July 6, 2008
Morning Service

I Cor. 7:1-11

 

Review:

·        A letter from Corinth, and the household of Chloe, has prompted the Apostle Paul to reply with words of instruction.

·        This is exactly how questions, and problems should be handled today.  Go to your Bible where we find the teachings of our Lord and Savior, and His Apostles.

·        Paul is addressing issues that the church in Corinth have brought before him.

1.      Was division.

2.      Was fornication.

3.      Going to law against one another, and that before unbelievers.

4.      Then Paul went back and taught some more against fornication.

 

Today we want to look at chapter 7 where Paul deals with principles of marriage.

There is no question that a happy, and long marriage is important to the world, and to the church.  ON LINE IT READS ( GET A SPEEDY EASY DIVORCE HERE.)

 

I have used the Message translation this morning because of it’s clarity, and to the point type of approach.  You will see what I mean as we study.

 

(Counseling sexual relationship for married life)

 

1Co 7:1-16 MSG  Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?  (2)  Certainly--but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. 

·         Again the Apostle refers to fornication, illicit sex.

(3)  The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality--the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband.  (4)  Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. 

·         1Co 7:4  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

·         You can see the clarity in the Message.

(5)  Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting--but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. 

• Satan tempts, and we act.  Listen to James;  Jam 1:14-15 KJVR  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
• Paul said in Romans, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.”  So when we yield to the temptations of the flesh, we sin, and it brings forth death to us.
• There is some very interesting statistics on marriage, and divorce in Wikipedia.  I won’t go into them here, but you can look them up yourselves.
• There is probably no doubt that the subject we are dealing with this morning, and money problems are what cause most divorces.  Along with alcohol, and drugs.
• It was also interesting to note that most divorces are filed for by the woman.
• Jesus gave only one reason for divorce, and that was fornication.  That’s precisely what Paul is saying in the above sentence.
• Notice Paul says it is important to communicate.  Notice how he implies that prayer and fasting are involved.  Two important things for a good spiritual life.

(6)  I'm not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence--only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.  (7)  Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me--a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others. 

• This is no doubt the problem with men of the clergy that had to be celibate, and could not abstain from sexual desires.  They did not have the gift from God, to be celibate, but were forced to be by their church structure.  Many of them could have been faithful men of God, had they been able to marry.

(8)  I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me.  (9)  But if they can't manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single. 

• Why is it that some would rather stick with their false teachings than give their clergy the permission to marry, according to the Word of God?  Jesus said, “Mat 15:8-9 KJVR  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  (9)  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

(10)  And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master's command, not mine. 

• Mat 5:32  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
• I know, and am fully aware that many have been tempted by Satan, that is our own lusts, and have fallen to the temptation of sexual immorality, divorce.  The most important thing is that God knows it too, but He does not want you to give up on a relationship with Him.  You have made wrong decisions if you have been counseled in your marriage, and there was no grounds for divorce, and you went ahead with the divorce.  You have this consolation, Jesus said, “all manner of sin, and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, except the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.”  

 (11)  If a wife should leave her husband, she must either remain single or else come back and make things right with him. And a husband has no right to get rid of his wife. 

• It becomes very confusing in today’s society because of the rules from the government that we live under.  However, we must acknowledge that if our laws of the land conflict with God’s law, we must go with God.

Marriage to the early church was a holy sacrament, and it should be today.  The teachings we have on the subject are not to be taken lightly, but in the fear of God.  Paul also in the Ephesian letter could think of nothing any more important to use as an allegory, than marriage, when he said;

Eph 5:21-33 KJVR  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  (22)  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  (23)  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.  (24)  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  (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,  (27)  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.  (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:  (30)  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.  (31)  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.  (32)  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  (33)  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

 

It can be done!  Judy just came in, 7:16am and gave me a happy 45^TH anniversary kiss.  Believe me she has endured, and persevered.  God gave me a good help mate, He knew I would need one.