Better to Marry (I Cor 6-7:9)

“But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn” (I Cor 7:9)

It is better to marry than to live in sin. We are, at all costs, to avoid fornication, and MARRIAGE is given for this reason.

Don’t make your own rules; follow what He gives, and you will have life and peace.
The trick is NOT how many women I can sleep with, but can I be faithful to my wife? The trick is not how many, but can I remain faithful and steadfast in my single condition?

Marriage has been given; use it to your benefit.


First, we can have faults as believers, “I speak to your shame” (I Cor 6:5). We are not above correction. Scripture says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable to you”, and again those who preach the gospel “admonish you” (Heb 13:17; I Thess 5:12). Don’t be put off by the admonishments of the Lord. You and I have SHAMEFUL things about us that can be forgiven, if we admit our sin. But, if we REFUSE to be reproved, we bring danger and harm upon ourselves and DESPISE the fear of the Lord.

Be not like the horse and the mule that won’t listen; receive counsel to the saving of your soul, health and joy of your life!

Secondly, we are different, “And such were some of you: but you washed yourselves, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God” (I Cor 6:6-11). Believers are clean. We have gone through the wash of Jesus Christ, come out on the side of holiness, and we love God and man. We are NEW creations.

We are NOT to live as the world or SEEK what the world esteems. We are a radically different and chosen people. We are the ones that God predetermined to save from the foundation of the world, the ones that He GAVE eternal life to, and this LIFE has changed us. He gives every child of God this power to prove the forgiveness of sins, and now we’re to live in newness of life, rejecting the old. Never go back to bondage; live the new life RADICALLY and completely.

Thirdly, joining the Lord Jesus to harlots is an abomination He takes special notice of for its filth, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornications sins against his own body (I Cor 6:15-18). Fornication is promoted in the USA, but not by God. It is an evil that defiles us, disturbs Him, and is FAR BELOW the inheritance we have been redeemed unto. It is not the way of the saints. Flee from it. Run to Christ and be clean of your past, present, and future. Believe the Lamb of God to escape something so defiling.

This is not an indifferent issue to be lightly examined. Scripture says, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becomes saints” (Eph 5:3). You have been redeemed to a new life, and you are to LIVE it by the grace of God, not DRAWING BACK because of the sin that is in us, but obtaining mercy to live beyond our strength in holiness by the gospel.

Fourthly, it is good to be single, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman” (I Cor 7:1). Do not be duped by BELIEVERS who tell you and me it is better to marry; it is only better if the Lord Jesus has given you someone to marry, someone that you wish to be with sexually. We are not to think the happy life or full life starts AFTER we marry. According to scripture, single believers have more now. We have the ability to give ourselves to God WITHOUT distraction (I Cor 7:28-35).

Yes, it is HARD being single because we covet, lust, and naturally desire fellowship, but it is HARD because we make it hard by unbelief. We try to be happy WITHOUT doing what God says, thinking we’ll serve God when He gives a spouse to us, but it isn’t true. Live the LIFE that He gave you, and don’t say it is unsatisfying, because you say that Christ is insufficient, when you do so. Live to be “holy both in body and in spirit”, and you’ll experience EXACTLY what He says, that it is GOOD for us not to marry, if we can avoid it, if we have the gift (I Cor 7:34, 8-9).

Everyone can’t stay single, and we shouldn’t try. But, the Lord gives us SOMEONE to marry before it is time to marry.

Lastly, the marriage CONTRACT has certain obligations, “The wife has not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband has not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer” (I Cor 7:3-5). When you enter that contract, you covenant before God to live up to your end of the bargain. You say, “I will be the husband/wife God commands me to be. I am a child of God”. When marriage is hard, when sins have made separation, then the answer is not rebellion. The answer is faith in Christ that enables you to live godly with joy. Husbands and wives, don’t hate each other. Give YOURSELF to the other person implicitly. Do not withdraw because of sin, but by Christ, press forward into the wealth of SUPERNATURAL grace that is for you.

If we don’t FORGIVE, then we don’t know God. Let not the sun go down on your anger, and be reconciled and loving to the person GOD gave you whom you TOOK for yourself.

Purge Out the Old Leaven (I Cor 5)

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (I Cor 5:7).

We must cast out the unbeliever posing as the child of God. The gospel cannot be defiled, so we maintain the INTEGRITY of Christ, calling upon men to REPENT or give up the profession. Christ doesn’t save you your way and on your terms; either have His salvation, or you CAN’T claim His name among the saints.

The world is WICKED and to be loved, but sinners who profess Christ and live wickedly are to be cast out. No one should think, “I’m saved. I do enough. I live MOSTLY how God tells me, but in these areas, I will NOT repent”. We are to BOW to the Son of God’s love, and He DECLARES that His salvation saves.

Yes, we’re EVIL in self, but that isn’t all that we are. In fact, the evil in self and our utter helplessness against our foes DRIVES us to JUSTIFICATION by faith and the HELP of the Spirit. God is FOR us, and to say that He cannot save the believer’s walk and conduct is a denial of His power to forgive sins and save sinners. He does ALL that He says.

We know BELIEVERS fail, and we have our Samson, Solomon, and Lot. We know that Paul went back to Jerusalem, Peter went back to the law, and Mark went BACK from the ministry (Acts 21:4; Gal 2:11-14; Acts 15:38). Yet, the Lord stood by them all. Paul confessed himself a Pharisee to ease the fear of man, and yet the Lord Jesus enabled him to CONFESS Christ to his death (Acts 23:6).

Sinners and SAINTS are DIFFERENT. The sinner has no Savior; the believer does.

First, if we don’t deal with the sinner, then the licentious doctrine permeates the church, and we have a mind of, “Believe some facts, but don’t worry about the life”, and our gospel is VOID of holiness, which is VOID of Christ COMPLETELY, “Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (I Cor 5:6). No one who says, “I can’t, so I won’t” has inheritance in the kingdom. We BELIEVE God for the salvation of our lives by the power that He gives.
It is not that we can do anything, but that God can do the impossible. We CAN’T stay holy, can’t follow God, and CAN’T deny ourselves unto the death. Yet, God works this in all that believe. He pardons the sinners and gives STRENGTH to the faint. He unfolds our depravity, pardons the sins, and puts power into our hearts by the Spirit, which is His gift for Christ’s sake. So, it won’t matter how evil you are; it only matters that you believe, and if you do, sin shall not reign, repentance is given, and the man in error will run to God’s Son. The believer FEARS the consequences of sin and avoids it, fleeing to grace.

Secondly, we sincerely and truly believe the gospel; it is not a lie, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor 5:8). We are not those, like Judas, who kiss the Savior we betray. We are like Peter, convicted of God, promised salvation, and BELIEVING by grace.

Peter failed, but he loved the Son of God, as his life would show. Saints have failures, saints lie asleep, and saints are GUILTY of everything EXCEPT forsaking the Son of God and leaving Him. We are not JUDGING as we cast sinners out or warn the saints, we are doing them good and honoring the gospel. Love motivates us to care for men. We speak to him, bear patient with him, and cast him out in love, delivering “such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (I Cor 5:5).

“Repent, or else” is the message to the saints: you can’t be the SAME and say you’ve been born again.

Thirdly, do not have any fellowship with hypocrites and those that walk contrary to the gospel, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer [hateful speech], or a drunkard, or an extortioner [take by force]; with such a one no not to eat” (I Cor 5:11). We cast out those who won’t repent because we must not compromise God’s way to please men.

Don’t CARE what they say about you. It is FAR better to suffer for obedience than for your sin. It is better to be hated for your holiness than ridiculed for your sins. Don’t back up because man, churches, etc, will be offended. Live for Christ NO MATTER WHO it hurts. Let children, wives, servants, citizens, etc, be in subjection to authority, but let no one make you serve men instead of God (I Cor 7:23). Their FROWNS and applause mean nothing. Our concern is the glory of God in the gospel and the FRUIT of that message in men.

Lastly, the man who won’t repent is wicked, “put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (I Cor 5:13). He is not a brother who stumbles, a brother who needs more time, etc. He is EVIL to the core, hateful to God, selfish, and WICKED in every regard. It DOESN’T MATTER what else he says or what “fellowship” we’ve had with him in times past. If he REFUSES the gospel of grace (and that’s what he does by rejecting holiness), then he is not saved, as much as he worshiped Satan (Lev 17:7).