Marriage bed undefiled; What does it mean?
Chapter 13 is the concluding chapter of the book of
Hebrews and ends with a series of final exhortations to Christians. Verse 4
says, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be
undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (NASB). The Greek
word translated “undefiled” is only used in this exact form four times in the
New Testament, and it means “uncontaminated” or “set apart.” Hebrews 7:26 uses
this word to describe Jesus Christ, our high priest, and James 1:27 says that
“undefiled” religion is that which helps widows and orphans and remains
unstained by the world.
The marriage bed is to be kept pure or undefiled. In
other words, the sexual intimacy shared between a husband and wife is to be
reserved for that couple alone. God created the sexual union to be between a
husband and a wife. Period. Only. No other use of sexuality is ever condoned in
Scripture. To abuse or misuse God’s gift of sex is to defile the marriage bed.
A marriage bed can be defiled in several ways:
1. Fornication. When two unmarried people engage in
sexual intercourse, they are defiling God’s good gift of sex. Those who have
not vowed themselves to each other in a binding lifetime union have no right to
exploit the culmination of such a vow. Sex was designed to be the final act of
consecration when a couple pledge their lives to each other in a sacred
covenant. All forms of sexuality outside a marriage union are bringing dishonor
to the honorable institution of marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18).
2. Adultery. When one or both parties in a sexual
union are married to someone else, God calls their sexual acts adultery.
Adultery was punishable by death under God’s Old Covenant with Israel
(Deuteronomy 22:22; Leviticus 20:10). Even though we no longer live under that
covenant, adultery is still high on God’s list of moral evils (Matthew 5:28,
32) and is always named as a sin that keeps unrepentant offenders from
inheriting the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9).
3. Homosexuality. Another defilement of the marriage
bed is the perversion of men having sex with men or women with women. Despite
our world’s current embrace of homosexual practice, this vile act has never
been and will never be sanctioned or blessed by God. Homosexuality is a distortion
of God’s gift of physical unity between husband and wife and is the only sexual
activity labelled an abomination (Leviticus 20:13). The prohibition against
homosexuality carries right into the New Covenant, as it is listed with those
sins that keep the unrepentant out of the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9; 1
Timothy 1:9–10; Jude 1:7).
4. Prostitution. Proverbs 7 gives a detailed look at
the destruction that comes upon a young man who allows himself to be seduced by
a harlot. The sin of harlotry is often used as a metaphor for unfaithful Israel
(Hosea 4:15; Jeremiah 3:8; Judges 8:33). Christians are warned to avoid such
immorality because of the sacredness of the marriage bed (1 Corinthians
6:15–16; Ephesians 5:3).
5. Pornography. Using pornography for sexual
gratification is a more modern way to defile the marriage bed. Pornographic
books, videos, sexting, and the use of other sexually explicit materials also
defile the sanctity of the sexual union between a man and wife. Porn has the
effect of bringing strangers into the bedroom, even if only through the eyes.
Jesus warned that lust associated with looking at a woman is equivalent to
adultery before God (Matthew 5:28). Pornography has elevated sexual lust to an
art form, but it is still corrupting to the heart and a sinful defiling of the
sexual act.
God created human beings to be pure in body and
spirit. Sexual union between a husband and wife was a part of that purity
(Genesis 2:24–25). When Adam and Eve sinned, sexuality was tainted along with
everything else. Jesus purchased the power to reclaim that purity through His
sacrificial death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). No sin, including sexual
immorality, is too great for the power of that atoning death and resurrection
to pardon. Even though we may have defiled the marriage bed in many ways, God
can restore sexual purity and holiness when we repent and commit our lives to
following Him (Psalm 51:7; 1 John 1:7). also check out this link 10 strategies to help solve your marriage problems
Comments
Post a Comment