What The Bible Says About Cohabitation

What Does the Bible Say About Cohabitation?

Galatians 5:19-21

INTRO:

If you look up the word cohabitation in the bible... you won’t find it there.

You will find what God thinks about it but God does not use the term "cohabitation."

Actually, cohabitation is a rather new term.

In the 50’s it was called sin

In the 60’s it was called living in sin

In the 70’s it was called shacking up

In the 80’s it was called cohabitating.... Notice any negative connotation was removed

In the 90’s it was called "alternate lifestyle" ... a positive spin

In Jesus’ day it was called other things.

Matt 5:27 Jesus called it adultery

In fact, Jesus said it was adultery even to imagine it

Matt 15:19 Jesus called it adultery and fornication

In 1 Cor 5:9 God said that Christian are not to associate with those that indulge in this sin.

In Gal 5 God said that those who practice this behavior would not go to heaven and are not of the Kingdom of God.

1 Tim 1:10 says that the practice of cohabitation is contrary to sound doctrine.

Jude 7 says that Sodom and Gomorrah are God’s object lesson to show us that God will punish all who indulge in this sinful lifestyle.

Rev. 2:20-23 says that God allows time for persons to repent of their adulterous ways, but if they refuse to confess and repent... they will suffer the same judgment as Jezebel.

Can it be much clearer…? What part of "thou shalt not" do you not understand?

God put the cookies on the bottom shelf where we can all reach them. You do not have to be a bible scholar....

COHABITATION IS ADULTERY /FORNICATION

Adultery and fornication are sins that, if not confessed and repented of, will send the practitioner to hell... eternally.

Now, lets stop right there. There is no need to spend more time on that. It is clear. I believe everyone here understands... even if you don’t like it... that cohabitation is wrong... that it is contrary to the will of God and that it is morally wrong.

I want to address this issue from another angle. A positive angle. Not what is wrong.... But WHAT IS RIGHT?

Not what does God hate... but what does God love?

Adultery is definitely not God’s will. WHAT IS????

God has a plan for you. It is a plan that is greater and more wonderful than you could ever imagine.

God wants you to live in a close, intimate, personal relationship with him.

Like he created with Adam and Eve

The scriptures tell us, in Gen. 3:8, that in the cool of the day, as the sun was setting, as the garden was experiencing the cool breeze, as the sun was setting with it’s beautiful colors, as the aromas of the garden permeated the air... God would come and walk with Adam and Eve. They would share their heart with him. He would share his with them. It was the most beautiful time.

God desires to have that degree of intimacy and sharing with you and me.

And we can know God that way.

However, in Adam’s case... something terrible happened. HE SINNED. Not a big, black and terrible sin. Not murder or rape... but he disobeyed God.

As a result... the intimacy was destroyed, the closeness was shattered, the joy was gone.

Adam and Eve were driven from God’s presence.

Sin still does the same thing... it alienates us from God... it destroys our intimacy, it drives a wedge between us.

Not only that... it slams shut the windows of heaven. We are cut off from the blessings that God has for us.

We are stripped of His protection and left vulnerable to Satan and his attacks.

Without God we are without peace, without joy, without power, without hope.

This situation breaks the heart of God.

But God loves us enough to allow us to make our own choices... and mistakes.

Either we say to God.. .."thy will be done." Or God will say to us, "thy will be done."

A couple living together out of marriage is sinning against God, against their body, against their partner, and is out of the will, blessing, and protection of God.

Can you see why I, the shepherd, would be concerned about the wayward sheep?

Just use common sense for a moment.

1. Couples that indulge in adultery produce more

divorces.

In fact, those couples divorce more quickly and with greater frequency than do couples that did not live together.

It makes sense: A couple who indulges in sex before marriage has no regard or commitment to the institution of marriage.

They are concerned more with their temporary pleasure than with any long term commitment.

Now... if that is true before marriage... what in the world would make us think that just because we get married, all of the sudden we will begin to value commitment more than personal, immediate pleasure.