Featured " shacking up" and marriage in the eyes of God

Sounds like a loving church. You're very blessed.

 

I do not mean to sound like I am attacking you but I am seeing a pattern here. You do not like church membership and now you seem to agree with not getting married. What I am seeing is a problem with commitment. That seems to be a real phobia with you.

 

The paper doesn't make you married. It acknowledges that you are. Even Adam and Eve had a wedding officiated by God and witnessed by the angels.

I have a piece of paper issued by El Paso County Colorado that says madre and I exchanged our vows 34 years ago. We've had to use it half a dozen times over the years as proof of our marriage. I doubt any of those places would've taken our word for it that we had made a lifelong committment to each other.

Our marriage is much more than just paper. It is two joining together physically, emotionally and spiritually to serve and honor God.

I'm bi-vocational and to earn my keep I drive commercially. I'm pretty good at what I do. I didn't get my driving skills because I got a piece of paper from the DMV. I had to demonstrate my ability to operate the equipment, answer a series of questions on a written exam and pass a physical. Nobody would take my word for it. If I had a roadside encounter with a state trooper the first thing he would ask for would be my license. That little government issued document is the accepted proof that I am allowed to operate the vehicle. Now that I think on it, without the license I wouldn't be working where I am. The first qualification was that I had to have a CDL. "I can drive that thing." wasn't good enough.

Your friends say they are married. Where's the proof? In our society that requires some documented evidence. They don't have it. They are shacking up.

 

To everyone that thinks it is OK to be married by a member of the clergy for religious reasons but not sanctioned by the government, i.e. no marriage license, would your method extend to other faiths? For example, if a Muslim couple were to get married under Sharia law, would you recognize it. Think about it...

 

The only thing that is different is what the law allows as grounds for divorce. Accepting a marriage certificate as proof of marriage is nothing more than being able to show you have followed God's law, because you have chosen to be married rather than live in sin.

By the same token, Jesus' statement that immorality (not "infidelity" which means something broadly different) is grounds for divorce simply defines for the believer what grounds he/she has for divorce. Regardless of what the state says is a valid reason.

Being attacked is no reason to "change your mind." As I said, words are just words, posts are just posts.

 

God instituted marriage between a man and a woman, and he gave that to ALL mankind, both saved and the unsaved, so there will be BOTH civil marriages performed by culutre recogised as being duly appointed ahents to administer that to couples, and also there will be marriage between christians , which would fall under biblcal guidelines to who to marry, if divorce permitted, can one remarry again etc...

Those who are saved fall under God and church prihibtions and standards, while those unsaved under civil courts/judges/justice of the peace etc...

So yes, do see God would say that if a marriage was disolved between unbeliver by proper appointed authority, to Him it is undone!

For God set up the governing authorities, and he also will abide by decisions they make regarding marriage in this case, as He hates divorce, but that is mainly among his covenant peoples, but permits due to "hardness of hearts" divorce among unsaved as part of maintaining society!

Alternative would be couples divorced by the state, but god stills honors tham as married, so would be continual pologomy/adultery going on!

 

• I have read all the post thus far and I totally agree with this one.

 

In the seven times I have been married, I have only shacked up five. The last two we did not live together, so I am progressing towards that Scriptural goal. On the third marriage, I had married a Catholic, so it was really an annulment. I had to pay the bishop a fee to get the paperwork through. The only way I will ever get a 50th anniversary picture is a group photo.

On the serious side, I do not believe two people can be married in "the eyes of God" and skipped the ceremony as required by the law of each state. God commands us to obey the local law, and do not believe that is what the Lord would bless. In the first post, if the family has a good family, serves the Lord through a local church, and has all the evidence of a Christian family, why not spend a couple of hours getting married. What is the big deal?

Now, I do believe that two people can go through a marriage ceremony and not be married in the eyes of God, by living as roommates or brother and sister instead of husband and wife.

 

You're probably one of those wild ones that dated outside the family, too.:tongue3:

In many places (Canada for one, eh.) folks can have two weddings: one civil and the other religious. There is no obligation for the religious ceremony but there is for the civil. That's where the marriage gets all the proper documentation, registration and what not. That is giving to Caesar what is Caesar's. Afterward the couple (legally married in the eyes of the state) head off to the church and render unto God what is God's.

As the gentleman from Lone Oak asked, "What's the big deal?" I suspect there is something in the woodpile that ain't wood. I counseled with a couple that was living together who wouldn't get legally married because she would lose a nice fat monthly check from her ex-husband if she did. That was not their first answer to my question but I have learned that if you bang around that woodpile long enough whatever is in there will come out. :thumbsup:

 

There are many government handouts to people that shack up and have kids.

 

When that time comes, we won't be here.

 

marriage NOT based upon laws of man, but upon the order of God, instituted by Him for all mankind!

and as Christians, we would see marriage as necessary to have a valid relationship between a man and a woman before god!

 

Why did you say we've been expected to get a license for "hundreds of years?" They may have started issuing licenses, but what happened before that? Common law marriages are being faded out and still exist in places, they weren't phased in.

What's more scary is that many want to phase out the concept of marriage as outdated.

 

* tumbleweeds *

 

Well there is nothing spiritual about that, there is nothing biblical about that. And there is nothing wrong biblically or any other way with our marriage format.