If it is okay for new members the British royal family to cohabit together for many months prior to marriage and the Church of England does not object, then how can it object to others doing the same thing? There is many in our today’s society who does the same. The bigger issue is when the Church ignores the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is already reeling. The attitudes of marriage and the family are drifting from the blueprint that God has laid down for the stability of society. If the foundation is not stable then the rest of the building will fall.

1 – The underlying causes

• Prosperity – National affluence is an outcome of building a society based on God’s principles. See Chronicles 20:20. However, prosperity can lead to apostasy. See Hosea 13:6. Israel headed for judgment and the world is heading this way. Order and stability is under attack. Pleasure has taken the lead and sex outside of marriage is no longer seen as a stigma. Marriage is being redefined as a relationship between any couple regardless of gender. See Proverbs 16:25. The direction leads to death.
• Reinterpretation of the Bible – They found creative and fanciful ways to debunk the straightforward teachings of the Bible. The fact that some of them are so-called Bible scholars confuses those who are weak in knowledge of the Bible. They are trying to apply Twentieth Century understanding to eternal principles laid down at the creation of all things!
• Government laws – Many governments are no longer defending traditional marriage. The definition of one man and one woman is not being safeguarded in law. These changes are happening without consulting the wishes of the people. Cohabitation and divorce is becoming widespread.
• Cohabitation without marriage – This is increasing. They are sometimes called “friends with benefits”. They don’t want the hassle of marriage or possible divorce. There is no financial benefit to being married. It is becoming main stream to not marry. The arrangement is accepted on its own terms and marriage is not considered the next step. There are no long terms or commitments. Marriage is optional. The Bible inequitably calls this sin. Marriage requires love and commitment that makes someone else happy rather than just you.
• Rampant divorce – God wants lifetime permanence. See Genesis 2:24 & Matthew 19:6. It is formalised with witnesses and vows to God. See Ecclesiastes 5:2-6. See Matthew 5:37. People are taking back their marriage vows. It is often done on the basis of convenience. There is a high cost in economics, society, etc when marriages fail. When children are involved then they suffer as well.

2 – Discovering the Motivation

God’s view is one man and one woman in a permanent lawful loving relationship where a family is raised. It is about loving and caring for the best interests of each other and the family rather than your own interests. The urges of the self do not provide the stability and bond of marriage. It is an institution that is found in all societies. It is a public declaration. It is a sexual union between one man and one woman. There are few universal constants like marriage. We are the image bearers of God’s image for marriage. We are losing the reason why marriage exists. It is there to provide cohesion and that sexual immorality does not run rampant. It provides order to society rather than disorder. It is fundamental to life on earth. God’s blueprint is clear but even some Christians now think it is okay to cohabit.

3 – Defending a Meaningful Marriage

God places a high value on vows or commitment. See Ecclesiastes 5:2-6. Jesus states it simply “Let your yes be yes and your no be no”. See Matthew 5:37. There is too many who make promises and then break it for no good reason other than our own convenience. God doesn’t have a lot of options. It is marriage and divorce is hated by God but tolerated for only certain reasons. The cord is broken when divorce happens. Society is broken when marriage fails. Social order is crucial to keep order in society. History is likely to look back at this time and see it as a cause for society’s troubles. Marriage is coming apart because of the large rise in cohabitation.

The number of people living now together outside of marriage has grown in huge numbers. The authority of the Scriptures is attacked. The Bible goes back to the creation of man and woman to procreate upon the earth. God is clear. See Genesis 2:24. It is a product of creation. Marriage is a male and female coming together as one to raise a family. There is a maturity in marriage that is not afraid to trust and show lasting commitment that is not seen in cohabitation. Society, spouses and children need marriage if we are not raise future generations that are even more corrupt and rebellious of God’s model.

Categories: Genesis