COVENANT MARRIAGE MOVEMENT (CMM) BEWARE???

Recently received in a church publication was an article titled, Covenant Marriage Movement. In the article, this church organization announced that it had committed to become a ministry partner in the Covenant Marriage Movement (CMM). They encouraged their ministers world-wide to become involved in this movement that already had partnering organizations representing some 31 million constituents. Explanation was given that this was a movement designed to strengthen marriages and initiate revival within the lives of couples and families. The author further stated that this movement affords "God's people" the opportunity to affirm His design for marriage as a lifelong covenant relationship by signing a marriage covenant statement.

This may sound great to many as those promoting this movement state that it gives opportunity for premarital counseling and counseling before a divorce would be granted. However, let's look at the reality of what is happening and the potential biblical ramifications of those who participate.

HOW THE COVENANT MARRIAGE MOVEMENT (CMM) VIOLATES GOD'S MARRIAGE COVENANT

The CMM is based upon the passage of a marriage covenant law in the states of Louisiana and Arizona. Those "signing up for a covenant marriage" can get "out" of this covenant marriage for the following reasons (according to LA House Bill 756): adultery, abandonment, physical or sexual abuse or the felony conviction of one spouse. This bill was amended by House Bill 1631 to add annulment as a way to "dissolve marriage." NONE of these are biblical.  It is impossible (biblically) to dissolve God's one-flesh creation with sinful acts of man - no matter how insidious these transgressions may be.  God permits separation - not dissolution - in some instances: " ... if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." (I Corinthians 7:11)

Additionally, there is no stipulation in the Covenant Marriage Statement which specifies who may not sign; therefore, "partners" in this movement could be from homosexual or adulterous relationships, both of which are nonbiblical.  In fact, at the writing of this article, the "Covenant Marriage Commitment" and response form could be downloaded from the Internet and the intent to be a part of this movement e-mailed with the following information: "Your names, Your city, Your state, Your wedding date, Today's date."

With the CMM, there appear to be two "versions" of marriage: noncovenant and covenant.  Those who have been married but have not signed the "Covenant Marriage Commitment" are, by the CMM tenants, falsely put into a man-made classification - a "noncovenant marriage."  In other words, according to this man-made movement, you could be biblically married for 50 years, but not classified as being in a "covenant marriage" because you haven't signed one of these man-made agreements.   

The CMM statement has a place for respondents to record a wedding date and a covenant date - a biblical impossibility if both dates do not reflect the covenant established by God at the wedding altar - that established by God in response to the vows we speak.  Man, is, in effect, placing "on HIS books" a statement which appears to supercede something only God can create/establish.  The critical misunderstanding on man's part is the fact that marriage (covenant) is not created by a piece of paper.. Thus, is not man disavowing what God has done, thinking he can create a marriage covenant by signing a piece of paper?   He forgets God's "law of marriage" which is a supernatural, lifetime, invisible creation by God.  It is something over which man may officiate.  Man, however, does not have the "power" of God to create (nor dissolve) a one-flesh marriage.   

    "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."  (Mark 10:9)  

    "... the LORD [not man] hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth ... of thy covenant."  Malachi
(2:14) 

    "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth ..."  (I Corinthians 7:39)  

"In those days ... every man did that which was right in his own eyes." "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves." (Judges 17:6; 3:7) God's house was forsaken. They built idols and worshiped man-made "ordinances" and thus put themselves into bondage, bringing upon themselves eternal destruction because of their abhorrent sins against God.

According to God's recorded word, homosexual relationships, biblically, are sodomy; multiple marriage relationships are adultery.  God NEVER goes against His Word; neither does the Holy Spirit speak against His Word. They are ONE. They ALWAYS agree. Any movement which is not in unity with God's Word is not in unity with God.  It does not appear to be wise to "partner" with those who contradict God's Word.  "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness ... He is proud, knowing nothing ..." (I Timothy 6:3,4)  "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."  (Romans 16:17,18) 

CMM leadership makes the following type of statements: "God has already extended an invitation to over 30 cooperating organizations and ministries to join Him, and they have said, 'Yes Lord.'" "This is a movement of God ... to affirm God's design for marriage as a covenant relationship." CMM leadership also states that God is NOW providing ways for couples to stand together to affirm their commitment to covenant marriage through the Covenant Marriage Movement. God, however, doesn't join in unity with anything that opposes His Word. God has ALWAYS HAD IN PLACE THE WAY to commit to covenant marriage. We do that when HE makes us one flesh through the covenant made and vows given at the wedding altar. Within ALL one-flesh marriages is the commitment to remain faithful until death us do part, to love and cherish one another, to forsake all others; whether the participants believe it or not; whether they follow such or not.

Sally Davidson shared with Restoration of the Family a copy of her "Judgment of Divorce." Because she did not sign a "Covenant Marriage Agreement," her divorce decree reads: "The parties have not contracted a covenant marriage." That's pretty blasphemous to call God's one-flesh union noncovenant because of man's "new version" of marriage and rejection of God's Word.   Sally's marriage, according to God's law, is a lifetime covenant marriage that no man can dissolve, which God's Word clearly teaches cannot be dissolved by a man-made piece of paper.  

Choose this day what you wish to believe and support, but know that God does not take lightly anyone who "touches a covenant." He killed Uzzah who only reached up to steady the ark holding the terms of the covenant. He also killed 50,000 men for just "looking" into the ark. God gives repeated warnings: "... after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die ..." (Numbers 4:15) "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God." (II Samuel 6:7) "And he [God] smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men ..." (I Samuel 6:19)   

Remember the "end" of Ananias and Sapphira:  "... thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things."  (Acts 5:4,5)   And consider those partaking in defiling God's commands:  "Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah."  (Numbers 16:49)  "Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.  When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.  Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit."  (Psalm 50:17-19)  

Look at God's many warnings: "Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.  And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.  For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.  Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?   (Malachi 2:14-17)

"... let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9)  

"... Let not the wife depart from her husband ... and let not the husband put away his wife."  (I Corinthians 7:10,11)  

"Art thou bound [married] unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed [divorced] from a wife? seek not a wife."  (I Corinthians 7:27)  

"When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?"  (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6) 

Study the article, What is a Marriage Covenant?

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