For Marriage, Family & Christianity we have to two books. The Family: A Christian perspective on the Contemporary Home by Jack O . Balswick & K. Balswick. The second Book is Healing for Damaged Emotions by David A . Seamands. I will try to summerize each chapter of these two books and put it here in this website.
The Family: A Christian perspective on the Contemporary Home by Jack O . Balswick & K. Balswick.-Chapter 1
This chapter is based on what the bible says about relational through the Holy Trinity: God as parent in relationship to the children of Israel, Christ as groom in relationship to the church as bride, and the Holy Spirit in relationship to all believers who are empowered to live in rightful relationships as brothers and sisters in Christ.
There are so many passages which emphasizes about the family in bible, both new and Old Testament, which concern about three basic household relationships: husband and wife, parent and child and also between master and slave . But it is not appropriate to just mine one or some verses and describe that. It’s important to consider the historical, regional, political time which those versed were told and also to whom and why and understand the whole story.
Relational is the primary way humans reflect God’s image. And through the bible, unity and uniqueness are simultaneously describe as relational aspects of the Godhead. Karl birth said that “the nature of the conventional relationship between God and humanity revealed and actualized in Jesus Christ.” In the revelation of the Father’s Son through the Spirit, we find the activity of a deity assigned to each person of the Trinity. Also The triple model reflects the nature of the relationship (distinction and unity) and becomes a core ideal and the main theme of understanding family relationships. But we have to remember that we are not perfect like God, so for applying these principals we will have to struggle with our human imperfections.
God as parent in relationship to the children of Israel: God’s dealings with Israel are characterized by love, training, guidance, persecution, forgiveness, nurturing, respect, knowing, and forgiving. Jesus welcomes young children, women, the deprived, and his disciples in close and intimate relationships. Making a covenant between God and the people of Israel has become a central focus in the development of family theology.it goes to this” it is covenant love that provides the basis of family. For this reason, family means much more than kinship, where blood ties provide the only ground for belonging. Family is a place where you love unconditionally, and a place where you can count on love, even when you do not deserve it.”)
Christ as groom in relationship to the church as bride:
The Holy Spirit in relationship:
Elements in a theology of the family
Logical starting point of any family relationship:
1-Covenant: is the commitment of a covenant that has unconditional love at its core, grace is created through the security created by this love of the covenant. In this space of grace, family members have the freedom to empower each other. Empowerment leads to the possibility of intimacy between family members. Intimacy then goes back to a deeper level of covenant commitment.
2-Grace: It is especially difficult to distinguish between covenant and grade. Covenant is grace by its very nature. Grace means unmerited favor.
3- Empowerment’s: to serve and to be served. : The emphasis is placed on one’s ability to influence and not the actual exercise of the authority. Empowerment is a biblical model for the use of power that is completely contrary to its common use in the family or society at large.
If covenant is the love commitment and grace is the underlying atmosphere of acceptance, then empowering is the action of God in people’s lives.
God gives the ability to become children of God. This is the supreme example of human empowerment. So empowerment is love in action.
Empowerment is the ultimate goal, where parents release the child to self-control.
God empowered us by the Holy Spirit, to empower others.
-4Intimacy: To know and to be known. : A major theme that runs through the Bible is that God wants to know us and to be known by us.
When family members experience covenant love, grace, and empowerment, they will be able to communicate confidently and express themselves freely without fear.
As family members offer their love unconditionally to one another, the security that is establishes will lead to deeper levels of intimacy.
God has designed family relationships to grow from hurting to healing behavior.
