13:4 The Purity of Marriage
AMarriage is honorable@ - timioV - precious, most precious, dear, as of great price, held in honor, esteemed, especially dear. In essence, it is a place of protection. It is the proper framework for a personal intimate relationship with the one that we truly love.
AIn all@ - pasi - completely, wholly, in all things
AAnd the bed undefiled@ - amiawtoV - unsoiled, free from deformity and sinful. Remains pure, great and appropriate.
In contrast to this principle of honor and this precious relationship that is seen as valued to God, is the improper, illicit and sinful relationship that exists between two people who try to legitimize their sin by hiding behind a cloak of excuses for immorality. God is very plain in His speech when says,
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: Gen. 1:27-28
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh… Gen. 2:22-24
ABut whoremongers@ - pornouV - illicit person who conducts his life in immorality and sensual pleasure. From the Greek root which means to sell into slavery, be shipped somewhere to for slavery, etc. It pictures someone being placed in bondage as a slave. Sold under sin, entirely under the control of the love of sinning, of one bribed to give himself up wholly to another's will.
And adulterers (moicouV) God will judge (krinei).
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: Col 3:5-6
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Eph 5:5
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Rev 22:15
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9-10
Marriage begins with an unbreakable covenant: Romans 7:2 - For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth;
A husband and wife must never lose their sense of need for one another: Proverbs 31:11-12 - The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
A husband should love his wife without reservation – Eph. 5:26,28 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; …So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
A husband and wife should submit themselves to one another – Eph. 5:21 - Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives should follow their husbands, as the Lord leads them through life - Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
The husband is personally responsible to God for the spiritual direction of his home Eph. 5:23 - For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body.