Continuous love in marriage honors God

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. We continue to draw encouragement to show our gratitude to God for bringing us into His kingdom from these Scriptures in Heb. 13. From verse one, we are encouraged to let our love be continuous. I take that to be another way of saying live to love with Jesus. We are to continually be abiding in Christ so that His love can flow through us as fruit for the glory of God. The author calls our love an acceptable service to God. Beside loving hospitality and remembering prisoners and the ill-treated, we are to understand that we can show our gratitude to God by faithfulness in marriage. Of course, we would expect most believers to be married to another believer, which means that how we love our spouses is an expression of love for Jesus. The most continuous application of Jesus’ love in my life is toward my wife. To be sexually unfaithful to one’s spouse is to defile, corrupt, soil, or stain the bed upon which their marriage was consummated. The marriage union declared in the ceremony is completed by the first act of sexual intercourse. It is a physical expression of a spiritual and social reality. That union is to be honored because it is the highest good for the couple, the family, and the believing community. However, because marriage was instituted by God, our fidelity in marriage also honors Him. Living to love with Jesus starts with the first and last person we see most days—my spouse. This love is to be continuous, as verse one said, “Let the love of the brethren continue.” If we are married, then having a God-honoring marriage relationship is one part of the race that is set before us, which requires endurance. The only way we can love like that is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who gave His life for His bride. He fought every temptation within to abandon His bride and serve His own flesh, even to the point of shedding blood. If Jesus lives in us, then we should expect that kind of love to flow out of us toward our spouses. Faithful, enduring, undefiled, pure love continues throughout our lifetimes toward one woman or man with whom we have both declared our commitment publicly and privately consummated that union physically. We have a clear statement by the Holy Spirit that God will judge those who do not hold marriage in honor. Which, by the way, needs to be stated, is only between a man and a woman. To have sex outside of marriage is to dishonor marriage. To have sex with someone who is not your wife or husband is to dishonor marriage. To dishonor marriage is to dishonor God. God will judge not only the sin but also the people who bring shame to Him and the marriage bed. If you have failed to be faithful in your marriage and have defiled your marriage bed, then it’s because you didn’t believe Jesus is your life. You were entangled by unbelief and set your eyes on someone other than Jesus and your spouse. There’s no one else other than blame. I encourage you today to lay aside this sin and the unbelief and repent. Turn your eyes on Jesus and receive His forgiveness, cleansing, and new life. Quit trying to live for Him, and receive His life to be lived through you until the day you die. Purpose to live to love with Jesus every day until your final breath. If you live to love with Jesus, you will overcome the flesh and will honor both God, marriage, and your spouse. Living to love with Jesus is to let love be a continuous expression in your life, which is how you show gratitude to God for His bringing you into His kingdom. Give it forward: www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.