Maintaining God’s Intent For Marriage(& Singleness)-2

MAINTAINING GOD’s INTENT For MARRIAGE(& Singleness)-II—1Corinthians 7:1-9

(Making Marriage Worthy of its Creator)

Attention:

Slow It Down A Bit

A young man, was a very slow worker & so found it difficult to hold down a job.

After a visit to the employment office, he was offered work at the local zoo.

When he arrived for his first day, the keeper, aware of his reputation, told him to take care of the tortoise section.

Later, the keeper dropped by to see how the young man was doing & found him standing by an empty enclosure with the gate open.

"Where are the tortoises?" he asked.

The new employee responded in his characteristically slow manner, “I...can’t...believe...it,” “I...just...opened...the...door...&...

Wh-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-sh,...they...were...gone!”

Likewise, if we are slow to nurture God’s Intent in our marriages then, Whoosh!, they’ll be gone!

Paul answered the inquiries & clarified the concerns of the Corinthian Christians regarding marriage.

Christians maintain God’s intent/design for marriage.

How do/can Christian couples maintain God’s intent for marriage?

6 focal points for Christians regarding marriage.

We have found that Maintaining God’s intent for marriage(& singleness) demands a concentration upon...

1. His DIRECTIVES(:1)

Today we’ll also discover that,

2—Maintaining God’s intent for marriage(& singleness) demands a concentration upon...

His LIMITATION(:2)

Explanation:(:2)Restraint

:2—“Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, & let each woman have her own husband.

“Paul’s argument in 7:2-5”...“reveals that his concern about the danger of immorality is paramount.”...“each man & woman is each to have their own corresponding spouse. “The danger” Paul wants to preempt is immorality”—BECNT

“Paul does not imply that every Corinthian church member was immoral”...“Paul is speaking of the danger of fornication for those who are single.”—MNTC or considering being single thru ‘illegitimate’ divorce.

“His purpose here is to stress the reality of the sexual temptations” that may accompany “singleness & to acknowledge that they have a legitimate outlet in marriage.”—MNTC

John MacArthur offers at least 5 biblical “reasons for marriage” as follow:

1. Procreation(Gen. 1:28)

2. Pleasure(Prov. 5:18-19; Song of Solomon; Gen. 26:8-9)

3. Partnership(Gen. 2:18)

4. Pictures the Church(Eph. 5:23-32)

5. Purity(1Cor. 7:2)

Paul “points out how the Corinthian maxim[:1] is untenable for those who are married.” “He is not offering reasons why people should marry but arguments why sexual relations in marriage are binding”...“& why sexual abstinence in marriage is both impractical & inappropriate.”—BECNT

This may seem contradictory due to what Paul has stated in :1. However there he states what is “good” rather than what is allowable for concession’s sake. It is only allowable but not mandatory.

It is only allowable in order to prevent “immoralities.”

“God’s design is for sexual relations to flourish privately & pleasurably between a husband & wife alone.”—Micah Carter in ‘Explore The Bible’ quarterly—1,2 Corinthians; Spring 2018 In God’s Kingdom there is no such thing as a ‘platonic or non-sexual’ relationship’ between a husband & wife. Such a false belief injects “sexual immorality” into an otherwise upstanding moral equation.

In God’s perfect design there is no room for homosexual marital relationships. Some would want you to believe homosexuality is natural & unavoidable. Whereas God(in His Word, the Bible) considers it to be sin.

In God’s design there is also no room for polygamous marital relationships. The Bible records the occurrence of these relationships but never condones them.

Depriving oneself of godly sexual fulfillment is sinful.. Self-deprivation(your way) does not vanquish sexual desire, but rather puts the flesh in control of sexual desire.

“when a couple who is married is not having sex on a regular basis they are missing out on a special kind of intimacy that God has created them to enjoy. And usually at least one of the two is really desiring that they would be having sex a lot more often than they are. And that[it’s absence] can lead to bitterness, frustration, hurt, & a further emotional withdrawing from the relationship.”—Tim Diack in ‘When You Say, "I Do”’ @SermonCentral.com

“Nevertheless/But”(See :10, 11; :3, 4—“And”)—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, &, etc.. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, and, etc..

“Because of/On Account Of”—dia—Prep.—1) Through—1a) of place—1a1) With, 1a2) In, 1b) of time—1b1) Throughout, 1b2) During, 1c) of means—1c1) By, 1c2) By the means of; 2) Through—2a) The ground or reason by which something is or is not done—2a1) By reason of, 2a2) On account of, 2a3) Because of for this reason, 2a4) Therefore, 2a5) On this account. Strong—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional).

“Sexual Immorality/Fornication/Immoralities”—porneia—Noun Fem.—1) Illicit sexual intercourse—1a) Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc., 1b) Sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18, 1c) Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mr 10:11,12; 2) metaph.--The worship of idols—2a) Of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols. Strong—Harlotry (including adultery & incest); figuratively--Idolatry.?From—porneuw—To act the harlot, i.e. literally--Indulge unlawful lust(of either sex), or figuratively--Practice idolatry.