Guard the Sacredness of One Another, Part 1

Over the next two weeks, we'll be talking about lust vs. love. How can we become image bearers of God as we follow the ten words he's given us? The seventh word, you shall not commit adultery, is about more than physical adultery. We are called to honor the God-given sacredness of one another through the way we see each other. 

At the center of lust is selfishness, taking and reducing someone down to a body and dominating them to get what you want. Love, on the other hand, is all about knowing and being known through giving yourself to another. 

Our bodies are a visible expression of what is invisibly present in the  relationship of the trinity.

• Distinction
• Union
• Ability to produce life

God made you and marriage as a visible expression of their invisible love. The union experienced within the Trinity is gifted to man when God creates Eve out of the body of the first human being A-dam and for the first time we see the incredible new distinction of male and female, Ish and Ishah in Hebrew– two from one. Together, male and female were made to reflect (participate) in the life-giving nature of the trinity. The actual regeneration of humans. This was another way humans reflected the image of God - God produced life - He made us to also produce life.  Thus, it is the union of the sexes that produces life. One without the other will never fulfill the command “Be fruitful and multiply”.

As we move through life, it's easy to have a distorted, or broken, image of who God is. Without a clear image of God, we can't see ourselves or others are sacred image bearers of the Creator, and our picture of Godly marriage becomes distorted. This week, Phil and Jill unpack what it means to be a sacred image bearer of God himself, and how we can assign correct value to one another when our image of God takes shape.

As we start a two-week conversation on adultery, we realize that it may lay heavy on the hearts of many. This fall, Providence will start Pure Desire groups to help us work through healing and restoration. Please email  if you're interested in joining. 

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For questions, you can text (484) 301-0370
“The Theology of the Body Explained” by Christopher West