Living together or not

Paul said in 1 Cor 7. He who is married care for the things of this world and further says He who is unmarried care for the the things of the Lord.

Let me start off with a personal testimony with regards to this. I was for about 6 years in a relationship living together, not married, yet both broken vessels. After many years I gave my life to the Lord. I clung to that relationship and did not want to let go, thinking that I could make it work, thinking that I could convince him to do the right thing to get married. I was still a babe in Christ not understanding, not knowing the truth and was driven by the fear of abandonment, fear of rejection and those fears spoke louder than it should. Basically contending unknowingly with the Lord in clinging to things that I needed to let go off. Eventually taking me more than a year of pains, sorrows and misery being the process of not letting go, while the enemy kept on hurting me with broken trust and the pain of seeing the disloyalty and feeling the sting of rejection turning you into a jealous other while you only wanted to make it work. Slowly the light break through in releasing that in your own power your are defenseless against the onslaughts of the enemies attacks. So I surrender the relationship to the Lord and ask Him to step in. Then the healing started to take place, slowly at start but progressing day by day. I grew stronger and the Lord delivered my from all those fears and taught me forgiveness. He prepared me to let go and to be strong enough for the next step of breaking up without blaming or regrets nor bitterness. Then I felt strong enough but He still let me wait for the final step and I could not understand why, but now I understood. The answer took long, long after He changed the circumstances in such a way for the separation to take place. About a year later, He gave me the answer. He too, referring to my ex, is created by the Lord and the Lord loves all of us. He too is a child trapped inside the prison of the enemy, broken, tormented and enslaved by the destroyer, also crying out from the torment and for the pains to stop, yet not knowing that the Lord can heal all that brokenness and wants to if only one seek Him and cry out to Him. Yet one might wonder why He does not just do it, and the answer lies in a choice, we all are given a choice to choose Him, to choose His love and healing. He will not force Himself on anyone. So thus the answer He gave me was to let him see that healing is possible, also for him, not only for me. He healed me in front of him. It is not revenge or to make him suffer but to show that it is possible for all to be healed. Complete forgiveness is possible once you are on the other side, having walked through the Refiners' fire and not burned but made stronger and healed, a 'whole' version of you, not the broken one you once were when you entered. This is a testimony of His power to turn and mend broke hearts.

So lets get back to the topic. To live together or not to. His word says to flee from any sexual impurity and fornication. So it is a sin against your own body. Marriage is a scared union and He is seeking a pure and holy bride. Thus sexual sin outside the bonds of marriage is not of the Lord as no vows has been made nor is there and 'commitment' to keep it. The Lord is merciful and want us to repent of wrong doings and to turn from our wicked ways. He also remove the guilt and shame it brought. That is love true love as He is love.

Lets not argue about the Old Testament as we are in a new covenant. Many enter into a relationship seeking love, looking for love at the wrong place as what we are searching for is the Lord's love which only He can give and the rest will leave us wanting. Once He is our first love and fills our cups, then it overflows unto others. Without the Lord being first and filling our cups, the emptiness will remain and the seeking continue.