1 Corinthians 7:1-28 - Part B

Singleness is good this celibacy.

Second, being single is good, but it can also be tempting. Third single lifestyle was wrong. If you're married and done number for both singleness and gifts from God tries to dictate love and relationships with today on connect with Skip Skip shares with God has to say about marriage, divorce and single want to tell you about a resource that shows God's love and grace empowers you as you live for. Life is hard and the harsh but accurate philosophy into this gentle encouragement. But, that's right, in the most difficult circumstances God can intervene as he did for Joseph to help him through the resurrection of Jesus here Skip I think the fact there may not be two more hopeful words than these two words but God because they point us to the great interrupter, the one who can powerfully and graciously interrupt our live with his plans and change our lives forever help you understand some of the Bible's most profound moment. You can have more hope for change in your life.*It's 10 message teaching theories… Our thanks $35 and more today to help connect more people to only one can radically change a life.

But God CD collection today. You get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 892 1888 and first used chapter 7 as we join Skip Heitzig for today's when Jesus had finished the same part of Galilee region beyond the Jordan, great multitudes followed him there, them and the Pharisees came to him, testing and saying to him is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason why would they ask a question like that they can a guy dump his wife just for any reason, because there were interpreters who thought you could divorce your wife for absolutely any reason. There were two schools of thought in Judaism of the time. One very strict one very liberal district school said the only reason man can divorce his wife is that she is sexually immoral or she sleeps with another man. That's the only reason. Another said well you know Moses talk about an uncleanness that the wife has. And maybe that means she cooked his dinner wrong and he finds that unclean damn and he deems that as an uncleanness and he broadened the reasons for divorce to the widest possible margin. If a man if a woman spoke to another man. If she spun in the street if she wore her hair down in public. Those were all reasons a man could divorce his wife, someone said you can't divorce for any reason the other rabbi said you can divorce for any reason. Which do you think the Jewish men found more popular any reason, any reason.

That's why that's a question is a lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. There following the two traditions of the rabbi and he answered and said to them, have you not read. I love Jesus answered this way don't you religious leaders ever read your Bible, don't you know what the Bible says, have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female, going all the way back to Genesis, for he said. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.

So then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. They said to him, why then did Moses notice, man. To give a certificate of divorce and put her away that now taken the permission that Moses gave in the Old Testament as a commandment to the men to dump their wise for any reason.

They had misinterpreted.

Why did Moses command to give a certificate Jesus and Moses because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.

Now listen to verse 10 the disciples said to him, if such is the case of a man with his wife. It's better not to marry you see the disciples to were used to the interpreters why belief that you can divorce your wife for any reason at all. And now Jesus said well let's take this back to the Bible and God and the Bible said this, therefore God is joy, let no man separate. So if you divorce your wife for any reason except for sexual immorality you're committing adultery and causing her to commit it over the disciples were shocked and so theological assumption. They made it such is the case of a man with his wife. It's better to stay single better never to get married look at Jesus answered he said to them all.

Cannot accept the same like well actually being single is a good option. It's a good plan. It's it's a good move.

Like Paul said in chapter 7 verse one but he said all cannot accept this saying, but only those now notice the wording, not only those to whom it has been given. That's the gift got us to give you a gift to be able to handle the sensual temptation and not falter.

And then he explains, for there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men and there are UNIX who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake, he was able to accept it, let him accept that there were three groups.

Jesus talked about who were single one was those who had a birth defect congenital anomaly that forbade them from reproduction number two. They were people made UNIX for harems and for King's courts and they were forced to go to a surgical procedure so they couldn't reproduce. But then there were those who voluntarily said I'm the stay single for the kingdom of God sake. Notice that Jesus said you have to have a gift to be able to do that. So to be single is one of God's gift. You might you might be thinking, God, please don't give me that gift make me a missionary to the darkest jungles of Africa. But please don't give me that gift if that's what you're thinking. You don't have the gift don't work don't work you'll know if you have the gift. I knew I didn't have the gift just out of curiosity, how many of you are married richer and thank you hands down out of your single hands on okay hands down now measure more time one more question, how many of your single who want to get married richer and to keep up. You might look around the ground.

The ground is helping you guys out a little bit okay. Who knows. So back to first you got that finally got back in verse 20 and subchapter seven this Isaiah is a concession, not a commandment. Verse seven.

I wish that all men were even as myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and the other in that single this is good if it's accompanied with celibacy, but it has to be accompanied by a gift of God. Melanie read the first seven verses do you any translation called the message translation by Eugene Peterson. I don't always like it as a translation is not an accurate translation by any means.

It's a paraphrase, but sometimes I think he captures the spirit of the tax in this particular one. I think he helps us understand now getting down to the question you asked in your letter to me.

First is good is it a good thing to have sexual relations, certainly, but only within the certain context it is good for a man to have a wife and for a woman to have a husband sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder.

The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality to husband seeking to satisfy his wife. Wife seeking to set offensive by her husband. Marriage is not a place to stand up for your rights. Marriage is a decision to serve the other whether in bed or out abstaining from sex is permissible only for a period of time. If you both agree to it and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting, but only for such times, then come back together again. Satan is Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect.

I'm not understand commanding these periods of abstinence only providing my best counsel if you should choose them. Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me a simpler life in many ways, but celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriages. God gives the gift of the single life to some the gift of the married life to others. I think that just sums it up beautifully of the spiritist which Paul was speaking about. So, to sum it up, singleness is good if it us celibacy. Second, being single is good, but it can also be tempting.

Third, a single lifestyle is wrong. If you're married and done number for both singleness and marriage are gifts from God and should be treated as such a beginning and check in now chapter 7 verse eight he is addressing the Christian who is married or considering marriage.

So first he is addressing those who are unmarried or formerly married then he addresses Christians who are married to other believers. Many addresses Christians were married to unbelievers and the unbeliever wants to stay with the believer and then he addresses believers married to unbelievers who don't want to stay with the believable want to bail on the marriage he addresses all of those issues because those of us must've been the questions that they ask Paul in the letter they wrote. So verse eight but I say to the unmarried aunt Thomas in Greek those that have never been married and to the widows, those who had been previously married but there husband died is good for them if they remain even this. I am, that's good. It's just a single that's good but if they cannot exercise self-control. Let the married, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion, what is he say that he said he says that because you can't serve the Lord as a single person if you're always battling the temptation the sexual temptation you're not can it not to live a happy, fulfilled life serving the Lord. That way, so it is better to go ahead and get married instead of living a life that is burning with passion. By the way, let me just add my two cents to it. If you are a believer and you find another believer and you guys decide to get married do it quickly. Don't have a long engagement. In other words, the CI were engaged to be married in five years when he met all my goodness you fight temptation sexual temptation for five years. If you know you're going to get married get married quickly go through all the necessary preparation in the day in which the New Testament was written. People were married when they were early teenagers. That was the norm parents prepare children for that commitment early on I realized that people today aren't necessarily emotionally as equipped evening in their 20s and sometimes in the 30s but get equipped. If you get engaged and get ready and get prepared and get married, don't have a long drawn out engagement.

That's my two cents is my opinion and I'm gonna stick to it. I'll throw in something else. As you're looking for the right person. Be careful because you might have an ideal that doesn't exist and if that ideal exists. You have a problem because why would that ideal person ever be attracted to you is the OCS have the IQ of Albert Einstein. She has to be a professional model and independently wealthy and and and and just totally awesome in all these ways really and she's going to fall in love with you. I mean what what about that IQ like Einstein again them so let me just say this focus is you're looking for the right person focus on being the right person that work on that part that you can control that you can work on building your self up the Bible says in the most holy faith. Build your self a man of God build yourself a woman of God to present to that man or woman in marriage. Members tend to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord of life is not to depart from her husband, there's language in this chapter the get some confused a little bit here is Paul saying this is what I'm saying get not I but the Lord and later on José, not the Lord but I almost sounds like Paul is saying this is my opinion this is just part of my advice, that is nobody saying when he says I'm a tell you something not I but the Lord is saying. The Lord Artie talked about this the Lord Jesus already had something to say about this issue when he says I'm in a say something, not the Lord but this is me talking, he doesn't doubt that as being authoritative and vacuous.

He says at the end of the chapter. I believe I have the authority of God. I'm inspired here when I say that, but he saying I'm now talking about things that the Lord Jesus didn't speak about in particular so we know, for example, Jesus spoke about celibacy and marriage and divorce, but he didn't talk about things like if you're married to an unbelieving spouse and the unbelieving spouse wants to stay or wants to depart. Jesus never talk touched on some of these issues. Paul does so here he says I say to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord, that is Jesus or the Lord is Artie talked about these issues previously. A wife is not to depart from her husband with the did the Lord Artie address that is sure to Genesis chapter 2. For this reason a man shall leave his father or mother be joined to his wife. The two shall become one flesh one flesh. Jesus used the one flesh in Matthew 19 in Matthew chapter 5 is a what God is joined, let not man separate. Don't divorce except for any deal for for any reason except for immorality, so he's Artie talked on that is Artie touched on a wife is not to depart Karen so divorce her husband. But even if she does depart would say she's is that enough irreconcilable differences. I'm just dump my husband but but there too.

Christians are married, let her remain unmarried.

This is her option. She stays unmarried or be reconciled to her husband and the husband is not to divorce his wife pretty straightforward. When we got married and said, tell death do us part.

That wasn't just a cool little things and wedding little cool awesome catchphrase that sounds kind of Elizabeth and the throw in at a marriage till death do us part means I'm here till I die because that has been the Lord's command from the beginning. It's pretty easy to understand the scriptural teaching on marriage pretty straightforward.

God's original intention his original design is one man and one woman for one lifetime. That's his original design does I get marred yesterday to get Matt messed up. Yes, this is sometimes need to be adjusted.

Yes, and the parameters are clearly laid out in Scripture, there is no ambiguity. Really, in these things, but even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried at this. This has bothered some believers. They say what will why do unbelievers. You know, get all forgiven for their passable believers you know are kind of like fenced in. Really, you know the answer that you and I are Christians you are called to a higher level where called and empowered by God to live at a higher level and so because were now under the covenant of God's grace all the passages washed away, but now as God's children. There are certain ways that we live that glorify God in her body and her spirit which belong to him. That's the higher standard. So he lays it out. Look stay married if one of you leaves then you have to stay unmarried, you live that way you've chosen that life so you stay unmarried. Now or at some point in the future you reconciled to the spouse you left those of the two options and it's pretty clear well there was other issues, though in the Corinthian church because what happens if a believer or let's say you have a marriage you have two unbelievers one gets saved in the same believe goes man I'm a Christian.

Now I want my my outlets a husband to be a Christian or I want my wife to be a Christian if you're a man so you got a believer and nonbeliever and the believer wakes up and he goes way to minute this is an unequal yoke I married to an unbeliever on didn't didn't Paul say only believers are to be married to believers but but now I find myself married to an unbelievable yeah, but that's because you you got saved yet but McNally married to an unbeliever now have an unequal yoke. Besides that, I met this real cute Christian girl at churches, thanks. I'm awesome and spiritual and smart and witty and maybe it's the Lord. Note your hormones. Pretty sure so he gives directions for that to the rest I say to the rest I'm not the Lord say that is this has been addressed specifically in the words of Jesus or in the Old Testament. If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. So the unbeliever says you know what I don't want to bail on the marriage I still love you as my spouse. I want to make these things work out. I don't agree with your religion.

Not all into that but I love you and I'm committed to you if you're a believer. Let that happen and he explains why a woman who has a husband who does not believe if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

What is it mean that one is sanctified by the other or tell you what it first doesn't mean it doesn't mean they are automatically saved because one person and that family is a believer that mean that because if it meant that he wouldn't of called them a spouse who doesn't believe he says give a husband who does not lose an unbeliever. When call of an unbeliever.

If there automatically save another believer so it doesn't mean that if you marry an unbeliever. The unbeliever is now saved.

It means there sanctified or set apart or in a position of influence by you, so here's the ideal immediate analogy.

The unbeliever is not directly under the spout with the blessing comes out you as a believer are under the spout were the blessing comes out, but as the blessing comes out on you, child of God. The droppings and the splashing's room to go on your family the grace of God is going to be conferred in an influential way a sanctifying way.

A special grace kind of a way because of the presence of just one believer in that house. The message from the series expound first, we want to share about an exciting opportunity you have particular knowledge of God's word even deeper.

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