Jim Daly & Esther Fleece of “Focus on the Family” recently posted 2 great pieces regarding couples living together before marriage. Both articles can be found at http://ht.ly/6WnOe  

Because I often come in contact with this subject, I have two quick thoughts:

• God’s Marriage Math – According to Jesus in Matthew 19:5, God’s mathematical equation for marriage is 1+1=1. In His words, “the two shall become one flesh”. Yes it violates the rules of math, but since God designed it, He can define it. As humans we attempt to redefine it, such as co-habitation. The problem with co-habitation is the “co” part. It looks like this, 1+1=2. That works in math class, but not in God’s design for a life long relationship. Each person is still their own, just trying to live like one. With it, issues abound, and there is no core “oneness” to come back to.
• True Love – In my experience, when people “move in together”, usually one person in the relationship is more motivated to do so than the other. Ask yourself this “Is it driven by selflessness, or selfishness?” The Bible describes the nature of true love as “selfless”. It’s true whether you’re looking at the life of Christ, or the numerous references in Paul’s letters such as I Corinthians chapter 13 & Ephesians 5:25. Authentic genuine love has the best interest of the other person in mind…always.

 Obviously, there are many who disregard what the Bible says, but for those interested, the Bible speaks clearly and God’s way is the best way!