WE MUST UPHOLD OUR

MARRIAGES

Though we are living in tough times when there are many challenges in marriage, we must still uphold our

marriages.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4, 2

01

4

1

A DIVINE INSTITUTION

The Bible presents marriage as a

divine institution. If marriage were

of human origin, then human beings

would have a right to decide the

kind of marital relationships to

choose.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

2

Marriage, however, began with God.

It was established by God at the

beginning of human history when

He "created the heavens and the

earth" (Gen 1:1). As the Creator of

marriage, God has the right to tell

us which principles should govern

our marital relationships.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

3

As Christians who choose to live in

accordance with God’s will, we

must study and respect those

Biblical principles governing

marriage.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

4

MARRIAGE AS A COVENANT

The very first description of the

nature of marriage in the Bible, as

consisting of leaving, cleaving and

becoming one flesh (Gen 2:24),

reveals the Biblical understanding

of marriage as a covenant

relationship.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

5

This meaning of marriage as a

covenant of companionship is

expressed more explicitly later in

Scripture in such passages as

Malachi 2:14:

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

6

"The Lord was witness to

the covenant between you and the wife

of your youth, to whom you have been

faithless, though she is

your companion and your wife

bycovenant." Being a sacred covenant,

marriage serves in the Old and New

Testaments as the prism through which

God reveals His covenant relationship

with His people and Christ with His

church.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

7

1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-5

The church of Corinth had written Paul

about many areas of the Christian life.

Paul now begins for the first time in his

letter to the Church to answer some of

the concerns on the hearts of the

Corinthian believers.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

8

1 Corinthians 7:1

Now concerning the things of which

you wrote to me: It is good for a

man not to touch a woman.(NKJV)

Paul already stated his conclusion

on the issue from the beginning: It

is good for a man not to touch a

woman.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

9

To touch means to have intercourse

with a woman. This truth was

already established in the 6th

chapter. Paul of course means sex

outside of marriage which he makes

clear in verse 2:

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

10

1 Corinthians 7:2

Nevertheless, because of sexual

immorality, let each man have his own

wife, and let each woman have her own

husband.(NKJV)

This is the answer to every sexual

disease problem in the world—

marriage.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

11

If people would get married and stay

married, and stay faithful to their

partner, sexually transmitted diseases

would end. Safe sex is not the answer.

Right sex is the answer.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

12

Notice how Paul states it in verse 2:

"let every man have his own wife

and let every woman have her own

husband".

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

13

This means:

You both belong to each other.

You do not belong to anyone else.

You are to devote yourselves

sexually, completely to your own

mate. It is to be a mutual devotion

to each other.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

14

1 Corinthians 7:3

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.(NKJV)

The marriage contract includes obligations. Both the husband and the wife have duties to each other. Each partner has certain rights that should be respected.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

15

Let the husband fulfill his marital duty

to his wife and let the wife fulfill her

marital duty to her husband. Sex is a

part of the marital responsibility of

both partners. It is to be demonstrated

by a mutual devotion to each other.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

16

1 Corinthians 7:4

The wife does not have authority

over her own body, but the husband

does. And likewise the husband

does not have authority over his

own body, but the wife does.(NKJV)

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

17

In verses 1-3 the injunction is

always given to the man first, but in

this verse it is given to the woman

indicating that this was a major

problem with the wives in the

marital relationship.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

18

The sex drives in men are stronger and

Satan uses that to his advantage. Both

partners upon marriage give up the

control of their bodies sexually to their

partners. It is to be a mutual devotion to

each other.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

19

It is a fair deduction that some

members of the Corinthian Church

advocated sexual abstinence in

marriage. This is wrong and led to

dangerous and needless sins. There is

to be a mutual surrender of one’s body

to each other.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

20

1 Corinthians 7:5

Do not deprive one another except

with consent for a time, that you

may give yourselves to fasting and

prayer; and come together again so

that Satan does not tempt you

because of your lack of self-

control.(NKJV)

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

21

DO NOT DEPRIVE EACH OTHER. Paul

is writing about a practice that was

going on between some of the married

couples in the Corinthian Church. His

clear instruction was that this practice

would STOP!

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

22

There is only one time in scripture that

you can restrict yourselves sexually

from each other under normal

conditions. That will be explained in a

moment. The command here is clear:

Do not deprive each other sexually.

Just stop doing that. EXCEPT:

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

23

It be with consent, (mutual)

For a time (short)

That you may give yourselves over to

fasting and praying, THEN come

together again, lest Satan will not

tempt you because of your lack of self

control.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

24

Clearly Paul repeats the necessity for

married couples to be sexually active.

I believe that marital infidelity, and

lack of marital devotion is the number

one cause of divorces in Kenya.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

25

So why do many couples fail in this

area besides the reasons that Paul

described?

1. They married for sex rather than

for love.

2. They fail to see their partner as a

gift from God.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

26

3. Worldly fantasies of lovemaking are

blown away.

4. The dating game is over and you no

longer see the need to court your

mate.

5. Selfishness.

6. Willingly being used by the devil.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

27

We need not fall into the trap of

losing sexual love towards each

other. The Bible gives us a perfect

picture of how marital love should

be demonstrated.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

28

CONCLUSION

The divine institution of marriage and

of the teachings regarding marriage,

has shown us how the Scripture

consistently upholds marriage as a

sacred and permanent covenant,

witnessed and protected by God.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

29

God used marriage as a metaphor to

represent His commitment to His

people, He must surely have thought

of it as a sacred, permanent covenant.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

30

The conviction that it is God Who

has united our lives in holy

matrimony and Who will help us to

stay together will motivate us to

persevere in preserving the unity of

the marriage covenant.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

31

We must therefore uphold our

marriages. Infidelity and lust has

brought many challenges in

marriages. We can learn from the

teachings of Paul to the Corinthian

Church on how we should uphold

our marriages.

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

32

1 Corinthians 7:2

Nevertheless, because of sexual

immorality, let each man have his

own wife, and let each woman have

her own husband. (NKJV)

Su

nd

ay, S

ep

tem

ber 1

4,

20

14

33