Cohabitation before marriage is becoming increasingly common, but it’s still a topic of debate for many. For some, living together is a natural step in a relationship, while for others, it raises concerns about commitment. No matter where you stand, open communication is key.
Also Read: What Does The Bible Say About Burnout
What Does The Bible Say About Cohabitation Before Marriage
1 Corinthians 6:18
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
This verse highlights the importance of fleeing from sexual immorality, which includes cohabitation before marriage. It warns that engaging in such behavior is a sin against one’s own body and goes against God’s design for sexual purity.
Hebrews 13:4
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
This verse emphasizes the honorable nature of marriage and encourages believers to keep the marriage bed undefiled. It serves as a reminder that cohabitation outside of marriage is considered sexually immoral and will be judged by God.
1 Corinthians 7:2
“But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”
This verse emphasizes the importance of marriage as a means of avoiding sexual immorality. It suggests that instead of engaging in cohabitation, individuals should seek the companionship and sexual intimacy within the sanctity of marriage.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor.”
These verses remind believers of God’s desire for their sanctification, which includes abstaining from sexual immorality. They encourage individuals to exercise self-control and honor their bodies by refraining from cohabitation before marriage.
Ephesians 5:3
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”
This verse emphasizes the need for believers to distance themselves from any form of sexual immorality, including cohabitation before marriage. It encourages living a life that is worthy of being called saints, free from impurity and covetousness.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
“To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
These verses acknowledge the challenges of remaining single and celibate. However, they also highlight marriage as a solution for those who struggle with self-control and the temptation of sexual passion outside of the commitment of marriage.
Genesis 2:24
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
This verse speaks to the exclusive nature of the marital relationship, where a man leaves his parents and cleaves to his wife. It implies that cohabitation before marriage goes against God’s intention for the commitment and union of a husband and wife.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
These verses warn against indulging in various sins, including sexual immorality. They highlight that those who continue to engage in such behaviors will not inherit the kingdom of God, reinforcing the importance of avoiding cohabitation before marriage.
Galatians 5:19-21
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
These verses provide a list of works of the flesh, which includes sexual immorality. It serves as a warning that those who continue to engage in such behaviors will not inherit the kingdom of God, urging believers to abstain from cohabitation before marriage.
Colossians 3:5-6
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
These verses encourage believers to put to death the sinful nature within them. It specifically mentions sexual immorality, impurity, and evil desires, warning that the wrath of God is coming against those who persist in such behaviors, including cohabitation before marriage.
Matthew 5:27-28
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
These verses address the issue of lustful thoughts and intentions. They emphasize that harboring such thoughts is equivalent to committing adultery in one’s heart. This reminder reinforces the importance of avoiding cohabitation before marriage and guarding against impure desires.
1 Timothy 5:2
“Older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.”
This verse instructs believers to treat younger women as sisters, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity in all interactions. It serves as a reminder that cohabitation before marriage goes against the principle of treating others with purity and respect.
Proverbs 6:32
“He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.”
This verse warns about the consequences of adultery, highlighting that those who engage in it lack wisdom and bring destruction upon themselves. It serves as a reminder that cohabitation before marriage, which includes engaging in sexual immorality, can have detrimental effects on individuals and relationships.
1 Corinthians 6:13
“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
This verse distinguishes the purpose of our bodies from the act of sexual immorality. It affirms that our bodies are meant for the Lord, not for indulging in sinful behaviors such as cohabitation before marriage.
Proverbs 5:18-19
“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.”
This verse celebrates the blessings of marital intimacy between a husband and wife. It encourages married couples to find fulfillment and delight in each other’s love, reinforcing the idea that cohabitation should be reserved within the bounds of marriage.
1 Corinthians 6:15-17
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”
These verses highlight the spiritual significance of our bodies as members of Christ. They caution against joining our bodies with others in sexual immorality, emphasizing that those who are joined to the Lord become one spirit with Him. This points to the exclusivity and sacredness of the marital union.
Proverbs 5:3-5
“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol.”
These verses speak to the deceptive allure of sexual temptation outside of marriage. They warn about the destructive path that cohabitation before marriage can lead to, ultimately bringing death and despair.
Matthew 19:6
“So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
This verse underscores the sacred bond that marriage creates, where two individuals become one flesh. It emphasizes that what God has joined together in marriage should not be separated, highlighting the importance of preserving the sanctity of marriage and refraining from cohabitation before marriage.
1 Peter 2:11
“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
This verse encourages believers to resist the worldly passions of the flesh, including sexual immorality. It recognizes the spiritual battle that takes place and urges Christians to abstain from engaging in behaviors such as cohabitation before marriage that could compromise their souls.
Hebrews 12:16
“See that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.”
This verse contains a warning from the example of Esau, who disregarded the significance of his birthright for immediate gratification. It serves as a reminder to avoid being sexually immoral and unholy, which includes cohabitation before marriage, and not to compromise core values for temporary pleasures.
1 Corinthians 10:8
“We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.”
This verse references the disastrous consequences of sexual immorality among the Israelites in the past. It serves as a reminder of the severe consequences that can result from engaging in cohabitation before marriage, urging believers to abstain from such behavior.
Galatians 5:16
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
This verse encourages believers to live according to the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It assures that walking in the Spirit will enable them to resist the desires of the flesh, including the temptation to engage in cohabitation before marriage.
2 Timothy 2:22
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
This verse exhorts believers, especially the younger ones, to flee from destructive passions and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. It encourages connecting with fellow believers who also strive to live with pure hearts, avoiding the path of cohabitation before marriage.