LET EVERY MAN HAVE HIS OWN WIFE

The disastrous decline in moral and spiritual standards continues in the western world. UK official statistics show that in I960, a divorce took place every twenty minutes. Since 1980, a divorce has taken place every three minutes or, to put it another way, in the 1950s, a million divorces would have taken thirty years. Since 1980 a million divorces will have occurred every six years. Not only has there been an increase in the divorce rate but there has been a reduction in marriages. Compared to the 1950s, there are now 25% fewer marriages but five times as many divorces every year.

In our reading today the propriety of marriage is dealt with in verses 1-2. Society as a whole would do well to heed the counsel of these verses. Many a heartache and social problem would have been avoided if men and women had remained faithful to their own wives and husbands. The standard of the word of God never changes - God hates divorce, Mal. 2. 16, and will judge those who commit adultery, Heb. 13. 4.

In verses 3-5 the teaching concerns responsibility within marriage. The husband and wife should show kindness to one another, v. 3. The clear teaching is that in terms of the whole person, property, indeed in every respect, the husband and wife belong to each other. An alternative reading of ‘due benevolence,’ could be rendered ‘due debt’, or ‘that which is owed’, which brings home the responsibility of the partners one to another.

The declining standards of society seem often to creep into the lives of believers. Divorce and remarriage are on the increase amongst Christians as well. Why is this? Is it because we have lost the truth of separation - that is, separation from all that is evil? Instead of a passive acceptance of the standards of this present evil world there should be a rejection of its values and low moral standards. As believers we should be marked out as those who will obey the word of God whatever it costs. May it be true of us that we will endeavour to illustrate in our marriages the love of Christ for His bride the church, and the bride’s love for Him, Eph. 5. 25, 33.