Bible Study & Devotions Page

A Man Will Remain Married to His Wife

With the State of California and other jurisdictions now officially performing what are erroneously called ‘wedding ceremonies’ for ‘gay’ or ‘homosexual’ ‘couples,’ Christians have an opportunity to witness to what marriage really is in God’s plan of salvation. Many Christian ‘theologians’ and spokesmen unfortunately often try to discuss adultery, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality and other forms of immorality out of the Biblical context of marriage. In what follows, Pastor first reminds us of why God instituted marriage: to be a picture of Christ’s love for His Bride, the Christian Church. Seeing God’s condemnation of every sexual sin of thought, word, and deed, which overwhelmingly involves heterosexual sin, His call to repent of every form of sin no matter how popular or how open, and also His merciful, compassionate love for fallen sinners in Jesus Christ, Pastor hopes to give an accurate picture of our society’s current crisis of rampant immorality, pornography, and crass sexualization of virtually every aspect of our daily lives, and most of all God’s proposed solution: repentance and faith in His love for Christ’s sake.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings on marital relations differ greatly from pagan practices. Our Creator rejects the modern view that marriages are contracts which can be broken or bought out. He rejects heartless divorcing in order to marry a more ‘desirable’ mate in an endless search for ‘happiness.’ He also rejects any form of sex or sexual desire outside of marriage, because such desires and deeds are self-indulging sins of the Old Adam, the unregenerate sinner within every human being, which wants to use everyone & everything for its own selfish, corrupt pleasure.

What does the Lord say about marriage?

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit yourselves[1] to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:16-33, emphasis added)

            In the Old Testament, the LORD declared Himself to be the faithful, loving Husband of His People, Israel (Isaiah 54:4-8; 62:1-5; Jeremiah 31:31‑34). In Ezekiel 16:6-14, the LORD ritually washes and marries His Bride, Israel, giving us an early picture of what Paul tells us here in Ephesians 5:25-27. The LORD commanded the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute, to picture how the LORD was faithful and loving to His Bride, but how His People behaved shamelessly. Thus a husband must also be patient, forgiving, and loving like Jesus Christ, The LORD God of Israel Who became man to take our sins upon Himself.

            The New Testament continues the imagery of God’s People being His Bride. Christ compares His invitation to sinners to come into God’s Kingdom to an invitation to His Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). He pictures His Second Coming as a great Wedding Day (Matthew 25:1-13). Paul says the Church is engaged to be married to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). St. John sees the Wedding of Christ, the Lamb, to His Holy Bride, the Church (Revelation 19:6-9). He finally sees Christ and the Church live ‘happily ever after’ in Heaven (Revelation 21:1-22:5).

            So, marriage is not a human idea, nor is it just a ‘natural’ way to produce more humans by ‘mating.’ Rather, marriage in general, and each marriage in particular, is patterned after the eternal Truth of Christ uniting Himself to His Church, sacrificing all He is and has for her, and living for her alone every day unto eternity. We humans cannot change or abolish marriage, for marriage is God’s creation and will, that genuine, true love be shown. Any form of ‘love’ as humans define it apart from this is simple selfishness, and not ‘love’ at all.

Don’t be like the pagans

            Christians must not imitate the selfish, immoral practices of the pagans. Only holy, spiritually‑pure love ought to be shared physically by spouses. A guilty conscience, or doubt about the propriety of an act, is enough to brand it as improper. Only proper, chaste conduct pleases the Lord:

      “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:27-30)

      But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. (Ephesians 5:3-12)

… Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)[2]

 

            Our Savior condemns all forms of selfish indulgence of the flesh. Heterosexual adultery or fornication is no less sinful than homosexuality. All sin is selfish. Every form of sin rebels against and rejects the true, sacrificial love which God shows to us in Christ. All sin is rebellion against our loving Creator and His desire for pure, holy love:

      For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;… For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. Consequently, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)

            The Holy Spirit by the pen of St. Paul, when he writes to the Romans, thoroughly explains why God rejects sexual immorality and every other form of unloving behavior, which is the essence of every sinful thought or desire of the evil heart of man:

                ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. ²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

                ²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

                ²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1)

            However, St. Paul also holds out the hope of Christ to every sinner, where His love leads us to repent of sin, and turn to Him for mercy & forgiveness, unto eternal life & resurrection:

                ¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3)

            The basic message of the Church is that of Christ: “Repent, and believe the Gospel.” Unfortunately, human beings in their sinful nature object to the call to repent. The ‘Old Adam’ within even believers huffs-and-puffs that he is really not guilty of doing anything wrong. Calls to repent are rejected as being judgmental, hateful, and mean-spirited. Yet just as a doctor will tell a patient to stop smoking, eating too much fat or sugar in one’s diet, etc., all for the good of the patient, so also Christ wants His Church to warn other sinners that the wages of sin is death. To save unrepentant sinners for eternal death and condemnation, the Church offers God’s alternative: the free gift of life in Christ Jesus. Yet repent AND believe must go hand-in-hand.

            Every Christian daily sins much, as Dr. Luther says. We must constantly strive to ‘repent,’ that is, turn away from our sinful desires of the corrupt, evil nature of the Old Adam, in no matter what form those corrupt ‘natural’ desires take shape in thought, word, and deed. The Holy Spirit helps us conform our lives to Christ, Who is genuine love, through the gifts of Baptism, the forgiveness of sins, and by nourishing us on Christ’s Body & Blood in the Lord’s Supper.

            Repentance will continue to be a daily struggle throughout the earthly life of every believer-in-Christ. Yet God our Father in His great love for us promises that all who believe, hope, and trust in His enduring love in Christ shall triumph over ‘the Devil, the World, and the sinful Flesh,’ and attain life eternal, including resurrection and transformation of our bodies. This offer of mercy in Christ is held out to all sinners, no matter what sinful lifestyle they’ve chosen in their fallen state. The Church’s job is to gain our fellow human beings’ eternal lives by preaching the truth in love, so others will be found by God in His love into eternity, in His Home, at His Table. Then we shall only love purely & truly as He loves us now and forever in Jesus our Savior, and join Him at the joyous Wedding Feast of Christ, the gentle Lamb of God.