I do know a Christian couple of their early 30s who wish to get married in our church but wish to forego a wedding license. They feel that God created marriage and so they shouldn’t must get approval/proof from the state/local authorities to ensure that their marriage to be legitimate within the eyes of God. When I got married over 30 years ago, I couldn’t wait to get our marriage license! Unlike this couple, it was comforting to me that it was “official” within the eyes of the county, though God’s approval was definitely more necessary
I’m grateful that this couple understands God’s view of marriage and the way sacred it’s. When God created Adam and Eve, the author of Genesis may not have used the word “marriage,” however the intention was that the person and the lady would grow to be one flesh as any married couple would in the long run. Adam was incomplete without Eve, and God at all times completes what He begins. In Ephesians 5:31, Paul reiterates, “‘For this reason a person will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the 2 will grow to be one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I’m talking about Christ and the church. However, each considered one of you furthermore may must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
So while this couple intends to like the opposite as God has called them to do, submitting “to 1 one other out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21), they imagine that they don’t need a wedding license to “seal the deal.” They say their feelings and views should not unique, which is true. Some are so disenchanted with leadership on this country that they balk at anything that seems like governmental overreach to them (“Why do we’d like a chunk of paper? We know we’re married.”) Some may subconsciously fear that they shall be trapped in a wedding whether it is legally binding (perhaps because their parents divorced or another past trauma).
What Else Does the Bible Say about Marriage?
Can we discover anything to corroborate these feelings in Scripture? According to the Crosswalk article, “What Does the Bible Say About Marriage?”, there are several places within the Old and New Testament that talk to what God believes about marriage. “This relational aspect of God’s image in marriage has analogs portrayed in Yahweh’s relation with Israel…in addition to in Christ’s relationship with the church.” Isaiah 54:5 says, “For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he known as the God of all of the earth.”
When talking about Christ’s relationship with the church, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I’m jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to 1 husband, to Christ, in order that I’d present you as a pure virgin to him.” Marriage is to be a mirrored image of God’s perfect love and commitment to us.
Therefore, it’s not hyperbole to say that God takes covenants very seriously–between Himself and believers—and the covenants we make with each other. But does that mean a wedding license is crucial to make marriage a covenant between two people? “There is not any verse within the Bible that claims, ‘Thou shalt not consider thyself married or engage in sexual relations until thou holdest a chunk of paper from the state authorities in thy hand,’ says an article from Focus on the Family. “But there’s one other sense through which we are able to’t deny the legitimacy of the state’s involvement within the business of marriage.” The article goes on to speak concerning the value of constructing a public commitment that may’t easily be broken and the worth that’s to the couple.
Dr. Roger Barrier, in his article, “Is it Biblical for Christians to Get Married Without a License,” concurs that one reason to get an official license is because marriage is a binding covenant. He notes that in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, “Jewish law required a certificate of divorce to dissolve a wedding. The incontrovertible fact that a divorce certificate was needed indicates that a Jewish marriage was a binding relationship under the law.”
What are the Potential Consequences of Marrying and not using a License?
I might equate not wanting to get a legal marriage license (in some instances) with obtaining a prenuptial agreement. Both give one the sense that the couple getting married is skittish a few lifelong commitment and could have a way out in the event that they are disenchanted in some unspecified time in the future. Are there other reasons for not wanting a license? Perhaps like my friends above, a pair may truthfully not see the necessity for it: it won’t make them any more married or please God more. Some would even say if these kind of agreements were written of within the Bible, that doesn’t mean that they must be in use today (more on that later).
But what if you happen to don’t get a wedding license? You are missing out on automatic advantages and protections that Dr. Barrier listed in his article. The list includes issues regarding children, funds (e.g., taxes, Social Security, and healthcare advantages for spouses), what happens when the husband or wife dies, and far more. While some states allow for “common law” protections based on the period of time a pair has been together, the advantages should not as straightforward as having a wedding license and should require legal assistance and representation to settle any dispute. Though two people could also be committed to 1 one other for all times after they resolve to be married, and not using a license, they and their future children could also be at an obstacle someday.
Christian Considerations for a Legally Recognized Marriage
Regardless of what one thinks is true about getting or not getting a wedding license as a Christian, Paul was very clear when he was writing to believers in Rome: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there isn’t a authority except that which God has established. God has established the authorities that exist. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and people who accomplish that will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1-7). Jesus, when asked if Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, told them to “Render unto Caesar what’s Caesar’s, and to God what’s God’s.” (Matthew 22:21). In other words, unless it goes against God’s moral law, do what is predicted of you. A wedding license is a really small consideration after we consider how it will possibly honor God and the federal government and be a witness to nonbelievers.
While our government leaves so much to be desired, it was arrange by God to offer us needed services, to guard the innocent and punish the guilty, and to assist us have what we’d like to thrive. People are watching Christians to see if we are going to trust what God said in His word and if we are going to follow His lead. So, to reply the query, “Is it Important for Christians to Get a Marriage License?” I might say the reply is yes. God sees the center and doesn’t need us to get a wedding license, but He would want us to follow the institutions that He created and make sure that we do what’s in our greatest interest. The advantages definitely outweigh the small cost on this case.
Further Reading
Is it Biblical for Christians to Get Married and not using a Marriage License?
What Does the Bible Say about Marriage? Why is it So Important?
Do Christians Have to Get Married in a Church?
Photo credit: ©Sandy Millar/Unsplash
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance author and duplicate editor who prayed for years for a approach to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing greater than 1,500 articles along with marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is simply too short to put in writing about the rest. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a big healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the unique Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she likes to spend time along with her author daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not at all times in that order).
