Body: | Living Together Common-law Unmarried
Nowhere are the permissive morals of our day more evident than in the new
practice of men and women living together without the benefit of marriage.
I say "new", although the practice has been common for centuries as
evidenced by the five-times-married woman Jesus met at Jacob's well who was
then living with a man who was not her husband. (John 4:16-18) Nor is it
new to our day as instances of common-law marriage are not hard to find. It
is new only in the sense that it has become a common practice to which
society no longer attaches disapproval.
The Bible does not teach that a civil or, religious ceremony must be
performed for a marriage to be valid in God's eyes. This is a civil
requirement and as law abiding citizens, Christians are obligated to
observe it. The idea that marriage is a "sacrament" is not found in the
scriptures. However, it is evident that in biblical times there was a
contractual agreement, perhaps verbal, signifying marriage. The parables of
"The Marriage of the King's Son", "The Wedding Garment", and "The Ten
Virgins" indicate that marriage took place at a given time and place.
If it be argued that in biblical times men and women did not buy a license
to solemnize their relationship, it should be recognized that today when
people "live together" they obviously do not intend to be married or they
would spend the few dollars to legalize their relationship. In fact, they
specifically do NOT consider themselves to be married, although in some
instances they may consider the possibility in the future.
What bothers me most about the whole thing is not that people flaunt the
laws of God (men have been doing this in countless ways since time began),
but that religious people engage in the practices and seemingly see nothing
wrong in it. Moreover, other professed Christians condone the practice if
"they really care for one another".
In the Bible such a relationship outside of marriage is called fornication,
or if it involves the married, adultery. Just to set the record straight on
what the Bible teaches about it we will quote Paul: "Or do you not know
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolater, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor deviant sex practitioners, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified,
but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the
Spirit of our God." (I Cor. 6:9-11)
There it is! Those living together without the benefit of marriage are lost
and cannot be saved unless they repent. This is blunt, but if one believes
the Bible it is true. For the Christian there can be no compromise.
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