Letters to Young Lovers
Ellen G. White
Table of Contents
Introduction
1- Marriage--a Foretaste of Heaven
2- Finding the Right Mate
3- Is It Really Love?
4- Looking for Help?
5- In Control
6- Sexual Responsibility
7- Shadow Over the Nest
Introduction
"I LOVE YOU!" HOW SPECIAL ARE THOSE WORDS BETWEEN TWO YOUNG PEOPLE! BUT EVEN MORE WONDERFUL THEY BECOME WHEN SPOKEN TO US BY OUR SAVIOUR WHO WANTS US TO BE HAPPY AND FIND JOY IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER.
CHRIST HAS COMPARED HIS LOVE FOR THE CHURCH TO THE LOVE OF HUSBAND AND WIFE. THE SCRIPTURES CONTAIN TENDER LOVE STORIES SUCH AS THAT OF JACOB AND RACHEL, AND THE MOVING STORY OF RUTH, THE MOABITE, WHO THROUGH HER MARRIAGE TO BOAZ BECAME A LINK IN THE GENEALOGY OF THE MESSIAH.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS CONCERNED OVER OUR LOVE-LIFE. THROUGH THE INSPIRED WRITINGS OF SCRIPTURE AND OF Ellen White, GOD HAS GIVEN COUNSELS TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR QUEST FOR HAPPINESS.
FROM THE BIBLE
"BEHOLD, WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HATH BESTOWED UPON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED THE SONS OF GOD" (1 JOHN 3:1). "I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY" (JOHN 10:10). "THESE THINGS HAVE I SPOKEN UNTO YOU, THAT MY JOY MIGHT REMAIN IN YOU, AND THAT YOUR JOY MIGHT BE FULL" (JOHN 15:11).
"HE THAT TOUCHETH YOU TOUCHETH THE APPLE OF HIS EYE"
(ZECHARIAH 2:8). "THIS LOVE OF WHICH I SPEAK IS SLOW TO LOSE PATIENCE--IT LOOKS FOR A WAY OF BEING CONSTRUCTIVE. IT IS NOT POSSESSIVE: IT IS NEITHER ANXIOUS TO IMPRESS NOR DOES IT CHERISH INFLATED IDEAS OF ITS OWN IMPORTANCE.
"LOVE HAS GOOD MANNERS AND DOES NOT PURSUE SELFISH ADVANTAGE. IT IS NOT TOUCHY. IT DOES NOT KEEP ACCOUNT OF EVIL OR GLOAT OVER THE WICKEDNESS OF OTHER PEOPLE. ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS GLAD WITH ALL GOOD MEN WHEN TRUTH PREVAILS. "LOVE KNOWS NO LIMIT TO ITS ENDURANCE, NO END TO ITS TRUST, NO FADING OF ITS HOPE; IT CAN OUTLAST ANYTHING. IT IS, IN FACT, THE ONE THING THAT STILL STANDS WHEN ALL ELSE HAS FALLEN" (1 CORINTHIANS 13: 4-8 PHILLIPS).
"THE LORD HATH APPEARED OF OLD UNTO ME, SAYING, YEA, I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE; THEREFORE WITH LOVING- KINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE" (JEREMIAH 31:3). "FOR I AM PERSUADED, THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR POWERS, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, "NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (ROMANS 8:38, 39).
"HE THAT TOUCHETH YOU TOUCHETH THE APPLE OF HIS EYE"
(ZECHARIAH 2:8). "THIS LOVE OF WHICH I SPEAK IS SLOW TO LOSE PATIENCE--IT LOOKS FOR A WAY OF BEING CONSTRUCTIVE. IT IS NOT POSSESSIVE: IT IS NEITHER ANXIOUS TO IMPRESS NOR DOES IT CHERISH INFLATED IDEAS OF ITS OWN IMPORTANCE.
"LOVE HAS GOOD MANNERS AND DOES NOT PURSUE SELFISH ADVANTAGE. IT IS NOT TOUCHY. IT DOES NOT KEEP ACCOUNT OF EVIL OR GLOAT OVER THE WICKEDNESS OF OTHER PEOPLE. ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS GLAD WITH ALL GOOD MEN WHEN TRUTH PREVAILS.
"LOVE KNOWS NO LIMIT TO ITS ENDURANCE, NO END TO ITS TRUST, NO FADING OF ITS HOPE; IT CAN OUTLAST ANYTHING. IT IS, IN FACT, THE ONE THING THAT STILL STANDS WHEN ALL ELSE HAS FALLEN" (1 CORINTHIANS 13: 4-8 PHILLIPS). "THE LORD HATH APPEARED OF OLD UNTO ME, SAYING, YEA, I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE; THEREFORE WITH LOVING- KINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE" (JEREMIAH 31:3).
"FOR I AM PERSUADED, THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR POWERS, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, "NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (ROMANS 8:38, 39).
