Interconnectedness and relationships are stamped and infused into every aspect of creation, reflecting the nature of the Creator who exists eternally as the Trinity. Nowhere is this interconnectedness seen better than in humans, for, as the Scripture says, we were made in His image.

Where there is no relationship, the human soul aches—loneliness is a significant cause of existential suffering. Not everyone has been blessed with the ideal, biblically described connection between one man and one woman in marriage. Alternatives have become more and more acceptable in the progressive worldview, where solving the loneliness problem trumps everything. Thus, cohabiting outside of marriage has become quite acceptable to modern men and women. Same-sex attraction is considered a fully legitimate and celebrated  expression of a person’s self-identity. Transgenderism continues the logical progression away from the biblical norms.

Where will it all end? One person applied for a marriage license between him and his computer! He argued that his computer provides him with everything he needs in a relationship, including companionship (social media) and virtual sex through chatrooms and pornography. I’d like to believe he was cleverly, with tongue in cheek, trying to make a point of how ludicrous the current culture was, but he may have been less clever and more delusional. Either way, the point is well taken: the world’s relationships and sexual mores are becoming increasingly ludicrous in their logic and trajectory. At what point will pedophiles and those who engage animals in sex acts get added to the list, enjoying a protected status in the expression of their ‘identity’?

Let’s go back to what now seems relatively innocuous: cohabiting outside of marriage. What is under discussion here is not just pre-marital sex, but a man and woman living together as though married, without a marriage ceremony or lifelong commitment. This kind of arrangement seems pretty tame compared to what is going on today, and to object to it, for many, reeks of prudishness and puritanism. Many Christians may understand on some level that cohabiting outside of marriage is “probably” not right, but feel that it’s not as bad as other things. At least, they might think, the couple loves each other. However, there are some biblical principles that can help us think through some of these contemporary attitudes and beliefs.

I invite you to read a response to a Christian couple (names changed) who were living in such a situation. May the Lord give you clarity and a sound mind as you contemplate the foundational issues involved. Click HERE. Or copy and paste the following URL into your browser.  https://www.bible-equip.org/articles/topical-studies/Marriage_living_together_before.pdf