Dave Harvey, When Sinners Say “I Do”

In my pre-marital counseling I take couples through Gary & Betsy Ricucci’s excellent book, Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace. After reading Dave Harvey’s new book, When Sinners Say “I Do,” Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage, I’m considering adding Harvey’s book to the counseling process. I won’t review this book here, as many others already have already provided fine reviews, but below I’ve listed a few quotes that were of particular benefit to me and my marriage.

“The gospel is the heart of the Bible. Everything in Scripture is either preparation for the gospel, presentation of the gospel, or participation in the gospel.”

“Accurately understanding and continually applying the gospel is the Christian life.”

“…the gospel is an endless fountain of God’s grace in your marriage. To become a good theologian and to be able to look forward to a lifelong, thriving marriage, you must have a clear understanding of the gospel. Without it, you cannot see God, yourself, or your marriage for what they truly are.”

“Maybe you didn’t know this, but the Bible gives you a special privilege in dealing with sin committed against you. It’s called forbearance. It means that you can bring love to play in such a way that you can cut someone free from their sin against you–without them even knowing or acknowledging what they’ve done! Forbearance is an expression of mercy that can cover both big sins of marital strife and the small sins of marital tension. And let’s face it; small sins are the fuel for most marital blazes.”

“Marriages that are sexually satisfying in private carry into the public sphere a certain sparkle, an open demonstration of joy and unity that helps point people to the Creator of marriage.”