Comments on: Why Abstinence is not what we teach our kids http://www.thoughtsfromchris.com/2009/02/13/why-abstinence-is-not-what-we-teach-our-kids/ Thoughts from Chris Norman Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:25:14 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: joe http://www.thoughtsfromchris.com/2009/02/13/why-abstinence-is-not-what-we-teach-our-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-724 joe Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:26:02 +0000 http://www.thoughtsfromchris.com/?p=142#comment-724 yeah right, keep dreaming! yeah right, keep dreaming!

]]> By: John http://www.thoughtsfromchris.com/2009/02/13/why-abstinence-is-not-what-we-teach-our-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-722 John Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:42:56 +0000 http://www.thoughtsfromchris.com/?p=142#comment-722 Wow, no comments yet... I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one. On one hand, I think you've presented a fantastic perspective here that should apply to more than just sex. If we concentrated on our relationship with God rather than worldly things in all areas, we'd all live perfect lives. This becomes the "other hand" though. Impure thoughts do happen. Sin does happen. The beauty is that we have been saved by grace. We will never on this world be like Jesus. It is by His grace alone that we are sanctified. To be honest, my gut reaction was, "What an unrealistic view." It's truly an ideal view, but the pitfall is that in avoiding a legalistic view on sex, we instead set up a legalistic view on our thoughts. "Oh no, I thought an impure thought. I'm unworthy." Yet, again on the other hand, should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? May it never be! So, how do we teach our kids to live a pure life in the grace of God without off-handedly burying them under the law? How do we teach them to be pure while teaching them that it's ok to screw up? I grew up with a very legalistic, law-based view on life that left me feeling like I had to somehow be good enough for God to love me. I knew that Christ died for me, yet I still beat myself up in guilt every time I screwed up. Even now I remind myself constantly that the beauty of grace is that you can't earn it. I now struggle with how to teach this concept to my own children in a real way that leaves them liberated in Christ. Thanks so much for this perspective. Wow, no comments yet… I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one. On one hand, I think you’ve presented a fantastic perspective here that should apply to more than just sex. If we concentrated on our relationship with God rather than worldly things in all areas, we’d all live perfect lives. This becomes the “other hand” though. Impure thoughts do happen. Sin does happen. The beauty is that we have been saved by grace. We will never on this world be like Jesus. It is by His grace alone that we are sanctified.

To be honest, my gut reaction was, “What an unrealistic view.” It’s truly an ideal view, but the pitfall is that in avoiding a legalistic view on sex, we instead set up a legalistic view on our thoughts. “Oh no, I thought an impure thought. I’m unworthy.” Yet, again on the other hand, should we continue in sin so that grace may abound? May it never be!

So, how do we teach our kids to live a pure life in the grace of God without off-handedly burying them under the law? How do we teach them to be pure while teaching them that it’s ok to screw up?

I grew up with a very legalistic, law-based view on life that left me feeling like I had to somehow be good enough for God to love me. I knew that Christ died for me, yet I still beat myself up in guilt every time I screwed up. Even now I remind myself constantly that the beauty of grace is that you can’t earn it. I now struggle with how to teach this concept to my own children in a real way that leaves them liberated in Christ. Thanks so much for this perspective.

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