Wednesday 17 December 2014

Marriage is honourable

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. – Hebrews 13.4

I hesitate to even write much about the topic of marriage in this current setting. Simply writing about the Christian view of marriage is enough to be seen as hateful and spiteful in the present day. I can assure anyone reading this that there is no hatred intended. The world is going to do what the world does – this is for born again believers. I am not going to get involved with a discussion of how the state handles marriage. This is for the church. 

God defined marriage very early. He created man and woman and with man and woman He set the pattern that a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and the two are, from then on, one flesh. 

Remember we are dealing with God’s plan for marriage for His children. In that context God says that marriage is an honourable thing. And, within marriage, the bed is ‘undefiled.’ To put it bluntly God is simply saying that within marriage sex is a good and honourable thing and there is nothing shameful about it.  

I’ll leave it at that. 

But sex outside of marriage is purely and simply sin. We know from what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that this includes even dwelling on and considering such sex. Sex outside of marriage is sinful and wrong and God says here that it will be judged. 

For Christians sex in marriage between a man and woman is honourable and pure and right and nothing to be ashamed of. We don’t really need to worry about what the rest of the world does – all we need to do is to make sure that we are in the middle of God’s plan. 

I am grateful for God’s gift. I am grateful that God has the perfect place for it. God’s people must be careful to not abuse this wonderful and honourable gift.

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