Disrespecting Singleness by Failing to Follow our Conscience...

This week, we are looking at the issue of singleness. And in a section of a letter that Paul wrote to a church we see four ways that Christians can act unchristian by disrespecting singleness. We have discovered that we disrespect singleness when we fail to focus on the right attachments. We have also seen that we disrespect singleness when we fail to make the most of the season.

Today, we look at a third way that Christians act unchristian by disrespecting singleness in that we can disrespect singleness when we fail to follow our conscience. We see this way revealed for us in 1 Corinthians 7:36-38:

But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

Verse 36, in the language that this was originally written in, literally reads “if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin”. The NASB adds the word daughter. And while Paul could be talking about fathers who are wondering if they should allow their daughters to get married, in light of the context in which this verse appears in Paul’s thought, he is most likely addressing whether or not single men should go through and marry the single women that they were engaged to.

Paul answers this question by explaining that if a single man firmly believes that it is OK to get married and is not being coerced or forced into marriage then he is doing well. In other words, if you want to get married, get married, that’s great, God bless you both.

Paul then continues by explaining that those singles who decide to go ahead and get married do well, and those who break off their engagement and do not get married will do better. But why would Paul state that the decision to remain single and break off the engagement would be better?

As we saw Paul reveal for us on Monday, his point of view was that in light of the troubles and suffering that we may experience on earth before we get to eternity with Jesus in Heaven, it would be good for men to remain in the relational state that they are currently in, which in this case would be to remain single. However, Paul reinforces the Biblical reality that marriage is divinely designed by God and is good as well.

So how do you respond when your conscience starts to act up when it comes to your relationships? And what informs your conscience?