Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.  (Hebrews 13:4 NIV)

It is a wrong notion to believe that this verse is directed at married couples only at the exclusion of everyone else – it is not. It is by “all” that the Creator’s order and institution of marriage are to be honoured through lives preserved from sexual immorality of any sort.

God created the marriage institution to be honoured by all, irrespective of age or marital status – big and small, married and single – everyone is to respect and honour the Creator’s institution which He established and designed. Within this institution of marriage, the Creator intended its bed to be pure, undefiled. It is His expectation and requirement that all of us keep it that way – honour the institution and maintain the purity of its bed, i.e. the culmination of the marriage union. And it is by keeping the bed pure that we effectively honour the marriage institution and uphold its sanctity afforded to it by the Creator Himself. All are to work towards and play their part, supporting and encouraging, exhorting and rebuking one another, to keep the marriage bed pure and in that way maintain its sanctity. It’s the entire body of Christ, whether married or single, young or old that must work toward and play their part in keeping the marriage bed pure and undefiled and through it all demonstrate respect and honour for our Creator and His edict. When we honour and uphold God’s law and His order we effectively honour and uphold Him for who He is. It is mine and every other person’s (whether married or unmarried) responsibility to firmly hold the institution of marriage in high regard and honour by keeping its bed pure – we all have a role to play in that.

On the contrary and when we don’t, we dishonour and reject His order and who He is attracting His righteous judgment upon us for He is the Creator. The judgment that follows those who disregard that is meted out by none other than the Creator Himself who instituted marriage. And as the verse states, those who disregard the sanctity and honourable nature of the marriage institution are adulterers (those who engage in sexual activity outside of their own marriages) and sexually immoral/fornicators (those who engage in sexual activities outside the Creator’s moral code and provision whether married or not). It follows then that the task of keeping the marriage bed pure and holding the marriage institution in honour is not restricted to married individuals only but is the responsibility of all. All have a part to play, the entire body of Christ has a role to play in upholding the institution of marriage in honour by advocating and promoting, advancing and maintaining personal holiness and purity.

It is in the maintenance and diligent upkeep of our own personal holiness and purity (whether married or not) that we uphold the sanctity of the marriage institution.

It is in keeping and distancing ourselves away from adultery and sexual immorality or anything leading and enticing us to it that we demonstrate how much we honour the Creator and His order. In other words, the institution of marriage is truly honoured in our own lifestyles and the daily choices we make in our relationships.

This is the Creator’s order and anything contradicting and opposing that will, naturally, attract His righteous judgment.