Mike Focht 12/19/2025
But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
Mark 10:6-9
Jesus Christ declares the oneness of marital union. When a man and woman are married, they are joined in a way that is more than merely bodily, but in a mysterious union that we do not fully understand. Jesus does not explain the whole truth of marital oneness. He states it and then applies it. His application is straightforward. What God has joined, let not man separate.
The instruction here for all married couples is very simple. Do not introduce anything into your life that will compete with the oneness that God created through marriage. We can do this as married or single persons. Any sexual activity outside of marriage is going to introduce some mental, emotional, or bodily competition to the oneness that Jesus would seek to create and have us enjoy.
The world will give us the opposite message. Culture says we should experiment, test, and compare our sexuality as much as possible. The unsaved do so because they don’t know what Jesus says or desires. They have no idea what God’s desire for their marriage is. The world is in darkness and is blind to the fact that God is nurturing oneness in marriage. But you and I are not of the world. We are aware of Jesus’ word: Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
All sexual activity outside of the marriage bed (which alone is honorable in God’s sight) will pull at what God has put together. Refuse to be a part of that! For those who are single, how much competition do you want to overcome to enjoy true oneness with your wife? Or how much competition do you want your wife to overcome to enjoy oneness with you? Heed Christ’s instruction and do not allow yourself to be a person who is working at separating what God wants to join.
For those of us who are married, this must continue. Do not introduce any outside sexuality into your marriage by mind, soul, or body. God is never encouraging us to stir up sexuality by turning from our spouse to lust after other people in movies, television shows, online pornography, literature, or extra-marital relationships. God doesn’t nurture the oneness He wants by introducing outside pollutants.
Nothing that could introduce a single thought of discontent or negativity about your spouse must be entertained. Never linger on the lie that maybe God didn’t want you to marry who you have been joined to. On every occasion, those thoughts are vile and satanic. (I admit there are occasions where divorce is allowed by Christ, and that physical separation can be a wise decision at times, but even in those worst of scenarios, thoughts of separation or divorce should be worked through openly with a pastor and your spouse.) Satan will seek to damage oneness in mind and heart way before a married couple separates in body. Many ruined marriages would have survived if thoughts that tore at the intimacy of their oneness had been rejected.
Take captive any thought, feeling, or action that would seek to tear at the oneness God would seek to develop in your life—currently or in the future. Your spouse is God’s provision. Don’t despise God’s provision in your life. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.