High profile Christians make a stand for MARRIAGE. Sadly in December 2011 the ALP Conference at Darling Harbour voted to support Gay Marriage. Another backdown by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Marriage: The Bible says

Marriage, the culmination of love between a man and a women is clearly supported by God and Jesus through the Holy Bible. The verses below detail the teachings of the Bible. Marriage although maligned by many in our society allows a avenue for positive sexual expression and love, supports the family unit, enables a safe loving environment for the care of children and the elderly and provides a training ground for the future. Clearly marriage is a keystone for society as a whole.

THE NEW TESTAMENT
Here Jesus restates Genesis 2: v 24 where one women and one man form a one flesh unity. ie Marriage.


Mark 10: v 6-9, 11-12
Jesus said
(6) "But at the beginning of creation God `made them male and female.'
(7) `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
(8) and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.
(9) Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Jesus comments on Divorce resulted from a question from the Pharisees. "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? "
Jesus answered,
(11) "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
(12) And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."


**********************************************************************
1 Corinthians 7: v 1-17, 28-40
Paul the Apostle - Comments on Marriage

(1) Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
(2) But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
(3) The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
(4) The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.
(5) Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
(6) I say this as a concession, not as a command.
(7) I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
(8) Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
(9) But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
(10) To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
(11) But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
(12) To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
(13) And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
(14) For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
(15) But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
(16) How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
(17) Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

(28) If you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
(29) What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;
(30) those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep.
(32) I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord.
(33) But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife--
(34) and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband.
(35) I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
(36) If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.
(37) But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing.
(38) So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.
(39) A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.
(40) In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

**********************************************************************
Ephesians 5: v21-33
Unity in marriage under Christ

(21) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(22) Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
(23) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
(24) Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
(25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
(26) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
(27) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
(28) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
(29) After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--
(30) for we are members of his body.
(31) "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
(32) This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.
(33) However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

**********************************************************************
Hebrews 13: v 4
Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral

**********************************************************************

SHOULD I MARRY A NON CHRISTIAN?

I've met a truly great guy or a wonderful woman. I love them and they love me. Should I marry them if they are not a Christian, that is someone who loves the Lord Jesus?

What does Verse 39 from Corinthians say?


"A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.

As hard as this may be personally the answer from the Bible is very clear. Marriage to a non-Christian is not recommended by Paul the Apostle. Simple questions to think about.

How does your attitudes, ambitions, goals, visions, integrity compare to your partner's in all areas of your life?
Is your final destination the same as his?
Is your first priority to serve Christ and to live for him or is it to satisfy your partner?
If you don't pray together now, do you think prayer and Bible reading will become part of your marriage?
Will your children be allowed to go to Sunday School?

Stopping the marriage now may save yourself many serious and damaging arguments in the future.
THINK VERY VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU COMMIT YOURSELF TO A NON CHRISTIAN?


ASKTHEBIBLE Home page
28 December 2011