The State of Marriage

At the time of this writing, there have been heated debates about the state of marriage. Homosexuals are desiring to marry and are pushing to make it legal all across the American landscape. Many believers are fighting this agenda and are trying to make the union called marriage a political issue instead of a moral issue. Homosexual unions, although I disagree with them, are not destroying the state of marriage. The covenant of marriage was under attack and degrading way before the debate of homosexual unions. Covetousness, adultery, fornication, and many other sins are the cause of the degradation of marriage. Why are Christians focusing on one sin as the cause of the debacle of marriage? Why are we not fighting against all these other sins which are causing the sacred union of marriage to go to the crapper?

I believe the enemy is deceiving many believers today. If he can get us to focus on sins that WE THINK are more horrible than others then he has us bound. A sin is a sin. Yes sexual sins are stronger sins because of the physical bondage it puts the sinner into, but the same of blood of Jesus is needed for all sins.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:15-20 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Then taking the members of Christ, shall I make them members of a harlot? Let it not be! (16) Or do you not know that he being joined to a harlot is one body? For He says, \”The two shall be into one flesh.\” Gen. 2:24 (17) But the one being joined to the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. Every sin which a man may do is outside the body, but he doing fornication sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not of yourselves? (20) You were bought with a price; then glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are of God.

I find it amazing to note that the Corinthian Christians had problems with their sexual activities. They were still mixing the pagan rituals with Christian beliefs. Paul declared these acts to be ungodly. The Roman culture was lax on sexuality. Almost anything went in regards to sexual relations. It was a part of their pagan faith and was considered magical. I will not go in detail here but look up the information for yourself. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_in_ancient_Rome). All forms of gross and ungodly sex is sinful and destroying the State of marriage. There are issues in the marriage today which are making it less appealing to the world. Below is a list of destructive things in regards to the state of Marriage.

The Degrading Marriage.

1. Absence of a Father and Husband figure.
2. Lack of Husband and wife roles. ( Who wears the pants?)
3. Pornography among men and women.
4. Adultery and other types of fornication
5. Covetousness or greed
6. Financial stewardship or lack thereof.
7.Selfishness between both parties
8. Divorce
9. Lack of godly sexual relations.
10. Lack of godly love and commitment
11. Putting the children first
12. Lack of a godly center
13. Lack of understanding
14. Lack of forgiveness

And the list goes on and on. Homosexual unions are not causing the downfall of marriage between a man and woman. All of the above is, and it has been going on for years. The divorce rate among Christians is about 42% to 50% in the American culture. That is the same percentage of those who don\’t follow a faith. This figure has been growing each year as well. Among believers it should be ZERO! Some of the top three causes of marriage failures are money, sex, and communication. ( http://voices.yahoo.com/causes-marriage-failure-money-sex-communication-41609.html)

It is true that the state of marriage is under attack but by many different causes. As believers we should focus on them all and combat the nuisances of them all.

What is marriage anyway? The dictionary says the following.

mar·riage/ˈmarij/

Noun:

The formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife.
A relationship between married people or the period for which it lasts

It is the union between a man and woman. It is meant to be a holy union for God should be at the center. The living God created the union called marriage. He had a purpose for it

Genesis 1:26-31 And God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth. (27) And God created the man in His own image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female. (28) And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the seas, and over birds of the heavens, and over all beasts creeping on the earth. (29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant seeding seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; it shall be food for you. (30) And to every beast of the earth, and to all birds of the heavens, and to every creeper on the earth which has in it a living soul, every green plant is for food. And it was so. (31) And God saw everything that He had made and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day.

Genesis 2:18 And Jehovah God said, It is not good, the man being alone. I will make a helper suited to him.
Genesis 2:20-25 And the man called names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every animal of the field. But no helper suited to him was found for a man. (21) And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh underneath. (22) And Jehovah God formed the rib which He had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. (23) And the man said, This now at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. For this shall be called Woman, because this has been taken out of man. (24) Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh. (25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

God intended for man and woman to come together in holy matrimony. He made woman special for man and man special for woman. Women and Men are different but designed to be two lovers who connect like a puzzle. Men are called to leave their parents and cling unto their wives. God created the connection of a husband and wife to be innocent even in their nakedness. The bible says that the marriage bed is undefiled.

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

The Living God has even given each person a role he and she should play.

Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (24) Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (29) For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (30) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (32) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (33) Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The State of marriage is failing because believers are not following the word of God. We are not becoming the faithful spouse we should be. We are not reaching out to our spouses and ministering to their hearts. We are a selfish and inconsiderate people. It is easy to blame one group or one issue on the degradation of marriage but we have to stop and look deep within ourselves. We have to take off the blinders. Some governmental law or the lack thereof can not save or sink the state of marriage. Believers not fulfilling their God given roles is destroying the institution called marriage. What can we do to turn this around? How can a godly marriage be at the center of our society?

Saving the State of Marriage

1. Be the spouse you are called to be.
2. Fit in the role that God has designed for you.
3. Don\’t allow the junk of the world to enter into your marriage.
4. Keep the Living God at the center of your marriage and personal relationships.
5. Keep your marriage sacred and guard it with your life.
6. Love your spouse unconditionally and allow forgiveness to be the norm.
7. Don\’t allow your children to become your number one focus.
8. Keep the Romance alive and allow your marriage to grow in maturity.
9. Don\’t depend on the government or some corrupt law define your marriage. We know the truth and we know what God\’s word says.
10. Don\’t focus on one vagrant attacking your marriage but keep your eyes open for the many vagrants that come to do damage to your holy union.

It is time we fight back to save our marriages. It is time that we get back to what defines a godly marriage. I don\’t need the government to tell me what marriage is. I know what God has made it to be. I will follow the WORD OF GOD not the WORD OF MEN or HEATHENS. What about you? What defines your marriage? What do you think the failure is in your marriage? Do you believe that the government defines your marriage? Do you think the current issues of today hurt your marriage? Are you willing to fight for your marriage? Is your spouse worth it? The choice is yours.

Relevant Life