The Dangers of Cohabiting

“Let’s move in together!!!”

Many Children of the Kingdom (followers of Christ) have rebelled from the principles of establishing a Marriage Covenant on the right and pure foundation [1 Corinthians 3:11]. They “actively” through logic (flesh driven), choose to play-house. A long audition that eliminates CLARITY, PURPOSE, and SENSE of URGECY in the Spirit where the Will of God is concerned in preserving the Sanctity of Marriage. This is “knowledge” borrowed/influenced from the world; where worldly relationships are often established on the foot of ‘test driving’ things; a surety of what one is “buying”. Now, the Bible warns us that the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God [1 John 2:15, James 4:4, 1 Corinthians 3:18-23]. Hence Ephesians 5:15-17 states that… see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore, do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.

With that said, when two people: female and male who are partaking in sexual activity. Start living under one roof, sharing bills and responsibilities within the household without appropriately solemnizing of the union. This is defined as Cohabitation also known as Shacking-up or living together. Where the two have an agreement to share house (without a sanctioned authority and power) as unmarried sexual partners (pleasing flesh). Cohabitation often starts with “good intentions postponed”; all seemingly “reasonable” within bounds and circumstances, until tomorrow turns into years. This personal choice not to formalise the union has always been motivated by external constraints and driven by circumstantial events which include economic pressures (high cost of living), seeking convenience & benefits, testing waters to see if one is compatible, spend more time together, unexpected pregnancy, and doubts expressed within the relationship. Like Esau they are choosing immediate relief; quenching their ‘hunger’ over the lasting inheritance, ‘the blessing of covenant’. This is always a sign of lack of TRUST IN GOD exhibited by both parties. As result, Cohabitation is often established on a FALSE FOUNDATION… it is what both parties start as an escape from their realities seeking the marital benefits on loan.

As a child of God (a seeker of His Kingdom) when you ‘Shack up’ with someone you are not married to then you are COMPROMISING on the Word of God. When we negotiate with our convictions to please the desires of Flesh often we turn our hearts away from God therein led astray from His Plans and Purposes. Cohabitation is disobedience against God’s Word which translates to Rebellion against Him,

Thus, when we choose to go against God’s Word and Cohabit then there are ramifications that usually leads to delayed, stolen, or terminated destiny IN-Christ.

These Ramifications manifest through….

• The Sin of Wasted Time

The Kingdom of God is time dependent, everything in God’s Will is intended for the APPOINTED TIME AND SEASON. The partakers in this Kingdom MUST adhere to God’s Timing that is why the Psalmist makes a plea to God in Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom. In other words, we are to be Time conscious and good stewards of it. Similar to the Children of Issachar who understood the times (discerning) and knowing (wisdom applied) what ought to be done [1 Chronicles 12:32]. For the life we live after coming to the revelation and confession of Christ has been lent to us [Proverbs 22:7, Ezekiel 18:4, Isaiah 38:1-3]. God is lending it to us because He loves souls, so you must feel an urgency to use it to its fullest potential. God's time is valuable, and He is being so gracious to lend it to us; so we cannot use it for things that do not profit His Kingdom. Living on Borrowed Time - Ernest Angley Ministries. God’s Word informs us that God’s given Time is only lived well when the things we do with this Time Serve others and Glorify God and NOT SELF [1 Corinthians 10:31].

And so, those that have accepted the call to follow Christ yet still make a CONSCIOUS CHOICE to ‘living together’ beforehand are WASTING God’s Time. In the end, we delay, loose, neglect or abscond the Plans and Purposes of God where Kingdom services and their opportunities are converging. Now, this factor (time) often reforms our behaviour and dampen our convictions, this makes responsibility and accountability FAR REMOVED (detached) and urgency to commit often recedes little by little [Genesis 4:7]. This how misalignment from the Heart of the Father is introduced into our hearts. And so, the question is

1. What are you doing with Time God has allotted you?
2. Who are you becoming IN-HIM using that Time?
3. What are the values shaping your Time IN-Him?

• The Sin of Fornication

Like mentioned earlier, the life we live after coming to Christ MUST be exchanged for a life that Serves God and gives Him Glory IN-Christ alone through Him Alone. Therefore, we MUST be diligent in our walk with Him and Abide IN-Him always. This is translated as PURSUIT FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN-CHRIST [Proverbs 21:3; 21, Matthew 6:33, 1 Timothy 6:11]. This ‘quest’ is known as On-going Sanctification; a process where the Holy Spirit dwells in us and continuously works in our lives to bear Fruits that makes us become more Christ-like. This means that you are ‘Set Apart for God’ and made ‘Holy’ a vessel to be used by God for His own purpose [2 Timothy 2:20-22].

Now, the Word of God affirms that Marriage is a legal binding COVENANT between one man and one woman that is to be esteemed and considered Sacred [Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:31-32, Hebrews 13:4]. The Same Word corresponds to those who do not abide by it. People who CONSIOUSLY CHOOSE to experience sex and its activities outside the marriage will face judgement. God will JUDGE the fornicators, sexually immoral [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written] and adulterers’ effeminate [by perversion] homosexuality.

And so, People who cohabit commit this sin (having sex before you were married); defiling (impure) their bodies which is supposed to be presented as a living sacrifice for the Lord, the dwelling place/temple of the [Holy] Spirit of our God (the source of the believer’s new life and changed behaviour) [1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Romans 12:1].

Physical intimacy is a gift preserved for the partakers in Marriage Covenant; Husband and Wife in a commitment appointed by God as led by His Spirit to bring Service to His Kingdom and reveal the Glory & Power of Christ to the World. It is for this reason Jesus prompts the Woman at well in John 4 to go call her husband and she answered Him “I do not have a husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I do not have a husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. You have said this truthfully.”

The reality is that we can never separate the actions of the body (fruits) from what our hearts and spirit truly entail. A defiled body exposes a defiled spirit and a heart that hardened (darkened and rebelled) [Luke 6:44-46, Proverbs 4:23]. The call is to commit to Jesus Christ WHOLEHEARTEDLY with everything including what we do with our bodies [Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37]. Consequently, our commitment to following Christ diligently convicts us by the Holy Spirit to be committed to ACTING out His Word and DOING His Plan and Purposes for our lives including what we “do” with our body [1 Corinthians 6:12-20].  For it is written in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.

This sin has consequence that includes

1. Long-term negative impact on self-esteem and self-worth; it affects how one perceives Self -through the lenses of shame, regret/let down and immense guilt if the relationship does not work or you must shrink back your convictions to Cohabit with someone.
2. Developing a strong emotional attachment which clouds your judgement and decisions making. Where one out of fear of starting over, overlooks serious character flaws and major patterns that brings instability and conflict in the relationship.
3. The process induces insecurity and pressures to conform and meet expectations based on fear and anxiety of losing their partner.
4. It demonstrates Unbelief; the lack of trust in God’s Word highly influenced by the patterns of the world rather than the Word of God [unchanged by faith].
5. Children born OUTSIDE the Covenant, are ‘without covering’. *Conception of Children outside the marriage covenant gives the enemy the legal entry and claim concerning the child’s life.

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In Luke 6:46-49 Jesus poses a question “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not practice what I tell you?  This is echoed in John 14:15 “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

He then proceeds to exemplify the Wisdom of securely building and founding a house IN-Him (the rock) … And so he states: everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a [far-sighted, practical, and sensible] man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock. But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced [what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” [1 Corinthians 3:10-15]

Those who are in “union with Christ,” yet with SPIRITUAL CONCIOUSNESS gravitate to fulfilling the desires of flesh [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity, dominated by human nature] and in this case taking a “shortcut” to the covenant are known as REBELS [1 Samuel 15:23, Isaiah 1:19–20; 30:1, Jeremiah 5:23, Ezekiel 2:8]. It is for this reason that Hebrews 10:26-31 gives us the choice, its either Christ or Judgement. And so, it asserts for if we go on willfully and deliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate]. but a kind of awful and terrifying expectation of [divine] judgment and the fury of a fire and burning wrath which will consume the adversaries [those who put themselves in opposition to God]. Anyone who has ignored and set aside the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much greater punishment do you think he will deserve who has rejected and trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has considered unclean and common the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and has insulted the Spirit of grace [who imparts the unmerited favor and blessing of God]? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine [retribution and the deliverance of justice rest with Me], I will repay [the wrongdoer].” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God [incurring His judgment and wrath].

God’s Word is clear and precise! Rebels will not be partakers of the Kingdom of God. Similar to the foolish virgins they too will be locked out for it is written Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; …. [1 Corinthians 6:9-11]

While the world bypasses the Holy and Righteous route to Marriage Covenant, relying on their ‘self-confidence’ to fulfil their OWN ambitions. As a Child of God, a partaker of the Messianic Kingdom. The call is to understand with God’s infinite Wisdom that genuine intimacy in Marriage is established on a LEGAL BINDING COVENANT, the original foundation of true commitment IN-CHRIST, FOR CHRIST, by HIS POWER & AUTHORITY. Any union man-made outside of this prescription for anyone who identifies as a follower of Christ you will be inviting turmoil and destruction to you and your generations to come. For again it is written For the wages of sin is death and that whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him [Romans 6:23, John 3:36, James 1:15].

If you are in this situation, may you receive the Conviction of Holy Spirt illuminating the Word of God in your heart, speaking Truth that will bring change upon you causing you to leave that house that you entered without God’s Authority and Power. May He lead you out by obedience with understanding that God will establish and perfect the good work in you [Philippians 1:5-7]. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the King of kings. Amen!!

Purify My Heart (Refiner's Fire) | Jeremy Riddle - Worship Moment

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