Living together outside of marriage is addressed in Scripture as a matter of personal holiness and societal witness. The apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 7:2 and 7:9 that marriage is the appropriate context for intimate relationships, while Hebrews 13:4 emphasizes the importance of honoring marriage and keeping the marriage bed pure. In Genesis 2:24, the creation account establishes the foundation for marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman. As believers are called to be transformed by renewing their minds, as seen in Romans 12:2, they are to discern God's will and live according to His standards in all aspects of life, including relationships.
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But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ?
Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
“I have no husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband. In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You have spoken truthfully.”
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.