Dear Prayer Warriors, This three-part series on The Sanctity of Marriage is meant to accompany my recent seminar lectures at Big Sky Fellowship Church in Helena, MT. I was greatly encouraged by the willingness of this church to stand by Holy Scriptures on this issue but was equally surprised at church members, in other parts of the country, who have condemned those who take a similar scriptural stand. One of the things very clear to me is the increasing slide toward relativism by the American Church, as it pertains to immorality by church and family members. This is not occurring in African and Asian churches. One of the things overseas mission work does is that, upon returning home, you have not become used to the gradual creep of sin-- just as a parent may not notice the growth of a child but visiting relatives are astounded by the change. Similarly, a family gets used to the gradual deterioration of their house until it comes time to sell. Then the inspector hands them a three-page list of repairs and improvements that need to be made in order for it to sell. In the same way, American Churches and American Christian families have gotten used to fornication, adultery and even homosexuality within their membership. This series of blogs is a call for the Christian family and the Church in America to return to scriptural standards of both behavior and discipline-- in the family, in fellowship and in the church. 1 Corinthians 5:2 “You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”
The Sanctity of Marriage - Part One of Three Why shouldn’t the teens in your church sleep with each other? Why shouldn’t the young professionals live with each other before they are married? Why shouldn’t the younger children in your family follow in their older siblings’ path of promiscuity and living together before they are married? There are no penalties, there are no ramifications--they are treated, while they live together in sin, as an equal with the family members who obey God’s Word. In fact, there is more humiliation, more price paid, more sacrifices imposed on those young people and couples who abide by God’s standards than by those who break them. The church, in general, and, specifically, Christian families must return to the high standards of God in terms of the sanctity of marriage. Just as importantly--parents and churches who impose discipline upon those rebellious sons and daughters who defile the marriage bed, who refuse to get married yet sleep together, who commit fornication and adultery--must not be viewed as cold and unfeeling, while the sinners are extended compassion and understanding.
Both Fornication and Adultery are sin. First things first--anything other than marriage is either fornication or adultery. Fornicators and adulterers are living in a state of sin. The only moral response to this is repentance. God the Holy Spirit teaches in Hebrews 13:4 that God’s judgment specifically falls on “fornicators” and “adulterers.” I quote from the holy, eternal, inerrant, written Word of God - “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Fornication is sexual relations between two unmarried people--whether a one-time tryst or living together--it does not matter. Whether they claim to be in love or whether it is with a prostitute, it does not matter. It is the sin of fornication. Adultery is sexual relations when one or both partners are married to someone else. It does not matter if one or both are separated, it does not matter if one or the other is in the middle of divorce proceedings, if one or the other is married to someone else, whether they claim to be in love or if one or is a prostitute-- it is adultery. In fact, it is a sin to date or develop a romantic relationship with a person married to someone else, even if they are separated or in the middle of divorce proceedings.
God’s condemnation of this sin is severe. Notice the class into which God groups fornicators and adulterers in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators , nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” You may not feel that the sin of fornication or adultery is the same in God’s eyes as homosexuality, alcoholism or being a thief and a swindler--but God does. God does not differentiate between the sins of fornication, adultery, bi-sexuality and homosexuality. The church today has a sliding scale, whereby homosexuality is the worst sin and sexual sins by those living together (especially with children) is the least sinful. “At least they are living together” is the mantra. God, however, does not make any such distinction. Practicing homosexuality, sleeping around as a single person, cheating on your husband or wife, buying the services of a male or female prostitute, living together when unmarried, raising a family together when unmarried, all of these are grievous sins in the eyes of God.
Sexual immorality (fornication, adultery or homosexuality) is a heinous sin in the eyes of God. God the Holy Spirit clearly commands in 1 Corinthians 5:11 “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler — not even to eat with such a one.” You may not feel that fornication or adultery is the same level of sin as an idolater, but God does. God commands the Christians to exert discipline on such individuals, both for their sake and for the sake of the other members of the family and church. It is not insensitive or legalistic to obey God--it is rebellious and disobedient to ignore the commands of God. This disobedience extends--both to the church which turns the blind eye to these sins, as well as to the family who condone them.
There is no “Genesis Marriage” One of the lies perpetuated by satan and the fallen world system is the “Genesis Marriage.” This is presented as the first union between man and woman in Genesis chapter two. The lie is that Adam and Eve lived together, unmarried, bearing children, but were blessed in the sight of God because of their faithfulness to each other. However, Adam and Eve did not simply discover one another, fall in love and become “married” by default. This union was conceived by God, brought together by God and sanctified by God. Its far-reaching standards are seen in the fact that, before there were father or mother, one of the standards that God placed on this and all future marriages is that the marriage would be declared in the presence of God and man, creating a permanent new family. To live together apart from being married is a sin. It is the height of both slander and hypocrisy to justify this sin by declaring it was the original model.
By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon Director Grace Community Int.
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