And we're going to pick up in
verse 25. Paul is going to continue talking
about the subject of marriage. He says in verse 25, now concerning
virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord. That is, I have
no law or commandment given by the Lord that I can point to.
He said, I'm not going to point back to Leviticus I have no commandment
to point to, yet I give my judgment or opinion." Now, an inspired
opinion means something, but just my opinion, well, you can
take it for what it's worth. But Paul says, I give my judgment
here, my opinion, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord
to be faithful. He was a faithful apostle. He
was inspired of God to write the Scriptures. And I'm sure
that even his advice, I have no doubt, I have no doubt or
it would not be written, that his advice is inspired. His opinion
is inspired of God. I have no doubt about that. And
I am sure that the Apostle Paul prayed much before giving this
opinion, before giving any advice He prayed much for the Lord's
will and direction in the matter. I have no doubt about that. Now,
he says, I suppose, therefore, that this is good for the present
distress. I say that it is good for a man.
So to be that is to stay single because of the present troubles
and the persecution that they were undergoing. Paul says it's
better to stay single. I thought, if there was a war
going on in this country, you think a World War II, if that
was going on in this country, wouldn't it be better to stay
single than to get married and have to deal with all that going
on? Let me read you something here out of Hebrews 11. Here's
what Paul is speaking about. Here's why he's saying this.
In Hebrews 11, women received their dead raised to life again,
and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they
might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel
mockings, scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments. This
was our forefathers in the faith. This is the church. This is what
the church went through. They were stoned. Stephen was
stoned. They were sawn asunder. Sawn
asunder. Were tempted, were slain with
the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins
and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom
the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and
in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. Paul says,
It's better if you remain single during this present distress
that the church is going through. It's much, much more difficult
if you have a wife, if you have children, and this happens. I mean, how distressing that
is. So he says it's just better to remain single, especially
at this particular time. But are thou bound to a wife? Seek not to be loose. Are thou
loose from a wife? Seek not a wife. If you're married,
stay married. That's what he's saying. Fulfill
the duties of it. And don't become unmarried to
lessen your troubles. Don't do that to lessen your
heartaches, your troubles. He says don't do that either
because of the present difficulties. Trust God. Trust God with all
events. Just trust Him. Trust Him with
everything. If you're free, then don't seek
a wife, at least under this present trouble that's going on here.
But, and if thou marry, if you do marry, you've not sinned. You've done nothing wrong. And
if a virgin marries, she's not sinned. There's no sin in this. Paul's making it very clear.
that even though he gives this advice, even though he says this
is my opinion, this is my judgment, and I believe he says I'm one
who has been taught of God. Even though I give you this judgment,
if you do marry, you've not sinned. Nobody's done any wrong. Not
at all. You've not done any wrong whatsoever.
And what he's doing here, he's being careful not to put an undue
burden on their conscience. You know, he's saying this because
He just said, you know, you better remain unmarried. But I'm not
trying to put an undue burden on you, an undue hardship on
you. If you marry, that's all right.
It's OK. There's no sin. There's no sin
in it. Nevertheless, nevertheless, if
you do marry. Especially at that present time.
Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh, but I spare
you. There's going to be trouble,
he says, in this flesh. There's always trouble in this
flesh, isn't there? You know, you're young, and this is usually
how it happens. You're young, you get married,
you're healthy. You know, things are just bright,
and then as you get older, you get sick. You have, you know,
this problem crops up, that problem crops up, and you know, and you're
together in this. You know, you're together in
it. And Paul says there's no such thing as a trouble-free
marriage. It's not whoop-dee-doo all the
way to the end. Not at all. He says there's trouble. In this flesh, there'll always
be trouble. Always be heartaches. And when
you put two together, you multiply it. You multiply the heartaches
and stuff. It's just so. We will have physical
troubles and earthly troubles. We don't know what's coming down
the road. I could not help but think of, I can't remember her name, the
hardman's daughter. She was crippled in that wheelchair
there for years, but when they got married, healthy. But then ended up in that wheelchair
for years, and then the Lord took her. Who could foresee those
things coming? And that's what Paul's saying.
You don't know what's coming. I've been preparing you for it.
You don't know what could come. And that's why Paul says, and
I would spare you from these troubles if possible. I would
do so, especially at this present time. But this I say, brethren,
this I say, remember this. I wish we could remember this
and live in light of this. The time is short. I can't believe
how fast I've gotten to be 53. I mean, it's just. Like that. Dad said that, he's telling me,
he said, looking back, you know, us kids were all home and on
the farm, and he said, it seemed like it was just a dream. Just
a dream. The time, Paul says, is short.
It's one of the reasons that Paul's giving his advice here
to the unmarried. Life at its longest is short. What if you do live to be 100
years old. What if you live to be 120 years
old? What's that? When it's over, it's over. And
it goes by so quickly. He said the time is short. Life
at its longest is short. We have but little time before
we sleep in Christ or He comes in His return. It's just a short
time. And this short time is full.
And he's not trying to be depressing here. Because we do joy in Christ
and we have enjoyable times. We have enjoyable times with
each other. But he's saying here, this time is short and full of
trouble without being married. Being single is short and troubled.
And if you're married, like I said, you just multiply it. You just
double it. Now, he's not saying he's against
marriage. But here's what he's doing. This
is reality. This is a reality check right
here. This is what Paul is giving.
This is reality. And don't be overwhelmed with
worldly cares and troubles. Don't let your heart be set on
things that will shortly pass away, whether it be material
things or whether it be relationships. We love each other. Husbands,
love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for
it. Do that. Wives honor your husbands. But
the time is short. There comes a time to let it
go. There comes a time, Paul says, to let that go. It remaineth
that both they that have wives be as though they had none. Our proper use of relationship
is what Paul is setting forth right here. It's a proper use
of relationships. And this is so important here.
We must not set our hearts on the comforts of our relationships. Because sooner or later they'll
go. Every one of our relationships, every one of our relationships
right here will be dissolved in a little while. It'll be dissolved. Even as pastor of this church,
in a while, in a little while, that'll be dissolved. But we'll
love each other to the end. But when the end comes, Paul
says, let it go. Don't be overly much sorrowful
over it, because we have to let these things go. And He's going
to give us a proper use of relationships here. We must not set our hearts
on these things. Here's why I say it. Do not let it hinder your
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't do that. Don't do that. We are to carry
this advice into every area of relationships that we have in
this world. He said, don't let it hinder
your relationship to Christ. Our children. I tell you, it's
easy to do that. I know when the boys were growing
up, we were constantly going to this game, that game. You know, I got into that stuff.
I was a nut. I got into it too much. But I'm older now. And I can
tell you, if I had to go back, there'd be some things I would
change in that area. There'd be some things I'd change.
But we can get too wrapped up in these things. We can get too
wrapped up in families. That's what Paul's saying. He's
not saying love them less. He's saying love your brothers,
love your family, love your mother, love your fathers, but love Christ
more. He's first. And don't let anything
hinder your relationship to Christ. Love them, enjoy them, but don't
let them hinder you. If we work on this relationship
that we have with Christ, if we work on it, if we work on
that, all other relationships will come into their proper place
and we'll enjoy them more. I believe we could enjoy them
even more if we have that proper relationship with Christ. Now,
as to afflictions, They that weep as though they weep not.
And here's what he's saying. Do not be overly dejected and
cast down by your afflictions. Whatever the affliction is, and
we all have them. We all have our heartaches, we
all have our afflictions, but Paul says don't be over over-dejected,
over-cast down, over-sorrowful by these afflictions. They come. They're going to come. The Scripture
says there's a time to weep. In Ecclesiastes, there's a time
to weep. But there's a time to rejoice, it says also. Jeremy
made a good comparison the other day. He said he was flying back
from Florida. He was on a business trip. Him
and Cole went down. He said flying back, there was
a cloud cover all the way from Florida to home. He said it was
just a smooth cloud cover. The sun, he said, was shining
so bright, glistening off those clouds, and then we started coming
down through the clouds. He said, well, we came down and
down. It was like forever being in the clouds. But the closer
we came down to the earth, he said, the darker the clouds kept
getting. He said it was so bright and fluffy up on top, white,
but down, kept getting closer and closer. He said, as we landed,
I looked up and I thought, in a little while, those clouds
will be gone. Then they'll come again. They'll
be gone. I said, that's a good observation. I said, that's the
way troubles are. Troubles will come. Affliction
is going to come. They're going to come. It's like
a cloud. Here it comes. There it goes. Let the cloud go. When the cloud
of trouble comes, let it go. Don't sit around and be over
sorrowful over it. That's what Paul is saying. Don't
sit around and be over sorrowful and mournful. Let the cloud go. Let it go. Someday we'll weep
no more. That day's coming. Hard to grasp,
isn't it? Hard to grasp in this flesh.
But someday we'll weep no more. We will die no more. Henry said
to me one time, he said, I'll be glad when we quit dying. We
was at a funeral. Walking back from it, he said,
I'll be glad when we quit dying. We'll die no more. We will hurt
no more. No more sorrow. No more lonely
nights. No more lonely nights. In a short
time, this will happen. I promise you. But until then, don't let sorrow
overcome you as those who have no hope. Don't let it overtake
you. Don't try to hold on to that
cloud and keep it around. Just let it blow on by. After
our worldly enjoyments, they that rejoice as though they rejoice
not. We should not take great complacency
in our comforts that we have in this life. We have some comforts
in this life. God's given us some comfortable
homes and good jobs, and we have those things, but we must keep
it in moderation. You know, when I was a kid, there'd
be certain things that I would enjoy, you know, games, playing,
and I didn't want to quit. I didn't want to quit. I wanted
to just keep on going. Well, there's a time for that
to go on by too. Everything has its time and season.
We see this every year. We have the spring. We have the
summer. Then we have the fall. Then we
have winter. That ought to teach us a lesson. Everything has its
season, whether it be sorrow, whether it be joy. It has a season
to it. Enjoy it when it's there and
when it's time to leave, let it go. Let it go. Learn how to do these things
in moderation. These are temporary. They're
not eternal. Our eternal joy is yet to come.
Our eternal joy is Christ and He's coming. Nor are they our real satisfaction. What really satisfies you truly? A believer now. A believer is
truly satisfied when he can meditate and think upon the Lord. When
you have the freedom and the liberty to really commune with
Christ, that Christ is real to you. He's not just someone you
hear about. He's not a historical figure,
but he's someone as real as you are. He's our true satisfaction. Christ is to be our chief joy,
our chief satisfaction, our chief rest. Christ is. Enjoy it. Enjoy it, but let it go when
it comes time to let it go. Don't be taken up with too much
mirth. It's easy to be drunk with mirth
and laughter. I have to be careful with that.
I mean, I could be a jokester. I could be a stand-up comedian.
Doris told me one time I missed my calling. We were doing a Terry Elliott
roast when he turned 30. I think he was 30 years old.
We did a Terry Elliott roast. And I was roasting him. And Doris
said, you missed your calling. So I have to be careful of that.
I have to be careful of it. Now, as to worldly employment
and business, and I know something about this, too. Those that buy
as though they possess not. You know, I've learned one of
the tricks in business is not let it possess you. I learned
that that's the trick in business. Don't let it possess you. That's
probably the hardest thing about it. Those that buy and sell and
trade should do this business as though they really possess
nothing. Nothing. Because in a short time,
they will possess nothing of this life. Do not set your heart
on buying and possessing. And it can get you. And I know. I mean, I've been in business,
so I know. Don't let it engage your mind
all the time. The hardest thing to do is turn
it off when you go home. Turn it off. It's the hardest
thing to do. These things hinder many people Spiritual relationships,
their spiritual growth, it hinders it. Why could not the wedding
guests attend the wedding when they were invited to the wedding
in Luke chapter 14? They went out and they were invited
to the wedding. Why could they not come? One of them said, well,
I have bought a pair of oxen and I've got to go try them. It's just kind of odd you'd buy
a pair of oxen before trying them. But he said, I bought a
pair of oxen. I've got to go try them. Another said, I bought a piece
of ground. I've got to go see it. And another said, I married
a wife. We can't come right now. Don't
let these things. That's what I said. Now, those
that buy as though they possess not. One thing I've learned about
possessions, 99% of the people who possess things, they wind
up with the things possessing them. Most people, when looking back
on their lives, mourn over what? Their loss of material things
more than their loss of spiritual gain that they could have had. The real difference. Most brag
about their possession more than rejoicing in the One who possesses
them. The only real thing we can boast
about, what is the only real thing we can boast about? The
Lord Jesus Christ and His mercy and grace to us. As to all worldly
concerns and they that use this world as not abusing it, for
the fashion of this world passes away. It's passing away. We are
to use this world, we are to use it for our comforts. We are
to use our jobs for our comforts. But he's saying here, don't abuse
it, and don't let it abuse you. Don't be taken up with it. We're
to use these things to honor God with a portion of what He's
given us. We're to use these things to serve one another,
to help one another. Instead of using it as a blessing,
most people use it to feed their own lust. Lost people do. God
brings His people around. They use what they make to honor
God. They do. Sometimes we get a little
off track, but He brings us back. He brings His people back. James
said you have not because you ask not, and when you ask, you
ask amiss for the wrong reason. You ask to use it upon the lust
of your flesh. God told Adam to have dominion
over the world and over the animals and over all things, but now
the world has dominion over people. The lust of the world, the pride
of life, it has dominion over people. This world should be
our servant, not our master. I read one time, and I've never
forgotten it, money is a great servant, but it's a cruel master. Cruel master. And remember, the
fashion of this world, the fashion of this world passeth away. What's
in fashion today, it may, you know, this tie may, this tie
next year may go out of fashion. You just look at the, just ties,
you just look at a man's tie. Look over the years, how they've
changed. The fashion of this world, they had to change the
fashion of it anyway. No, you're not going to buy ten
of the same things. The fashion of this world It
changes. It changes every year. And then
it fades away. It's going to fade away. Remember this, Mary has chosen
that one thing needful. She chose that one thing needful,
Christ. But, Paul says, I would have
you without carefulness. He that is unmarried cares for
the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
I would have you without these physical and emotional and material
things that come with marriage. Paul said, I would have you without
them if possible. If possible. I'd have you free
to serve the Lord as much as possible. You just have to remember
the time period that Paul's writing this in also. So much persecution. But he that's married cares for
the things that are of the world. How he may please his wife. And
the same thing about the wife. When she's married, she does
what may please her husband. She seeks those things which
please her husband. Paul's speaking here of the business
of taking care of a family, taking care of one another, how distracting
that is. That's what Paul's talking about. And this, I speak to your
own prophet. This is for your good, especially
at this time. But I'm not doing this to cast
a snare upon you, not at all. I'm just giving you my honest
opinion. That's what he's doing. I'm not doing this to cast a
snare upon you or not put a burden on you that you cannot bear.
But I'm telling you these things for your own profit. But if any man thinks that he
behaves himself uncomely toward his virgin or unmarried daughter,
that's what he's talking about, a father here. In Paul's day,
a woman was to be married by a certain age. And if not, people
were suspicious. What's wrong with her? I mean,
that was their attitude. What's wrong with her? So Paul
says, don't take my advice and force your daughter to remain
unmarried because I said it's better to remain unmarried. He
said, fathers, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't you take
this advice and go the opposite way with it. If you give her
in marriage or if you do not give her in marriage, no one
has sinned. No one's done anything wrong.
He or she that remains unmarried has nothing to be ashamed of.
There's nothing to be ashamed of. If a person remains unmarried,
Paul said there's nothing there to be ashamed of. And the parents
who give their children, they do well. There's nothing wrong
with that. If they give their daughter to be married, they
do well. But the parent, the parent, in verse 38, the parent,
the parents who are not pressured by tradition to force them to
marry, does better. He does better. If he does not
take tradition and just pressure them, you've got to get married.
You've got to find a man. No. He said the parent who is
not forced by tradition to force their daughter to be married
does better. Does better. The wife, he says, is bound by
the law to her husband. While the husband is living,
the believing wife is bound by that law to her husband. But
if he dies, she's free from it. She's free from that law. And
she's free to marry whomever she will in the Lord. In the
Lord. Don't expect God's blessing outside
of the church. He said free to marry in the
Lord. But she's happier if she so abides. If she so abides. After my judgment. And I think also that I have
the Spirit of God. He said, I'm not just saying
this, I have the Spirit of God. You know, I told Vicki, I said,
now when I'm dead and gone, if I go first, I'm dead and gone.
I'm not here. You're free to do what you want.
But I tell you this, I think you'll be happier if you don't
have to hear somebody say, what's for dinner? Or is my clothes
clean? You'll be happier if you don't
have to listen to that kid. You'll be happier. Wives, be
subject to your husband. But if I die, that subjection
is gone. You're free to go. If you want
to go shop all day, you go shop all day. It doesn't matter what
I think. I'm gone. So that's why Paul said, I think,
instead of here, I think Paul says that she would be happier
He said, I think she'll be happier if she so abides after my judgment.
And I think I have the judgment of God. I think I have the judgment
of God. All right. That's the end of
that lesson.