JESUS FELLOWSHIP/
JESUS ARMY
CELIBACY
INSPIRATIONAL
NEWSLETTER
FEB 2013 NO.36
undivided
‘... to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 7:35)
Is celibacy for anyone or just a select few?
Anyone, certainly, but not necessarily everyone. Stuart
The New Testament says that spiritual
gifts are determined and given by the
Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11).
And yet we are also told to
'eagerly desire the greater gifts' (1
Cor. 12:31).
So gifts are given by God, but
they are also to be desired and
received by us. It's a two-way
operation.
So in that case, all spiritual
gifts - healing, prophecy, tongues,
intercession... and other gifts too must surely be for anyone. They're
available to us all, if we so desire
them.
I have found myself desiring
particular spiritual gifts at different
times throughout my Christian life;
and then, somewhere down the line,
I've been surprised to find that I'm
using them! I'm sure God awakes
in us the desire for certain gifts and
that process is all part of Him giving
them to us.
It's similar with the gift of
celibacy.
Perhaps we find ourselves longing
to give everything for the kingdom of
God, longing for a close
walk with God, longing
to be like some of the
celibates that we see
around us, longing to be
more fruitful. God awakes
a longing in our heart for
the things which celibacy
embodies and - for those
that dare - this is all part
of receiving the gift. So
in that sense, celibacy
is for anyone. Although
many will not choose
it or receive it, it is
available, even offered,
to all.
Jesus said that
only those to whom it
had been given could
accept that it's better
not to marry. But then He also said
in the same breath that some would
make themselves eunuchs (choose
to stay single) for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:1012). So there's a receiving of a gift
in celibacy, but there's also a very
definite making of oneself celibate.
Recently a young woman emailed the Undividedblog with
questions about Christian celibacy:
Ann Hawker (living in Coventry and a committed Christian celibate for 32 years), Steve Moseley (living
in Warwickshire and a committed Christian celibate for 27 years) and Iain Gorrie (married with three
children and living in Coventry) give their answers:
HOW DO YOU KEEP AN
UNDIVIDED HEART?
Ann: Find ways that work for you
to help you be aware of the love of
God both personally and for people
generally so that you don't grow
cold inside. Worship is one way of
doing this.
Have an attitude of service so that
you seek out ways to help others and
don't get too absorbed with yourself.
Steve: I throw myself into Kingdom
life! Celibacy is all about a relationship
with God and devotion to the church
- a “marriage” with the Kingdom
of Jesus. If that sense of being
“married” is lost, then you’ve become
divided. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul talks
about being free from “cares” - the
power of natural demands that
can sap your spiritual energy, dim
your clarity of heart and vision and
compromise your devotion to the
Kingdom of God.
Leaders and shepherds can have
many cares without having a wife
or kids! Protecting my celibate gift,
sharing my heart with other celibates,
worship and feeding my spirit are all
important if I am to stay free from
cares.
Also, in order to keep your
celibate heart fresh you must
embrace the cost now, today. The
cost changes as you go along. For
example in my late twenties being
unable to have children was not for
me a cost. Later, in my mid-thirties,
the cost suddenly hit me! I had to
bring the natural desire to have
children painfully to the Cross. Over
several years of surrendering, the
Spirit took hold of the natural desire
and transformed it so that I could
become a spiritual father.
DOES CELIBACY WORK OUTSIDE
OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY?
Ann: A call to celibacy can be
received and maintained in
whatever lifestyle setting you find
yourself in. However, in order to
carry the wholeness and fruitfulness
of celibacy it is important to have
many different opportunities for
wholesome relationships and
human interaction and a sense
of purpose and fulfilment. This
is probably easier within a fairly
close community structure but
can be achieved within a looser
sense of community. Celibacy
is not at its best if it is simply a
denial of something rather than an
opportunity for something greater
which in most cases would mean
service and connection with others
around.
Steve: I used to think that celibacy
would only truly work within a
Christian community like our own.
However, in recent years I have seen
many examples of celibates living
on their own who are finding real
fulfilment in their celibacy. Of course
everyone is different but the crucial
thing is relationships - whatever their
living situation a celibate must be
related, knitted in and able to express
their gifts and ministry.
Let God choose...
Ruth Dowling made a commitment to
celibacy when she was 24 and is now
53. She lives at ‘Spreading Flame,’ a
Jesus Fellowship community house in
London. For the last twenty five years
Ruth has suffered from ME and has
been unable to work for most of the time. However, she
has fulfilled a somewhat hidden but vital ministry of prayer,
befriending and encouragement.
IS CELIBACY REALLY A 'HIGHER
OR HARDER' CALLING THAN
MARRIAGE?
Ann: It is a "harder" call in the sense
that marriage is a more normal
condition and standing against the
natural tendency of romance, sexual
gratification and close intimacy is a
very real challenge. There is also a
great deal of fear of loneliness and
of being without support in times
of need that leads to a drive to find
some kind of "special" relationship.
Steve: We need to differentiate
between the gift and the person.
Jesus is of course the model celibate
and to be like Him must be the
highest calling. He made it clear that
not everyone could receive the gift
(Matthew 19:10-12) but there is no
suggestion of superiority for those
who do. The gift is the highest but
in no way does it make celibates
superior. The history of the Church is
full of highly fruitful married brethren
- it’s what you do with your gifts that
matters.
Iain: As a married person I find
celibacy very inspiring, and would
say that marriage and celibacy are
very different callings. 1 Corinthians
7:38 says, "He who does not marry
does better". I would think that some
aspects of celibacy are harder, like not
having a special/exclusive companion,
needing to deny your sexual desires,
overcoming the expectations of
others for a marriage partner etc. It's
hard to give a definitive answer as
everyone's different!
Here are some of her thoughts:
“The fruit of a commitment to celibacy must be a
flexible, outpoured life – let God choose what that means.
As GD Watson writes: “It is a flexible spirit with no plans of
its own” (The Inner Spirit of the Cross).
“It isn't a good idea to become celibate only in order
to fulfil a specific ministry because your ministry may well
change with time.
“Most importantly, celibacy is about loving, about being
devoted to the Lord and the brethren and those we seek
to serve.”
“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.”
Frances Ridley Havergal was born in 1836, the youngest
child of a Church of England minister. She became a
Christian when she was fourteen.
Frances began writing poetry when she was seven and
in her life wrote numerous hymns and poems as well as
booklets. Her writings are permeated with a deep love for
Jesus and a desire to live ALL her life in undivided devotion
to Him – a total consecration.
Francis was a pianist and singer and used her musical
gifts to reach people in hospital wards. She visited the
poor and went into people’s houses to read the Bible
and tell them about Jesus. She sometimes led meetings,
too, to lead people into a fuller consecration. She was an
avid Bible student and skilled linguist – being proficient in
Hebrew, Latin and Greek.
In her lifetime, several men wanted to marry Frances
but she felt that if she married it would diminish her
devotion to Jesus and she deliberately chose to remain
single and leave marriage aside.
The most famous hymn penned by Frances is:“Take my
life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.” She wrote it
after she helped several people to find faith in Jesus.
“I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the
night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and
these little couplets formed themselves, and chimed in my
heart one after another till they finished with 'ever only,
ALL FOR THEE!'"
In 1878 Frances wrote the following letter to a friend:
"The Lord has shown me another little step, and, of
course, I have taken it with extreme delight.’Take my silver
and my gold' now means shipping off all my ornaments to
the church Missionary House, including a jewel cabinet that
is really fit for a countess, where all will be accepted and
disposed of for me ... Nearly fifty articles are being packed
up. I don't think I ever packed a box with such pleasure."
Frances died in 1879, at the age of forty-two.
Martyr Agnes: I’ll settle for celibacy… nothing less
If you had been on the streets of
Rome around the year 304 AD you
may have been startled and perhaps
disturbed to see a young girl of 13
or so being led in chains through
the bustling streets.
Her unhappy destination?
The site of execution.
Agnes was an attractive
young Christian teenage girl,
living in Rome at the turn of
the third century. She would
have made a good wife:
her parents were wealthy
and she was attractive. But
Agnes was adamant; she had
decided she did not want to
marry but would live a life of
undivided devotion to Jesus.
Some of Rome’s disappointed
young men reported her to
the governor, who thought,
by gentle persuasion, one so
young could quickly be won
over.
He was wrong.
‘No’ said Agnes again
‘I can have no other husband but
Christ!’
Agnes’ persecutors showed
her fire, iron hooks, racks and
other instruments of torture and
threatened her with immediate
execution. Agnes remained resolute.
She was then dragged before the
idols of Rome and commanded to
offer incense. To refuse to do this
bore the death penalty but again
Agnes stood her ground.
By now the governor’s wrath
was aroused. "Send her to the local
brothel!" he angrily commanded,
"and let her be abused there!"
Agnes’ calm reply was that
Jesus was too jealous of the purity
of His spouses to allow them to be
violated in such a way; Jesus was
their defender and protector.
It was written later that as Agnes
was led off to the brothel, a sense of
divine awe fell upon the place and
no one was able to touch her.
The young teenager was
condemned to death and, as she
passed through the streets of
ancient Rome, Ambrose, the fourth
century church leader and
writer later wrote: "she went
to the place of execution more
cheerfully than others go to
their wedding."
Agnes said a short
prayer, bowed her head to
worship God and was then
executed by the sword.
Many in the crowd
wept as they saw Agnes
led in chains to the site of
execution – not only because
of her age but because of
her fearlessness, loyalty and
devotion. In future years
her emblem in Christian art
became a lamb, signifying
purity and sacrifice – and
presumably her willingness
to be led ‘like a lamb to
the slaughter’ for what she
believed in and held so dear.
Agnes showed immense courage
and that quality of outrageous,
undivided love that stretches and
stretches and defies all fear. Her
life, her death spoke: "I’ll walk the
highest way that I can go... because
of my devotion to Jesus… I‘ll settle
for celibacy… nothing less..."
_____________
F EEDBA CK
WORDS of inspiration
'The fact that some feel called to remain single for the sake
of Jesus points to a special act of love and is a sign of an
undivided heart ... The undividedness with which a person gives
up everything for Jesus brings about a special relationship
with Him. Such a person suffers for the sake of Jesus
because the soul wants to be like Him in all things ...'
Heini Arnold, 1977
In the Image of God - Marriage and Chastity in Christian Life
We are always
pleased to hear
from any who
read ‘Undivided’
and will always
try to answer any
questions directed to
the Editor. Address
correspondence to:
The Editor,
Undivided,
Jesus Fellowship
Central Offices,
Nether Heyford,
Northants NN7 3LB
or email: huw.
lewis@jesus.org.uk
Have a look
The video, ‘Why? Why Not?’ Six men and women speak
about what it means for them to have chosen to be celibate
for God and the path that led them to make that decision.
AVAILABLE NOW! From Jesus People Shop, Nether Heyford,
Northampton NN7 3LB, UK
Tel: 0845 166 8172 www.jesus.org.uk
Seven Silver Rings
An updated and enlarged Seven Silver
Rings has been published. This includes
new chapters on the history and biblical
background to Celibacy as well as
answering some of those frequently
asked questions about living single for
Jesus. Comprehensive and challenging, it
sets out to show how a radical lifestyle of
undivided love for Jesus and His church
is possible in the 21st century. This voluntary choice is far
removed from the institutional forms of celibacy.
___________________
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Jesus Fellowship Central
Offices, Nether Heyford,
Northampton
NN7 3LB, UK
Tel: 0845 123 5550
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www.jesus.org.uk
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© Jesus Fellowship 2013
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