Dear Student,
Occasionally, when I read the statistics from a particular survey, the numbers are so out of line with what one would expect that I ask myself, “How can these things be?”
Let me give you an example that is all too real. A survey on marriage by The Barna Group confirmed a trend that we have seen developing for several years now, namely, that the rate of divorce among non-Christians and those who identify themselves as “born again” Christians is almost exactly the same.
To quote the apostle James: “These things ought not to be so.” But they are, and thus the challenge for you and me is not to bemoan the reality of marital and family breakup, or to heap guilt on divorced believers. Rather, our mandate is to help prepare couples for lifelong, deeply satisfying, God-honoring marriages by teaching and upholding the clear standards and principles of God’s Word on marriage.
This is an area of ministry that Ligonier is equipped to help with, using the means God has given us. With the current crisis in marriage not only in the culture but in the church, we are loading every “barrel” in our communications arsenal to get out the message of God’s Word.
Frankly, we need friends like you to help “pass the ammunition.” This month alone, Ligonier needs to raise $843,711 to meet the costs of our ministry. These costs are very significant as we bring biblical teaching to you and millions of other people through our broadcasts, Internet outreach, books, CDs, and DVDs. But the cost of not teaching God’s truth on marriage and family is significantly higher for all of us, whether we are married or single.
The exciting thing to me is that God’s principles on marriage can be clearly understood. However they are definitely counter-cultural, which only underscores our need to affirm truths such as these:
• the sacredness and permanence of marriage. When Vesta and I were married almost fifty years ago, we promised to keep our vows “till death do us part.” The word “divorce” was not in our vocabulary. Jesus affirmed the surpassing value of marriage when He quoted from the original marriage covenant ceremony in Genesis 2:22–24 and then added, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matt 19:6).
• the importance of cherishing each other. The Bible teaches husbands to cherish their wives (Eph. 5:28–31). I promised not only to love Vesta, but to cherish her. To cherish a person is to put an exceedingly high value upon them and to act accordingly. You don’t want to lose or discard something you cherish.
• the importance of marital communication. Vesta and I had a mild upset soon after we were married. I had to go away on a trip and I asked her to pack my bags. She looked at me as if to say, “Why are you asking me?” I was shocked, so I said, “Honey, my mother always packed my dad’s bags, and she was happy to do it.” Vesta said, “My dad always packed his own bags.” We had different expectations because we came from different backgrounds. Needless to say, I learned a valuable lesson that day of the need for good marital communication.
These are some biblical marriage principles that our generation needs desperately to hear. Because I am committed to teach the whole counsel of God, I am passionate about helping people enjoy rich, intimate, and deeply satisfying marriages.
A gift of $100 will help us to reach 5,000 people this month through our expanded resources on the Internet, broadcast, printed materials, and other channels.
The well-being of this and future generations, as well as the church’s witness, are at stake in the matter of building strong marriages and families. Please help Ligonier continue to be a leading voice in the proclamation of God’s truth by sending your gift of support today.
Whatever you are able to give, please know how grateful I am for you standing with this ministry. Thank you, and God bless you.
Sincerely,
R.C. Sproul
P.S. The impact you have through your gift to Ligonier is astounding. Some 10,000 people attend our conferences every year; we’ve had more than 255,000 people visit our website since January; over 200,000 listen to our radio program daily; another 200,000 people read Tabletalk magazine each month; and millions worldwide are reached through our printed and digital resources. This ministry is an awesome privilege and responsibility, and I count on your help to fulfill it. Thank you again.
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