Together We Stand

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

TOGETHER WE STAND

1 Cor 7:1-7
7:1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.   2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 
NIV
It would appear at first the Apostle Paul was rewriting the expressed comment of God that “Is it not good for man to be alone”. Yet within the context it, the original language, the footnotes to this NIV and other translations it is best stated that Paul was saying it is best not to attach or touch a woman. This would be aimed at men visiting those temple prostitutes. The instruction here is instead of continuing with those kinds of immoral behaviors, that the institution of marriage should be honored. Surely Paul interjects some, what seems, to be personal opinion about staying chaste for we know that God determined He would provide a woman for man as a mate for the very expressed reason of filling the earth with other men and women.  Marriage is an institution of God, although we can agree that it would seem the opposite here. But we are sexual beings just as God has created us. He gave us those desires, and the functions to fulfill them. The problem is fulfilling them outside the marriage vows. We are instructed that we cannot refuse our spouses of that fulfillment for any reason other than by mutual consent. That simply means no, “not tonight, I am tired” or “I don’t feel like it tonight” to be honest here, both by the wife and the husband. Now even though we do not have the temptation of visiting temple prostitutes we surely are bombarded with all sorts of visual temptations for both the woman and the man. In addition we are also faced from time to time with opportunities to indulge desires outside the marriage bed. Our society in some sense is not that much different than that of those in Corinth. We who are believers should take special note and examine, with complete honesty and sincerity, our hearts to insure we do not fall into any trap set by Satan to dishonor our marriage vows, in thought, word or deed. It is for certain that we are not perfect, and that we might possibly fail in this area at some time briefly, or even for a season. But we must also know that we have fallen and repent, and restore. Yes we make mistakes sometimes that we cannot undo and must go forward from that moment recommitting our faith and our solemn oath as a member of one family. God gave us to each other and let no man, not even Satan tear us apart. Together we stand.