How does this verse connect with Jesus' teachings on marriage and commitment? Setting the scene in Corinth “ But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.” (1 Corinthians 7:28) Paul speaks to believers wrestling with whether singleness or marriage best serves Christ’s mission. He assures them marriage is good, yet candidly notes its trials. Jesus affirms the goodness and permanence of marriage • Matthew 19:4-6: “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” • Mark 10:11-12: Jesus calls remarriage after wrongful divorce “adultery,” underscoring covenant permanence. Paul’s “you have not sinned” harmonizes with Jesus’ teaching: marriage itself is righteous and rooted in creation design. Both acknowledge earthly challenges • Paul: “Those who marry will face troubles.” • Jesus: Though He blesses marriage, He also speaks of “persecution” and “tribulation” befalling disciples (Mark 10:29-30). • Shared reality: marriage occurs in a fallen world; stressing commitment does not deny hardship. Counting the cost: a unifying thread • Luke 14:28: “Which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?” • Paul echoes that wisdom—inviting believers to weigh marriage’s demands before proceeding. • Decision-making principle: commitment is not merely emotional but thoughtful, surrendered to Christ. Commitment as an act of discipleship • Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” • John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” – Marriage mirrors Jesus’ self-giving love. – The “troubles” Paul mentions become arenas for sanctification, refining spouses into Christ-likeness. How it all connects 1. Jesus sets the standard: covenant, fidelity, sacrificial love. 2. Paul confirms marriage is honorable, not sinful, yet realistic about difficulties. 3. Both call believers to enter marriage with eyes open, hearts committed, and wills surrendered to God’s design. 4. Challenges are not signs of failure but opportunities to live out Christ’s love daily. Living the passage today • Embrace marriage confidently—it is God-ordained and affirmed by both Jesus and Paul. • Anticipate trials without fear; they are forewarned, not abnormal. • Let Christ’s sacrificial model guide responses to marital stress. • Continually “count the cost,” choosing daily to honor the covenant, trusting God’s grace to sustain lifelong commitment. |
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