Sunday, May 17, 1998 This Week’s Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from Matthew 19:1-12, I Corinthians 7:7-9, I Corinthians 7:32-35, Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:21-25, and Romans 16:3-5, the lesson focused on the issues of being single and being married. Should a single person try to remain single? Should a married person remain married in all instances? In Matthew 19:1-12, the Pharisees challenged Jesus on the institution of marriage and the practice of divorce by asking Him if it were lawful for a man to put away or divorce his wife. Jesus' simple reply was that from the beginning divorce had not been an acceptable option but that Moses had given a decree allowing divorce in certain instances. Jesus told the Pharisees that when a man marries a divorced woman he commits adultery with her. His disciples responded by saying that maybe people should not even get married. But Jesus told them that only for those, to whom remaining single had been given, should marriage not be pursued. God sets high standards on marriage. His desire is for a man and woman to enter into a Christ-based, Christ-centered marriage from the start and then to remain in that relationship for life. Of course, as many can attest from their own experiences, this ideal is many times not acheived in our current society.
In I Corinthians, Chapter Seven, the Apostle Paul dealt with the issue of being single or being married. His conclusion was that a single person can be more committed to the cause of Christ because of the fewer claims on his or her life. Thus, in his opinion, remaining single was definitely not a bad thing and could even be a good thing. He also recognized, however, the temptations which a single person faces and stated that it would be better for that person to marry than to stumble into any of those temptations. Obviously, sexual immorality is one of the very big temptations for an unmarried person in today's economy, and it was also a problem in the Corinthian church. In Matthew 19:4-6 and Ephesians 5:21-25, the Quarterly discussed marriage as a lifelong commitment which involves mutual responsibility. The Apostle Paul supported this truth by writing to the church at Ephesus and telling them that healthy relationships require hard work. He asked Christian women to freely submit to their husbands and challenged Christian men to love their wives as Christ loved the church.
Being married does not mean that the married couple cannot effectively serve the Lord. Acquila and Priscilla are an example of a married couple who faithfully served Christ by holding church in their own home. They demonstrated Christian hospitality and even helped Paul. The point of this lesson is not unlike the point of so many Bible lessons. Our purpose in life should be to serve the Christ Who bled and died for us on the cross at Calvary. If you name Jesus as your Savior, then serve Him to the best of your ability whether you are single or whether you are married. When you are doing this, then you will be hitting the mark which both He and the Apostle Paul were trying to establish for the institution of marriage.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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