1 Corinthians 7 is full of gospel-focused answers to questions from real people in the Corinthian church. Like us, they wanted to know how to live as believers in this world. Our passage today continues in this theme.
But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better. 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.
1 Corinthians 7: 36- 40 NLT
Question 1. According to 1 Corinthians 7:36-40, what are some important things to consider when determining whether to marry or not?
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Periodically, there arise outspoken advocates for either singleness or marriage; these people erroneously assert a "one size fits all" relationship status. However, God has said that both singleness and marriage are gifts. One of the keys to deciding which is suitable for you is whether your sexual desire is urgent or not. Part of living and growing in the gospel is learning to assess our situation and apply the gospel to it correctly.
If you struggle with personal purity, then, for you, it is "better to marry than to burn with lust" (1 Corinthians 7:9). The devil will try to deceive you into thinking that self-gratification or other forms of impurity can stay hidden, but the truth is that Jesus died to save you from immorality. If we try to live in something that Christ has saved us from, we remain immature in our faith, only knowing of forgiveness (1 John 2:12) but not overcoming (1 John 2:14). Habitual sin of any kind hinders our ability to live and grow in the gospel and harms the body of Christ. If you struggle with lust, God has made one provision for you to quench your sexual desire - marriage, and you should pursue it.
Conversely, if you are content as a single and able to live in purity without difficulty, then you should remain so. Your single life affords you the privilege of spending all your time, energy, and effort on building the kingdom of God. You should not feel pressured to marry but rejoice in your better situation that allows you to serve the Lord with fewer distractions.
Friend, do you see the freedom and wisdom of the gospel in these temporary matters? Because Christ removed our sin and shame on the cross, the body of Christ can and should live free of them. There is no shame in marrying, or in remaining single. Those who marry are not less than because they avail themselves of God’s gracious provision of marriage. And those who are single and not distracted by the passions of the flesh should be valued and encouraged to devote their lives fully to Christ and His gospel.
To understand what it means to live and grow in the gospel, we must accept that our new life in Christ is radically different from our old life. By nature, all people pursue their pleasure and comfort regardless of how it affects others, but those who have experienced the sacrificial love of Jesus have received the power of the cross to live differently. The more we receive love from Jesus through His death on the cross for our sins, the more we will willingly give up our rights, lay aside our pleasures, and devote ourselves entirely to the One who gave everything up and purchased us with His blood.
Question 2. What radical changes has the cross made in your life?
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