Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
In case you haven’t noticed it lately, there is an assault on marriage and the Biblical view of sexual relationships. It has been happening since the early 1960’s, and has continued to broaden and deepen. And to challenge this worldview brings cancellation.
So why is there a concerted effort to devalue marriage and sexual purity? In their view, marriage is just a culturally constructed structure of a backward, oppressive era that must be eliminated in order for the utopian ideals they promote to be fully realized. But why choose marriage as the target?
In their view, marriage was a necessity because of the vulnerability of human infants. Two parents were needed to ensure the survival of the infant. Having the protection of both parents meant success.
But now, in their view, survival is not an issue. Single parents can raise children because of the social support networks that exist. And with artificial insemination, husbands aren’t needed. And if there is no need for the permanent presence of a husband, then any combination of sexual partners is acceptable.
Now I have condensed the thinking process down to the bare bones, but there is more. For millennia, marriage has been the central institution of society. It was sanctioned by the state and by religious institutions. It was seen as the foundation for societal survival. Population growth was essential for the survival of the ruling structures.
But now the view has changed. They believe that there are too many people on the planet, and for some, that people are the cancer in this self-sustaining world. If people were gone, the the planet would be in perfect balance. We are the ones causing all the problems.
And in some respects this is the truth. We have, because of God’s design, a different role in the world than other creatures. We are meant to rule and reign as God’s regents. And we are doing a pretty terrible job of it is some areas.
But those who are attacking marriage and sexual norms generally don’t believe in God’s ownership of this place. They believe in human autonomy. There is no outside guiding force in this world, and as such, we get to define our role and responsibilities.
So the attack on marriage is an attack on God’s authority in this world. Marriage is one of the most fundamental structures in all societies. It has existed since the beginning, and will endure, despite the current attacks. For all their attacks, they still get upset when their spouse cheats on them.
We need to honor marriage. It needs to be lifted up and lived out. In the church we seem to do a decent job of lifting up marriage, but all too often we don’t do a good job of living it out. Take a look at the divorce rate for people claiming Jesus as Lord.
Let’s start in our own homes. Honor marriage. Start with your own, if you are married. Raise the priority you give to maintaining your relationship with your spouse. Make more space in your calendar for investment opportunities. Be more deliberate about how you talk to your spouse. Deal with them as if your life depended on their survival and their thriving relationship with you and the LORD.
We may not be able to influence the whole culture, but we can change the atmosphere in our homes. Honor marriage!
The Arnold Journey 