It was revealed from the beginning, and Jesus testified to it, that God established marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. It is much more than a secular social contract. Marriage is to be honored by each spouse toward the other as well as by the community (Hebrews 13:4). Each person reading this can likely think of examples of the wake of destruction that results from disregarding God’s plan for marriage.

Though marriage is certainly not required for salvation, Jesus followers are to honor the marriage covenant as a high priority. Those who are single must resolve to act honorably toward individuals of the opposite sex. Other singles must be treated with respect as a creation of the Heavenly Father and, possibly, as someone’s future spouse. Sins such as sex outside of marriage and pornographic activities cause separation that today’s verses warn against. If that is not clear from today’s verses alone, search the Scriptures and find out.

These same sins destroy marital unity. Within marriage, the devil also works in other ways to disrupt unity that God established and desires. It is not God’s way to use intimacy as a bargaining chip within marriage (1 Corinthians 7:5). The unity of marriage is also undermined by selfish living and evil speaking. The Golden Rule applies especially to one’s spouse. It is easy to speak evil of a spouse or joke at their expense because we know them so well, but we are not to use such knowledge to sabotage the other person. Instead, build up one another in love (1 Thessalonians 5:11). 

Querido Padre Celestial,

We thank You for the precious gift of husbands and wives, children, and Your blessing to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. We confess that we have not always honored marriage as we should. We repent of our sexual immorality, our coarse joking, our addictions to pornography, and our withholding of sexual intimacy from our spouses. We repent of failing to encourage and support each other toward covenant purity in the above areas. Lord God, by Your Holy Spirit show us how to improve. Help us not to tolerate any sexual sin in our communities, but to obey both Hebrews 13 and 1 Corinthians 5. First, help us to get the log out of our own eyes regarding sexual impurity. And then, help us to see clearly to assist others in getting the speck out of their eyes. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Pursuing our own selfish desires or chasing the world’s changing standards for marriage will not lead to the righteous and peaceful life that God desires. If the Lord shows you a way that you are undermining the unity in your own marriage or are not honoring someone else’s marriage, receive that correction and repent today. Jesus is the Way and the Truth; abundant life awaits those who trust and obey.