MARRIAGE

Sunday Morning:  July 21, 2002

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

IN ANCIENT DAYS

"In ancient days, marriages were arranged by the parents. Our modern “system” of two people falling in love and getting married would be foreign to their thinking and their culture. In that day, a man and woman got married and then learned to love each other; they expected to stay together for life. Today, a man and woman learn to love each other, then they get married, and everybody hopes they’ll stay together long enough to raise the children."  Warren Wiersbe.

HONORABLE

1 Corinthians 3:12  "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;"

1 Peter 1:19  "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS

1 Timothy 4:1-3  "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, . . ."

JESUS APPROVED OF MARRIAGE

John 2:2  "And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage."

MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB

Revelation 19:7-8  "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

DIVIDED ATTENTION

1 Corinthians 7:33-34  "But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband."

SELF CONTROL

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4  "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;"

BETTER TO MARRY

1 Corinthians 7:9  "But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn (with passion)."

ONE FLESH

Genesis 2:24  "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

MARRY SOMEONE WHO IS SAVED

Genesis 24:3-4  "And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4. But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac."

MARRY SOMEONE WHO IS PLEASING GOD

2 Corinthians 6:14-15  "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers [apistov, not of faith, not pleasing God]: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth [pistov, pleasing God by faith] with an infidel  [apistov, not of faith, not pleasing God]?"

WALKING TOGETHER

Amos 3:3  "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

MAN IS THE HEAD

1 Corinthians 11:3  "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man (who you can submit to); and the head of Christ is God."

HUSBANDS KNOW YOUR WIVES

1 Peter 3:7  "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour (price, value) unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

TO THE MARRIED

1 Corinthians 7:10-16  "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

RECONCILIATION NOT DIVORCE

11. But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

WILLING TO SUFFER

12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not [not of faith], and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13. And the woman which hath an husband (a child of God) that believeth not [not of faith], and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

NOT LIVING BY FAITH

14. For the unbelieving [not of faith] husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving [not of faith] wife (a child of God) is sanctified by the husband: else were your children (who are in the family of God) unclean; but now are they holy.

A BROTHER OR SISTER

15. But if the unbelieving [not of faith] depart, let him depart. A brother (seeking to do the will of the Father) or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

KINGDOM SALVATION

16. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?"

ONLY EXCEPTION

Matthew 19:9  "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."

THE UNFAITHFUL ARE TO DIE

Deuteronomy 22:22-24  "If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel."

BOUND TILL DEATH

1 Corinthians 7:39  "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."

BE RECONCILED

1 Corinthians 7:11  "But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife."