This question comes into us in many different forms.

Here's the essence of it.

Pastor John, would you marry a heterosexual Christian couple who are living together?

And if so, how is that different than marrying two men or two women in the same sex marriage?

If not, why not?

I would marry them in certain circumstances.

I start with the conviction that sexual relations outside marriage is sin.

I think that's clearly taught in 1 Corinthians 6, 18,

free fornication, 1 Corinthians 7, 2, because of the temptation to sexual immorality each

man should have his own wife and each woman, her own husband, so I start there.

I've dealt with a number of couples over the years who are at different stages of spiritual

maturity and commitment to Jesus and obedience to his commands, and some have, I've been

willing to marry and some haven't, for example, just give me an illustration.

If a couple is pregnant and living together, regularly sleeping together, because they

think that because they're committed and moving towards marriage, sexual relations

they're okay.

You meet those folks.

There are a lot of them out there.

What I say to this couple is that they're living in sin and would they repent and bear

the fruit, like it says in Luke 3, worthy of repentance, fitting repentance, and that fruit

would be, move out and stop living together until you're married.

Now if they refuse, I tell them, no, I won't do the wedding.

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