by David Gibson<\/p>\n
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD<\/em>” (Proverbs 18:22 NASB).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Why marry?<\/h2>\n
The Bible offers two options: 1) being married or 2) remaining single. Each has its own advantages (I Corinthians 7). Whether to marry is an individual decision.<\/p>\n
Peter, for example, was married; Paul was not. There’s a place for both in God’s kingdom. But if we choose to marry, we need to understand God’s purposes for the marriage relationship.<\/p>\n
Purpose #1: Procreation<\/h2>\n
“Behold, children are a gift of the LORD<\/em> . . .” (Psalm 127:3).<\/p>\n
The sexual union as God made it is good (Genesis 1:27-28, 31). He created sex to be enjoyed by a husband and wife within the covenant of marriage.<\/p>\n
No other sexual relationship has His blessing (Hebrews 13:4).<\/p>\n
Purpose #2: Companionship<\/h2>\n
Before God formed Eve, He said of Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him<\/em>” (Genesis 2:18). And He did!<\/p>\n
God made males and females different from one another biologically, emotionally, etc. Each brings something unique to the relationship.<\/p>\n
Purpose #3: Nurturing Children<\/h2>\n
Although many single moms and dads are wonderful parents, children thrive best when they have two parents who model and teach God’s word (Proverbs 6:20). Both boys and girls need the complementary, synergistic male\/female influence of both parents.<\/p>\n
Purpose #4: Avoiding Temptation<\/h2>\n
Paul distinguishes between those who have a gift for remaining single and those who would do better to marry (I Corinthians 7:7-9).<\/p>\n
“… because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband<\/em>” (I Corinthains 7:2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A couple should not deprive one another of intercourse, “except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control<\/em>” (I Corinthians 7:3-5).<\/p>\n
Since God designed intercourse exclusively for marriage, it serves as the only legitimate means of satisfying sexual desires. Therefore, the frequency of intercourse helps prevent immorality.<\/p>\n
God’s Plan<\/h2>\n
When we honor and observe God’s design for marriage, we will be blessed. God truly wants us to enjoy happy, lasting marriages. And we can. He has told us how.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by David Gibson “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22 NASB). Why marry? The Bible offers two options: 1) being married or 2) remaining single. Each has its own advantages (I Corinthians 7). Whether to marry is an individual decision. Peter, for example, was married;…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-95423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-marriage"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":38947,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-sinned-with-my-girlfriend-i-want-to-marry-her-but-my-parents-dont-agree-will-god-support-my-marriage-if-i-marry-her-anyway\/","url_meta":{"origin":95423,"position":0},"title":"I sinned with my girlfriend. I want to marry her, but my parents don’t agree. Will God support my marriage if I marry her anyway?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear sir, I am in a relationship with my girlfriend. We have had all types of physical sexual relations except deep penetration. I know I am sinning and have been trying to get away from it, as I am going far from God. I acknowledge that God has been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25121,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-i-corinthians-79-a-command-or-a-recommendation\/","url_meta":{"origin":95423,"position":1},"title":"Is I Corinthians 7:9 a command or a recommendation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've always wondered about I Corinthians 7:9. \u00a0I'm unsure of how to take it: as a command or a recommendation? 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My question is in the case of the unconsummated marriage, does this indicate a de facto crisis within the marriage or is the marriage act incidental, solely the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28224,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-person-who-married-a-person-who-had-no-right-to-marry-divorce-and-marry-someone-else\/","url_meta":{"origin":95423,"position":5},"title":"Can a person who married a person who had no right to marry, divorce, and marry someone else?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If a man marries a woman who was not supposed to remarry because she and her husband had committed adultery, can the man in the second marriage divorce her because of her continued adulteries during the second marriage and be able to marry again? 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