Explain the principles that Christians believe should guide their personal relationships.

Authors Avatar

Marriage

Coursework Question 1

Explain the principles that Christians believe should guide their personal relationships.

Love: Luke 10:27

God commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Primarily our relationships with people must be used and followed through the word of God. Every other commandment is founded on the love of God and the love for our neighbours. In the New Testament the word agape describes God’s sacrificial love for us and Christian love for each other. Love is perhaps the most important aspect of God’s character as highlighted in the following passages of the bible. Matthew 3:17, John 3:16 and John 13:35. Love is important in relationships because it is needed for making major life decisions, such as marriage or having a child. People today throw the word love around without understanding what it means and that is that love is a genuine caring commitment for one another. Love has no hidden meaning. This means that people who have that genuine caring attitude are those have experienced love from God. Without love in a relationship, people will not obey God’s commandments and they will break many other important principles, such as honesty and faithfulness. This is because they are all based on love.

Prayer: 2 Thessalonians 1:17

God commands us to pray without ceasing and to pray for one another, because the prayer of a righteous man availeth much burdens. Burdens are lifted when we pray for each other. Prayer is needed in relationships because each time we pray our faith and love for God and for one another increases. Without prayer in our relationships we will inherit more burdens and in spite of our troubles God will punish us for not obeying the Gospel. If we do not pray in our relationships our faith and love will cease to ascend.

Forgiveness: Colossians 3:13-14

As Christians relating to people we should learn to forgive each another and not hardour bitterness and offences. In relationships we must learn to forgive one another for our sins as Christ forgave us for our sins. In marriage forgiveness is an important principle, because although marriage is exclusive relationship adultery occurs. In relationships any one principle may be broken and then forgiveness will be needed. For example if one becomes untrustworthy he/she may need forgiveness. Without forgiveness in our relationships people will sin and bitter grudges will be held against them. This is not what God wants. We are told this in Jonah 3:1-10 when God forgives people in a town called Nineveh for their sins. However God teaches that forgiveness should only be shown when the sinner has repented.

Join now!

Loyalty: Joshua 23:14-16; Psalm 33:4; Psalm 119:151; John 15:1-17:3 Acts 11:23

Loyalty in a relationship is important because without it we would be unfaithful.

If we are unfaithful, relationships will have no love and relationships will be full of sin. In the book of Joshua 23:14-16; God tells us that if we are not loyal and trustworthy to him then he will “bring all the evil he has threatened until he has destroyed us from this good land”. This shows us it is important to be loyal in relationships. If in a relationship someone is not loyal to ...

This is a preview of the whole essay