What does the Bible say about a Christian staying single?
Early on in the Bible God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18). In the beginning of creation God made male and female. It was part of God’s plan for a man to leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The Bible says the two will become one flesh (Mark 10:6-8). Marriage was God’s plan for most people in the beginning, and it’s still his plan for most people today.
Marriage Is For Most, But Not Everyone
In these last days, marriage is not God’s calling for everyone. While the wedding bells ring for most, God has called some to remain single. The Apostle Paul went so far as to say, “I wish everyone were single, just as I am.” Paul classified his being single as a gift from God, but he also said each person has their own special gift from God. (1 Corinthians 7:7)
For the unmarried and the widows, Paul said it is good to stay unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:8). If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. But if you do get married, it is not a sin (1 Corinthians 7:27). So if it was God’s intention for us to be married, why would Paul say these things?
The Rest Of The Story About Staying Single
We look to (1 Corinthians 7:28-38) for the rest of the story. Paul says those who get married at this time will have troubles, and it his desire that we be free from the concerns of this life.
The person who is single can spend their time doing the Lord’s work and focusing on how to please God. Those who are married have the many added responsibilities that come with marriage, in addition to thinking about how to please their spouse. Their interest and focus becomes divided.
It is certainly not a sin to marry, but the Bible says if a person has decided firmly not to marry, and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, then he does well not to marry. The person who marries does well, but the person who doesn’t marry does even better. (1 Corinthians 7:37-38)
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