“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”              

Hebrews 13:4

First thing, God tells us is (“Marriage…”) God gave this institution of marriage for man from the very creation of man. (“And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Gen. 2:20-25) (Matt. 19:4-6)

 Secondly, God tells us marriage (“…is honorable in all,…”) This does not mean a marriage contrary to God’s Word. A union between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. This type of union is vile and an abomination. Something God extremely hates. (“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Rom. 1:26-32) (Gen.18:20 “And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;” Gen. 19:24 “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;”) It was not that Sodom and Gomorrah did not have hospitality, that God judged them. It was because these other so-called lifestyles are vile, and God hates them. Fear Almighty God! My friend, repent (change of mind) tell the Lord thou art a sinner. Speak to Him asking for His salvation and cleansing power through His precious blood shed for you on Calvary by Christ Jesus: the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. (“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Is. 53:6)

 Now, another union contrary to God’s word, would be a single unmarried believer, who has never been married, wanting to marry a non-believer. (“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? II Cor. 6:14)   Christians ought to marry Christians of like precious faith.

 If a believer is already married to a non-believer, or even if neither are Christian, stay married. God blesses the Institution of Marriage as a whole for all mankind. (“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2:24) (“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:” John 2:1)   A marriage union begins with the exchange of vows before God.

 Also, no matter the race you might be (interracial marriages), God blesses that marriage. (“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;” Acts 17:26)

 Now, thirdly God says (“…and the bed undefiled:…”) A marriage union is a Holy Uniting (Holy Matrimony), male and female made one before Almighty God. (“And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.” Mark 10:8) Many have forgotten this precept. Marriage is something now you can just pop in and out of. God does not take this lightly. There is a God that judges in the earth.

 The sinful unions that God judges are (“…but whoremongers…”) These unions are the fornicators. A union before marriage. (“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” I Cor. 6:18) Much like Hollywood pushes. Just get into bed with no thought of marriage first. Just live in sin: shack up, or it’s a common law marriage or maybe in our forties we will settle down with someone and have a child. Not so before the thrice Holy God.

 Another sinful union God judges: (“…and adulterers…”) Unions outside of a first marriage. Relationships and extra martial affairs. No matter if shacking up or in a second, third, etc. marriage. (“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” I Cor. 6:9-10) We will discuss Divorce and Remarriage (Adultery) at a later date.  See: April 9 Devotional.

 Now, God gives us an example of marriage as Christ and the Church. (Eph. 5:22-33 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”)

 Wives are to submit too and reverence her husband as the Church (the Saint) submits to and reverences Christ. Now if the wife is told to do something sinful, or go against God’s Word in anyway, or if it be the wife is put in danger or physical harm, the wife ought to refuse. Husbands are to love, nourish and cherish his wife just as he does for himself. The best hope for marriages is to pray together, serve the Lord together, read and study God’s Word together, attend the same church together, love the Lord with all thine heart together.

 Christ is our example in giving of Himself for us: coming to this sin cursed earth and die upon that Old Rugged Cross for us. Then to be today our Great High Priest and Intercessor. (Glory! Thank you, Dear Saviour!) Thus, husbands and wives thou hast a very high calling of God to obey. Let us seek the Lord’s direction, strength, and wisdom. And oh yes, His patience also for each other.