As Christians, we are committed to living our lives according to the word of God.
We believe that every aspect of our lives should reflect biblical principles.
One of the prevalent issues that many young Christians face today is whether or not it is biblical to live together before marriage.
Some believe that cohabitation helps them to determine if they are compatible for marriage, while others believe that it goes against the biblical principles of chastity and purity.
In this post, we are going to explore the biblical perspective on living together before marriage.
It is Against God’s Design for Marriage
Marriage is a sacred institution that was designed by God.
The Bible teaches that a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24).
This passage implies that a man and woman should not be living together until they are officially recognized as married.
Living together before marriage undermines the sanctity of marriage and goes against God’s design for the institution.
It Can Lead to Sexual Sin
The Bible teaches that we should flee from sexual sin (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Living together before marriage increases the temptation to sin sexually.
It creates a situation where two people who are emotionally and physically attracted to each other are living under the same roof, often with no accountability or supervision.
This kind of situation often leads to sexual immorality, which is against God’s will.
It Can Damage Your Relationship
Living together before marriage can harm your relationship in many ways.
When you live together before marriage, you often forget or bypass some critical relationship stages, such as courtship and dating.
Because you are already living together, you may find it challenging to discern if you genuinely love and want to commit to each other for life.
Also, cohabitation often creates an expectation of an easy exit, which can make one or both partners reluctant to tackle relationship issues.
It is a Poor Witness to the World
As Christian couples, we should strive to be a good witness to the world.
The Bible teaches us in 1 Peter 2:12 to maintain our good conduct among the Gentiles so that when they speak evil against us as evildoers, they may see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
When we live together before marriage, we are not painting a good picture of our faith.
Rather, we are promoting a worldly lifestyle that is contrary to what the Bible teaches.
It Puts Marriage on the Backburner
Cohabitation often causes couples to focus more on the present and less on the future.
When you are living together, getting married may not be a priority.
You may become comfortable with the current living arrangement and forget or negate your intention to get married.
Besides, cohabitation couples often find it harder to navigate the step of engagement or marriage because they have already lived as a couple for a prolonged time.
While it may seem that living together before marriage is the best way to determine if you are compatible with your partner, it is not biblical.
The Bible teaches that sex is a gift to be celebrated in the confines of a loving, marital relationship.
Living together before marriage goes against God’s design for marriage and can lead to sexual immorality.
Moreover, cohabitation can harm your relationship, put marriage on the back burner, and sets a poor example to those around you.
As Christians, we must strive to follow biblical principles and build relationships that honor God in every way.
