Are a man and a woman married only when the state in which they live receive a license and then have a minsiter solemnize the marriage?
I have had some personal experience in this area as to when a Marriage between a man and woman actually occurs.
It is important to remember that Marriage is ordained by God, He created it for man and it is He who sets the rules for what constitutes a marriage. In the Book of Genesis the Lord saw that Adam was alone and that he was not complete. Man needed a woman to be his help and companion. Man was to lead by love and integrity, the marriage union and give of himslelf to his wife everything she needed to live and prosper.
The Bible details that “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and that the two shall become one.” Further, the Bible says that “What God has joined together, man should not divide.” The key part of this verse being that it is the Lord who has joined the two together.
The state only has the power to make a marriage legal but it does not have the power to make the marriage itself. When a man and a woman stand before the Lord and make vows of faithfulness, commitment, love and dedication to each other for the rest of their lives, the Lord is there with them to hear their promises and record them in Heaven and being a marriage between the two. From that point forward the Lord expects the man and woman to keep their promises to each other and to Him and only under extremely rare situations can this union be broken.
Although the State makes the union of a man and a woman a legal matter, remember that it is the Creator of Marriage and the entire Universe that makes it a marriage itself. Even if a man and a woman never obtain a license from the state, nor have their union recognized legally by the state, if they make their vows, mean what they say and live their lives as a married couple before the Lord, they are no less married than anyone who has a license to marry.
Long before a marriage license ever existed, men and women stood before the Lord and promised to love and be faithful to each other under God’s law for their entire lives. The Bible makes no mention of a “license” being required for marriage, only that two persons make a commitment to each other and the Lord for life. When this occurs, they are married and the addition of a marriage license does not make them more married.
This being said, Paul also records in Romans Chapter 13 that we are to obey every institution of man for these governments are established by the Lord for the benefit of men. To rebel against these laws over men is to rebel against the Lord. Whenever possible, a man and woman should obtain a legal standing under the law by obtaining a marriage license.
