Today I read a blog post from a Christian teacher that said these words, “I would hate to be looking for a wife today, because I wanted to marry a virgin and I did.”

First, let me say I understand the spiritual, psychological and moral value of virginity.  I have taught it, and I will continue to teach it.  But still, there is something that bugs me about the statement he made…

As God discloses his heart is the book of Hosea through the directed actions of the man Hosea, we are caught off guard… because God instructs Hosea to marry a harlot…a whore.   Unbelievable.  You know, we often treat the Old Testament portion of the Bible as simply the “judgment” part of the Bible, but here we see the redemptive heart of God “reaching.”  The reason this reference is significant is because in the New Testament we come to understand the clearer picture of the relationship between “Jesus the Bridegroom” and the church who is His “bride,” and the Apostle Peter would quote the book of Hosea under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the story of Hosea would become key to understanding the nature and power of our salvation covenant through the bride-groom, Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Peter 2:10).

In addition, as we look through the lens of Ephesians 5 into the nature/spirit of the covenant of marriage, one of the compelling descriptors of the relationship is vs. 26, “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word…”  And of course, the language “cleansed” and “washed” takes us back to the image of John 13 when Christ (the bride-groom) washed the feet of the disciples (representative of the bride?).

What incredibly beautiful imagery as Christ “the bride-groom” kneels to wash away the residue of the path previously walked… to wash away the dirt and the filth that had been picked up along the way from the feet of His bride.  The message of the bride-groom was clear: “My dear bride, there is nothing you have done… there is no filth or residue of the path previously walked that I am fearful of exposing Myself to… and this covenant I am about to make DOES have the power to wash away the effect of that sin.”  John would emphasize that aspect in his later writings (cf. 1 John 1:9).

To promote the irrefutable spiritual, psychological, emotional, and moral value of virginity is one thing… and I do, and the church should.  But to make a determining categorical statement of, “I wouldn’t be able to find a wife today, because I want to marry a virgin,” and to send the message to young men and women, “only marry a virgin,” somehow misses it.  It subtly begins to subordinate the cleansing power of a new covenant through the cross of Christ, to the power of sin and failures of the past as a identity determining force for the future.

Have I confused metaphors here…were we talking about marriage or the church and salvation?  It would seem  confused metaphors on this matter is not original to me…Paul and the Holy Spirit seemed to do the same.  “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:32)

The real danger is that unwittingly we somehow declare that a New Covenant has less power to establish identity than does the sin of my past… and unfortunately that is a message that the church has sent to the world all too well.

Don’t give in… don’t let go!

pastor tom sterbens

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