Marriage is a lifelong invitation to serve the Lord together and strengthen one another in that service. God instituted marriage so that man would not have to be alone. Every groom was to enter into marriage for the purpose of glorifying God with his spouse. The context of Psalm 34 does not directly refer to marriage, but verse 3 provides an amazing invitation that should be presented to every couple entering into the marriage relationship. A young man should ask a young lady to marry him because he believes that they can better magnify the Lord as a couple rather than individually. If the Lord wills, it is an invitation to bear children and train them up in such a way that the next generation would likewise desire to magnify the Lord.
Marriage involves a relationship between a man and a woman, but what constitutes a scriptural marriage? Scripturally speaking, it is not merely “flesh joining flesh.” This is plain in that a man could marry a wife only to find that she had been unfaithful with another man to whom she was not married (Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 5:32). It is also clear that Shechem defiled Dinah, but then asked if she could become his wife (Genesis 34:1-4). The woman at the well had an improper relationship with a man, but the Lord declared that that particular man was not her husband (John 4:16-18). Instead, marriage occurs when God joins a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Mark 10:9), and it is often established by a ceremony with vows given to each other (Matthew 22:1-13; John 2:1-2).
Modern society is increasingly mocking purity, yet God is pleased with those who endeavour to keep themselves pure before marriage. Increasing temptations combined with the declining standards concerning courting have made purity a rarity rather than the norm. Regardless of this trend, young people with a deep and abiding love for the Lord will continually strive to overcome these obstacles and remain pure. Those who have failed in the past will renew their commitment to the Lord seeking to prevent further regrets. This must be accomplished with a firm resolve. A young person must determine that he or she is going to respect the commandments of God and the other individual with whom he or she is courting. Beyond this, each young person must determine to build fences of protection to keep from entering into tempting situations. The Devil does not need much room to rob a youth of his or her purity (Ephesians 4:27).
One of the most misunderstood, misquoted, and abused truths of scripture revolves around whether or not a person should judge. Contrary to popular teaching, all believers are instructed to judge all things (1 Corinthians 2:15). Yet, how a person judges makes the judgment scriptural or unscriptural. Judging with equity involves incorporating an unwavering standard by which to judge. When emotion, modern thought, and one’s educational attainments form the foundational basis for how someone judges, the standards are ever changing and never consistently applied. They rarely yield an equitable outcome. Therefore, it is important to consult an unwavering standard concerning every decision and matter. This standard must be something perfect without possibility of corruption. Only one standard consistently fits this mold, and, of course, it is the Bible. The word of God remains the standard by which the saints will be judged and the only viable source by which all things should and must be judged while on earth (John 12:48).
Imagine one day standing before “the righteous judge” of the universe who knows every action, thought, and motive. One day, this will become the reality for all those who have ever lived. The Son of God is that judge because the Father committed all judgment to Him (John 5:22). He will judge the world with righteousness and the people with equity (Psalm 98:9). His Father gave Him full authority to mete out this judgment. As the judge, He incorporates an equal standard in every ruling. The scripture testifies of this judgment when it says the Lord has a crown for Paul. Fortunately, this crown is not limited to Paul only, “but unto all them also that love his [Christ’s] appearing.” It is important to note that the word of God stands as the standard by which all truth is judged. The Lord Jesus Christ remains the righteous judge by which all is judged. Unfortunately, far too many judges pervert judgment by incorporating a changing standard into their decisions.
