Is Your Marriage Private

I found an interesting video on youtube and it got me thinking about marriage. Check out the video first and then let’s discuss some thoughts I had.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukJDwNcFx-4
Wess, in his video, mentioned about the state usurping a church’s definition of marriage. Let’s look at some more thoughts regarding marriage licenses. Let’s look at our “north star” passage.

Matthew 21:23-27, “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.”

I bet you’re surprised that our “north star” passage has nothing to do with marriage and I bet you’re confused but it will all be made clear in a few moments. Our “north star” passage has to do with authority. Paul, the apostle, wrote Colossians 3:17 which says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” It all has to do with authority.

So, we must ask the question, “Where does marriage come from, from man or from God?” If you say from man, then it is up to man to legislate it. So we must ask the question, can you be married validly, without a license? There are some logical questions here. Don’t just blindly follow the state. The state is hardly a good thing to follow. It can’t make up its mind on anything. In Tennessee, what age are you considered an adult? For somethings, 18. For others, 21. Why not have just one age? But the state can’t make up its mind on it. Is marriage a right or not? The supreme court of the United States says it is a right, just like freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. Do we have to have a license to speak our minds? What about a license to assemble? What about practicing a religion? No. We don’t license these things because they are rights. Black’s Law Dictionary says that a license is, “The permission by competent authority to do an act which without such permission, would be illegal.” If marriage is a right, the state can’t license it. If it can be licensed, it isn’t a right. So, which is it? Is it a right or isn’t it? The government can’t make up its mind on it. Why follow an entity that can’t make up its mind on something as important as marriage? James 1:8 states, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Nothing more true can be said of our government.

So, our other option is that marriage comes from God. If you are a Christian, or a religious person in general, you believe this. I know this because of the gay marriage debate. Many say that marriage is to be between man and woman. If they don’t get this from the Bible, where do they get it from? Man? I refer back to the previous point. If from God, then God makes the rules. It isn’t marriage unless He says it is. So, what is a valid marriage in God’s eyes? In Genesis 2, we have Adam and Eve’s wedding ceremony. It was simple. It was a man and woman promising to stay together and be faithful to each other until death. Many may say that you can’t get married this way today. I ask, “Why not?” I’m not talking about shacking up or sex before marriage or swinging or mess like that. I’m not talking sex. I’m talking marriage. So don’t even try to bring sex up to shut down the discussion. It doesn’t answer the question of why can’t a couple get married like Adam and Eve. The must be witnesses? What about Adam, Eve, and God? Did they not witness it? Why can’t a man, woman, and God today do the same thing?

Also, it isn’t marriage unless God calls it marriage. There are many “marriages” today that are not marriages. And this isn’t a philosophical question. I mean it. There is marriage and there is sin. God never recognized a union of man and man so no matter what the state says, homosexuals are not married. God presided over weddings and they are for a man and a woman. Also, there is the issue of adultery. Look at Matthew 19:3-9, “The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

In the same vein, there are marriages that the state says are not marriages. What is there is a problem on the license that isn’t found out until after the wedding? I’ve heard of evil people being let go from court because of loopholes like someone forgot to dot an “i.” It’s crazy. This is all madness.

God’s law is very clear on what marriage is and isn’t. And when you think about it, when the state says people are married and God says they aren’t, who is right? What about when God says they are married and the state says they are not? That’s a dangerous game to play. When the state says people are married who God said they aren’t, and vice-versa, the state is trying to usurp God’s position in marriage.

I bring up the requirements because no where did God require a marriage license. In the same vein as the previous point, when the state says you have to have something or lack something and it is different than what God said, then they are trying to usurp God’s position.

I earlier mentioned the freedom of religion. If marriage comes from God, and it is God that makes the rules, then marriage is a religious institution and, therefore, under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. If the government can license a religious institution, then they can license religion. Do we let them license baptism? What about prayer? If the state said we had to have a license to worship, would we go along and get it? So why marriage?

Along the line of thought of the state licensing religion, are we a communist country? According to this article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/08/22/china-bans-reincarnation-_n_61444.html), Tibetan monks are not allowed to reincarnate without China’s permission. (On one quick note, the MSNBC article is no longer up.) I know, I know, it’s absurd, but is it any different than saying we can’t marry without the state’s permission (license)?

Friends, I’m starting to see that there are major legal questions concerning marriage licenses. I would wager to say that if we have to have a license to marry, then we give up our religious rights. If we get a marriage license, then we say that the state, which can’t make up it’s mind on anything, knows better for our marriages than God, who has a clear blueprint. I know the Bible says to “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” I know many people use that to justify getting a marriage license. But that still doesn’t answer the question, “From whence comes marriage? Is it of God or of men?”

Hear what God says – Romans 10:17

Believe in Jesus – John 3:16

Decide to stop living a sinful lifestyle – Acts 17:30

Publicly pledge your allegiance to Christ – Romans 10:10

Be buried with Jesus in baptism – Romans 6:3-4

I open the floor to discussion.