Marriage under Gods Laws and with His Blessing

The obvious outcome of the Governments intention to change the definition of marriage here in the United Kingdom will certainly allow for same sex marriage. This will amend the marriage act and enable a situation to exist whereby an Act of Parliament totally opposes Gods Law. When I served my country as a Police Detective, I enforced Laws which had been passed for the protection of life and property and in the defence of peace. These Laws were based on Moral codes found in Scripture. I can’t think of a law which actually opposed the Laws of God.  However this Law does and although we as Christians don’t have jurisdiction in any way over what happens in the world I don’t believe that the world has the right to have Bible believing Christians comply with Laws which are in our view sinful.  This does not mean that I hate homosexuals or want to see them being treated unjustly in any way but as a Bible believing Christian I see that the proposed changes oppose Gods Law and I cannot accept that Christians should comply with a law which is so obviously against the Word of God.     

When Government changed the Sunday Laws, or as is happening today, the Laws concerning Marriage should we throw our hands up in the air in dismay and think that for Christians all is lost.

When I studied the Laws concerning Sunday I found that since 321 AD governments have used secular Laws, Church decrees and cannons to force God’s people to follow practices which directly oppose scripture. When Constantine on 7^th March 321 decreed that Sunday should be a day of rest in the Roman Empire in honour of the “invincible sun” he was enforcing a day to be set aside which was opposed to God’s day. As such Christians were forced to comply with a Law which opposed God’s Laws.

Here in the UK Acts of Parliament, enacted as late as the 17^th century, enforced Church attendance on a Sunday and forced those Christians, particularly the early Baptists who kept God’s command to rest on a Saturday, to attend the “Sunday  Sacraments”. Punishment for keeping Saturday as a day of rest extended to execution throughout the Roman Empire until 1661 when the last known execution in England took place of a Sabbath keeper the Baptist Minister John James of White Chapel London who was hung drawn and quartered for preaching a sermon on the keeping of the fourth commandment. After that dreadful execution the Conventicles Act of 1664 was introduced to prevent more than five persons gathering for religious purposes outside of the permissions of the State Church. Those who refused, and there were many, were prosecuted under such acts as the Conventicles Act of 1664. These brave men and women abided unto death with God’s Laws and refused to acknowledge mans laws. Many were imprisoned and many fled to Holland to evade prosecution. (You can read more about this in my booklet on the subject).  In effect they stepped out of the Law of man and remained within the Laws of God.

The same control exists in the Church and in government when we look at Marriage. Historically marriage varies according to the culture and the time but we Christians should only be concerned with the issue of Marriage from a Biblical perspective. So what is Gods perspective on marriage.

God makes it clear that a man and a woman should be united and in doing so become one flesh;

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”. Gen 2:24.

Yeshua (Jesus) said  "Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female', ⁵ and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' Matt 19:4-5

He also said “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law, But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female'. ⁷ 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together let man not separate." Mark 10:5-9.

Paul wrote ²⁸ “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no-one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." Eph 5:28-31.

³ The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5

Marriage should be honoured by all;

⁴ Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, Heb 13:4

Marriage is a blessing;

²² He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favour from the Lord. Prov 18:22

There are many other scriptures of course concerning Marriage and we see that at Cana near Galilee Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated marriage.

The practice of marriage in First Century Israel however was rather different than it is today in Christendom. The Man would make a written contract called a Ketubah meaning writing. This is simply a marriage agreement-a contract between two persons. (This has become common again today) There was a period of betrothal a period in which promises were made of marriage and there was the giving of money. There was the need for paternal consent however. There were no requirements in first century Judaism to have the marriage conducted by a religious leader or any requirement for the marriage to be recorded by the secular authorities meaning by the Romans in First Century. There were witnesses and as we see at Cana when Yeshua attended a wedding there was a wonderful celebration (John 2 v 1).

Various Laws and decrees were inaugurated by Emperor Constantine in regard to marriage in the fourth century. He forbade the marriage between Jews and Christians. The Theodosian Code in regard to marriage set out the legal Status of Marriage under the Emperor Theodosius 11 and this code was finalised in 438 AD. This Roman enactment dealt with issues concerning the dowry, property, monies and inheritance. 

In the sixteenth century the Church was concerned about what they referred to as clandestine marriages (marriages not conducted or under the authority of the Church). To deal with this the twenty fourth session of the Council of Trent 1545-1563 set out decrees in regard to marriage. This session decreed that marriages could only be valid if conducted by a priest and at least two witnesses. There had to be parental consent and at least three weeks’ notice given to the community of the proposed marriage.  This brought marriage under the control of the Church with all its non biblical traditions.

Here in the United Kingdom the Marriage Act 1753 was put on the Statute books. This was also known as "An Act for the Better Preventing of Clandestine Marriage" and that is exactly what it was created to prevent. This Act had been preceded by Cannon Law within the Protestant Church and the marriage Act of 1753 was the first secular legislation concerning Marriage.

In 1753 Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, then Lord Chancellor promoted the bill that required all marriages to be conducted in a Church of England Parish Church and that banns should be called for three consecutive Sundays in that Church prior to the marriage. The only exceptions were Jews and Quakers who were permitted to conduct their own valid marriage services. Other groups, including Roman Catholics and Dissenters were required to marry in the Church of England though many then went to their own churches for a second ceremony.

The Marriage Act of 1836 did not accommodate Jews and Quakers who continued to be exempt. Until this time only Anglican Clergy were able to conduct marriages but this act allowed other persons to conduct marriages as long as they were registered by the state.

The Marriage Act is now to be redefined as a result of our Secular Government advocating same sex marriage.

I have not felt the turmoil which many of my Christian brothers and sisters have clearly felt over this issue and I have felt The Holy Spirit say to me that my heart such not be troubled as this is the way of the world and we should not enter in to such a world but be separate. Whilst praying further into this I have realised that the Marriage Act is a secular Law which has no foundation within scripture. The laws concerning marriage by an Anglican or other registered priest in a Church or by a secular registrar is also not within Scripture, but has been enforced because of control by the Church and state, in the same way as Sunday legislation has.

Christians should not be agreeing with, or condoning, legislation which is opposed to God’s Laws and we do not have to comply with the legislation already in place or the legislation which is proposed. Christians should marry in accordance with God’s Laws promising to keep commitments to each other in the form of a covenant witnessed by others and with parental consent before The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and with His blessing only. This would be an accepted Biblical process which would be blessed by God.

Of course it would be opposed by the Laws of man which are clearly not within the precepts of God but would be acceptable and right before God. What more do we want or need other than a Blessing from God. Where in scripture or Christian History or during the time of Yeshua or Paul do we do need to be married by a priest in registered premises or by a secular registrar. We need to make our promises before God in the presence of other believers and no one else. We are called to be in the world and not of the world.

Our Politicians make these ungodly Laws and Church and state joined together attempt to coerce us to keep them. By doing so we condone whatever the Laws include. We must pray for our Politicians and leaders for their salvation but we do not have to abide by their sinful laws.  I Timothy 2 v1-4.      

I realise that there would be many other legal issues which would cause some hardship but we would not have the hardship of battling in the Spiritual realm when complying with spiritual forces opposed to God. Marriage outside of the civil law is not outside of God’s Law. We should pray and consider whether to remain in a system which forces us to keep the traditions and Laws of the State and Church. Yeshua criticised the Leaders for keeping to their traditions and forsaking God’s commands so why should we keep sinful laws and traditions. Mark 7 v 8.

Should the definition of Marriage be re-defined to include same sex marriage we Christians should opt out and marry before God, making promises to each other before God and witnesses and remain totally separate from state and Church Laws. I realise that it may be a shock for many that I a Christian pastor would advocate not being married in a Church or registered premises by a priest or Minister but that is exactly what I am saying should the marriage Act be amended to include same sex marriages.

Should Christians marry outside the Marriage Act there would clearly be issues concerning rights afforded to those who marry within the marriage act such as pensions, insurance and inheritance. These should be dealt with by action under the heading of equal rights and appeals should be made that Christians who marry in accordance with Gods Laws should have equal rights to those who marry under the Marriage Act. Christians should also make voluntary reports of non state/Church Christian marriages to the local registrars for information only.

I do object to Christians being forced to comply with any part of an Act of Parliament which condones sin.

I have found it such a blessing to step out of the Sunday laws of man and keep the Sabbath which God commanded through Moses and I am sure that Marriage outside of the Laws of man would result in the same blessings and would be celebrated in the Heavens as well as on earth.

Pastor Michael Fryer

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Marriage under Gods Laws and with His Blessing