The issue with open marriages

Open Marriages

A concerning trend known as ‘having an Open Marriage’ has been infiltrating todays generation, promoting sexual freedom while destroying the sanctity of marriage, eroding sexual fidelity within the marital relationship.

The Bible speaks of sex within marriage as pure. 

The Bible instructs mankind to “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” (Hebrews 13:4 NLT). The concept of open marriage is an immoral one. It is stated, Biblically, as equal to adultery and in fact, is adultery, regardless if both partners are in agreement or justify its actions. Honor in marriage is giving preference to one another; not putting one on the back burner for a while to have a dalliance with a third option. Remaining faithful through difficulties and differences is characteristic of the strong and mature. A season of weakness can destroy the greater things that can come through years of overcoming adversity together as one. Purity in the marriage relationship is still an essential foundation upon which to build from.

Sex outside of marriage is immoral and adulterous according to Scripture. 

The Scripture does not just say to avoid or look away from open marriage but to run from it: “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18 NLT). Open marriage is not something that the church can just turn a blind eye to. This is a very concerning and dangerous trend that is infiltrating the church world-wide, with many leaders refusing to speak to it for fear of retribution or exerting an appearance of legalism or staunch dogmatism. Many might say that open marriage is something for marriage counselors to speak to and for the churches to shy away from. In other words, “leave it to the professionals”. Yet, the Holy Spirit is the great counselor and He gave us His word already to these issues; we do not need to go back and re-examine.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,…….But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:19 NKJV, emphasis mine). The Lord will NEVER permit open marriage which we already have seen how he deems it is as adultery. He gave us His Holy Spirit in order to turn us from such desires and produce within us faithfulness; not just to Christ, but in all relationships. The will of God on any marriage is for integrity and intimacy to be shared by one another and for the marriage to be a success and not a failure. “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT).

God defined Marriage as the coming together as “one flesh”. 

The Scripture says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31 NKJV). God defined Marriage as the coming together as “one flesh”. If multiple “fleshes” are involved, one cannot love fully their spouse as God intended. Open marriage is a scheme of the evil one to attack and bring to nothing that which God has ordained as sacred before the Lord. Choose to keep marriage holy and reject open marriage as an affront against Gods perfect design for the family, which it is.