THE SINNER'S PRAYER
Steve Staten



Ever wonder how the famous (and unbiblical) Sinner’s Prayer started? Find out how this doctrine developed.

We welcome questions. Some questions have been edited for clarity.

Marrying Relatives -- I.C. (USA)

Hi. I'm emailing ‘coz I want to seek advice on something that's really bothering me. Two of my cousins in North America (first cousins) are dating and are planning to get married. They are first cousins to each other as well. Obviously, all my relatives, including their parents are distressed by the situation and actually turned to me for input.

I've read Leviticus 18 about sexual relations that are prohibited. One verse said that no one is to approach a close relative to have sexual relations. Certain articles I read online says that there is nothing forbidding cousin marriages in the Bible. Actually, these two cousins have also read these articles and are now using the Bible to justify their relationship and plan to marry. This makes me struggle.

I want to follow what the Bible says but I am confused. I don't want to be “binding” things that were not bound by God, but the picture of the whole situation and every part of me says that it’s wrong to marry your first cousin. What do you think? I really need input. Thank you so much in advance! – I.C. (USA)

These situations are really challenging since they touch sensitive points in our hearts. Lots of prayer and patience needed.

While a person can invoke Leviticus 18 and 20, the fact that these are part of the Old Covenant and not the New makes it difficult to build a solid case. Jacob married his cousins (Genesis 29). Amram, Moses’ dad, married his aunt (Exodus 6), which is prohibited in Leviticus 18. As such, the Bible records happenings without explicitly telling which are concessions. And there is no passage in the New Testament which specifically deals with marriage to kin. (Take note that immorality, which is clearly sinful, is a separate issue.)

My suggestion is to just use 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 to appeal to their consciences, since such relations do cause tensions and could possibly result in genetic aberrations. Apart from that, people may just have to learn in hindsight from their actions.

Why add to your learning?

Your worship can go no deeper than your understanding. After all, how can you praise what you do not know? By contrast, the more and more you learn about God, the more and more reasons you have to love and praise Him! This is the heart behind addtoyourlearning.com

Consider this pivotal declaration of Jesus:

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth... He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. John 16:13-14

As Jesus promised, the Spirit of Truth guided key first-century Christians to record the revelation of God. This extraordinary Spirit-led guidance is known as inspiration, and the resulting writings, the New Testament. Taken together with God’s previous revelation—the Old Testament—mankind was given and now has the complete revelation of God and therefore all truth.

Today, it is vital for Christians to remember that the Spirit continues to guide us into all truth. How? By empowering us to understand the Word of God. This modern-day role of the Spirit is known as illumination.

Why add to your learning?

Because if you desire to know God deeply, you must know God’s Word deeply. Along the way, something amazing takes place. The more you learn about the message of Christ, the more Christ is glorified; the more God is made known to you, the more glory He is given. That, perhaps, is the highest motivation for studying the Bible—for yourself or with a friend or family member. Adding to your learning should not be regarded as optional, but rather essential to the life of a faithful Christian. On behalf of the MMCC teaching ministry, happy learning and to God be the glory!