Marriage myth No. 7: Singleness makes me a second-class Christian

No single adult – whether never married, divorced or widowed – is a second-class Christian. There is no caste system in the kingdom of God. I can understand why some singles in the church have felt like second-class members who don’t fit in. As churches and pastors, we see the importance of helping establish strong marriages and families. Those are worthy goals, but we need to make certain we don’t give singles cause to think they are on the outside looking in. And both single and married believers need to make certain they are thinking biblically. We are not united in the church on the basis of our marital status but on the basis of our union with Christ. To be in Christ is to be united to all other believers, especially those in the same church body. We all relate to one another first and foremost by being related to Him. The focus of the New Testament is not marriage between a man and a woman but the marriage of Christ and His bride. The central unit in the New Testament is not the biological family but the eternal family of God. For those who are married, you should act to make sure you welcome singles of the church into your lives and homes on the same basis as you do those who are married. For those who are single, you should act to make certain your acceptance of singles and marrieds in the church, and your perception of their acceptance of you, has the same basis. For both marrieds and singles, it is about our acceptance in Christ. By His blood, we are part of the same forever family.