Marriage

Daily Bread

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Marriage . . . certainly in God’s eyes a most important matter,

“Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.” (I Corinthians 7:1-2 – NASB)

The believers in Corinth have written to the apostle Paul with questions about God’s will regarding male and female relationships. Paul’s response was inspired counsel to help them set in order their practice in this matter. The moral corruption that existed in the city of Corinth was overwhelming, much like it is in our nation today. Corinth was a city given over to sexual immorality, tolerating adultery, homosexuality, polygamy, co-habitation of those who were not married, and outright fornication (sound familiar?). How were they, the believers in Christ in Corinth, to respond in the midst of all this?

The first thing the apostle tells them is that “it is good for a man not to touch a woman.” This word “touch” means, “to attach oneself to” (Strong). Dr. John MacArthur provides some clarity here regarding the words, “touch a woman,”

“This is a Jewish euphemism for sexual intercourse (cf. Genesis 20:26; Ruth 2:9; Proverbs 6:29) . Paul is saying that it is good not have sex, that is, to be single and celibate. It is not, however, the only good way or even better than marriage” (cf. Genesis 1:28; 2:18; Ephesians 5:31).

There is a natural draw of a man to a woman, one that was established by God when He created them. It is a longing to be unified intimately, to actually be as “one.” Dr. Erwin Lutzer writes,

“When God created Eve out of Adam’s flesh, He made a powerful statement about our sexuality. God separated femininity out of masculinity, forming two separate people. With this separation came a powerful implanted desire in the male and the female to be reunited in an intimate oneness. Femininity and masculinity would now lie at the heart of who we are as people. Our sexual desires are rooted in creation, proof that sex was created by God as an expression of unity and love between a man and a woman. All human beings have the desire for sexual intimacy . . . The magnetic attraction between a man and a woman is innate, powerful, and unyielding.” Lutzer goes on to point out that, “we are created with powerful natural forces of attraction that must be controlled.”

The Old and the New Testaments are filled with specific instructions on what sexual activity is right in God’s eyes and what is not. In regards to when “a man . . . touches a woman,” when “sexual intercourse” is involved, Paul says that “because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband.” In matters regarding sexual relationships, the matter of “sexual desires,” God would have them only to be fulfilled in a marriage relationship. Any sexual relations outside of marriage is sin. God says in His Word,

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4 – NASB)

So God’s counsel to us is that it is “good” to be single, “but because of (sexual) immoralities” it is “good” that a “man” and a “woman” be “husband” and “wife,” that they be bound together in “marriage.”

“For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife: and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31 – NASB)

What is “held in honor” according to God is “marriage,” and “marriage” is between one “man” and one “woman,” and within this “marriage,” it is here that the natural strong sexual attraction between a “man” and a “woman” are to be fulfilled, and here only. Marriage is a God-ordained institution.

Marriage . . . Lutzer writes,

“Marriage brings a unity that is unlike anything else on this earth: indeed, it represents a unity found only in heaven — in God Himself!”

Have a good day brethren . . . and as you walk make it a point to make yourself knowledgeable of why God created marriage, and don’t be duped by our culture, taken captive by its corrupt opinions regarding marriage. Know, that marriage is a good thing and that it is an honorable thing.

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