On Marri

Your Marriage, Your Life,Your Ministry 2
We have since looked at marriage and what scriptures teach
,this must be upheld over human opinions and experiences
The church not the world and media remains the bastion of
truth
1 Timothy 3:15 KJV
[15] But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the
church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
That said
Do instances occur when marriage becomes a difficult terrain
and parties might have to resort to separation of some sort
depending on each case ?
Again let's view this from scriptures
Infidelity
Sexual immorality is a sin .
We are to flee from it ,both the married and the unmarried
1 Corinthians 6:13 KJV
[13] ?..Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord;
and the Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6:18 KJV
[18] Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the
body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his
own body.
Our bodies must honor the Lord.
Sex is strictly for marriage .
1 Corinthians 7:2 KJV
[2] Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his
own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Not dating or courting .
However we have instances where a party in marriage falls
into a sexual sin .
In the four gospels Jesus was asked a similar question
Matthew 19:3 KJV
[3] The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and
saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for
every cause?
Under Moses law,if the woman ( note woman not man ) was
found in sexual immorality,it was a ground for divorce
Jesus voiced it too
Matthew 19:8-9 KJV
[8] He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your
hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the
beginning it was not so. [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.
Now don't forget Jesus was responding to Moses law given
because men were spiritually dead .
He yet treats such sins in a different scenario and a different
light
Luke 7:37,48,50 KJV
[37] And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner,
when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house,
brought an alabaster box of ointment,
[48] And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. [
50] And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in
peace.
This woman was a prostitute .His actions towards her speaks
volumes .
Forgiveness .
John 8:3-4,10-11 KJV
[3] And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman
taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
[4] They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in
adultery, in the very act. [
10] When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the
woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine
accusers? hath no man condemned thee? [
11] She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither
do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Note,this is adultery .again under Moses law,the woman
seemed the scapegoat
Yet Jesus Exemplifies Gods character of forgiveness ,the gift
of no condemnation .
It's noteworthy he doesn't say " it doesn't matter ,I love you no
matter what "
He says " DONT DO IT AGAIN!
So,whilst under Moses law adultery elicited condemnation and
death,in Christ we have the gift of no condemnation whilst
retaining the instruction to flee from it .
So it's very fundamental to see sexual immorality as sins that
are forgiven by the shed blood of christ .
Now,where does the other spouse feelings and actions come
in?
It's clear marriage is one flesh,referring to sex
Matthew 19:5 KJV
[5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be
one flesh?
Your body belongs to your spouse sexually
1 Corinthians 7:4 KJV
[4] The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband:
and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body,
but the wife.
So in a huge sense the other party will feel betrayed and
offended .
It's usually called infidelity .
Because your body should belong to each other exclusively as
per sex
However ,the sin is also against the Lord .as your body is His
too, even more
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 KJV
[18] Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the
body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his
own body.
[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own?
[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
He forgives when such a brother or sister commits such sins .
Ephesians 1:7 KJV
[7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
He asked that we restore anyone fallen into any sin
Galatians 6:1 KJV
[1] Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
This refers to open transgression .
But note the words meekness and spiritual .
If the spouse is a believer ,he or she is born of God and should
forgive .
Ephesians 4:32 KJV
[32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV
[1] Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; [2] And
walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.
It's forgivable and you are forgivable too in your spirit
It's difficult in the flesh when we choose to be Worldly and
carnal.
We take it personal and become un Christian about the whole
issue
It is a sin ,full stop !
It's not blasphemy against the Spirit that has no forgiveness
Matthew 12:31 KJV
[31] Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
All manner of sin is forgiven and forgivable .
It's not a death sentence
Even under the Old Testament David kept his throne and even
married barsheba .
He didn't die
And the new covenant doesn't count it against him .
Hebrews 8:12 KJV
[12] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Some say david didn't build the temple etc
I ask ,so where's the temple today ?
David lived under the new covenants promise whilst the old
subsisted and as he prophesied in psalm 23, he abides in His
house forever .
He's the most quoted personality of the Old Testament
alongside Abraham and Moses .
So,let it sink ,Christ Sat upon David's throne not Solomon
( prophetically if you get that )
Scream blue murder if you like ,it's Gods word !
Whilst the sin is despicable ,we must not destroy others in the
process .
Now hear this,oftentimes it's the other partner who grieves the
Holyghost !
Un forgiveness is grieving the Spirit of God
Ephesians 4:30-32 KJV
[30] And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away
from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you.
You must forgive !
Your wife or husband .
Peter says if you don't you are spiritually blind
2 Peter 1:9 KJV
[9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see
afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old
sins.
God has forgiven ,so must you !
James 5:15 KJV
[15] ..and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven
him.
The man or woman's body is Gods temple defiled too,and He
abides still and has forgiven .
Is adultery a ground for dissolving marriages ?
I will rather say ,many times its UNFORGIVENESS!
Moses tilted his instructions towards the woman ,but the new
covenant puts the responsibility of love more on the man .
As Christ Loved His church
Ephesians 5:25 KJV
[25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it;
Gave Himself means He died for our sins
You must learn forgiveness to head a home and stay there .
This is for both husband and wife .
We are called to peace Not seek to dissolve marriages
1 Corinthians 7:27 KJV
[27] Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed.
Agape ,the Greek word used to describe the sacrificial love of
God in Christ doesn't go to divorce courts .
Seek reconciliation
Forgive .
I will address the erring partner later but never forget the Word
not the media ,culture or legal proceedings guide our
marriages .
Let's walk in love in our homes and not seek and engage strife
destroying our lives altogether
James 3:16 KJV
[16] For where envying and strife is , there is confusion and
every evil work.
If we remove forgiveness from the bible ,we all take our seats
in hell and are damned forever .
It might look difficult but if we are less selfish ,and aren't
reacting like " john you could do this to me " or " Mary ,I can't
believe you are so useless etc " , rather let's see all in the eyes
of christ who saved us and washed us in His blood
Revelation 1:5 KJV
[5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the
first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the
earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in
his own blood,
Inspite and despite ourselves ,he sees us unblameable
Colossians 1:22 KJV
[22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy
and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
And see it as a challenge to walk in our true nature of love .
As paul taught when addressing forgiving an erring brother
,don't let's allow Satan in ..
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 KJV
[10] To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I
forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it , for your sakes forgave
I it in the person of Christ; [11] Lest Satan should get an
advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
That's what UNFORGIVENESS and bitterness and anger does ..
So rather than walk away from your wife or husband for sexual
indiscretions and sins
WALK IN LOVE
( to be continued )