Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Today's Passage

1 Corinthians 7:1-7

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

In this passage, Paul talked about the principles for relationship between a married couple. When God institute marriage, it is His will to have two become one. Therefore, in Genesis God said that "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh," which is an important principle. In the New Testament, Jesus said that husband ought to be the head in a marriage and wife should be the body. He didn't mean that men and women are not equal; when God made woman, He took a rib - a body part closest to the heart - from Adam. When Adam first met Eve, he said "this is now bone of my bones and flesh and my flesh." This is an intimate union; when God created Adam He created him as a wholesome person, but then took a rib from his body and Adam became incomplete. God, however, then brought Eve back to Adam; he recovered the part of him that was missing and became complete again. Therefore, the complementary nature of a marriage relationship is important. Marriage is the union of two incomplete people, but they may find completeness in each other, and that's the principle of two become one in the Bible.

It's also important to note that "two become one" also means a physical union. Paul specifically mentioned that husband and wife must be united physically; they ought to care for and respect each other. Since they own each other's body, they must take care of themselves and offer their bodies as living sacrifice. In a marriage, we can no longer distinguish who's body it is, but to become one body in Christ. We must not just seek to take care of our own needs, but to also to seek pleasure and satisfaction for each other. This is an important lesson in marriage - We must strive to seek for each other's pleasure and satisfaction so that we will have a lasting marriage relationship.

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, I thank you because when you instituted marriage, you have made husband and wife as one, so that they may support one another and enjoy the pleasure from physical union. May you bless all the marriages so that all couples will enjoy peace, joy and satisfaction given by you. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!