His
children in sexual terms. Some of these ‘prophecies’ are so graphic that
they can only be described as low quality pornography. Songs extolling
romantic intimacy between Jesus and believers were sent to all the
homes. Some of these songs were explicitly sexual in nature.
‘Prophecies’ were sent to all the homes in which Family members were
instructed to incorporate praise and worship into their times of sexual
intercourse. People having sex (within or outside of marriage) were told
to “include Jesus” in the sex act through prayer, praise and prophecy.
People were told to praise Jesus while masturbating.
One of the most
extraordinary teachings of the LJR was the one that was aimed directly
at men. The teaching goes like this: Jesus is male. His followers
(Christians) are known in the Bible as His bride (Rev 19:7). Jesus
wants to love His followers all the way. In fact, He wants to love His
followers sexually. How can He do that with male Christians
without the relationship being seen as homosexual? The answer given to
all Family adults was that men were to imagine themselves as having a
vagina, and thus fulfil the female role in the sex act.
Anecdotal
evidence suggests that this notion was not very popular among men.
Naturally, there were no rules formed that men had to participate;
everything was on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, no man was
allowed to speak against this teaching for the simple reason that no
Family member is permitted to speak against any Family teaching with
impunity.
It appears that
one of the purposes of this teaching was to remove masculinity from men.
It is barely worth commenting that such a doctrine has absolutely no
basis in the Bible; it cannot be supported by the passages in the Bible
that refer to Christ’s bride. In fact, many aspects of the LJR are so
completely contrary to Bible teaching that it is hard to imagine how it
could have been proposed in the first place. The effect upon any man who
actively participated in such a practice can only be detrimental.
Work
On a different
topic, men in the Family often have to endure ongoing insignificance.
Most men, regardless of their talent, need to spend long periods of time
as salespeople in order to raise money for survival. The supply of money
has always been irregular in the Family, and so various means of
fundraising have been developed. Some families were musical and formed
show groups. Most, however, relied for year after year on the sales of
Family-produced posters, tapes, videos and magazines. While there is
nothing inherently wrong in the job of a salesperson, it is true that it
is demeaning to insist that someone act as a salesperson when their
talents extend further.
Another job that
may be somewhat demeaning is that of the ‘provisioner’ who is required
to contact companies requesting the donation of products to the Family.
Some people excel in this job, procuring thousands of dollars worth of
goods and equipment. For other people, it may be little better than
begging.
Summary
Men as a group
have been specifically targeted in many different ways in what appears
to be a concerted effort to destroy their effectiveness and to remove
any God-given talents they may have. Sexual images and teaching have
been used for years to create a sexualised lifestyle within the Family,
causing many men to fall victim to the sin of lust. Some have indulged
their lust in inappropriate sexual contact and the consequences in the
lives of their victims have been horrific. Marriage is trivialised in
the Family, destroying its permanence. Husbands have reneged on their
responsibility to lead their families in the truth of God, leaving most
decision-making up to the Family as a whole. Fathers parrot Family
teaching to their children, without ever verifying the truth of what
they read against the Bible. Men in the Family often refer to their
leader as ‘Mama’ and to the founder as ‘Dad’ freely giving them the
place of spiritual authority. The ‘Loving Jesus Revolution’ attacked
men’s masculinity with the advice that men were to emulate women’s
sexuality.
All in all,
Family men have been assaulted on so many fronts that it is hard to
believe that this is not an intentional attack.
Remedies
The first
‘remedy’ for this systematic destruction of Family men is utterly
crucial. Indeed, without this step, little else will be achieved. First
and foremost, each man must repent of his sins before God, crying out
for forgiveness for allowing sin to enter his life. If there are
reparations that should be made for the consequences of actions, they
should be acted on. Without repentance, no man will be able to fulfil
the biblical role of a father, a husband, an instructor, or a leader.
Repentance was an essential element of the Gospel preached by Jesus and
the Apostles; repentance is essential.
Next, it is
vital that each one return to the truth of the Bible, studying it to
discover what it really teaches, and allowing its truth to effect
changes. It is a sad fact that most Family members have little
understanding of the Bible, and little respect for the principles it
teaches. In fact, even those who have memorised hundreds of scriptures
know little of what it says. Therefore, it is imperative that we learn
how to study the Bible and then put in the time needed to allow it to
reform our thinking. All false teaching must be rejected and the truth
must be sought, learnt and taught. It is only the truth that sets us
free: falsehood ensnares. The truth in the Bible is not hidden from
view, but we must be willing to accept its corrections in order to learn
from it. We must be willing to admit that we have been wrong.
Then, men should
learn the biblical principles concerning marriage, men, husbands,
fathers and leaders. These various roles should be examined, not
filtered through Family teaching, but in a Bible-directed way that gives
the Lord the right to correct the errors in our thinking, rebuke us for
our sin and empower us to walk righteously.
Finally, each
man needs to act upon the truth in the understanding that we owe our
allegiance to God our Father and to Jesus Christ His Son, not to any
person on earth, not to any group or to the teaching of any group. God
has revealed Himself to mankind in the Bible and it is His word in the
Bible that stands in judgement of our sins, including those sins
committed through sincere obedience to an earthly leader. The Bible
explicitly commands each believer to examine closely the lives and
teaching of their leaders, comparing them with what is recorded in the
Bible. Ignorance of the Bible is no excuse. Sin is still sin, even when
committed in ignorance. Perhaps God on occasion ‘winked’ at ignorance
(Acts 17:30 KJV), but it is only those who have been cleansed from sin −
even ‘ignorant sin − who have part in the kingdom of heaven.
Acts
17:30-31
30
“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now
declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He
has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness
through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men
by raising Him from the dead.”
NASU
Does God ignore
sins of ignorance? In this passage, and elsewhere, Paul makes it clear
that the times of ignorance ended with the coming of Christ. In
particular, every Family member has access to a Bible, every Family
member can choose whether to give his or her allegiance to the Bible or
to the Family. It is therefore incorrect to say that those in the Family
commit sins of ignorance which God will then overlook. Family members
are often ignorant of what the Bible actually says, but this ignorance
is caused through wilful neglect, not through lack of opportunity.
The Greeks in
Athens to whom Paul was preaching in Acts 17 had not heard of Christ
before, but Paul declared that the coming of Christ changed things. God
now commands all men everywhere to repent. Family members have that
which the Athenians did not: they have the Bible in printed form, they
have access to the truth. Ignorance of what it says it absolutely
inexcusable.
In conclusion,
it needs to be pointed out that minor adjustments to Family lifestyle
will be useless. The doctrinal errors n the Family are ubiquitous, they
affect almost every aspect of life, and have resulted in much sin. It
would be self-deceptive to assume that one could merely read the Bible a
little more and so make things right. What good would it do for a man to
become more assertive in his marriage if he is still controlled by the
sin of lust? What good would it do for him to read the Bible a little
more if he is not willing to obey it completely? In other words, there
can be no gradual removal of sin. Repentance does not proceed in small
stages. Rather it encompasses the entire person, heart, soul, mind and
body (Mark 12:30); it results in complete transformation, new birth,
total cleansing, total regeneration.
May God help us.
See also
(on Make Straight Paths)
Lust
Sin
Marriage
Ephesians 5
The Standard of Measurement
Jesus the Bridegroom
Studies about sex
Do you want to
talk about it? Contact us
Further
study (external links)
You may read
many more details about specific aspects of Family life at
exFamily.org.
MovingOn.org is a
site for younger exmembers where you may read their stories on what
happened to them.
True Human Potential by
Ray Stedman. An exposition on Colossians 3
Husbands
and Wives by Ray C. Stedman
For Husbands Only by John MacArthur
God's
Design for a Successful Marriage: The Role of
the Husband by John MacArthur
Made In The
Image Of God by Lambert Dolphin
© 2008 Make Straight Paths
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