Living in Sin or just roommates who love each other?

[Pearl]

Sex is not a sin but in the world today there is so much more pressure to concentrate on the physical aspect of a relationship right from the beginning rather than slowly getting to know one another before the first bedroom encounter. And after a while they will split up and move on to the next partner. I don’t like this way of things and I suspect God doesn’t either but for those who are not Christians it is the norm and probably among some believers also.

I personally think that full commitment to each other is the most important thing in a relationship; far more important than whether you have been ‘married’ legally or not. To me marriage is the joining or the coming together of a man and a woman who commit to each other exclusively and I believe that a couple are ‘married’ in the eyes of God once they have made this personal contract with each other.

I think too much emphasis may be placed today on fancy and costly weddings – which were an invention of the church - rather than on cementing partnerships and making sure of a solid foundation for the marriage. Even between Christians a marriage can become shaky and unsteady but at least we have the Holy Spirit to help us in those difficult times, but even then divorce occurs.

 

[Truman]

The bottoms of your feet? That's interesting! When I start getting my chemical imbalance symptoms, it often starts with pain on the bottoms of my feet.

Much love!

I have bilateral sciatica from a serious spinal chord injury. My feet are mainly numb, but with an unusual sensitivity and pain. I also get the wildest cramps in my feet and they sometimes go all the way up into my hips. Then there's the possibility of another auto-immune disease. I don't like thinking about that, after seeing what happened to a drummer friend of mine.

 

[Truman]

Do you eat figs?

I need to buy some fig newtons, though I plow through whole figs just about as quickly. Though I don't sleep-eat since I stopped some pretty powerful meds. Hi, my name is Truman, and I'm a cookie-monster! Lol

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Who is to say the weak aren't viewing us as intending to cause unnecessary discourse right now?

So should we all stop discussing?

Where do you draw the line?

At the line of common sense.

 

[TEXBOW]

At the line of common sense.

Common sense is fallible.

The OP scenario is not as easy as one might think to judge. If you remove love from the situation most have no issues. It's just a resource issue, caregiver, helper. Many elderly men have female live in caregivers. They cook, clean, help with medication and a number of other things. If either fall in love with the other during this relationship they now find themselves living in sin. Love must be the trigger. As long as love is absent, no problem (continuing with the original fact that there is no sexual activity or desire to do so). Gossip causes a stumbling block for some Church members. Assumptions creates a stumbling block. For some Christians if the two old people went to McDonalds together to have coffee they create a stumbling block (potentially). I do not think this is what Paul was teaching when discussing eating certain meats. The folks who could stumble were Jews, the stumbling was possible for them because of the Jewish law not idle gossip and judgmental Church members.

 

[TEXBOW]

Sex is not a sin but in the world today there is so much more pressure to concentrate on the physical aspect of a relationship right from the beginning rather than slowly getting to know one another before the first bedroom encounter. And after a while they will split up and move on to the next partner. I don’t like this way of things and I suspect God doesn’t either but for those who are not Christians it is the norm and probably among some believers also.

I personally think that full commitment to each other is the most important thing in a relationship; far more important than whether you have been ‘married’ legally or not. To me marriage is the joining or the coming together of a man and a woman who commit to each other exclusively and I believe that a couple are ‘married’ in the eyes of God once they have made this personal contract with each other.

I think too much emphasis may be placed today on fancy and costly weddings – which were an invention of the church - rather than on cementing partnerships and making sure of a solid foundation for the marriage. Even between Christians a marriage can become shaky and unsteady but at least we have the Holy Spirit to help us in those difficult times, but even then divorce occurs.

Careful, you're kinda sorta causing me to consider stumbling.:)

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Common sense is fallible.

The OP scenario is not as easy as one might think to judge. If you remove love from the situation most have no issues. It's just a resource issue, caregiver, helper. Many elderly men have female live in caregivers. They cook, clean, help with medication and a number of other things. If either fall in love with the other during this relationship they now find themselves living in sin. Love must be the trigger. As long as love is absent, no problem (continuing with the original fact that there is no sexual activity or desire to do so). Gossip causes a stumbling block for some Church members. Assumptions creates a stumbling block. For some Christians if the two old people went to McDonalds together to have coffee they create a stumbling block (potentially). I do not think this is what Paul was teaching when discussing eating certain meats. The folks who could stumble were Jews, the stumbling was possible for them because of the Jewish law not idle gossip and judgmental Church members.

Over the years I've noticed that most Christians need to take a good read of Romans 14. I mean really seek to know what it says.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Careful, you're kinda sorta causing me to consider stumbling.:)

Nah, that's for the weak.
You're not a weak, immature believer.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Even between Christians a marriage can become shaky and unsteady but at least we have the Holy Spirit to help us in those difficult times, but even then divorce occurs.

And I think that's largely due to the fact that so many Christians have set the example. "Well, if so and so can..."
Which is precisely what we're talking about here.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

I personally think that full commitment to each other is the most important thing in a relationship; far more important than whether you have been ‘married’ legally or not.

Not in our society.
Even with the way things are now with so many unmarried 'marriages' the distinction is still very clear between married relationships and unmarried ones. What's almost gone is the (lol, the word escapes me) connected with living together unmarried.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

To me marriage is the joining or the coming together of a man and a woman who commit to each other exclusively and I believe that a couple are ‘married’ in the eyes of God once they have made this personal contract with each other.

I agree with this general understanding, but in our society if you are really that connected you get married. Because the precedent for getting a legal marriage license has already been set in our society not doing that is still not as accepted as if things were the way you say in your quote above.

 

[bbyrd009]

“in our society”

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Sex is not a sin but in the world today there is so much more pressure to concentrate on the physical aspect of a relationship right from the beginning rather than slowly getting to know one another before the first bedroom encounter. And after a while they will split up and move on to the next partner. I don’t like this way of things and I suspect God doesn’t either

I disagree completely.
If you examine OT marriages you'll see they are hardly based on 'getting to you know'. ('Romantic' marriage is largely a modern day aspect of human relationships.)
Having been married 39 years 4 months and 13 days I understand how God uses the power of sexual attraction in our youth, and the command to not divorce, to shape and mold us.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

“in our society”

Western society, where marriage is entirely consensual, not arranged, like in India, for example. Where, by the way, they have a much higher success rate.

 

[bbyrd009]

Western society, where marriage is entirely consensual, not arranged, like in India, for example. Where, by the way, they have a much higher success rate.

i guess i just perceive the institution differently; imo the state has no business in it anyway

 

[TEXBOW]

Nah, that's for the weak.
You're not a weak, immature believer.

Nor do I think most who have a relationship with Jesus and walk daily in the faith are prone to stumble on any and all things Church members discover.

 

[amigo de christo]

Then they're not really in love.

March on through the trenches . Its all out war for the souls of men my friends . We cannot cave in to the teachings of society .
Rather we must resist the lies and cling to the truth .

 

[Ferris Bueller]

i guess i just perceive the institution differently; imo the state has no business in it anyway

It has to because of financial considerations.
Just like God provided those protections for women in the law.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Nor do I think most who have a relationship with Jesus and walk daily in the faith are prone to stumble on any and all things Church members discover.

You might be surprised.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

And I think that's largely due to the fact that so many Christians have set the example. "Well, if so and so can..."

Which is true for male vasectomy, too.
I caved in, and the fact that so many men in the church we're getting it did in fact help with my decision.
A decision I wish I had not made.
The fertility cycle has a purpose beyond just being able to conceive.