Marriage must be "only in the Lord." This tells us that marriage is only for mature, godly adults: not for immature children who are not yet ready or competent to face life's basic decision of divine dedication. It tells us that any who have not reached the stage of spiritual maturity to discern the Truth of God, and accept it, and LIVE it, are not ready for marriage, nor that which leads to marriage. We are not speaking about the dead, ignorant, animal world, with its totally debased and promiscuous carnality. We speak about those very few who have the intelligence and spiritual potential to rise far, far above the common corruption into and unto eternal things. Marriage has tremendous possibilities for good if it is entered into maturely as a spiritual communion for mutual assistance in spiritual things. The tragedy is that most "marriages" are mere animal unions of convenience and caprice, motivated by lust, selfishness and self-gratification.

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