Marriage

Christian marriage

God hates divorce-Malachi 2:16 (KJV)-For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

This verse is clear in that the Lord hates divorce because when you are married; you are covering yourselves of the violence of sin.  Outside of marriage you are forced into committing violent sexual sins before God.  They are considered violent because adultery, and fornications are sins of death before the Lord.  Disobeying the LORD can be deadly.  They were once payable by death.  The Lord is clearly warning married couples not to deal treacherously with Him, (the LORD) and one another.   When we divorce, we are sinning against God and against one another.
​

• Two people become one through marriage (Mark 10: 2-12)-

​2.  And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3.  And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4.  And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5.  And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6.  But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7.  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8.  And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9.  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10.  And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11.  And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12.  And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
​
So, once you marry, your flesh are joined together as one.  And once God permits this unity, no one should come between them.  If you divorce your spouse, you are committing adultery in that God commanded the two of you to remain together in marriage.  So the decision of divorce is adultery before God.

• Angels do not get married (Mark 12: 25)-For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

This verse is touching on two points: The first, is that in heaven, it will not matter who we are married to because we will become as the angels in heaven.  What this means is that angels in heaven are not married; they have no need for it; they are holy.  They do not have a need to reproduce, nor do they feel lust of the flesh.

• Married partners should meet each other's needs (1 Corinthians 7: 2-5)- (KJV) Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.  1 Corinthians 7:3 (KJV) Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.  1 Corinthians 7:4 (KJV) The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.  1 Corinthians 7:5 (KJV) Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

What these verses are saying is that it is important to avoid fornication.  Everyone should have their own spouse.  When it says let the husband render unto his wife due benevolence, this means let him tend to her needs meaning spiritually, materially, and physically.  He should not deny her in the things of the spirit, (taking care of her spirit and soul by putting God first, praying together, regularly attending church services, etc..), materially, providing for her and the family, and physically pleasing his wife.  He should not deny her intimacy.  The wife should also do the same for her husband.  Neither party should be denied any of these things.  They should be pleasing God and one another in their marriage.  The only time they should not be intimate is during fasting and prayer when you are separating/taking your time out for God.  Then you are to come back together to avoid temptation always waiting for married couples as we are aware the devil is always looking to attack marriages in this way.

• Married partners are united to each other for life 1 Corinthians 7:39 (KJV) The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

What this verse is saying is that couples are to be married until they die.  Only then can a Christian couple consider marriage to another.  And this should be properly done; with  God's blessing.  

• A Christian wife can witness to her non-Christian husband  1 Peter 3:1-6 (KJV) Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 1 Peter 3:2 (KJV) While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.  1 Peter 3:4 (KJV) But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.  1 Peter 3:5 (KJV) For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:​ 1 Peter 3:6 (KJV) Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

​​
What this passage is referring to is that if a woman is married before she is saved, and comes to the walk of faith, her conduct alone should be an example for her husband.  It should speak volumes that she is a quiet and meek wife; the way she carries herself, and the respect she has for her husband in daily conversation, her honor should suffice in attracting her husband to the faith.  This should make it easy to witness to your non-Christian husband.

I hope this brief study on marriage is as much a blessing to you and yours, as it is to me.  May God be with you today and always.