In search of Victory

1 Corinthians 7:6-16

My hope is that you study to have victory in this life, and come to grips with the truth, only Christ has lived the victorious life, but He has promised to do it all for us if we look to Him and not to ourselves.  Paul begins this part of the letter to the churches in Corinth with; “Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am.”  Paul a tentmaker, an apostle, but he is not referring to those factors, but to his singleness, Paul is not married. 

Now if there is any doubt about this Paul makes it clear in verse 8, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am.”   One should not stop reading at this point, for the next verse is key.  “But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

Before leaving this, we must look at the churches teaching about a Priest not being married, and this we know Peter had a mother-in-law, look at Matthew’s account and you will also find the account in Mark’s gospel, and Luke’s. These Scriptures, coupled with 1 Cor. 9:5, clearly depicts Peter as a married man.  And now we have a historical account of Priest whose singleness may be a large factor in the abuse of young girls and boys.  But being single is not the only factor, for if it were we would not have married pastors who do the same things.  Most of them are not directed at children, but at the opposite sex, so what is the cause?  It’s sin, it is a degenerate mind, a person who does these things is a user, and self, not God is on the throne of their life.

Paul makes clear that the above are his thoughts and when he is writing to the married woman and man these are not from him but the LORD. Verse 10-11, “To the married, I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.”  As we look at the church demographics on divorce, it does not seem to be what is reported or stated often, it is not the same as unchurched, but it is still very high.  “Professor Bradley Wright, a sociologist at the University of Connecticut, explains from his analysis of people who identify as Christians but rarely attend church, that 60 percent of these have been divorced. Of those who attend church regularly, 38 percent have been divorced.” 

It could be that the reason 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, is often not preached is the 38 percent sitting in the pews, but we all need the full counsel of the Word of God.  It is clear that a divorce is a tool of the enemy; for once again his end game is to destroy.  Marriage and the rearing of children are not for the weak, it’s hard work, and yet when one experiences oneness in marriage and sees the results of children growing to become godly adults, joy fills our heart.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice