Cohabitation

"That people do not live together until they are willing to commit their lives to one another"

:applause: :applause:


It's no different than the Church, people are more reluctant to completely commit. Sign of the times!

 

Don't you mean anti-anti-cohabitation.... or pro-habitation:thumbs:

 

Hey, thats the sermon I saw on TinyTim's sermon page of his file...I smell a rat.

 

<scratches head>

I. THE SIN OF COHABITATION

A. MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE...
1. The Bible speaks of the honor of marriage - He 13:4
2. Of course, marriage was first instituted by God - cf. Mt 19:4-6
3. It symbolizes the relationship between Christ and His church - cf. Ep 5:22-33
4. It also serves as a deterrent to fornication (sexual immorality) - cf. 1 Co 7:2,8-9

B. COHABITATION IS FORNICATION...
1. Fornication is sex outside of the marriage bond
2. The Greek word porneia includes "adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc." - Thayer
3. Thus cohabitation falls under the condemnation described earlier - cf. He 13:4
4. It can keep one out of the kingdom of God - 1 Co 6:9-10; Ga 5:19-21


</scratching>

 

What About This Situation?

Two professing Christians (a man and a woman in their 60s) unmarried, but living under the same roof. They have no intimate contact. They do not pretend to be married. Their reason for living together is economic. They both work and share chores and expenses of the household. Is this sinful? Does the admonition "abstain from the very appearance of evil" apply?

 

I knew a brother and sister who did this after her husband died. He had never been married. Both of them were about 75.

 

Paul told the Church at Corinth

A Christian is known by all he is in contact with, his life is a book. I am sure you have heard the phrase, 'You may be the only Bible some folks ever read'.

What kind of witness is it to neighbors who know you are not married, yet living together?

I am reminded of a passage out of Genesis 2:

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his

Are there any other legitimate reasons for a man to cohabitate with a woman other than to be one flesh? We are not to be conformed to the ways of the world, but rather to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Are we pleasing to the Lord when we live as the world lives? No noticable difference? Is the man living with the woman outside of wedlock causing others to stumble? Does this bring a reproach on the name of Christ?

Would the neighbor be hesitant to hear your witness for the Lord if you was doing something that that neighbor had been taught was sin growing up?

 

Would a neighbor believe you when you said that you were chaste?

Did he believe Clinton when he said he didn't inhale?

Did he believe Haggard when he said he didn't take the meth he bought?

Nobody who didn't just roll off the turnip truck would believe that such a person was a follower of Christ.

 

Exactly. Which answers the question of whether it is right to cohabitate even if there is no sexual contact between the two.

The answer is the Christian should not cohabitate with one of the opposite sex outside of marriage.

 

I agree SFIC :thumbs:

 

Amen!

Are we discussing ceremonial (societal) marriage, or the act of marriage? If we cohabit with our virgin, we are married, papers or no papers. How can we commit fornication with our wife; or if a widow, and widower cohabit, do they not become man and wife?

 

A simple "NO" here will suffice!!! I would call them fornicators!

 

Though there may not be any actual sin, there is no way for the casual observer to know that and some may be offended assuming the worst.

1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

If they are widow/widower let them marry and be celibate if that is their desire.

BTW, there are groups of "cohabitators" of this kind all over America, they are called nursing homes, but there is no offence.

HankD​

 

If you become a Christian you are allowed to stay with the non-Christian spouse, but we are not allowed to take a non Christian partner.

I know God wants peace but would someone like to elaborate on the above.

 

Agreed. Not to mention apartment dwellers, some college dorms, fire stations, my own local ambulance service, and military vessels as well and no one 'automatically' assumes the worst of any of these save perhaps some "college dorms". But, in general, I agree that 'appearance' sometimes takes 'precedence' over the fact.

Ed

 

That's a "gimmie" there, Hank!! I don't believe your statement here qualifies as the OP's subject