Gender Blog

A Christian Vision of Marriage and Family, Part 2

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:18:37 +0500

In successive chapters, the book moves through a series of special topics, surveying the biblical material and presenting a systematic exposition of the Bible's teachings. The authors balance considerations from both testaments and deal honestly with the biblical narratives concerning biblical characters. Thus, the Patriarchs become examples of faithfulness, even as their own sin and misadventures in marriage and parenting are candidly observed. The authors use a very helpful outline format in setting out the various scriptural passages and their importance to each question. In this sense, they succeed in presenting an integrative model, pulling from a comprehensive reading of the biblical text.

For example, marriage and the roles of both husbands and wives is grounded in Genesis and then traced through the entire Old Testament. Husbands are to love and cherish their wives, to bear primary responsibility for the marriage union and to exercise authority over the family, and to provide the family with necessities for life. The wife, on the other hand, is to present her husband with children, manage her household with integrity, and provide her husband with companionship. Contemporary readers may be shocked by the candor of Kostenberger's presentation, but he grounds his arguments directly in the biblical text. Thus, readers are offered the opportunity to read the critical passages for themselves, and then to understand how Kostenberger framed his argument.

In an interesting section, Kostenberger acknowledges that, within six generations of Adam, the biblical vision of monogamy was at least occasionally compromised by the practice of polygamy. As Kostenberger observes, "While it is evident, then, that some very important individuals (both reportedly godly and ungodly) in the history of Israel engaged in polygamy, the Old Testament clearly communicates that the practice of having multiple wives was a departure from God's plan for marriage." Further, the Bible is clear that individuals in the history of Israel who abandoned God's design of monogamy and participated in polygamy did so contrary to the Creator's plan and ultimately to their own detriment. The sin and disorder produced by polygamy, then, is further testimony to the goodness of God's monogamous design of marriage as first revealed in the marriage of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden."

In light of contemporary confusions, this is a most helpful and accurate clarification. Similarly, Kostenberger deals honestly with the Bible's teachings concerning deviant sexual practices, ranging from homosexuality and adultery to incest.

In another helpful section, Kostenberger differentiates between "traditional" and "biblical" visions of marriage. The traditional vision is deeply rooted in middle-class experience in America. The biblical vision is not dependent upon this traditional model.

Considering the nature of marriage, Kostenberger dismisses the notion of marriage as a sacrament or as a mere contract. Instead, he argues that marriage is rightly understood as a covenant, defined as "a sacred bond between a man and a woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God (whether or not this is acknowledged by the married couple), normally consummated by sexual intercourse." Thus, marriage is not merely a bilateral contract, but is a sacred bond. Moving from marriage to the larger family context, Kostenberger suggests that a biblical definition of family points to the structure constituted by "primarily, one man and one woman united in matrimony (barring death of a spouse) plus (normally) natural or adopted children and, secondarily, any other persons related by blood." Citing Old Testament scholar Daniel Block, Kostenberger identifies the family in ancient Israel as patrilineal, patrilocal, and patriarchal. As Block helpfully suggests, the Old Testament family might best be described as "patricentric." In other words, the family is centered around the father.

In the New Testament, the structures of marriage and family are explicitly affirmed, even as the church is identified as the new family of faith. Nevertheless, the emergence of the church does not eliminate marriage, family, or the bonds and responsibilities established in Creation.

In a helpful section originally contributed by Mark Liederbach, the authors survey questions related to procreation, contraception, and the use of advanced reproductive technologies. The authors write with sensitivity, but also warn against a superficial embrace of contemporary technologies as without moral and theological complication. Readers are advised to look carefully at the nature of reproductive technologies, as well as contraceptive choices, in order to evaluate such options in light of biblical principles and mandates.

Kostenberger also presents a wealth of material related to the structure of the family, parenthood, and the care and discipline of children. He deals honestly with the need for parental correction and discipline, and affirms the role of corporal punishment in the raising of the young. "Of course children will disobey—they are sinners!," Kostenberger observes. "Parents rather should be expecting their children to sin, even after they have come to faith in Christ. Such an expectation is realistic and enables the parent to deal with each infraction calmly and deliberately, administering discipline with fairness, justice, and consistency."

The authors also provide a very helpful consideration of the biblical material concerning homosexuality. "The biblical verdict on homosexuality is consistent," Kostenberger argues. "From the Pentateuch to the book of Revelation, from Jesus to Paul, from Romans to the Pastorals, Scripture with one voice affirms that homosexuality is sin and a moral offense to God. The contemporary church corporately, and biblical Christians individually, must bear witness to the unanimous testimony of Scripture unequivocally and fearlessly." In later chapters, Kostenberger deals with questions related to divorce and remarriage and to the roles and responsibilities of men and women within the church. Even those who disagree with this understanding of divorce and remarriage will appreciate his careful consideration.

Against the backdrop of civilizational crisis, Kostenberger concludes by arguing that this crisis is "symptomatic of an underlying spiritual crisis that gnaws at the foundations of our once-shared societal values." Further, "In this spiritual cosmic conflict, Satan and his minions actively opposed the Creator's design for marriage and the family and seek to distort God's image as it is reflected in God-honoring Christian marriages and families."

Thus, recovery of a biblical understanding of marriage and family is itself a witness to the gospel and to the grace and mercy of God in giving humanity these good gifts for His good pleasure. Kostenberger and his coauthors are to be congratulated on a volume that takes the biblical text seriously and seeks to apply Scripture to contemporary questions in a way that is neither arbitrary nor piecemeal. Their integrative approach will assist Christians to think through the most important issues of our day and, more importantly, lead their families to show the glory of God in the midst of a fallen world. This book should be welcomed and widely read.

A Christian Vision of Marriage and Family, Part 1

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:39:02 +0500

[Dr. Mohler is the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a council member for CBMW. �This post originally appeared at AlbertMohler.com on�May 17, 2006.]��

"For the first time inits history, Western civilization is confronted with the need to define the meaning of the terms 'marriage'and 'family.'" So states author Andreas J. Kostenberger who, with the assistance of David W. Jones has written God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation.

This sense of crisis and the need for definition sets the stage for this book and its central thesis—that the only way out of our present cultural confusion is a return to a biblical vision of marriage and family.

As Kostenberger observes,"What until now has been considered a 'normal' family, made up of afather, a mother, and a number of children, has in recent years increasingly begun to be viewed as one among several options, which can no longer claim to be the only or even superior form of ordering human relationships. The Judeo-Christian view of marriage and the family with its roots in the Hebrew Scriptures has to a certain extent been replaced with a set of values that prizes human rights, self-fulfillment, and pragmatic utility on an individual and societal level. It can rightly be said that marriage and the family are institutions under seige in our world today, and that with marriage and the family, our very civilization is in crisis."

In one sense, the statistics tell the story. The great social transformation of the last two hundred years has led to an erosion of the family and the franchising of its responsibilities. The authority of the family, especially that of the parents, has been compromised through the intrusion of state authorities, cultural influences, and social pressure. Furthermore, the loss of a biblical understanding of marriage and family has led to a general weakening of the institution, even among those who would identify themselves as believing Christians.

At the cultural level, Kostenberger suggests that the rise of a libertarian ideology explains the elevation of human freedom and a right to self-determination above all other principles and values. The quest for autonomy becomes the central purpose of human life, and any imposition of structure, accountability, boundaries, or restriction is dismissed as repressive and backward.

Within the Christian church, Kostenberger discerns what he identifies as a "lack of commitment to seriously engage the Bible as a whole." As he correctly observes, evangelical Christianity has no shortage of Bible studies, media production, parachurch ministries, and the like. Yet, most Christians are woefully unaware of the deep biblical, theological, and spiritual foundations for marriage and the family that are central to the Christian tradition.

"Anyone stepping into a Christian or general bookstore will soon discover that while there is a plethora of books available on individual topics, such as marriage, singleness, divorce and remarriage, and homosexuality, there is very little material that explores on a deeper, more thoroughgoing level the entire fabric of God's purposes for human relationships," he observes. To fill this void, Kostenberger and Jones, along with Mark Liederbach, who contributed sections on contraception and reproductive technologies, attempt to offer an integrative approach that would establish a biblical theology of marriage and family. The primary focus of Scripture, they assert, is "the provision of salvation by God in and through Jesus Christ." Nevertheless, the Bible also addresses an entire spectrum of issues related to marriage and the family—extended to issues such as human sexuality, gender, reproduction, parenthood, and more.

Kostenberger and his co-authors begin their consideration of marriage and family in the book of Genesis, establishing the starting point for these considerations in the doctrine of creation. Throughout the volume, a complementarian understanding of the relationship between men and women is affirmed, and the man and the woman, both created in the image of God, are assigned different responsibilities and roles.

Early in the book, Kostenberger makes an audacious claim: "Our sex does not merely determine the form of our sex organs but is an integral part of our entire being." �This flies in the face of the postmodern claim that gender—indeed the very notions of male and female—are nothing more than the product of social construction and ideology. This complementarian arrangement is correctly grounded before the Fall and its consequences.

Yet, Kostenberger gives careful attention to the effect of the Fall and the consequences that follow. Thus, sin and its effects becomes the explanatory principle for all confusion over gender, sexuality, marriage, and the integrity of the family.

Weight and Obesity

Kimberly Davidson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:55:00 +0500

Summer. Weddings. Bathing suits. Beaches. Family Vacations. Sun. I love summer – but I don’t like bathing suits. Bathing suits remind me that I’ll never look like Jillian, neither the current ABC TV’s The Bachelorette or the workout diva on NBC’s The Biggest Loser.

These two national television season staples, along with a host of others (Fit Bride, Big Medicine), and a few entire networks (Discovery Health, FitTV), point to the fact that our culture is obsessed with what we look like.

The latest issue of Time Magazine came across my desk earlier this week. I have the fun task of flipping through magazines and flagging articles that would be of interest to my boss. This week an article in Time caught my eye. I was not surprised by the findings of this study, or other studies similar to it. These findings are clearly evident to me in real life.

Bonnie Rochman, a writer for Time, wrote an article laying out the connections between marriage, dating, cohabitation, and obesity. Some of Rochman’s findings were these:

“New research shows that within a few short years of getting hitched, married individuals are twice as likely to become obese as are people who are merely dating.”
“The study notes that unmarried women who have been living with their sweeties for five years or less run a 63% increased risk of obesity. What about unmarried men? On average, they have no increased risk during cohabitation. “With women, we saw incremental risk after one year," says Penny Gordon-Larsen, one of the two nutrition epidemiologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) who conducted the study. "The longer she lived with a romantic partner, the more likely she was to keep putting on weight."
“Scientists have known for a while that having a close relationship with an obese person, whether a friend or a spouse, makes you more likely to become obese.”

Cornell University also did a similar study, years earlier, with many of the same findings:

“While newly-married women gain more weight than other wives do, or men do proportionately, few gain a lot during their first year of marriage.”
“The authors report that dating someone of the right weight was much more important to high school men then to high school women.”
“Obese women were happier with their marriages than other women, whereas obese men had more marital problems than other men. One theory about why obese women were happier with their marriages is related to recognizing their decreased value in the marriage market in a society that stigmatizes obesity.”

So, what do these findings have to do with biblical manhood and womanhood? God clearly states in his Word that we are to take care of our bodies and mind what we put in them. Also, that if we are married our bodies are not our own.

1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 6.19-20 – “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Cor 7.3-4 – “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”

Here’s the tie:

1. In dating, we often want to put our best foot forward. If I know I have the potential of meeting a future spouse, I am going to try to lose a few pounds, wear my cutest outfit, and make sure my makeup and hair look excellent. Most women will do the same thing, so will men. We all know that first impressions can be lasting ones.

2. In marriage, according to these studies and findings in culture, some say that we don’t keep this up (weight, exercising, first impressions type things). Ask many women to try on their wedding dress even a few short years after their nuptials and that would be a horrific suggestion. Men’s stomachs start to plunge over their belt buckles. Why?

If we know as biblical men and women that our bodies belong to the Lord, then shouldn’t we be more disciplined to take care of what we’ve been given?

The following suggestions come out of a lifelong struggle with weight and discipline in eating. But, God’s grace is sufficient and has given me daily victory in many of these areas by the blood of Jesus and the control of the Spirit. It has become a topic and discipline that I love to study.

To single women:

1. Don’t think that when you lose enough weight and are skinny enough that you will get married. This is a lie that has held us captive long enough. Marriage is a gift from God, not something that we can work harder at receiving.

2. Live 1 Corinthians 6.19-20. Every day. Every meal. Every workout. Carolyn Mahaney, in her book Feminine Appeal, writes to encourage women to live self-controlled lives. “Self-control doesn’t just happen. We can’t adopt the indifferent attitude of “let go and let God” and expect magically to become self-controlled. Self-control requires effort. It is only as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit that we will achieve self-control.” (p 65)

3. Start now. Maybe as you are reading this you know you haven’t exercised in a month and you’ve had far too much of your favorite cheesecake. Pray for grace and strength to start anew. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3).

4. Plan to start now. Set up some workout times with an accountability partner. Keep a food journal and show it to someone. Talk about the areas you are struggling with. This is what the Body of Christ is there for – to spur you on in every area of life.

To married women:

1. Discuss this with your husband. Communication – not nagging or hurtful words – are key to success in this area. Talk about your goals, your prayers, your desires. Ask him to pray and lead in this area. Often, when women put on weight and are not taking care of themselves physically, they don’t feel attractive and have less desire to be sexually intimate with their husbands. This can lead to avoidance, anger, and sexual sin within the marriage.

2. Cook healthy meals. Most wives have control over what goes in their grocery cart and on the dinner table. Learn about healthy cooking. Here are some of the healthy recipes I cook .

3. Plan time in your day to be healthy and exercise. It won’t just happen. Push your baby in a stroller in the neighborhood or in a nearby park. Rise early and hop on a treadmill. If money is a factor, use cans of soup to work your arm muscles, or do a workout brought to you by FitTV.

In dating and in marriage, may we have a desire to live as godly women – even in the area of food and weight and exercise. May we heed well the words of Carolyn Mahaney in light of Romans 12.1-2:

“A disciplined approach to eating does not automatically indicate the presence of self-control as biblically defined. (We) sometimes pursue self-glorification – not godliness. This sin of vanity is no less serious than the sin of gluttony. When (we) repent of our vanity, (we) are able to pursue self-control in a manner that (will bring) glory to God. We need to ask ourselves: am I seeking my own glory of God’s glory with my eating habits.”

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The Apostle Paul, Romans 12.1-2.

David Platt and Gospel-Centered Families

John Starke — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:51:10 +0500

David Platt opened up his sermon The Gospel and Marriage by saying, “We have neglected God’s instruction for marriage in the Church today.” He then said, “The way we approach marriage and family will have a direct affect on how we proclaim the Gospel to the nations.” If you know anything about David Platt's ministry as senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills , you know that proclaiming the Gospel to the nations is of highest priority for him. So then, when he makes the statement above you can understand why he emphasizes the importance of the Gospel for the family. Below are links to an entire series of sermons by Platt on the Gospel and the family, which he entitled the “Attachment Series”:

Thoughts on Motherhood

Gretchen Neisler — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:51:22 +0500

One month into my journey as a mother, I'm loving and appreciating this new role more than I ever thought possible. I'm also more overwhelmed than I ever thought possible. It certainly is a learning game—I would describe it as starting a new career where you have to learn to do everything the job requires without very much (or mixed) instruction. You obviously can't learn a new job all at once—it takes a while, and you learn things bit by bit. Here are a few things I have learned, or have been surprised to discover:

1. I do not mind late night feedings. My precious Susan is so wonderful to spend that sweet time with! I do love it that she needs me, and that it's just her and me at that time. When I look at that precious life who depends on me completely, it reminds me how frail we are as humans, and how dependant we are on the Lord for life and breath and everything.� I think I value life so intensely because I have recently witnessed some suffering and death.� My mother passed away 3 months ago, after a severe stroke, and 2 weeks in a coma.� I saw her frail body slowly give way to death, and though I rejoiced for her to be with her Savior, my perspective on life has changed forever.

2. God's design for motherhood is amazing. I am continually surprised by the instincts that have kicked in—in just a matter of days.� Nursing a baby, soothing a baby, understanding her cries:� all things I did not know how to do just weeks ago! I have never been a huge baby person, and everyone assured me it would be different when it was MY baby. They were right! I am humbled to see the way God has designed me—to be a mother.

3. We're taking one day at a time. . . well, it's more like one feeding or nap at a time. It's really true that each family has to figure out what works for THEIR child, and their lives together! My sister-in-law had a baby just 2 days after I had Susie, but he stayed in the NICU for 2 more weeks, and underwent extensive testing and brain surgery.� Knowing the struggle that baby and his family were enduring, and the grace and faith the Lord has provided for all they faced, has helped me to embrace even the harder times of the day.� I know the Lord will give grace to me when I need it.� I also appreciate every little routine activity that we go through—feeding, wake time, naps. What a joy to discover that everyday activities are special and valuable time.

4. The Lord answers the prayer of His child when she prays for wisdom. I had some fears about how much the baby was eating, and one evening I just broke down and was crying harder than she was. Hormones, grieving for my mom, and sleep-deprivation played into these tears, but as I calmed down, I asked the Lord to give me wisdom—or show me a good source for wisdom. He graciously provided my cousin Corrie to give me some input on nursing, and several other encouraging people (including my kind husband!) to help me navigate those rocky days. James does say that if we lack wisdom, to ask God for it! THANK goodness!

5. Josh and I are like kids at Christmas with that cute baby! I love sharing the fun with him. We both think she is utterly adorable, and that she already has a fun personality. We're grabbing the camera every 2 seconds—I see now why there are only 2 million MORE pictures of my older brother than there are of me. 2 adults with one baby to watch—that means there is always one set of hands to be snapping away.� What a precious treasure!� Thank you Jesus!

SBC Messengers Approve Resolution on Biblical Sexuality

Jeff Robinson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:44:10 +0500

My denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has often been accused of being a “fighting people,” one that is perennially involved in an intramural war over theology, ministerial methodology, eschatology and a thousand other things that good Christian men have disagreed on throughout church history.� But, as R. Albert MohlerJr., denominational statesman and president of our flagship seminary, has often said, it is a good thing, a healthy thing, when Christians are talking about theology.

�� While earthly denominations must never be confused with the Kingdom of Christ, I am thankful that Southern Baptists love the Bible and see theology as a matter worthy of deep reflection and lengthy discussion. �May God keep us humble and focused on proclaiming His Gospel. �Last week, our city, Louisville, played host to the SBC’s annual meeting and I was reminded of another reality for which I am thankful: issues of sexuality and gender are not matters for debate within the SBC. �Southern Baptists invariably get this issue right and this was evidenced once again Wednesday morning, June 24, as more than 8,500 messengers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution upholding biblical sexuality and opposing federal policy proposals extending special rights to homosexuals. �Specifically, there solution:

��Called on Congress to reject all attempts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and urged passage of a constitutional amendment upholding “the time-honored definition of marriage as exclusivelybetween one man and one woman.”

��Urged Congress not to pass so-called “hate crimes” legislation that would criminalize religious beliefs and speech about homosexuality and other sexual practices forbidden by Scripture.

��Expressed support for the current military code barring homosexuality in the service.

��Communicated the good news of the Gospel’s power to change the lives of those imprisoned in sexual sin. �Hear the gracious language of the resolution’s concluding paragraphs: “…we affirm the Southern Baptist Convention Task Force on Ministry to Homosexuals in its effort to call our churches to engage in loving, redemptive ministry to homosexuals…(also) we proclaim that those who practice any unbiblical sexual behavior can be forgiven and changed, as the Apostle Paul write, “…some of you were like this, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Thank you Southern Baptists for your boldness in graciously upholding biblical truth in the face of a culture that views conservative evangelicals as ignorant, intolerant Neanderthals. �May it please God to rescue many from the deadly clutches sexual sin of all kinds through the proclamation of His redeeming love in Christ through faithful churches of all denominations.�

Men: Unplug Your Xbox and Plug Into Global Missions

Jeff Robinson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:47:17 +0500

At the recent annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, CBMW council member Danny Akin issued a plainly-worded and sobering challengeto men regarding the task of missions. �Statistics show that many more women are willing to surrender their lives for the cause of the Gospel in missions than men, Akin pointed out. �Akin serves as president of Southeastern BaptistTheological Seminary and is one of the most delightfully straight-forward men to serve in SBC leadership in recent years. �Dr. Akin’s words are sometimes pointed, but they are always seasoned with humility and grace. Thus, the adage from the old EF Hutton commercial is true of Danny: when he speaks, people listen.

Akin pointed out that nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide exist with no access to the Gospel and three out of four in North America live outside of the grace of God in Christ. Therefore, Akin did not mince words in admonishing men to grab the baton and take the Gospel to the nations:

“How is it that this spiritual crime is being so perpetuated? Who is guilty of this sin being perpetuated? Too much of the fault falls at the feet of men. Recently, I did some research and discovered that, among our wonderful Journeyman program, today theInternational Mission Board has 331 journey girls on the field, but only 126 men. There are 2 1/2 times more of our sisters on the mission field as there are our brothers. I was informed a couple of months ago that in West Africa, one ofour most difficult regions, there are today 50 journeymen—48 are females, only two are men. You say, “Where are the men?” They are sitting at home in their boxer shorts and T-shirts playing video games—that is where the men are. The fact of the matter today is that the median age of those who are addicted to those things (video games) is 34 years old.

“Gentlemen, what are we not doingto inspire our sons and grandsons to dream of doing something great for Jesus? What is it we’re not doing that would cause them to want to give their life for Christ and the nations and put their life on the line for that which really matters? You say,� ‘This is a new phenomenon.” No, unfortunately it is not; when Lottie Moon (Southern Baptists’ most famous missionary, a woman who labored in China in the late 19^thcentury) was on the mission field and she would write back home, she would write some scathing letters. Here is just one of them: “I am trying to do the work that could fill the hands of three or four women and in addition, I am doing the work that ought to be done by young men. �I must add that the work is suffering and will continue to suffer for the want of a man living on the spot.”

Okay guys, are you ready to drop the joysticks and lay down your life for the cause of Christ?�

SBC Messengers Enthusiastically Support Moore�s Resolution on Adoption

Jeff Robinson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:53:24 +0500

Messengers at the 2009 annual meeting of The Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a resolution proposed by Russell D. Moore promoting adoption and orphan care.

The resolution encouraged every Southern Baptist family to pray about whether God wants them to adopt or provide foster care for a child or children. It also called on Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches to devote a Sunday each year to emphasize "our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world."

Moore, who serves as senior vice president for academic administration and dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, knows well of which he proposed; Moore and his wife Maria adopted two of their sons from a Russian orphanage a few years ago.

Moore hopes the resolution will provoke deep thinking that leads to action among Southern Baptists regarding the Gospel significance of adoption and orphan care; all who are saved by God’s grace were once orphans who were adopted into the Kingdom of Christ.

The number of adoptions among evangelicals has steadily increased in recent years, yet the need is profound: in the United States alone, more than 500,000 children were in foster care system in 2005, the last year for which federal statistics were available. About 115,000 were waiting for adoption.

“Something is a foot among Christian families and churches of virtually every kind,” Moore said. “God is calling the people of Christ to see the face of Jesus in the faces of orphans in North America and around the world. Southern Baptists have affirmed our belief in the authority of Scripture, and the Bible tells us pure religion is defined by care for the fatherless.

“We’ve been defined by our commitment to evangelism, and there is no greater field is 'white unto harvest’ right now as children in orphanages, group homes, and the foster care system, children who don’t know a parent’s love and who don’t know the name of Jesus. �When Satan wars against children, we should be the ones who have compassion on them, even as Jesus did and does.

Moore authored a deeply personal and compellingly theological book on adoption that was published in May by Crossway books, “Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families &Churches.” In it, Moore argues that the church should view the adoption of orphans as a crucial part of its mission precisely because God has adopted helpless sinners to be His sons.

“The resolution by itself isn’t going to spark an orphan care movement among Southern Baptists,” he said.“Neither is my book, and neither are a thousand manifestoes. Only the Holy Spirit can do that as local churches start to embrace a vision for orphan care.

“The resolution though was meant to prompt some questions. If one messenger in the Convention hall is moved to simply pray, ‘Lord, how would you have me minister to orphans?’ then the resolution is a success, in my view. If one pastor is prompted to ponder how he could preach on adoption, or lead a foster care ministry among his folks, then the work is starting.

During the introduction of the resolution, Moore appeared on stage with Timothy and Benjamin, the sons he and his wife adopted seven years ago. More than 8,000 messengers met the resolution and its unanimous passage with lengthy, enthusiastic applause.

“I was overwhelmed with emotion on the platform to see my sons, two little ex-orphans, looking out on a sea of yellow ballots as thousands of Southern Baptists affirmed that we want to be the people who love fatherless children,” he said.

“I realized that, in an alternative story, my boys would still be in an orphanage, not knowing even the name of Christ Jesus. But here they are, at the Southern Baptist Convention, calling by their very presence the world’s largest Protestant denomination to recognize there are hundreds of thousands of children as helpless and alone as they once were.

“My prayer is that twenty years from now there are thousands of Southern Baptist pastors, missionaries, and church leaders who started their lives as orphans, now preaching the gospel of God their Father.”