Permanent Design
By Paul J. Bucknell
God's Sexual Design for our Lives
Making an assessment
Before we go on, let's take an assessment of where we are at.Right now, take a pen, and write down what you really believe about the standards of sexuality that you have read about so far. What is your attitude toward them? Do you like them, tolerate them or do control what decisions we will make once we are free to make decisions.
The different questions for each of the four sections are below. You might prefer to download the outline/questions in pdf (adobe acrobat) form. The outline/questions for all the sections are together in nice printable form.
Or click each picture below for the outline questions for each section.
God designed human beings as sexual beings. He created both male and female as two distinct but complementary sexes. Foundational to a stable life is the understanding, accepting and affirming our own gender.
- Summarize what the scriptures teach about human sexuality?
- How many sexes are there? How did there come to be only that number? What sex are you?
- What roles in life does that gender call you to live out?
- From a number from 1 to 10 (10 strongest), what number best describes your acceptance of God's design for your life? Have you thanked God for so making you? Yes ____ No____
- What parts give you some hesitation in writing 10?
- Have you been able to talk about them with someone? Who?
- Why do you think you have difficulty with those areas?
#2 A Blended Design: Marriage
God designed us for heterosexual marriage. God has defined marriage as a special covenant relationship between one male and one female. When we try to redefine marriage and its purpose, then our lives along with the whole society are broken down.
- How did marriage get its start?
- How can you be sure?
- Why is there marriage?
- Can marriage be between those of the same sex? Why?
- How are we to relate to those of the same sex as ourselves?
- How are we to relate to those of the same sex as ourselves?
- Are there any rules governing such relationships? What are they?
- Why are rules needed?
#3 An Exclusive Design: Whole-hearted
God has designed marriage for whole-hearted relationships. God has made marriage like ownership. A spouse literally belongs to each other. Straying eyes and hearts strikes right against the foundation of a marriage and love.
- Why can't someone marry several partners?
- Are 'temporary' arrangements (such as affairs) okay? Why?
- Does what I do in my heart really make a difference in my marriage? Is lust really that bad? Why?
- How does your culture and God's Word differ on these issues?
- Why did God design a whole-hearted marriage?
#4 A Permanent Design: Enduring
Marriage is for life. The marriage vows hold "until death do we part." God has not given us alternative choices for the crises of life. There are no escape hatches because the life-long commitment is the very thing needed to force us to work through our difficulties with each other.
- What is wrong about experimental marriage?
- Are there not some real benefits of trying marriage before marriage?
- Divorce is legal. Why doesn't God go along with it?
- Isn't divorce a solution for some? For whom? Why?
- Why did God design marriage to be life-long?