Five Things We Will Learn
- Why the Apostle Paul teaches that singleness can be better than marriage
- How marriage was presented as a safeguard against sexual immorality
- Why marriage alone does not resolve sexual temptation in today’s culture
- What Scripture teaches about divorce, remarriage, and lifelong covenant
- How believers are called to respond to truth with accountability and obedience
A Wake-Up Call for Marriage, Family, and Sexuality
Marriage, family, and sexuality are crumbling before our very eyes, yet we continue to walk off the cliff without stopping to ask if God has another way that we are missing.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26–27 (NIV):
Singleness Is Better
The Apostle Paul opens with a statement that challenges modern assumptions:
“It is good for a man not to marry” (1 Corinthians 7:1).
Singleness is not a lesser path. It is a calling that allows for focused devotion to God without the divided responsibilities that come with marriage.
Marriage Was Presented as a Solution for Sexual Temptation
Because sexual immorality was widespread in Corinth, Paul wrote that each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. Marriage served as a practical guard for purity.
Marriage Is No Longer a Simple Solution for Sexual Purity Today
In today’s culture, temptation is constant and accessible. Pornography, social media, and digital relationships create a level of exposure the early church never faced.
Marriage alone does not eliminate temptation. Purity requires intentional commitment, discipline, and dependence on God.
Marriage Is a Concession, Not a Command
Paul does not command marriage. He explains that if someone cannot control their desires, it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Marriage is presented as a concession, not a universal requirement. Both singleness and marriage are valid, but they come with different responsibilities.
Related:
- Getting Married Is Not Your Safeguard | Marriage cannot compete with a world designed to capture your heart if you refuse to leave it
- Marriage: For God’s Sake & The Sake of the Children
- Crisis: The State of Our Young People 29 and Younger
Married Couples Must Not Deprive Each Other
Paul instructs married couples clearly:
“Do not deprive each other except perhaps 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.”
Marriage carries mutual responsibility, protection, and care.
Divorce, Remarriage, and Covenant
Divorce and Remarriage Between Believers
Paul gives direct instruction:
“A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:10–11).
Marriage is a covenant God takes seriously.
When an Unbeliever Leaves
Scripture also addresses mixed-faith marriages:
“If the unbeliever leaves, let it be so… God has called us to live in peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15).
In these cases, peace becomes the guiding principle.
The Only Clear Freedom to Remarry
Scripture gives a clear allowance for remarriage when a spouse dies:
“A married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him” (Romans 7:2–3).
This reinforces the lifelong nature of marriage.
Jesus’ Standard on Remarriage
Jesus teaches that divorcing and remarrying while a spouse is still alive results in adultery. This raises the standard beyond cultural norms and brings it back to God’s original design.
Grace, Knowledge, and Responsibility
Pre-Conversion Marriages and Divorces
“For anyone in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Many understand that past marriages before coming to Christ belong to a person’s former life.
Accountability According to Knowledge
Jesus teaches:
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke 12:48).
God shows mercy in ignorance, but truth brings responsibility.
A Difficult Reality for New Believers
When someone unknowingly enters a marriage that later proves to be outside biblical design, the response is not condemnation, but truth with grace.
Confession, forgiveness, and seeking God’s direction become essential.
When the First Spouse Dies
If the original spouse dies, the bond is broken. The current marriage is no longer considered adulterous and becomes legitimate before God.
Undivided Devotion to Christ
Paul explains that the unmarried person can be fully devoted to the Lord, while the married person must divide attention between spiritual and relational responsibilities.
He concludes that the one who does not marry “does even better,” highlighting the value of undistracted devotion.
A Strong Warning for Today
Marriage is not a casual decision. It is a covenant before God.
“Till death do us part” is not simply a phrase. It reflects the reality of what Jesus expects from those who enter into marriage.
If marriage is approached lightly or as a solution to temptation alone, it will not produce what God intended.
Paul’s Counsel to Widows
A widow is free to remarry, but Paul adds:
“In my judgment she is happier if she stays as she is” (1 Corinthians 7:40).
Again, the emphasis remains on not marrying, devotion and calling.
Conclusion
This is written from a biblical perspective, using the words of Jesus, and God’s apostle Paul, not my own opinions or cultural norms. I am not writing this as someone who is against marriage. I am writing this to help us all be for marriage, for life, or at least until death do us part.
I am writing this to help those who are considering marriage as Christians, those who are married, and those who are separated or divorced. The Lord has clear and unwavering truth on this. It is only culture, even Christian culture, that has blurred the lines.
I am writing this to awaken us to the reality that what has been accepted as “normal” must be weighed not by polling religious leaders, but by the Bible itself. For it is before God, and Him alone, that each of us will stand individually accountable for our lives.
If we truly desire to follow Jesus and be saved, then how we understand marriage, enter into it, and remain faithful within it matters deeply. Marriage is not just for our sake, but for God’s sake and for the sake of the children. It is a covenant He expects us to honor.
Begin Your Journey Today
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Step into the life He designed for you through Emmaus Road’s The Commands of Jesus. This is more than learning—it’s an invitation to walk with Him, obey Him, and experience Him in a real and powerful way.
You don’t want to miss this exciting adventure Jesus has called you into.
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