The Marriage Bond

The writer of Hebrews turns to love within the marriage bond—how we treat our partner. Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." That opening phrase should be understood as a command: "Let marriage be held in honor among all" (NASB). In God's eyes marriage is an honorable estate. He established marriage at creation and has honored it ever since. We should do no less.

Paul warns that in the last days false teachers will "forbid marriage" (1 Tim. 4:3), apparently thinking that celibacy is better, that somehow marriage just gets in the way. Not so says the Lord. Marriage is not only permissible, it is honorable. God established it. Jesus honored it with His first miracle. The Holy Spirit used it as a picture of the church in the New Testament. So we too must honor marriage and hold it in high esteem. And that means keeping "the bed undefiled" (v. 4b).

In 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul tells us to "flee sexual immorality." "Sexual immorality" means "fornication." It comes from the root word meaning "fornicators" in the Greek, which occurs in Hebrews 13:4. "Fornicators" and "adulterers" do not honor marriage, they tear it down. Those people "God will judge" (v. 4c). We are not to be like them. It is our moral responsibility to be sexually pure, keeping  the "marriage bed undefiled."

Much like today, in the ancient world to remain sexually pure was a novel idea. For them chastity was an unreasonable demand to make. At that time, it was seen by many as a miracle that Christians were able not only to demand such purity, but that they could make it work. As in that day, we too must make it work.

For the Christian, remaining pure and keeping marriage honorable as God designed it is a must. No matter how well we sustain our love for one another and for unbelievers, no matter how much sympathy we show to those in need, if we break down in this area and do not keep ourselves pure, our testimony to those same unbelievers will be destroyed. We cannot afford to let that happen. As Paul said, "Do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints" (Eph. 5:3). Amen.