.  Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor

MARRIAGE, PART 2

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

            Anger.  Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”  Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”  Are you receiving the brunt of that wrath? Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”  You can’t beat your spouse.  God says in Malachi 2:13-15 gives a reason some prayers are not answered.  You are at war with the devil, not your spouse.  Romans 12:19 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath . . . Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

            One may say, I’m mad at you; don’t touch me, or they play deaf when you try to tell them something that you consider important.  The devil laughs unless you repent.  Love them, but go on for Jesus. There is no excuse for treating bad the one with whom you are one flesh! 

            Divorce.  Malachi 2:16 says, “For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.”  Putting away means divorce.  Putting away also means defrauding them the things that are rightfully theirs as a spouse.  Divorce is more than separation of your bodies and your goods.  It involves your heart.

Malachi 2:13 talks about someone crying before the Lord, but God is not listening or answering. Verse 14 says it is because they have dealt treacherously against their wife! Verse 15 says, “. . . take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.”  Treacherous means you are unreliable or you are violating trust.

Matthew 19:8 says, “He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.”  God hates divorce.  Children are scattered in the wind. 

            Instead, win them.  When only one is saved in a marriage, the saved one is to pray, without nagging, that God will bring the other one in.  1 Peter 3:1 says, “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;”  Your conversation is how you talk and behave. 

            1 Peter 3:2 says, “While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.”  Husbands will see if the fear of the Lord is there.  Verse 4 tells what moves a man toward God’s Spirit, “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”  Verse 5 says, “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:” 

1 Peter 3:7 says, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” Honor your wife. Keeping a woman under subjection by fear and force is wrong.

            1 Corinthians 7:10-13.  “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.”

1 Corinthians 7:14-17.  Verse 14 says, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”  [If the believing spouse has animosity, the curse can come on in and take the kids.]  Verse 15-17 says, “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.  For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?  But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.”

            Matthew 5:31-32 says, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”

            Authority and responsibility.  The husband may strut around and say that he is boss, but when the devil comes with sickness, disease, affliction, or torment, he comes to the head first.  When the devil asks permission to have the family, will the husband be in godly prayer, making sure that everything is covered?  Authority doesn’t come without responsibility.  A godly wife will gladly be subject to a godly husband. If the husband is ungodly, the wife and kids are going to kick!

            1 Corinthians 7:1-3.  Verse 1 says, “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”  He is talking about single people. If you can’t contain yourself, don’t give occasion for lust.  Verse 2 says, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”  Fornication means sex out of marriage, which is sin.  Verse 3 says, “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.” Benevolence is kindness and consideration of one another’s needs.

1 Corinthians 7:4-5.  Verse 4 says, “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.”  Is that clear? God doesn’t stop there. Verse 5 says, “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”  The husband’s body belongs to his wife, and the wife’s body belongs to her husband. Defraud means to freeze them out, and many use this to manipulate their spouse, but that is sin.  If you have a health problem, get prayer for healing (see James 5:16). 

            If you want to hold off from one another, it’s by mutual consent. Both of you can agree to set aside yourselves for a time of fasting and prayer.  Then you come together again relatively soon.  Some husbands rape their wives, and that is sin.  Some wives have harassed and humiliated their husbands, and that is sin. Forgive each other.  Love and respect each other.

            1 Corinthians 7:8-9 says, “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.  But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” Paul was a eunuch for Christ; he never married. 

            God’s Word must be our guide in every facet of our lives, including personal relationships.  By obeying God’s Word, we bring harmony and joy into our lives that would not be possible otherwise.  Now!  Make the necessary changes!