Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs
    Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs
    Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs
    Ebook304 pages4 hours

    Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs

    By Dr. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt and Tony Merida

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs is one volume in Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. This series affirms that the Bible is a Christ-centered book, containing a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. It’s presented as sermons, divided into chapters that conclude with a “Reflect & Discuss” section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It’s not academic but rather presents an easy-reading, practical and friendly commentary. The series is projected to be 48 volumes.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBH Publishing Group
    Release dateFeb 1, 2015
    ISBN9780805496772
    Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs
    Author

    Dr. Daniel L. Akin

    Daniel L. Akin is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Arlington and has authored or edited many books and Bible commentaries including Ten Who Changed the World and the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volumes on Mark and 1, 2, 3 John.

    Read more from Dr. Daniel L. Akin

    Related to Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs

    Titles in the series (42)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 5, 2024

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to [email protected] for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      10 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Oct 28, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to [email protected] for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Young Evangelists Are Answering The Call

      Jul 22, 2022

      Many years ago, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke spoke of a vision that the Lord had given him of young people preaching the Gospel on the streets of Europe. That vision has taken another step forward with the introduction of Fire Camps – retreats for youn

      3 min read

    • Article

      AGENTS OF Change

      Apr 13, 2020

      What on earth is a Reformational church? The Reformational church is God’s agent of constant change from glory to glory, conforming to the image of His Son. That’s why we are straightening and aligning the church to what Jesus intended in the first p

      4 min read

    • Article

      Theo & Bev Wolmarans CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN MINISTRY CELEBRATION 2019

      Aug 19, 2019

      This year is a very momentous celebration for Pastor Theo and Bev Wolmarans, who have been faithfully guiding Christians for 40 years to faith in Jesus, both locally and abroad. When we look at the history of spirit-filled churches in this nation, Pa

      5 min read

    • Article

      Josh & Tara McCauley On A REDEMPTIVE Mission

      Sep 4, 2020

      Whilst his friends were out playing cops and robbers, a young Joshua would sit in the front row of church listening to the sermons of his dad (Rhema Church founder, Pastor Ray McCauley) blissfully unaware that one day he too would be standing behind

      10 min read

    • Article

      How Well Do You Actually Know Your Bible?

      Aug 7, 2020

      The Bible is the handbook for Christianity. It includes every single instruction that we need d in in this this w world to survive. It is the only book that we have directly from God. You would think that as Christians ians who who have have spent ye

      1 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Apr 22, 2019

      The Bible in a Nutshell is amazing! I have just received a ‘Bible in a Nutshell’ book as a gift from my mom. Wow, wow, wow – what a treat. I can’t put it down and have learned so much from it. What a treasure. Thank you for producing such a valuable

      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to [email protected] for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Aug 19, 2019

      Thank you for your wonderfully illustrated Biblical series of articles that you regularly publish. I find that I can’t concentrate like I used to, and love the short, precise, and factual articles. I have learnt so much from reading them. I was fasci

      7 min read

    • Article

      Pastors Need A Firm BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

      Dec 30, 2019

      The Gospel is the most powerful force on this earth. The transformative power of the Cross changes lives around the world daily. If the Gospel is not changing hearts, then it is not the full Gospel that is being preached. In Africa today we see a num

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Great Shaking

      Nov 27, 2020

      Way back in the last millennium when I was still a teenager there was a popular song made famous by Jerry Lee Lewis, “There’s been a whole lotta shakin goin’ on.”This is certainly true of today’s world. One major difference between the current global

      5 min read

    • Article

      Acknowledgments

      Aug 15, 2018

      Every attempt has been made to credit the sources of copyrighted material used in this book. If any such acknowledgment has been inadvertently omitted or miscredited, receipt of such information would be appreciated. Scripture quotations marked (AMP)

      2 min read

    • Article

      Acknowledgments

      Oct 15, 2018

      Every attempt has been made to credit the sources of copyrighted material used in this book. If any such acknowledgment has been inadvertently omitted or miscredited, receipt of such information would be appreciated. Scripture quotations marked (AMP)

      2 min read

    • Article

      Allan & Janine Bagg

      Jun 24, 2022

      Allan & Janine Bagg
      9 min read

    • Article

      Love Born

      Sep 4, 2020

      Love Born
      3 min read

    • Article

      Spirit World Revival Ministries

      Oct 2, 2020

      Spirit World Revival Ministries is a healing, deliverance, and prophetic ministry under the leadership of Apostle O’neil and his wife Pastor Samantha Muthien. This is a moving ministry, taking the Gospel to the nations, reviving souls, and restoring

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Apr 13, 2020

      I would like to congratulate Desiree Mansfield on her wonderful and insightful article in JOY’s Feb/Mar issue, “Are We Cursed Because Of Our Government’s Decision On Israel?” This is an article nearer the truth than most people will realise and sadly

      8 min read

    • Article

      Acknowledgments

      Oct 16, 2020

      Every attempt has been made to credit the sources of copyrighted material used in this book. If any such acknowledgment has been inadvertently omitted or miscredited, receipt of such information would be appreciated. Scripture quotations marked (AMP)

      2 min read

    • Article

      A New Day Of Pentecost The Importance Of Prayer

      Oct 27, 2023

      Over the last few issues, I have shared four guiding principles that the early church lived by, in accordance with Acts 2:42. Apostolic doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer are listed as these four “quadrants”. They created a new c

      2 min read

    • Article

      A New Day Of Pentecost Part Lll

      Feb 10, 2023

      Over the last few issues of JOY, I have been sharing insights about the day of Pentecost in the Bible (Acts 2). To fully appreciate the context of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this day, we must first look at the events that took place before

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Godly Responsibilities of Husbands & Fathers

      Dec 30, 2019

      A major problem in our country today is the malfunction or non-function of men as husbands and fathers. Some men try hard but don’t get it right; some don’t try at all – they are bachelor boys whose wives are no more that servants to care for the hom

      4 min read

    • Article

      ‘Our King Is Still On His Throne’

      Sep 4, 2020

      Over the last two pages you have read the powerful testimony of Berni Dymet, the CEO of Christianityworks. But what really makes this man of God tick? We hopped on a long-distance Zoom call to interview this passionate man of God, all the way over in

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs

    5/5

    3 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Exalting Jesus in Song of Songs - Dr. Daniel L. Akin

      2013

      Acknowledgments

      I would like to thank Shane Shaddix, Mary Jo Haselton, and Kim Humphrey, each of whom made significant contributions to this volume. You all have blessed and enriched my life.

      Series Introduction

      Augustine said, Where Scripture speaks, God speaks. The editors of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series believe that where God speaks, the pastor must speak. God speaks through His written Word. We must speak from that Word. We believe the Bible is God breathed, authoritative, inerrant, sufficient, understandable, necessary, and timeless. We also affirm that the Bible is a Christ-centered book; that is, it contains a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. Because of this Christ-centered trajectory that runs from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, we believe the Bible has a corresponding global-missions thrust. From beginning to end, we see God’s mission as one of making worshipers of Christ from every tribe and tongue worked out through this redemptive drama in Scripture. To that end we must preach the Word.

      In addition to these distinct convictions, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series has some distinguishing characteristics. First, this series seeks to display exegetical accuracy. What the Bible says is what we want to say. While not every volume in the series will be a verse-by-verse commentary, we nevertheless desire to handle the text carefully and explain it rightly. Those who teach and preach bear the heavy responsibility of saying what God has said in His Word and declaring what God has done in Christ. We desire to handle God’s Word faithfully, knowing that we must give an account for how we have fulfilled this holy calling (Jas 3:1).

      Second, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series has pastors in view. While we hope others will read this series, such as parents, teachers, small-group leaders, and student ministers, we desire to provide a commentary busy pastors will use for weekly preparation of biblically faithful and gospel-saturated sermons. This series is not academic in nature. Our aim is to present a readable and pastoral style of commentaries. We believe this aim will serve the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

      Third, we want the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series to be known for the inclusion of helpful illustrations and theologically driven applications. Many commentaries offer no help in illustrations, and few offer any kind of help in application. Often those that do offer illustrative material and application unfortunately give little serious attention to the text. While giving ourselves primarily to explanation, we also hope to serve readers by providing inspiring and illuminating illustrations coupled with timely and timeless application.

      Finally, as the name suggests, the editors seek to exalt Jesus from every book of the Bible. In saying this, we are not commending wild allegory or fanciful typology. We certainly believe we must be constrained to the meaning intended by the divine Author Himself, the Holy Spirit of God. However, we also believe the Bible has a messianic focus, and our hope is that the individual authors will exalt Christ from particular texts. Luke 24:25-27,44-47 and John 5:39,46 inform both our hermeneutics and our homiletics. Not every author will do this the same way or have the same degree of Christ-centered emphasis. That is fine with us. We believe faithful exposition that is Christ centered is not monolithic. We do believe, however, that we must read the whole Bible as Christian Scripture. Therefore, our aim is both to honor the historical particularity of each biblical passage and to highlight its intrinsic connection to the Redeemer.

      The editors are indebted to the contributors of each volume. The reader will detect a unique style from each writer, and we celebrate these unique gifts and traits. While distinctive in their approaches, the authors share a common characteristic in that they are pastoral theologians. They love the church, and they regularly preach and teach God’s Word to God’s people. Further, many of these contributors are younger voices. We think these new, fresh voices can serve the church well, especially among a rising generation that has the task of proclaiming the Word of Christ and the Christ of the Word to the lost world.

      We hope and pray this series will serve the body of Christ well in these ways until our Savior returns in glory. If it does, we will have succeeded in our assignment.

      David Platt

      Daniel L. Akin

      Tony Merida

      Series Editors

      February 2013

      How to Begin a Divine Love Story

      Song of Songs 1:1-4

      Main Idea: The Song of Songs paints a picture of marital love that reflects the love that instructs us in God’s good design and points us to our faithful Shepherd-King, Jesus.

      I. Being Passionate for Your Mate Is a Good Thing (1:1-3).

      A. What do you feel about your mate (1:1-3)?

      B. What do others say about your mate (1:3)?

      II. Desiring Intimacy with Your Mate Is a Good Thing (1:4).

      A. Do you enjoy spending time with your mate?

      B. Do you value your mate for who he or she is?

      The second-century rabbi Akiba ben Joseph said, All the ages are not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies (Danby, Mishnah , 782). The rabbi was talking about a book we find in the Bible called The Song of Solomon or The Song of Songs, an eight-chapter, 117-verse love song.

      Few books have fascinated humans more than this one. God is never mentioned directly, if at all, in this book (but see 8:6). In this regard it is like the book of Esther. It also is never quoted directly in either of the Old or New Testaments. Its Latin title is Canticles, which means songs. It was one of the five megilloth (meaning scrolls) read annually by the Hebrew people at Passover (along with Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations). It was penned by King Solomon, Israel’s wisest king, who reigned ca. 971–931 BC over the united kingdoms of Israel and Judah. First Kings 4:32 says, Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005. Yet of all the songs he wrote, the Song of Songs was his best.

      A couple of major questions confront us as we prepare to mine this treasure trove of divine truth. First, how do we interpret this love poem? Second, how do we explain Solomon as the author of a song that extols marital monogamy and fidelity when 1 Kings 11:3 says, He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and they turned his heart away from the Lord. Let’s take these two questions in reverse order, starting with the question of Solomon’s promiscuous lifestyle.

      Some believe the book is about Solomon or written to Solomon. On this view he is not the author. It may even be a critique of his sinful decisions in the area of marriage. Others believe Solomon wrote Song of Songs as a young man, his contribution to Proverbs as a middle age man, and Ecclesiastes as an old man. If this is true, and it is certainly possible, then Song of Songs is historical poetry about his first and truest love. However, I think it more likely that Solomon penned Song of Songs (probably later in life) as the ideal, as a poetic picture of what God intended marriage to be. It could even be a song of confession and repentance for his sins of adultery and polygamy. If this is true, then the song looks back to Genesis 1–2 and the beautiful love, harmony, and joy Adam and Eve experienced before sin entered the world and messed up everything (cf. Gen 3). It also anticipates the redeemed marriage relationship depicted in Ephesians 5:21-33. Douglas O’Donnell sums up well what I think is going on:

      The Song is a song that Adam could have sung in the garden when Eve arose miraculously from his side; and it remains a song that we can and should sing in the bedroom, the church and the marketplace of ideas. (Song, 20)

      This understanding of the Song, I believe, helps us answer the first question: How should we interpret the Song? This clarity comes from understanding that Song of Songs is not a random collection of Syrian, Egyptian, or Canaanite cultic liturgies. It is not a drama with various acts or scenes, attractive as this view is. Nor is it an anthology of disconnected songs praising the bliss of human sexual love between a man and woman. There is unity and even progression in the Song too obvious to ignore. No, it is best understood as a theological and lyrical masterpiece that shows what marriage ought to be. However, and this is important, we must not stop with the natural reading of the text. We should complete the interpretive process and recognize that, as poetry, the Song was intended to evoke multiple emotions, feelings, and understandings. By way of analogy, it is easy to see how the bride and bridegroom in this Song portray to us God and Israel, Christ and His church, the Savior and His people. Jim Hamilton points us in a good direction when he says, The Song is about Israel’s shepherd King, a descendant of David, who is treated as an ideal Israelite enjoying an ideal bride in a lush garden where the effects of the fall are reversed (Messianic, 331). And Dennis Kinlaw fleshes out even more fully where God, the divine author of the Bible, intended to take us:

      The use of the marriage metaphor to describe the relationship of God to his people is almost universal in Scripture. From the time that God chose Israel to be his own in the Sinai Desert, the covenant was pictured in terms of a marriage. Idolatry was equated with adultery (Exod 34:10-17). Yahweh is a jealous God. Monogamous marriage is the norm for depicting the covenant relationship throughout Scripture, climaxing with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. God has chosen a bride.

      [However], we tend to review the covenant-marriage relationship as an example of how human, created, historical realities can be used analogically to explain eternal truths. Thus human marriage is the original referent, and the union of God with his people is seen as the union of a loving husband and wife. . . .

      In reality there is much in Scripture to suggest that we should reverse this line of thought. Otherwise the union of Christ with his bride is a good copy of a bad original. The reality is, as Bromiley insists, that earthly marriage, as it is now lived, is a bad copy of a good original. The original referent is not human marriage. It is God’s elect love, first to Israel and then to the church.

      If divine love is the pattern for marriage, then there must be something pedagogical and eschatological about marriage. It is an earthly institution that in itself images something greater than itself. (Kinlaw, Song, 1208)

      Kinlaw is right. This earthly institution and this Song point us to a Bridegroom-King whose name is Jesus, a bridegroom who loved the church [His bride] and gave Himself for her (Eph 5:25). It should not surprise us that the Song of Songs is messianic and christological. After all, Jesus Himself said of the Scriptures in John 5:39, They testify about Me. This, then, would include the Song of Songs. It anticipates the joys of salvation realized when we enter the chambers of redemption provided by this King (Song 1:4).

      So as we walk through this carefully crafted love poem, we will see how it addresses the gift of marriage as it was intended by our great God. We will raise points of practical application so that we might more perfectly put into practice what we learn. But then we will conclude each study by asking, What do I see, feel, hear, and glean about my King, the Lord Jesus, from this text? This promises to be an exciting, instructive, and worshipful journey to be sure.

      Being Passionate for Your Mate Is a Good Thing

      Song of Songs 1:1-3

      Bernard of Clairvaux said of this song,

      It is not a melody that resounds abroad but [is] the very music of the heart; not a trilling on the lips but an inward pulsing of delight; a harmony not of voices but of wills. It is a tune you will not hear in the streets; these notes do not sound where crowds assemble; only the singer hears it and the one to whom he sings—the lover and the beloved. (Griffiths, Song, xxi)

      Sex, marital intimacy, is a good gift from a great God. He is the one who came up with this fantastic idea and I think He was having a really good day when He did! In other words, God is pro-sex when we engage in the act as He designed it and we do it for His glory. Yes, the glory of God should be the goal of sex, the goal of marriage. John Piper is exactly right:

      The ultimate thing to see in the Bible about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. Most ultimately, marriage is the display of God. It is designed by God to display His glory in a way that no other event or institution does. (This Momentary Marriage, 24)

      One of the ways we display God’s glory in marriage is by being passionate for our mate. This honors one of God’s designs in marriage. Perhaps that is why Solomon called this his finest song, the best of the best.

      What Do You Feel about Your Mate? (Song 1:1-3)

      Following the title, the woman speaks, asking that her king (1:4) would shower her with passionate kisses: Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! Interestingly, the bride, whom we could call Shulammite (the feminine form of Solomon, 6:13), does the majority of the speaking in this Song (53%, compared to the man’s 34%). Indeed, she has the first and the last word. This stands in contrast to another book of wisdom, the book of Proverbs. I like the perspective of O’Donnell who says,

      The book of Proverbs can be called a book for boys. The word son is used over forty times; the word daughter is never used. My son, stay away from that kind of girl, and don’t marry this kind of girl. But marry and save yourself for that girl—Proverbs 31:10-31. That’s how the book ends, quite intentionally, for Proverbs is a book for boys. The Song of Songs is a book for girls. And its message to girls is, patience then passion or uncompromised purity now; unquenchable passion then. I’ll put it this way: In Proverbs the young lad is told to take a cold shower. In the Song of Songs the young lassie is told to take a cold shower. (Song, 24)

      Why is the young lady so drawn to this man? First, because his love is intoxicating; it is more delightful than wine. His passionate and affectionate kisses are sweet and powerful. They sweep me off my feet. They set my head to spinning and my heart racing, she would say. I have read,

      the passionate kiss (average length one minute) reveals a lot about your relationship. Considered even more intimate than sex, passionate smooching is one of the first things to go when spouses aren’t getting along. (Marriage Partnership, 10)

      Her delight is not just in his kisses (touch and taste), they are also in his fragrance (smell): The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating (1:3). He tastes good and he smells good. Being extremely practical for a moment, we can say he brushed his teeth and used mouthwash. He took a bath (or shower!) and used soap (or body wash!). He then put on his best cologne with anointing oils (ESV) or aromatic oils (MSG). She feels good about this man because he takes the necessary time and steps to make himself attractive to her. He does not take her for granted. He pleases her and he pleasures her. He sets her free to be the aggressor, something many cultures seem to shy away from, but not the Holy Bible.

      It is clear she feels like there is no man like this man. There is no king like this king. There is nothing wrong and everything right in what she feels. Her desires are not dirty. Sex is never sinful when it takes place God’s way and for God’s glory. In that context, she will wait until the time is right (see 2:7; 3:5; 8:4). He is worth waiting for and so is she! First Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us,

      Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

      Our bodies are sacred gifts from God that have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, our divine Bridegroom. They are gifts to be used. They are gifts to be treated with care. This is what this bride believes and how she feels about her groom.

      What Do Others Say about Your Mate? (Song 1:3)

      This bridegroom-king’s kisses are better than choice wine. His smells are exhilarating, even intoxicating. His fame and reputation are without question and widely known. Your name is perfume poured out speaks to his character as a person. He is like an anointed king, he is the anointed king, who is adored by the young women.

      A person is always more, much more, than mere physical appearance. Wise people, when dating or courting, will not just form an opinion or make a judgment of the person with whom they are involved. No, they will also seek out and listen to the counsel of family and friends. They will listen to public opinion. Is he honest? Does she possess a Christ-like spirit that is gentle and quiet (cf. 1 Pet 3:4)? Does he have a bad temper? Is she financially responsible? Is he a flirt? A playboy? Does she accept her God-given assignment to submit to and respect her husband (cf. Eph 5:21-24,33)? Does he take joy in loving her sacrificially (Eph 5:25ff) and working hard to understand her (1 Pet 3:7)?

      We should carefully consider what others say about the person we date, and especially about the person we would consider marrying. We all have blind spots. Love can indeed be blind. We must not let our emotions override good decision making, even if it hurts. Shulammite knew this man was respected. He was known as a person of character and integrity. She was not only physically attracted to him, she could respect him. She could admire him.

      Desiring Intimacy with Your Mate Is a Good Thing

      Song of Songs 1:4

      The Bible knows nothing of casual sex because, in reality, there is no such thing. What is often called casual sex is always costly sex. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unexpected pregnancy, and psychological and spiritual scars are just a few of the results. The price many pay is high because we have approached God’s good gift of sex all too casually. Sexual attraction is inevitable. It is what God intended. However, unless we follow God’s plan, we will miss out on His best and suffer the painful and tragic consequences of sin in the process.

      The Song of Songs explains the purpose and place of sex as God designed it. When we make love the way God planned, we enjoy the security of a committed relationship, experience the joy of unreserved passion, and discover the courage to give ourselves completely to another in unhindered abandonment.

      Sociologists, and marriage and family counselors, are now discovering that the most emotionally and physically satisfying sex is between committed partners, and that satisfaction from sex increases with sexual exclusivity (one partner only), emotional investment in the relationship, and a lasting horizon for the marriage. They are also discovering that marriage is an excellent tonic for both mental and physical health and that marriage is far superior to cohabitation in both areas (Elias, Marriage, 6D).

      Do You Enjoy Spending Time with Your Mate?

      The woman longs to be alone with her man, and so she excitedly exclaims, Take me with you—let us hurry. And where does she want to go? May the king bring me into his chambers (my translation). She loves being with this man, and she is looking forward with eager anticipation to the time when she can be with him in private, in the bedroom. She wants to freely give herself to him in this way because of the kind of man, the kind of king, he is! She wants to be alone and she has no fear!

      How do we get to this place in courting? In marriage? While there are a number of ways to get at this question I found the following list especially helpful:

      Take one another seriously (but not too seriously).

      Nurture one another (Eph 5:29-30).

      Set up a problem-solving strategy.

      Be respectful and courteous at all times. Treat your mate like a good friend.

      Spend time with your spouse (both quality and quantity).

      Make room for intimacy and affection without pushing always for sex.

      Treat one another as equals, because you are.

      Be honest with one another; always speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).

      Give your spouse practical and relational priority in all aspects of your life.

      Be slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen (Jas 1:19).

      Do not let the sun go down on your anger (Eph 4:26).

      Never stop caring about pleasing your spouse (Phil 2:3-4).

      Seek unity and do not feel threatened by disagreement (Phil 2:2).

      Honor one another’s rights and needs.

      Do not impose your will on the other. Be peaceful and kind and use persuasion, not coercion.

      Seek to be one another’s best friend.

      Try to deal with facts rather than feelings.

      Minister to rather than manipulate one another.

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1