TUESDAY, JUNE 20
1 Corinthians 7:3-5
Ephesians 5:22-33

"Defraud ye not one the other…"

MARRIAGE OBLIGATIONS

Married life comes with obligations to one’s spouse. In line with Scriptural teaching, the bridegroom pledges the following during the exchange of the marriage vows: "I, (name of groom) … take thee, (name of bride) …, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my troth. Amen." The bride would then make the same pledge, with the additional pledge to obey the man. God is the witness of their vows and will take seriously the pledge they have made to each other. The husband must love his wife, and the wife must submit to her husband (Eph 5:22-25).

One obligation in marriage is to fulfil the sexual needs of the spouse. The husband owes it (opheilō) to the wife to perform his conjugal duties and vice versa. Did they not pledge to give their bodies to each other in their marriage vows? There will of course be occasions where there is a need to leave off such activity because of spiritual concerns of fasting and prayer. However, this must be by mutual consent. Even then, it must not be for a prolonged period, otherwise Satan will soon create problems for the marriage!

When husband and wife do not perform their conjugal duties, they are defrauding (i.e. depriving) their bodies from their spouse. This is a breaking of the Seventh (infidelity in marriage), Eighth (stealing of one’s body from the other) and Ninth Commandments (breaking of the marriage vow).

Alas, there are married couples who do not heed these biblical teachings seriously. Some abandon their spouses to pursue worldly attainments of their own covetous hearts. When they return, they find their lonely spouses tempted into an adulterous fling. How sad!

THOUGHT: Am I ready to take the marriage vows?
PRAYER: Lord, help me to be a godly spouse.