Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
In Genesis, God established marriage so that man and woman would not be alone and would be fruitful, multiplying humanity on Earth. Since marriage is the Lord’s good gift, God regulates marriage for His glory and our well-being. Marriage is a foundational institution of all societies. Scripture says much about marriage and the sexual relationship it sanctifies. The author of Hebrews adds his practical instruction for the church by telling us that we are to “let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.” Marriage as an honorable and godly vocation for Christians. However, many people throughout church history have chosen to esteem the single life as more virtuous than married life. While God may call some to remain unmarried, believers must take care not to embrace this understanding as what can be chosen by an individual. Marriage is to be honored, and the church does well to promote and encourage the biblical view of marriage. For one to remain single is a noble calling of God, it is not a more virtuous state than marriage. Honoring marriage requires us to obey the biblical standards for marriage and divorce, neither allowing divorce for frivolous reasons nor forbidding it where God permits it. The immediate warning about God judging the “sexually immoral and adulterous” means the sexually unfaithful spouse defiles the marriage bed. God’s moral law includes a prohibition of adultery. Satan is making serious in-roads against this, God’s moral law. We must remember the term translated “sexually immoral” refers to a variety of sexual practices forbidden by God. Premarital sex, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, pedophilia, and pornography are all dishonoring to the Lord and to marriage as Leviticus 18 warns against. The marriage bed can also be defiled within marriage itself. Forcing a spouse into acts that are sexually degrading and demeaning defile the marriage bed. Unjustifiably abstaining from sex defiles the marriage bed. In their sexual relationship, as in all aspects of marriage, husbands and wives are to love one another. Our modern culture makes it difficult to keep the marriage bed undefiled. Yet, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Christians can and must bring honor to the marriage bed. Let Christians strive not to put ourselves in situations where we are likely to commit sexual sin.
Source: S C Ball April 28, 2024
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