The institution of marriage was established by God at the beginning of creation (Gen 2:18-25). He created man in his very image and likeness. He formed both man and woman and placed them in the earth for the following purposes:

· To serve and glorify God with their lives (Ecc 12:13).

· To procreate and populate the earth (Gen 1:28).

To be clear, he only created two genders: male and female. He made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, nor Pamela and Eve. He created marriage solely for a man and woman who would become one with each other and God. Jesus reinforced this truth before the religious elites, (Mt 19:5-6), “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made the male and female, (5) and said, ‘Therefore man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ (6) So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” These are Biblical truths and foundational for marriage. God remains unchanged in his Word regardless of the cultural trends of man’s society that is shaped by sinful men with debased minds that are hostile to God and his Word.

These fundamental tenets set the stage for exploration of Paul’s instructions on marriage in this sermon series where he will address issues of marriage, separation, virginity, and celibacy. Such teaching to the Corinthians on this subject is timely, as it appears they have yielded to the culture of their day and embraced moral laxity.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7
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