Moral Issues Confronting Christians

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                 "MORAL ISSUES CONFRONTING CHRISTIANS"

                           Domestic Violence

INTRODUCTION

1. A serious problem in our society is domestic violence...
   a. Spouse abuse between husband and wife
   b. Child abuse between parent and child

2. Domestic abuse has many forms...
   a. Physical violence, sexual abuse
   b. Psychological (emotional) abuse, both aggressive and passive
      aggressive behavior

3. Sadly, Christians are not immune to domestic violence...
   a. Husbands have been known to abuse their wives, and vice versa
   b. Parents have abused their children, and vice versa

[Yet problems related to domestic violence could be eliminated if
Biblical admonitions concerning family relations were followed.  For
example, consider what is taught concerning...]

I. RELATIONS BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES

   A. THE HUSBAND'S DUTY TO HIS WIFE...
      1. The husband is to love his wife - Ep 5:25-29
         a. As Christ loves the church
         b. As a man loves his own body
      2. The husband is to honor his wife - 1Pe 3:7
         a. Treating them with understanding
         b. Respecting her as a fellow heir of the grace of life (a
            sister in Christ!)
         c. Otherwise, your prayers will be hindered
      3. The husband is not to be bitter toward his wife - Col 3:19
         a. "do not be harsh" (ESV)
         b. "never treat them harshly" (NLT)
      -- How can a faithful Christian husband physically or verbally
         abuse his wife?

   B. THE WIFE'S DUTY TO HER HUSBAND...
      1. The wife is to love her husband - Tit 2:4
      2. The wife is to submit to her husband - Ep 5:22-24; Col 3:18; 1Pe
         3:1-6
         a. As to the Lord
         b. As the church is subject to Christ
         c. As is fitting in the Lord
         d. Even if the husband is not a Christian
      3. The wife is to respect her husband - Ep 5:33
      -- How can a faithful Christian wife physically or verbally abuse
         her husband?

[Christians who respect and apply such admonitions do not have problems
with domestic violence involving marital relations.  The same is true
for those who follow Biblical admonitions concerning...]

II. RELATIONS BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN

   A. THE PARENTS' DUTY TOWARD THEIR CHILDREN...
      1. The mother is to love her children - Tit 2:4
      2. The father is not to provoke his children to wrath (anger) - Ep
         6:4
         a. "do not exasperate your children" (TNIV)
         b. "by the way you treat them" (NLT)
         c. "lest they become discouraged" - Col 3:21
      3. The father is to bring them up in the training and admonition
         of the Lord - Ep 6:4
         a. "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (ESV)
         b. Exemplified by Paul with his conduct among his spiritual
            children - 1Th 2:11
         c. Such discipline also includes chastening when necessary - He
            12:7-9
      4. In the absence of a father, a mother can provide such training
         - 2Ti 1:5; 3:15
      -- How can Christian parents provide children anything less than
         true love?

   B. THE CHILDREN'S DUTY TOWARD THEIR PARENTS...
      1. Children are to obey their parents - Ep 6:1; Col 3:20
         a. "in the Lord" - as far as their commandments agree with
            those of God - Barnes
         b. "for this right" - three reasons given by Barnes:
            1) It is so appointed by God as a duty
            2) Children owe a debt of gratitude to their parents for
               what they have done for them
            3) It will be for the good of the children themselves, and
               for the welfare of society
         c. "this is well pleasing to the Lord" - who Himself submitted
            to His parents - Lk 2:51
      2. Children are to honor their parents - Ep 6:2-3
         a. Which means to love and respect them
         b. Which comes with a promise of a good and long life (that is
            generally true)
      3. Children are to support their parents - 1Ti 5:4,8,16
         a. Especially a mother or grandmother who is a widow
         b. Failure to do so is a denial of the faith and to be worse
            than an unbeliever
         c. A personal duty, not one to be passed on to the church
      -- How can Christian children show parents anything less than
         loving behavior?

CONCLUSION

1. Through such admonitions, the Bible addresses the problems of
   domestic violence...
   a. Producing loving and lasting marriages
   b. Creating peaceful and harmonious families

2. Indeed, domestic violence disappears overnight if we simply treat one
   another as Christians...
   a. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
      even as God in Christ forgave you." - Ep 4:32; cf. Ep 5:1-2; 1Co
      13:4-8
   b. "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in
      honor giving preference to one another;" - Ro 12:10; cf. Php 2:3-4

   "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one
   another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not
   returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the
   contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that
   you may inherit a blessing."
                                                       - 1Pe 3:8-9
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