Thursday 6 April, 2017

8 I speak now to those who are not married. I also speak to widows. It is good for you to stay single like me. 9 But if you can’t control yourselves, you should get married. It is better to get married than to burn with desire. 10 I give a command to those who are married. It is a direct command from the Lord, not from me. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does, she must not get married again. Or she can go back to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12 I also have something to say to everyone else. It is from me, not a direct command from the Lord. Suppose a brother has a wife who is not a believer. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And suppose a woman has a husband who is not a believer. If he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 The unbelieving husband has been made holy through his wife. The unbelieving wife has been made holy through her believing husband. If that were not the case, your children would not be pure and “clean.” But as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let that person go. In that case, the believer does not have to stay married to the unbeliever. God wants us to live in peace. 16 Wife, how do you know if you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know if you will save your wife?

Paul continues answering the Corinthians original question in 7:1 – speaking to singles, widows and married believers alike about their relationships with each other. These new believers in Corinth had a lot of baggage from their pagan past and so from Chapter 5 through 7 Paul is trying to address how to now live a godly life.

Paul is giving us godly guidelines, whether married or unmarried, as to what God originally intended between men and women; commitment, loyalty and sexual passion within marriage. In whatever situation we find ourselves as believers, self-control is a basic foundation to be able live our best life. This is just as relevant now in our time as it was for the Corinthians. We are not just to live for self, live in the moment to gratify our own desires how and when we please, but self-control is a godly principal by which all our life relationships will benefit from. In all the relationships that Paul describes, he is also urging us to think of others relationship and not just ourselves.

Jesus, thank you that you care so much about our most intimate desires and relationships. Continue to help us control our desires so that whether single or married our lives will bring glory to you. Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson