In the wake of our previous episode, The Covenantal Garden, the feedback was stark. While many felt seen, others pushed back with a common refrain: "Doesn't God command everyone to marry and have children?"

In this installment of the "Redeemed..." series, we confront the "Lonely Kingdom" created by the idol of Christian Familialism—the belief that the nuclear family is the center of God's redemptive plan. We argue that this idol doesn't just marginalize single people; it crushes married people under an impossible burden.

Join us as we explore why the Church, not the nuclear family, is the true "Household of God," and how redeeming singleness is the key to saving marriage.

Key Topics Discussed:

The Two Testimonies: Why the "idol of the family" creates a "waiting room" for singles and an isolation chamber for couples.

From "Make Babies" to "Make Disciples": Deconstructing the misuse of Genesis 1:28 and how the Great Commission reframes our mandate.

The "Highest Calling" Lie: Addressing the destructive pressure on women to find their sole identity in motherhood, and the pain this causes regarding infertility and the "empty nest."

The Prophetic "Bombshell": Unpacking Isaiah 56 and Jesus’s radical redefinition of family in Matthew 12.

The "Undivided" Disciple: Why Paul champions singleness not as a deficiency, but as a strategic advantage for the Kingdom.

From Fortress to Outpost: How smashing the idol of the family turns the home from a walled fortress into a resource for the community.

Scripture References:

1 Timothy 3:15: The Church as the "Household of God."

Genesis 1:28 vs. Matthew 28:19: The Creation Mandate vs. The Redemptive Mandate.

Isaiah 56:4-5: The promise of an "everlasting name" better than sons and daughters.

Matthew 12:48-50: Jesus de-centers his biological family.

1 Corinthians 7: Paul’s theology of the "undivided" life.

Memorable Quotes:

"We have become 'Familialists' more than we are Christians, and we have mistaken 'Family Values' for the Gospel."

"The answer to loneliness is not a spouse; it is the Church."

"Smashing the idol of 'Familialism' is not an attack on marriage. It is the very thing that can save it."

Related Episodes:

Redeemed: The Good Portion (Womanhood)

Redeemed: The Covenantal Garden (Marriage)

Next Steps: If this episode challenged or encouraged you, please share it with one friend—married or single—who needs to hear a better story about family. And join us next time as we discuss the practical "how-to" of living as citizens of the Great Household.

Get full access to The Faithful Citizen at thefaithfulcitizen.substack.com/subscribe