Latest / Jo Watson: Unfiltered Faith / "Shackin Up" vs "Marriage Covenant"
Transcript
- Shackin up vs Marriage Covenant: Welcome back to Unfiltered Faith. I'm Joe Watson and it's time to breathe. Time to slow down. Time to let your shoulders drop and time to step into the sanctuary. Not the sanctuary we're also familiar with, but the one that God is building inside you. Today, we're stepping into a conversation that the church often avoids. Oversimplifies or shuts down too quickly. We're talking about living together before marriage. Not from a place of judgment, not from a place of shame, but from a place of honesty, scripture, and real-life wisdom. Because the truth is, people are asking real questions. People are living real lives. People are navigating real relationships, and they deserve real answers, not cliches, not fear tactics, not churchy responses that don't address the complexity of modern relationships. Today's episode is for the person who's trying to reconcile faith with reality, commitment with caution. Love with wisdom and scripture with the world they're actually living in. A listener wrote in with a question that many people whisper privately but rarely ask publicly. Their honesty is refreshing and necessary. Let's read their letter. Dear Pastor Joe, let's be honest. Why are we so obsessed with whether people are shacking up before marriage? If we're already sleeping together, splitting rent, sharing bills, arguing over the thermostat, and basically living like a married couple, what exactly makes it wrong because there's no ring? And here's the uncomfortable part. What if living together? Actually shows you that you should not get married. Why are we telling people to wait for marriage when some people get married and realize six months later I didn't even know this person? Is living together before marriage really about faith, or are we just repeating rules nobody wants to question? I genuinely want to know. Signed Someone who's tired of the church answer. Wow. Dear someone who's tired of the church answer, thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for trusting this space. And thank you for asking the question instead of pretending like you don't have one. Let's start here. Number one, the church's concern isn't about cohabitation, it's covenant. Biblically, marriage is not just a contract, it's not just a ring, it's not just a ceremony. It is a covenant, a spiritual, emotional, and relational commitment that God Himself joins together. Jesus says in Matthew chapter nineteen verse six, What God has joined together let no one separate. Cohabitation is about convenience. Covenant is about commitment. So the issue isn't the apartment, it's the spiritual weight of the relationship. Number two, living together doesn't guarantee knowing someone. You can share a bed with someone and never share your heart with someone. You can split rent with someone and never split responsibility with someone. You can live together with someone and still hide your true self from someone. Proximity does not equal intimacy. Access does not equal commitment. And familiarity does not equal. Covenant. Number three. God's boundaries are not punishment, they are protection. When Scripture warns us against sexual intimacy outside of marriage, it's not because God is anti sex or anti love. It's because God knows the emotional, spiritual, and relational weight that comes with intimacy. First Corinthians chapter six verses eighteen through twenty reminds us that our bodies are temples, not toys, and God protects what He values you. four. Cohabitation can blur clarity. You ask, what if living together shows you that you should not get married? Here's the truth. Sometimes living together makes it harder to see red flags, not easier. Because once you share bills and share space and share bodies, you're no longer evaluating the relationship, you're managing the entanglement. And God, He wants you to choose your spouse with clarity, not confusion. Number five. The real question is not is it wrong? It's is it wise? Wisdom is the heartbeat of Scripture. Proverbs chapter four verse seven says wisdom is the principal thing. So the question is does living together help you build a godly foundation or does it create a bond that makes it harder to walk away even when you should? Faith is not about rules, it's about alignment. Alignment with God's design, alignment with God's timing, and alignment with God's wisdom. To everyone listening, I hear the Spirit saying, I am calling my people back to covenant, not convenience, not culture, not fear, and not pressure. I am restoring the meaning of commitment. I am healing the places where relationships have been rushed, wounded, or confused. And I am teaching you to build on rock, not sand. Some of us are in relationships where God is whispering, slow down. Some of us are in relationships where God is saying, seek me first. And some of us are in relationships where God is preparing you for covenant, not chaos. So hold on. God is not trying to restrict you, He is trying to protect you. Let's stop right here and pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, we lift up every listener navigating relationships, commitment, Intimacy and decisions that shape their future. Give them wisdom. Give them clarity. Give them courage to ask hard questions and strength to make godly choices. Lord, remind us that you are faithful. Remind us that your design is good. Remind us that your boundaries are blessings, not burdens. Jesus, guide every heart that is searching, heal every heart that is hurting, lead every heart that is confused. We trust you. We honor you. We follow you. If you are listening today and you've never given your life to Jesus, or maybe you walked away and you're ready to come home, this moment is for you. Jesus is not intimidated by your questions. He is not offended by your doubts. He is not disappointed by your past because he loves you. He wants you and he is calling you. If you want to give your life to Jesus, pray this with me. Lord Jesus, I give you my heart. I give you my questions. I give you my future. Forgive me, save me, and lead me. I choose you today. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, welcome home. Find a Bible prayer. Based teaching church where you can grow, learn, and be surrounded by people who will walk with you. Family, thank you for joining me today. Remember this: God is faithful, Jesus is present, the Holy Spirit is guiding you, and you don't have to navigate relationships alone. So hold on and seek wisdom. Honor God and trust that He will lead you into covenant, not confusion. And if you're carrying a weight that feels too heavy to hold, please remember that this podcast is not a substitute for professional therapy or pastoral care. Reach out and get the support you need because you deserve that kind of care. And if you would like to send in a question or share a story with Unfiltered Faith, you can reach us at Joe at UnfilteredFaithpod.com. We would love to hear from you. Your testimonies and your experiences matter. They help others grow. They encourage weary hearts and they draw people closer to Jesus. Until next time. Family, unfiltered faith, God is moving, so stay ready and to God be the glory.