I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of 1 Corinthians
chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. What we're doing, we're just
going verse by verse through this blessed book. And today
we're going to continue in our study on marriage. This is what the Apostle Paul
has been dealing with in this chapter. I'd like to look at
verses 12 to 16 and actually I'm going to give just a very
few moments recap on what we stated last time. Paul was dealing
last time with the responsibilities of two believers that are married. And this morning, what he's going
to be dealing with in verses 12 to 16, he's dealing with a
believer being married to an unbeliever. As I told you last
time, No man born in Adam is an authority
on marriage. Now, you know, they've got marriage
counselors, and they've got this, that, and the other, and that's
all good and fine. But I'm going to tell you, we
would do well to hear what God has to say on the subject, because
anybody that disagrees with God is wrong. That's just pretty
plain, isn't it, Carl? I mean, you're wrong. Let God
be true and every man a liar. Now, the institution of marriage
is an institution, it's a covenant, it's a contract, it's a bond,
it's a union. And this institution was ordained
of God before there was ever a man or a woman created. Before there was a man and a
woman, there was marriage. Now that is a fact that Almighty
God declared in scriptures. Now I know that the Lord did
create man before He revealed that truth because after He had
created Adam, this is what the Lord said, it's not good that
the man should be alone. I will make him and help fit
for him, meet for him. I'm going to make him a help
that's fit for Him. But now that marriage was already
established in the mind and will and purpose of Almighty God is
set forth in Hosea chapter 2 verse 19 concerning the eternal marriage
between the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride that was chosen
in Him before the foundation of the world. This is what the
Lord spoke through the prophet Hosea He said, I will betroth
thee unto me forever. Yea, I will betroth thee unto
me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in
mercy. So the institution of marriage
has always been God who said it's not good that the man should
be alone. That was spoken by the God who
never changes. God didn't come up with that
on spur of the moment after He made Adam. It's always been. So the bride of Christ, given
to Him before time was, before anything created began, sets
forth that Almighty God has always established the institution of
marriage. Now, God's purpose and will for
the Bride of Christ and for us is people, people, human beings
born into this world. This has always been set forth
by Almighty God, the Holy Spirit, who moved upon holy men to write
these scriptures. And this has always been God's
Word concerning marriage. Now in 1 Corinthians, I'll just,
here's my little recap. Chapter 7, verse 10, unto the
married I command, yet not I but the Lord let not the wife depart
from her husband. Now, yes, the bride of Christ
was born in trespasses and sins because we is his people. Now, here again, nobody knows
who the bride of Christ is She's born into this world just
like everybody else. She's born a child of wrath. That means wrathful toward God,
just like everybody else. And she's a sinner. She's a sinner. But listen to
me. The bride of Christ has always
been the bride of Christ. The Lord has always betrothed
her unto himself. You know, a man asks a wife,
you know, will you marry me? That's a question. It wasn't
a question with God. He said, I betrothed you unto
me. That's grace. That's mercy. That's
power. Now, the bride of Christ has
always been his bride, but she was born into this world a rebel. One that was a spiritual fornicator. She was unfaithful, you know,
and to the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one he's eternally
loved, What he did was he gave unto her due benevolence as a
faithful husband. Let the husband render unto the
wife due benevolence. Let him give her what she needs. So here she is. She's born a
rebel. Not him. She's unfaithful. Not him. He's always been faithful. He is the faithful husband of
his bride. And she doesn't even know him.
It's like Hosea and Gomer. Hosea took her and his wife Gomer,
she was unfaithful. He kept bringing what she needed,
supplies of food, stuff, leaving it there at the front door. She
thought it was her lovers that were bringing that to her. No. It was her faithful husband,
Hosea. So here's the Lord. He's always
given the bride of Christ her due benevolence, what she needed. And according to the everlasting
covenant of grace, here's what He's done for her. He stood for
her as her surety before God. I will save her. I'm going to have her. I'm going
to present her holy and without blame before God. I do benevolence. He agreed to answer before she
ever fell, before she was ever created. He knew her. The Father gave him to the Lord
Jesus Christ before she was ever brought into existence. He told
Jeremiah, before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. I ordained
you a prophet. God Almighty knows the end from
the beginning. Why? Because he's ordered it.
All he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
So he agreed in giving the bride the due benevolence. He agreed
to answer for her every need before God's holy law. He knew
she was going to fall. He knew that. He's God. So what did he do? I'm going
to stand for her. He's the Lamb. Slain, the scripture
says. before God Almighty, before the
foundation of the world. Was the Lamb slain in time? Yes,
sir. Absolutely. When did God see
it? He always saw it. And therefore
trusted. The Father was the first one
to trust the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom He first trusted. Christ. So what did He do? He
agreed that every infraction would be settled by the payment