And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26-28)

Why do we have families? The unbelieving world answers the question naturalistically. They claim that the family is a social construct – some say an archaic social construct. Children need nurture, care, and support, much like primates, and the family can provide that.

But then, so can the government. Some argue that the government would do better at it. Certified experts raising children would avoid the abuse and neglect that often comes at the hands of parents. The world, in rebellion against God, has decided that the nuclear family – one father, one mother raising children together – is no longer needed. Humanity evolves, and evolution adds malleability, so a family could consist of two fathers or two mothers. Science works tirelessly to enable two hens and no rooster to hatch chicks.

The conservative response to gay mirage has been entirely inadequate. Many have countered the secularist utopia by arguing that “every child deserves a father and a mother.” We feel safe arguing this way against a hostile world. But this sort of answer is unsatisfactory at the acceptable end and at the unacceptable, entirely deceptive. Any answer that ignores Jesus or that marginalizes Him is self-defeating. Either God made the world, or He didn’t. Either God’s Word governs our world, or it doesn’t. There is no middle ground, no fence to straddle on this question. 

God created the family; man did not. So, when we try to define the purpose of the family, we must look to God’s Word for the answer. We cannot understand something as essential as the family apart from God’s design purpose. The Bible’s first book gives us the family’s genesis and describes God’s design purpose.

Our cultural dysfunction comes from a wrong view of the family. When we define our purpose in light of God’s Word and seek to center our family on God’s purpose, we will bring all things back into alignment under God’s authority. In pursuing this worthy goal, I want to show you God’s purpose for the family and how this goal can be accomplished.

God’s purpose for the family

Immediately after God created man, He created the family. God didn’t give Adam time to enjoy his “bachelor years” first. When God made Adam, He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” And when God pointed out what was not good, He immediately created the solution.

God made Eve out of Adam, woman out of man. But God did not make Adam alone over here, and Eve alone over there, and then watch to see how long it would take for them to notice each other. He didn’t build a movie theater and an ice cream shop and say, “Have fun dating.” When God made Eve, He brought her to the man and made them husband and wife.

Continue reading “What Are Families For? (part 1)” →