1st Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. 10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband.
This passage of scripture teaches us God's ideal will in the issue of the marriage institution, in that if two people are head over heels in love, then they should get married. The human soul longs for friendship and companionship, and therefore the Bible teaches us the right way to go about fulfilling this basic need. Let's read:
Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
There are certain practices that have become very prevalent in modern society, which have no scriptural foundation whatever, and therefore as Christians, we are called upon to make choices that are in harmony with the word of God alone. There are dangers associated with the popular practice of "Shacking up" or cohabiting, where two people of the opposite sex decide to live intimately together, sharing the privileges of marriage without making the necessary commitment. Some people do it to first try out the relationship, to see whether or not it would work, and others do it because they are afraid of committing themselves and their resources to the mutual relationship which constitutes marriage.
These and other like reasons are not ordained any where in the Bible, for human beings are not shoes, that we can try out at the local Payless shoe source, and then dispense with whenever they do not fit. A man and woman should never have intimate relationships outside of marriage, for when children are born into such situations where no legally binding commitment has been made, the option to leave when things aren't going smoothly remains on the table, and thus the children are never really sure whether mom and dad will be together and at home, after there has been an upset within the relationship. Furthermore, God's will is that two become one in marriage, sharing and participating in all of the joys pleasures, and sorrows of the sacred union, for this is how He has committed Himself to the church, which is a symbol of true marriage. Let's read:
Ephesians 5:25 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, 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.
In our day and in our own experiences, we must be very careful as Christians, that our minds do not become invaded with secular modes of thought, for in many instances, that which may be legal and acceptable from a mere human standpoint, is often found to be diabolically opposed to the principles and teachings of righteousness, and therefore the Lord is calling on Christians everywhere to take a firm stand for the right, even though it may be at great inconvenience. That knight in shining armor who claims to love the girl of his dreams, should put his money where his mouth is, for actions speak louder than words, and where there is no commitment through marriage, the potential for an unsettled state of affairs will always loom on the horizon.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls us back to God's ideal for the marriage institution, and if by the grace of God we comply with His word, we can then ask Him to resolve any problems associated with compliance.
Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 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? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and doing of His every word. God bless!