In this week’s episode, we’ll start to dive into more difficult matters surrounding the church. If you would like to learn more about these answers, or have any follow-up questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

To check out last episode’s questions click here, and for Jim’s foreword on answering these questions click here.

Question 1.

Why do churches idolise ‘Marriage’ so much? In our Christian culture, we elevate marriage all the time. This also happens at our church and there’s been many cases where I’ve witnessed this.

This is a bit heavy-handed. While the charge may be true since even our righteousness is tinged with sin on this side of eternity [Isa.64:6], to label “idolatry” on another beside ourselves is… a bit harsh.

Having said this, I do recognize the need to be sensitive when we celebrate and esteem even good things, because it may be a pressure point for others. But also, we need to learn to rejoice with others for the blessings they have in Christ, even if it is not the same blessings as bestowed on us. We need to share in the sorrows and the joys of others.

As for marriage itself, apart from those who are gifted with celibacy [1Cor.7:8-9], marriage and family-formation is the biblical/creation normative. In fact, we are commanded to pursue this creation order [Gen.1:28] even after the Fall, all things being equal. But by “pursuing”, I mean waiting on God’s timing, and being open to it as “normal/usual” expectation unless, as mentioned before, we sense God’s extraordinary gift of celibacy which is “long-term functional contentment”, which is not the same as situational singleness. As non-celibacy-gifted individuals, we must manage our singleness well as part of our individual sanctification, which is to walk with Jesus each day with joy and contentment.

Also, we must observe that today’s society does not esteem marriage very much. By this, I do not mean mere companionship, but everything that comes with marriage, such as parenting and the institution of family as social fabric. Today, the popular and secular views on marriage is reduced to mere paper contract or glorified coupling, while families struggle to stay intact, and in many places the birth rate is lower than replacement rate. I may go so far as to say that we don’t talk about and esteem marriage enough!

As for messages for and focus on the singles at our church, you may consider all things not explicitly addressing marriage and couples as messages for singles and individuals. The topic does not have to be on “singleness” per se, to be a message for individual sanctification. In fact, even the messages on marriages and couples are not simply about them at face value, but ultimately about Christ and the church, so they are still relevant for the sanctification of individual Christians.

For a young church of mostly singles, I believe we have consciously tried not to overly focus on the topics immediately relevant to our unique demographics, and mostly succeeded. But I’m more than willing to hear out how we can improve; and even more to hear out how you’ve been personally affected.

Question 2.

Are Catholics considered Christians?

By their own label, and at a face-value, um… yes, kind of…. I prefer first to say “Yes,” but then add a caveat.

The “Protestants” broke away from the Roman Catholic church in the 16th Century precisely because the Roman church required “works-based salvation.” The Reformers were absolutely convinced from the Scriptures that a man was saved by grace, and not by works [Eph.2:8-9; Rom.3:28; Gal.2:16, 3:11, 5:4]. This is a huge-difference, one that directly affects salvation/justification. And it is not that the Protestants left the Catholic church; but that their leadership excommunicated those who saw differently and would not recant.

Unfortunately, these differences remain even today. The official doctrine of the Roman Catholic church (specifically in the documents drafted and reiterated in Trent and Vatican) still remain that one is saved by faith AND works, and not faith alone through grace. Technically speaking, this is a big difference. It raises the question of the sufficiency of Christ’s works and death on the cross. If somehow on top of Christ’s works, we must add ours to be saved, how much is enough? Won’t even our best works be impaired by sins and flaw?

Fortunately, not all Catholics these days, or ever, are very aware of the official Catholic doctrines. Some of them simply and truly rely on the grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. For these, and minus many other man-made traditions that accumulated through the middle-ages (such as saint-veneration, purgatory, 7 sacraments, priestly absolution, etc.), I would like to hope for the best in their simple-faith in Jesus.

On the other hand, even for the Protestant evangelical Christians, many are not very clear about the doctrine of salvation. “Woe” to them as individuals. But they should be taught the right gospel out of the Scriptures week-in and week-out.

If you have ever wondered about topics such as these, are curious about the how’s and why’s of Christianity or have any other questions in general ask Pastor Jim anything here.