1 Corinthians 7:1-16 - Keep your Marriage Covenant

1 Corinthians 7:1-16

Principles of Marriage

1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 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. 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. 6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. 7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

We are reminded to keep our marriage covenant in the face of the world and the society around us which disregards and even mocks the sanctity of this commitment.  We are called as in all areas of life to orient our thoughts and actions with God’s word as our blueprint and not follow inferior definitions and degradation of what the Lord has made to be holy between one woman and one man in this binding covenant agreement.  Sexual immorality would overwhelm most of us if we did not marry, though there are some who are content and self-controlled enough to go it alone without sinning, but they are few and we must face the reality of marriage as normative for us.  Each of the two in the marriage, man and woman, have the ownership of the other’s body in a sense in that they are to give themselves intimately only to one another and not to anyone else as the covenant defines the relationship which God brings together.  Even then we must not withhold intimacy or the temptation to look elsewhere may creep in and lead to sin in thought or deed as Satan tempts us to look outside God’s commands to find satisfaction as in Eden’s Garden (Genesis 3:4-5).  The situation where a believer married an unbeliever or came to faith after marriage should not demand dissolution of the covenant even though the yoke is unequal without Christ between the two.  The instructions given here are to keep the covenant unless the unbeliever leaves of their own will.  This way the children have the chance for the believing parent to influence and teach the truth to them and lead them to know Jesus Christ; if the believer leaves, then that opportunity goes away with custody issues and godly influence reduced or removed from their lives.  It is on the believer’s part therefore to endure the union and,ale the best of it when the unbelieving spouse does not depart the marriage.  We do not have any assurance that we will influence our unbelieving spouse to come to Christ but are called to keep the lead and sanctity of marriage in most cases unless sexual immorality or violence breaks that covenant.  These are hard sayings but we are called to do the best in the holy union of this covenant under God to keep the peace and raise godly children as we keep our marriage covenant.  Thankfully, many believers have married believers and God is often gracious when two who are both unbelievers become one and one comes through faith and repentance to Christ and the other follows suit, but we are instructed here on all possibilities and given instructions on the right way forward.