Christian Marriage

Marriage is a wonderful and exciting time for every Christian. In this guide we shall look at some of the rules and information surrounding Christian marriages.

Christian Marriage and the Bible

Marriage is one of the most important aspects of a Christian life – it is the bonding of two people in holy matrimony. There are over 500 references to marriage in the Old and New Testaments – clearly showing its importance.

In the USA approximately 45 percent of all marriages will end in divorce. However, Christian couples who regularly visit church have a 35 percent lower divorce rate than secular couples – largely due to their commitment to God and their respect for the sanctity of marriage. These lower divorce rates show that the Bible must be teaching something right about marriage.

In the Bible it says that marriage was designed for companionship and intimacy. The Bible can be contradicting though. One verse even says it is better not to be married – and many believe that celibacy is a way of achieving a greater spiritual relationship with God. An explanation for the verse negatively portraying marriage is that what was meant is that it is better to be unmarried than to be sexually immoral.

Christian Marriage Ceremonies

While weddings are a long-run tradition for Christians, there are no specific details as to what constitutes a marriage in the eyes of God in the Bible.

There are some factors that have been made clear, such as that a marriage should be a holy and divinely established covenant and that we must honor and obey our husband or wife as well as the laws of the Bible.

There are different beliefs as to what constitutes a marriage in the eyes of God. Some people believe that a marriage occurs when a relationship is consummated through sexual intercourse whereas others believe that a marriage occurs when a couple of legally married. A final view is that the couple is only married in the eyes of God when they have taken part in a formal wedding ceremony at a religious location.

The Bible on Divorce and Remarriage

According to the Bible and the rule that most Christians follow regarding divorce is that it should be avoided at all costs unless it is the only available option after all attempts to reconcile have failed.

Marriage vows are very serious to Christians, however divorces do occur and not all marriages will work – no matter how hard they try. Yet, there are several differing views on divorce and remarriage amongst Christians – some more liberal than others.

Some Christians believe that divorce and remarriage should not be allowed under any circumstances as it is a covenant meant for life. Others believe that divorce is allowed but remarriage is not – you only get one chance to make the mistake.

Many Christians believe that you can get divorced and remarried but only under certain circumstances – for example you may only remarry to a believer. The final view is that no matter what the circumstances are couples should be forgiven by God and allowed to divorce and remarry.

Christian Marriage and Sex Rules

In the eyes of most Christians, sex before marriage is forbidden and that it should be savored for the person you marry and will spend the rest of your life with.

Some areas of sex that are mentioned in the Bible include polygamy – which is sanctioned by the Old Testament. Other sanctioned areas of sex in the Bible include rape, the abuse of women and the keeping of concubines.

There are some sexual acts that some Christians believe are not permitted in the eyes of God whereas others may disagree. It is a very grey area, and open to interpretation. Sex is not sinful – as long as it is with your husband or wife in a loving relationship.

Adultery is highly frowned upon in Christianity and back in the times that the Bible was written it was as capital offense.