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Christ’s church is being heavily burdened by Satan’s attack on marriage.  Broken marriages lead to the destruction of not only the families involved, but also to the body of Christ and to our nation.  For this reason, we need to return to the scriptures and begin abiding by God’s will for marriage.

When God created the world, He made man, then woman, and He also created the holy and divine union between man and woman which we call marriage.  Marriage is fully explained in the scriptures of the Bible.

What is marriage?  There is only one way to find the true answer—the Biblical way . . . by the scriptures.  From the scriptures we learn (1) God made one woman for one man (Genesis 1:27); (2) A man is to cleave to his wife, not to his parents.  And they become one flesh  (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7-8; Ephesians 5:31); and (3) God joins them together, let no man separate them (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9).

Marriage is a very important part of creation.  Marriage was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:27, 31; Genesis 2:20-25).  Marriage therefore is perfect, since it is part of creation.  Marriage wasn’t a law just given to the Israelites; it is a law of creation.

One of the most important decisions a Christian ever makes in his life is his or her selection of a spouse.  The Bible tells us Christians should only marry Christians (1 Corinthians 7:39).  Paul also tells us not to be yoked to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).  These are scriptures which all Christians should take at their face value, especially when it comes to marriage.  And there is good reason why a Christian should only marry a Christian.  In addition to teaching us how a husband and wife must act toward each other (Ephesians 5:22-31), Paul also teaches us how their interests affect their relationship with the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).  Because a spouse’s interests in life will have such a great effect upon one’s life, it is of vital importance to select a spouse who desires to be obedient to God’s will.

Both Jesus and Paul warn us that marriage will not be easy (Matthew 19:10-12; 1 Corinthians 7:28).  We should note that Paul’s teaching is in harmony with that of Jesus Christ.

Jesus teaches that marriage is a lifetime commitment.  Jesus made this part of the New Covenant.  And it should be, since marriage is part of the law of creation, not “Jewish” law.  Note the “conservative” view Jesus gives here; there are no “ifs, ands, or buts” about it.  He gave us no room for compromise.

The Bible tells us that if a spouse dies, then the living spouse is free to marry without committing adultery (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:8-9; 1 Corinthians 7:39).  This is in harmony with the Gospel.

Now, let’s sum up Jesus’ teaching which is plain and simple.  It is man who makes it complicated.  The Word of God clearly states a man and woman come together and become one flesh.  In the King James version of the Bible, the scriptures say “let not man put asunder” which means “let no man separate.”  Man and wife are bound by the Word of God to be married until death.  “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4 NIV)

That is what the scriptures say.  Anything else is just man’s faulty opinion which comes from hardened hearts (Matthew 19:8; Mark 10:4-5).  Remember, God designed marriage.  He made the rules.  It is God’s way or no way! 

Copyright © 1998 Timothy A. Southall.  All rights reserved.